I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

Chapter 131 Conflict 4k

The carriage stopped at the street corner.

Catherine stood beside the car, one hand clutching the hem of her skirt, the other gripping the car door handle tightly. Her beautiful eyes were filled with stubbornness and resentment: "I'm going with you! I'll see if you're going to meet another woman!"

Dean sighed helplessly. He looked at his childhood sweetheart, who he had grown up with, his tone tinged with weariness, but more so with the patience of someone coaxing a child: "Catherine, stop fooling around. I have important business to attend to."

"What important matter can't I know?" Catherine persisted. "You just don't want me to see it!"

Dean didn't explain further. He turned to Xia Lin and gave him a look.

Xia Lin understood—this meant he should stop the young lady.

Dean turned and got into the carriage, and the curtains were drawn.

Catherine wanted to chase after her, but Xia Lin stepped forward and blocked her way.

"Miss Catherine," he tried to make his tone sound gentle, "you can't force matters of the heart, right? The more you pursue him, the further he'll run away."

Honestly, you should go back first and give him some space. Maybe he'll figure it out on his own.

Catherine stopped and looked at him.

The stubbornness in those eyes seemed to be slowly fading.

He stood there, lost in thought.

"What you said... seems to make some sense," she murmured.

Xia Lin was secretly pleased—it seemed that this young lady was still willing to listen to advice.

"Then you'd like to go back first?" he asked tentatively.

Catherine nodded, took a step back, and truly did not pursue them further.

Xia Lin breathed a sigh of relief, jumped into the driver's seat, gently shook the reins, and the carriage slowly drove away.

What he didn't know was—

Catherine stood there, watching the carriage disappear into the distance, her mind racing with thoughts that were completely different from what he had imagined.

Yes, we have to force it.

Her eyes suddenly lit up.

Since we can't catch up, then why not just take it down?

She remembered a magic potion that had recently become popular among the upper-class ladies in the city center, something like "Pleasure Time." It was said that after drinking it, even the most aloof person would become passionate.

Let's go all the way and if we can't have it, we'll resort to drugs!

She smugly thought to herself: Once I've won Dean over, let's see if he still dares to avoid me?

If Xia Lin knew what she was thinking right now, he would probably curse her:

Damn it, you're an idiot.

Inside the carriage, Dean leaned against the wall and suddenly asked, "How did you manage to persuade her?"

As Xia Lin drove, she replied, "Well—to be honest. Feelings can't be forced. Let her go home first."

Dean was silent for a moment, then said with a hint of disbelief, "Honestly, I'm surprised. That girl, Catherine, has been stubborn since she was little; even her parents couldn't persuade her."

Xia Lin was slightly taken aback.

He thought for a moment and said modestly, "Perhaps she just suddenly realized something."

Dean didn't say anything more.

The carriage stopped in front of a shop.

Xia Lin looked up at the sign—an exquisite oak sign with the words "Golden Oak" engraved in gold lettering.

Below are a few lines of smaller text: Magical Items, Alchemy Products, Rare Collectibles.

Through the shop window, you can see all sorts of strange and wonderful things on display: glowing gems, oddly shaped crystal balls, shimmering scrolls, and a few metal utensils whose purpose is unclear.

Magical Items Shop.

Dean got out of the car and said to Xia Lin, "Wait for me on the first floor, I'm going upstairs to take care of something."

Xia Lin nodded and watched him push the door open and go inside.

The first floor of the Golden Oak.

Xia Lin stood in front of the counter, pretending to look at the displayed goods, but her eyes were glancing at the stairs leading to the second floor.

The shop assistant was a capable young man. He glanced at him, probably recognizing his groom's attire, but didn't come over to greet him. He simply nodded politely and continued tidying the shelves.

The second floor.

The boss was a thin, middle-aged man wearing a dark gray robe and gold-rimmed glasses.

Dean followed him down the corridor and finally stopped in front of a closed door.

The boss took out his key and opened the door.

The room was dimly lit and contained only a table and two chairs.

Several faded tapestries hung on the wall.

Dean sat down at the table and asked directly, "Did you find the thing?"

The boss nodded, took a small box out of his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of him.

Dean opened the box.

Inside lay a palm-sized, entirely silver-white necklace.

The necklace is engraved with intricate patterns, which vaguely resemble some kind of magic circle.

Holding it in his hand, Dean could feel the magical fluctuations flowing within it.

"The Net of Imprisonment," the shopkeeper explained. "A level three spell that, when triggered, creates an imprisonment barrier with a diameter of three meters."

Those trapped inside cannot escape unless the caster releases the spell or someone with sufficient magical power forcibly breaks free.

It lasted for about ten minutes.

Dean examined the necklace carefully, nodded, and put it into his pocket.

He stood up and added, "Keep looking for those things I mentioned before. Scrolls or magic items are fine, as long as they meet my previous requirements. I can pay you extra if you find them."

The boss nodded: "Understood. I'll keep that in mind."

Dean didn't say anything more, pushed open the door and walked out.

First floor.

Xia Lin was looking at the few glowing stones in the shop window when she caught a glimpse of Dean coming down the stairs.

He looked away, pretending to be nonchalant.

Dean walked up to him and said calmly, "Let's go."

The two walked out of the golden oak tree and got into the carriage.

As Xia Lin drove, he silently pondered in his mind:

Dean came to the Magic Shop — what did he buy?

And judging from his expression, it seems like he's hiding something.

Since the other party didn't want to talk about it, he didn't ask.

The carriage returned to the Baron's mansion.

Xia Lin drove the carriage to the stable, untied the reins, and began to bathe the chestnut horse.

I've gotten to know this horse much better after spending the last few days with it.

Now when you get close to it, it won't kick up its tail anymore. Sometimes it will even rub its head against Xia Lin's hand, just like a big dog.

Xia Lin was brushing the horse's back while in a fairly good mood.

The sunlight lazily spilled onto the open ground in front of the stable.

Xia Lin rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arms, and was using a wooden bucket and a bristle brush to bathe the chestnut horse.

This grumpy fellow, who almost kicked him away when he first arrived, can now stand quietly in place, letting Xia Lin splash water on it and brush its fur.

It would occasionally snort and wag its tail, but the initial wariness and hostility in its eyes were gone.

He carefully brushed the chestnut horse's back, and the horse squinted its eyes in comfort, making a satisfied "purring" sound.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Xia Lin patted its neck. "If you behave from now on, I'll wash you every day."

The chestnut horse nuzzled his shoulder with its head in response.

Beside the stable, three figures were huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

Rimbaud stood in the middle, arms crossed, his gaze occasionally glancing at the small stable where the stableman lived not far away—a spot he had been watching for two years.

At that moment, a stranger named Xia Lin was living in that room. He was a clueless young man who appeared out of nowhere, with no background or backing.

The fire in his heart was burning brightly.

"Joel," Rimbaud asked the tall, thin man beside him in a low voice, "have you found out anything about that new stable boy's background?"

Joel nodded, leaned closer, and said with a smug look on his face, "Brother Rimbaud, you can rest assured that I can handle things!"

I've found out that the kid has absolutely no background or connections at the Baron's mansion. I asked several old men, and they all said they'd never seen him before. They heard the old butler recruited him directly from outside.

He paused, then said with a hint of excitement, "If the three of us team up, driving him away will be a piece of cake! Then you'll be a proper stable boy at this stable!"

Rimbaud didn't speak, but just squinted at the little house.

groom.

These two words swirled in his mind countless times.

At the Baron's mansion, grooms are not ordinary servants.

Ordinary servants do rough work such as sweeping, wiping tables, serving tea and water, and attending to their masters.

I work myself to the bone all month, only to earn a pitiful monthly salary, and I still have to put up with other people's attitudes.

But the grooms are different.

Being a groom is a skilled job; you have to know how to feed the horses, brush them, trim their hooves, and drive the carriage.

This skill is not something anyone can learn; there are only a handful of people in the manor who are capable of it.

Therefore, grooms had a higher status than ordinary servants, earned more money, and received extra rewards during festivals when their masters were in a good mood.

Most importantly—

Rimbaud thought to himself that if he became a stable boy, he could go back to his hometown and marry Anne.

Anne was his childhood sweetheart, who lived in the countryside not far from Deepwater Town.

The two families had known each other for a long time and had privately discussed that as long as Rimbaud could establish himself in the city and have a decent job, the marriage would be arranged.

Being a groom was a "respectable job."

He promised Annie that he would go back and marry her.

Originally, this position should have been his after old man Mafkin retired.

He had worked in the stables for two and a half years and knew the job better than anyone else. Everyone in the Baron's household knew that once old Gene left, the stable boy would be Rimbaud's.

result-

This Xia Lin, I don't know where she came from, she just showed up and took the spot.

On what grounds?

Rimbaud clenched his fist.

He didn't dare to go to the old housekeeper to demand an explanation.

Butler Bourne has been in the manor for so many years; causing trouble would only embarrass him.

But he can oust that kid.

Since he's new here, he has no connections or background, so you can easily trip him up and make him unable to stay.

Rimbaud snapped out of his reverie, looked at Joel and Oni, and forced a smile: "Alright, after we get rid of him, I'll let you experience it for yourselves. I'll drive you back to the countryside in a carriage and show the people back home what real power looks like!"

Joel's eyes lit up: "Really? That's great!"

Rimbaud nodded, then remembered something: "By the way, haven't you been asking me about Annie's family?"

"Let me tell you, Anne has two younger sisters, and they're quite pretty too. If you're interested, I can act as matchmaker and arrange for you to marry them."

He patted Joel on the shoulder: "Then the three of us brothers will be family. Isn't that great!"

Joel was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, "That's wonderful! That's wonderful! Brother Rimbaud, you keep your word!"

The fat man, Oni, remained silent the entire time.

Rimbaud glanced at him: "Ony, why aren't you saying anything? Don't you want to get married?"

Oni scratched his head sheepishly and said seriously, "Brother Rimbaud, I don't like young people. I like mature ones."

Rimbaud was taken aback: "Mature?"

"Yes." Oni nodded, a hint of seriousness showing in his honest face. "I heard that Annie's mother is a young widow, and quite beautiful. If I'm going to marry someone, it'll be her."

From now on, we'll treat each other as our own. I'll call you brothers, and you'll call me Dad.

He paused, then added, "This doesn't stop us from still being family, right?"

Rimbaud: "————"

Joel:

The two stood there, stunned.

Joel opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

Rimbaud took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

All he could think about right now was getting rid of Xia Lin, becoming a stable boy, and going back to his hometown to marry Anne. He simply didn't have the energy to process Oni's "each to their own" ethical relationship.

"Alright, alright then." He nodded reluctantly. "We'll talk about it later. Now, let's get down to business."

He gestured with his lip towards the small hut: "Let's go."

The three of them started walking towards the stable.

Rimbaud walked at the front, his fists clenched.

He was determined to get the position of stable boy.

Xia Lin had her back to them, but the brush in her hand never stopped.

But every word of those words reached his ears.

Good grief. He thought to himself, this guy's here to steal my job.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. The job of a groom is one level higher than that of an ordinary servant in the baron's mansion, after all, he has a skill.

After the old stableman retired, this position should have been filled by one of the servants.

As a result, he, the "parachuted" employee, suddenly appeared out of nowhere and directly stole someone else's promotion opportunity.

The three men had already reached the stable and stopped a few steps away from Xia Lin.

Rimbaud crossed his arms and gestured toward Joel with his lips.

Joel understood, cleared his throat, stepped forward, and spoke in a condescending tone: "Hey, newbie."

Xia Lin paused in his actions, then slowly turned his head to look at them.

"You...you called me?"

"Yes, I'm talking to you." Joel took two steps forward, chin tilted back. "I said, do you know who originally occupied this stable boy's position?"

Xia Lin blinked: "I don't know. Butler Bourne hired me, saying he was short-staffed."

"We're short-handed?" Joel sneered. "We are short-handed, but this position originally belonged to our brother Rimbaud! Do you know how long he waited for this position?"

Xia Lin looked at Lan Bo.

The lean man was standing with his arms crossed, squinting at him with obvious hostility in his eyes.

It's like watching a nuisance who's about to be driven away.

Joel continued, "Brother Rimbaud has worked at the stables for a long time! Feeding horses, washing horses, trimming horses' hooves, what can't he do?"

This position should have been his before the old groom retired. And what happened? You snatched it away halfway through!

He took a step closer, lowered his voice, and said threateningly, "If you know what's good for you, get out of here and give up your seat. Don't wait until we take action, or you'll look bad."