To the eyes of a very lowly tenant farmer or a lowly servant, the lord Sir Augustine Walton's Asker manor house looked so large and thick and solid, and its façade of cut marble gave it a solemn and solemn mystery.

Tenant farmers or servants who were allowed to enter the manor said that it was not just a manor, it represented the image of a lord. In addition, you can also appreciate the unique charm of the lord and the aura of success. It is favored by God, who kisses it and proves to all the material wealth and spiritual pleasures that the lord possesses.

The trophies in the living room, the coat of arms hanging on the mantelpiece, and the books of Rome and Greece on the shelves of the library, all show that the lord was different, that he was born to be the ruler of the land. It was God who made the distinction between him and the lower commoners, arranging his wealth and the poverty of the commoners.

In the eyes of short-sighted tenant farmers and servants with little education, the lord's estate was full of luxury and refinement, sophistication and delicacy. However, in Isabel's eyes, due to the limitations of the time's financial resources, building technology and building materials, Augustine and his family's residence was much more modest than the luxurious mansions of the English aristocracy in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Augustine went to his room alone, took off his armor and linen shirt underneath, removed the stabbing sword he was wearing, and put on a dark blue tunic with a raff collar, hand-sewn by Madame Antonia in velvet.

He then changed into knee-length leggings, a pair of socks that covered his calves, and a pair of high heels that made it easy to fasten the stirrups when riding. Because of the cold, Jazz put on a thicker cloak for himself. Finally, Sir strapped a delicate knight's dagger to his waist on his left side, and walked out of his room with a small hood.

Antonia Walton and her youngest daughter, Euphemia, sit in the large living room, enjoying the heat from the fireplace, whispering about the recent weather and the upcoming Christmas. At this time, Christiana, the personal maid, came to the living room with a few sticks of suitable length and easy to burn, and after saluting the two of them, she walked straight to the fireplace.

Cristiana went to the fireplace and put down the firewood, squatted down and gently removed the fire from the ashes with a fire hook, picked up the firewood on one side of the ground and added it to the fire that continued to burn. Then he stood up, saluted the two of them again, and said, "Madame, Mademoiselle, dinner is ready." If it's time to eat, I'll go and inform the kitchen right away. ”

Antonia put down a half-finished blouse that she had just sewn, nodded and said, "Chrissy, did Bruce tell you if Sir was going home for dinner today?" ”

After thinking about it, Christian replied, "Monsieur Hader didn't say so explicitly, but he was already waiting outside the door." ”

According to the law on dress established by His Majesty King Henry VIII, Augustine came to the drawing room wearing a dress of no type, fabric, or color that could surpass that of a nobleman above the rank of lord. With a smile on his face, he said to his wife and daughter, "Oh, so you're all here. ”

The valet Christiana hurriedly turned around and said to Jazz as she curtched, "Your Excellency." With that, he hurriedly walked out of the living room.

Antonia and her daughter also stood up and saluted Sir with a smile on their faces. Augustine then stepped forward and symbolically hugged and kissed each other with the two female members of the family.

After the three of them sat down one after another, Euphemia looked at Sir happily and said, "Dad, today you are going to accompany His Royal Highness the Duke to hunt foxes?" ”

Without waiting for the lord's and lord's wife, a male servant immediately entered the living room with a shiny tin-lead alloy tray that could almost be used as a mirror, on which a metal wine glass containing red wine was securely placed.

The male servant stood silently on the left side of the knight with a tray, and Augustine turned to take a big sip of his glass, smiled and called his little daughter's name, "Effie, why do you say that?" ”

Euphemia pursed and said, "Because you will only be so happy when you have received the precious fox skin that Your Highness has bestowed upon you." ”

Antonia could tell from her husband's face what was excitement and what was joy. Sitting across from the knight, he called her husband's nickname and said, "Austen, you did not accompany your highness to the fox hunt. I'd love to know what the reason is, though. ”

Augustine took another sip of wine and returned the glass to the tray in the servant's hand, who bowed to the lord's family and left the drawing-room. At this time, Sir pondered, and said with a somewhat solemn expression, "Yes, ma'am. However, I did receive an invaluable gift. And this gift may be given to our family by God. ”

"God forbid, Austin, what are you talking about? Why do you say that God has given it to us? ”

"What if I said that this gift was our daughter Rosalind who had died of illness three years ago?"

As soon as these words came out, the two women present sat there in a daze. There was no sound in the living room, except for the crackling of the firewood burning in the fireplace. Euphemia, who was sitting at one end of a long chair with Jazz, looked at her father and said with a trembling voice, "Daddy, are you telling the truth?" ”

Antonia felt her body tremble slightly, and quickly picked up a glass of pear wine on the coffee table and took a big sip. When she put down her glass, Augustine looked at her and said, "Of course, almost everyone, including His Royal Highness the Duke, thinks that she is the best Christmas gift God has given me." ”

"Austin, where is this girl now? Can you get her to come to me? ”

"Madame, she's in my stable now, and she needs to finish taking care of the horses."

Yufinia didn't seem to hear her father's words clearly, and hurriedly stood up and saluted her parents, and then hurried out of the living room. When he came to the corridor, he casually commanded the servant standing outside the door, "Go find Alfred and tell him to come to me at Sir's stable." ”

At this time, the butler Bruce Harder happened to meet the lord's youngest daughter in the hallway, and after saluting, he made way for Yuphenia. When he came to the drawing-room to salute the lord and his wife, he whispered in Augustine's ear what had happened in the stables.