THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR-Chapter 378: SECRET GARDENS

As the morning sun cast a warm glow over the De Gror manor, the reception came to a close. Servants quietly returned to their tasks, while the newcomers took a moment to settle into the grand foyer, its walls lined with portraits that whispered of generations past.

David stepped forward, his posture relaxing slightly now that they were safely within the manor's walls. "Seraphina will show you to your quarters," he announced to the assembled group, his voice carrying the casual authority of someone accustomed now to command. "I imagine you'd all appreciate time to refresh yourselves after our journey."

His gaze shifted to Yue, who had been studying the architectural details with the critical eye of someone who had witnessed the rise and fall of entire civilizations. "If you're not too tired, I thought you might be interested in seeing the greenhouse laboratory. The equipment we discussed has been prepared according to your specifications."

The diminutive alchemist's eyes lit up with childlike excitement that belied her ancient nature. "Tired? Please. I was conducting alchemical experiments when your ancestors were still figuring out how to make fire." She stepped forward with eager anticipation. "Lead on, boy. Show me this miraculous facility you've been boasting about."

Elara watched their exchange with a mixture of amusement and lingering wariness. The casual familiarity between David and Yue spoke of a connection built on shared intellectual curiosity rather than the more obvious dynamics she'd witnessed with his shadow maidens.

"I'll accompany the Archon and Litty on a tour of the manor," Seraphina offered smoothly, her elegant posture and flowing movements suggesting both grace and deadly precision. "The security measures should be of particular interest, given our current circumstances."

Litty nodded, her half-elven features betraying nothing beyond professional interest. "I'd appreciate that. My mother tends to lose track of time when presented with new experimental possibilities."

"Hours, days..." Yue waved her hand dismissively. "Time is a flexible concept when pursuing genuine innovation."

"Then we'll reconvene for the strategy session in three hours," David decided, already moving toward the eastern corridor with Yue following close behind. "That should give everyone sufficient time to settle in and prepare."

As they departed, Seraphina gestured elegantly toward the main staircase. "Shall we begin with the residential wings? Your accommodations have been prepared in the east tower, offering both comfort and tactical advantages."

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The manor's corridors unwound like a labyrinth of polished marble and ancient tapestries, each turn revealing new evidence of generations of wealth carefully maintained. Seraphina led Elara and Litty with the confidence of someone intimately familiar with every stone and shadow, occasionally pausing to indicate hidden security features or escape routes with subtle gestures.

"The manor's defensive systems have been significantly enhanced since David took residence," she explained as they passed a seemingly ordinary decorative armor display. "What appears to be merely historical decoration contains enchanted triggers that activate in response to unauthorized magical signatures."

Elara studied the armor with newfound appreciation. "Clever. Traditional wards announce their presence through magical resonance, but these would be virtually undetectable to anyone not specifically looking for them."

"Precisely," Seraphina confirmed with evident satisfaction. "Every third stone in this corridor is similarly enhanced, creating an interlocking grid that alerts us to any intrusion."

As they approached an ornate set of double doors, Seraphina paused, her perfect features softening almost imperceptibly. "These will be your chambers, Lady Archon. The adjoining suite has been prepared for Litty. You'll find everything you require already arranged, including communications equipment for contacting Lysora County through secure channels."

Elara's eyes narrowed slightly. "You've been preparing for guests long before our arrival."

"David likes to plan for contingencies," Seraphina replied without hesitation, opening the doors to reveal a tastefully appointed sitting room leading to a bedchamber draped in blues and silvers. "Some call it paranoia. I call it foresight."

Litty studied Seraphina with the careful assessment of someone accustomed to reading between lines. "Your staff seems unusually... qualified. I've noticed at least five women since our arrival who move more like warriors than servants, despite their household attire."

A shadow of amusement crossed Seraphina's face. "David values versatility in his household. Many of our staff have additional talents beyond their domestic duties."

Elara shot Litty a quick glance before turning to Seraphina, carefully choosing her words. "Just how many of these... specially trained individuals are under David's direction? The organization seems extensive for a relatively young man's personal project."

"More than most would expect," Seraphina acknowledged with subtle pride. "Some gather intelligence, others manage resources, a few specialize in healing or alchemy." She gestured toward a discreet side door. "Speaking of which, shall I show you the security center? It offers a comprehensive overview of the manor's surveillance and countermeasure systems."

"Lead on," Elara agreed, her tactician's mind already mapping potential advantages and escape routes. "Though I'm curious, who coordinates all this when David is away? The infrastructure seems extensive for a relatively young man's personal project."

"That would be me," Seraphina acknowledged as they proceeded down a hidden staircase concealed behind a sliding bookcase. "David provides vision and direction. I handle implementation."

Her calm assertion carried undercurrents of both pride and possessiveness that Elara filed away for future consideration. The hierarchy among David's followers clearly extended beyond simple organizational structure.

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Meanwhile, across the estate, David led Yue through a winding path that cut through meticulously maintained gardens. Ornamental hedges gave way to more practical plantings, herbs arranged in concentric circles according to magical affinity rather than conventional botanical categories.

"Your gardener understands energetic harmonization," Yue noted, pausing to examine a particularly vibrant patch of moonleaf growing alongside fire-thistle, a combination that conventional wisdom considered incompatible. "These shouldn't thrive together, yet they're clearly supporting each other's growth patterns."

"She has unconventional theories about plant cognition and energy exchange," David explained, a hint of pride in his voice. "She believes traditional cultivation restrictions are largely arbitrary, based on incomplete understanding of botanical sentience."

"Hmm. Not entirely incorrect," Yue conceded with the reluctance of someone accustomed to being the authority on all matters alchemical. "Though I'd argue her success has more to do with the background mana density than any plant consciousness."

Their path culminated at a structure that dominated the eastern edge of the estate, a massive greenhouse constructed not of conventional glass but crystalline panels that shimmered with subtle enchantments. The building's facade appeared deceptively simple from a distance, but as they approached, intricate runic configurations became visible, etched into every frame and junction.

"Temperature regulation, humidity control, pest resistance..." Yue murmured, reading the runes with practiced ease. "And something else... dimensional thinning? That's an unexpected approach for botanical applications."

David smiled enigmatically as he placed his palm against the central door. The crystalline surface rippled like water, recognizing his touch before sliding open with a soft chime of acknowledgment. "Some plants thrive best when allowed to exist partially in adjacent dimensional spaces. It reduces competition for resources while enhancing growth rates."

The interior that greeted them would have stunned even experienced imperial botanists. Conventional horizontal growing beds had been abandoned entirely in favor of vertical cultivation systems that extended from floor to ceiling in spiraling configurations. Plants grew at seemingly impossible angles, many appearing to defy gravity entirely as they flourished in mid-air, roots exposed yet clearly thriving in a misty nutrient medium that periodically engulfed them in glowing vapor.

But most striking were the central specimens—cocoa trees unlike any naturally occurring variety. Their trunks grew straight and tall rather than with the characteristic jungle sprawl, while their fruits developed directly from the main stem in perfect symmetrical arrangements. The pods themselves shimmered with an inner luminescence that pulsed in rhythmic patterns, suggesting cultivation far beyond standard magical enhancement.

"Theobroma celestialis," David announced, leading Yue toward the central growing area. "A variant I've been developing through selective cultivation and targeted dimensional manipulation."

Yue's childlike features transformed with genuine wonder as she approached the nearest tree. Her small hand reached out, hovering just above the bark without touching, sensing the magical currents flowing through the living wood.

"This isn't mere enhancement," she whispered, analytical mind already processing implications. "You've fundamentally altered their temporal relationship with our reality. These trees are experiencing time differently than we are."

David nodded, pleased by her immediate comprehension. "Precisely. Conventional acceleration techniques force plants through their natural lifecycle, essentially burning through their vitality for short-term gain. This approach instead allows them to experience a different temporal flow, they live their normal lifespan from their perspective, while we perceive accelerated growth from ours."

Yue circled the nearest tree, her ancient eyes sparkling with professional fascination. "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. You've applied quantum entanglement principles to botanical cultivation." She stopped suddenly, squinting at him suspiciously. "Where did you learn these techniques? This isn't standard tower magical theory, not even the restricted archives contain documentation of successful temporal manipulation in living organisms."

"Let's just say my education has been... unconventional," David replied, the deliberate vagueness in his tone suggesting boundaries he preferred not to cross.

"There's something of Solomon's influence there," Yue observed, her head tilting slightly as she studied him. "The dimensional approach reminds me of techniques hinted at in obscure references to her private research." Her ancient eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "When you obtained her codex in the Leviathan's Abyss, I suspect you gained insights beyond what most scholars would dream off."