Roger lowered his head and saw a palm-sized dark red patch on his abdomen, glaringly noticeable on his clean and tidy clothes.
No matter the reason, since someone is visiting, as a host, it is still essential to pay attention to proper attire.
"I’ll prepare a new outfit for you."
Emily suggested, "Miss Harin is responsible for entertaining downstairs, which should buy some time."
Harin, whom Emily mentioned, is the estate’s housekeeper, mainly in charge of managing all affairs big and small.
Although Emily and Annie are also under her jurisdiction, due to their long-term close service to Roger, their status is much higher than the other maids.
The Anglu family, many years ago, was also a prestigious Great Noble, but with the development of the times, social structures and wealth were redistributed.
The nobility declined, new forces emerged, and the entire family quickly fell into decline.
Thus, within the estate, while efforts are made to maintain traditional aristocratic etiquette, on the other hand, the new influences have rendered many rules laughable.
This results in a slightly peculiar transition between old and new systems throughout the estate.
The identity positioning of the maids is also very different from before.
Through the gap in the door, Emily saw Joseph collapsed by the table; from her angle, she could only see half of Joseph’s back and an empty wine glass placed on the table.
Evidently, she mistook the stain on Roger’s clothes for spilled wine.
The Servel Kingdom’s vineyards are well-known, and due to their geographical location, the wine produced here is a precious item sought after in many places.
Due to its brilliant color and rich taste, it is humorously called red agate.
"Help me prepare then."
Roger displayed a perfectly timed smile, then closed the door.
Click, the door was locked, Roger lifted his clothing; on his pale skin was a vicious wound.
He turned his head; in the corner, a bone mask used for decoration had fallen to the ground, its sharp edge stained with blood.
He sighed helplessly. A corpse feels nothing; an injury of this degree, unless Soul Power covers the entire body, with weak perception, Roger simply can’t detect it.
He can’t feel pain or even pleasure from a dead body, which causes unnecessary trouble for his disguise.
The heart has stopped beating, blood cannot flow smoothly; the wound looks terrifying, but the blood loss is not exaggerated.
At this point, Roger didn’t have much of a solution, could only perform a simple treatment mainly to cover the blood stains and prevent further seepage.
If he gets caught with blood leaking from his pants while greeting guests in the ballroom downstairs after changing clothes,
by the next day, all sorts of bizarre rumors would flood the upper society.
Having just treated the wound, a knock sounded on the door.
Roger changed his clothes and, led by Emily, descended the stairs to the ballroom on the ground floor.
The estate consists of a standalone building and several lower adjacent buildings, interconnected partly on the ground floor.
Some of the lower buildings serve as separate ballrooms; once downstairs, Roger walked through the corridor and "heard" faint conversations.
"I heard that Doctor Cameron specifically came here to treat Henrik. Although he didn’t say it explicitly, his demeanor was clear..."
"It seems the Anglu family’s lineage might end with this generation."
Discussion filled the surroundings; however, as Roger pushed open the door and entered, the lively atmosphere slightly paused, followed by an array of gazes falling upon him.
Surprise, suspicion...
"This must be a fraud!"
Observing everyone’s reactions, Roger did his best to respond according to the original owner’s demeanor.
Yet while speaking, he silently observed the young people present in the hall.
The Anglu family has fallen, but among those present are other fallen nobles, as well as members of burgeoning families.
These individuals may not represent the core of their families, but compared to ordinary people, they are closer to the mainstream of this world.
Or rather, the upper class.
But Roger soon felt disappointed.
His discernment remains; with just a simple action, he can gauge a person’s general strength.
Though unfortunately, some individuals here do bear traces of long-term training, but at most could only be considered agile.
It’s estimated they couldn’t even compare to a seasoned hunter, let alone reach Transcendent levels.
"The ordinary power levels aren’t much different from ordinary people in the original world."
From this, one might deduce the power ceiling in this world is likely quite limited.
At this point, Roger wasn’t sure whether to feel fortunate or disappointed, but for him, before considering potential benefits and unexpected gains, he needs to resolve his immediate dilemma.
His soul is wounded; controlling a corpse, his power is greatly reduced. Right now, he must do his best to disguise, then gather information before making plans.
So-called upper society exchanges, in Roger’s eyes, were unbearably dull. Everyone came not for visiting; soon after, he cited unwellness as a reason to leave.
The remaining people dispersed in a hustle, horse hooves sounded outside, and soon everyone was gone.
Returning to his room, Joseph was still unconscious. Roger carefully checked him, firmly confirming a suspicion he had.