Due to special circumstances, Nora Scott stayed honestly at home and didn’t go out.
The next day at noon, Nora Scott got up yawning, just finished washing and was about to order takeout when she heard the doorbell ring.
As she passed by the doorbell display, she glanced and unexpectedly saw Jack Carter’s figure.
Opening the door, she saw Jack Carter’s bright smile, his eyes shining like stars, a very sunny young man.
Nora Scott asked, "What’s up?"
Feeling relieved inside, Jack didn’t dare to show it too obviously, and smiled as he invited, "I just made food, come over and eat together."
Inviting her for a meal again?
Stunned for a moment, Nora Scott didn’t agree readily and asked, "Where’s Loxley?"
Jack scratched his head, honestly saying, "He’s not here with Master Pedro."
Nora Scott didn’t speak.
Occasionally going next door for a meal, she didn’t mind, but now it was happening too frequently... she didn’t even eat this diligently at home.
Seeing her hesitation, Jack considered his words carefully and said with some hesitation, "To be honest, I do have a favor to ask..."
"If you have time, could you teach me English?" Jack asked, and immediately added, "Loxley said your English is very good, and I could consult you if I have any questions."
Nora Scott squinted slightly.
Feeling a bit uneasy under her gaze, Jack continued, "Loxley has many things to handle, so he rarely comes around. I’ll be here during the day recently, responsible for Master Pedro’s meals. I shop in the morning and study in the afternoon. If it’s convenient for you, come over for lunch and help me with some tutoring in the afternoon. Don’t worry, I’ll compile the questions, ask them all at once, and won’t take up too much of your time."
"No problem with tutoring." Nora Scott said lightly, then asked, "Doesn’t Pedro come back for lunch?"
"He’s very busy and generally doesn’t come back." Jack replied, "If you’re trying to avoid him, I’ll inform you in advance when he’s home, how about that?"
After a moment’s thought, Nora Scott didn’t speak but smiled at him.
"Then..." Jack’s eyes immediately brightened.
Nora Scott didn’t continue, but raised an eyebrow, asking with interest, "Loxley taught you?"
Jack, who was just smiling broadly, had a moment of stiffness in his expression.
Nora Scott looked at him with a faint smile.
Jack, caught off guard, shivered slightly, feeling a bit guilty, but after a few seconds, his stiff smile softened.
"Hehe." Jack smiled heartily at her, straightforwardly saying, "He saw you living alone and wanted to take care of you, with Master Pedro’s approval."
Nora Scott slightly furrowed her brows, unsure if she had fully suppressed her doubts, but couldn’t find any flaw in it.
It could only be Butler Loxley’s "special care," after all, she once suspected Pedro Langley refrained from causing trouble because of the butler’s face.
Since it wasn’t a bad thing for her, Nora Scott didn’t pursue the matter further, told Jack she’d be over later, and then closed the door.
Task completed, Jack breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted.
Loxley had anticipated Nora Scott’s suspicion and had prepared all the contingencies for him. Otherwise, he would have been stumped by her questions and, in his nervousness, would have definitely slipped up.
In the following days, Nora Scott mostly bid farewell to takeout and fast food.
She had agreed to "have lunch" with Jack, but couldn’t resist his enthusiasm.
Before going out for shopping in the morning, he would check if she was awake. Once she was, he would bring her breakfast after heading out. In the evening, he would save a portion of the meal for Nora Scott and deliver it before leaving.
Nora Scott told him this was unnecessary, but Jack blocked her with Butler Loxley’s words—
"Loxley said it’s a waste if not eaten, so it’s just a matter of preparing an extra set of dishes. Besides, the books you gave him are worth several months of food on the market, so he told you not to worry about it."
In other words, reciprocation.
Not one to fuss over things, and not unable to accept others’ warmth and goodwill, Nora Scott thought it through and relaxed, enjoying the free meals with a clear conscience.
The cost was only spending less than half an hour each day explaining a few problems to Jack.
Afternoon, small study.
The room was brightly lit, the desk neatly organized and clean, with a few storyboards, a pen holder, and some small stationery placed next to the integrated computer.
Nora Scott leaned over the desk, her slender fingers gripping a pen, fluently sketching character designs on paper.
Finishing the last stroke, she slightly frowned, picked up the phone beside her, and as the screen lit up, she saw the information of one of the prize winners.
Address information: First Affiliated High School, Class 3, Year 2, Oliver Scott.
Last name Scott... quite a coincidence.
The school, the grade, the class, all coincidentally the same as her adopted younger brother’s class.
Pausing for a few seconds, Nora Scott wrote—
Ten years of sharpening a sword, just to reveal its edge.
Finishing with a bold signature, Nora Scott set it aside.
Thirty-one TO signatures, organizing information and messages, plus drawing, took Nora Scott about two hours.
Having finished them all, Nora Scott tossed the pen onto the desk, leaned back into her chair.
She called Manager Woods from Virtue Retreat, asking him to come by sometime to help send out a few things in a unique way. Although Manager Woods didn’t quite understand, he agreed without hesitation.
Just as she finished giving instructions, Boss Alex’s call came in.
"Your birthday is in a few days. I’ve got some matters to attend to and won’t be in Fenton City, so I’ll send your gift to Virtue Retreat. Remember to pick it up."
Since Nora Scott’s whereabouts and residence were uncertain, Boss Alex and others would always opt to send things to Virtue Retreat first.
Boss Alex chuckled, reminding, "Don’t forget, the gift is going to be valuable."
"Enough to make you bankrupt?"
"I don’t know if it would make me bankrupt, but it could make you bankrupt."
"..." Feels like a trap again.
Resting her elbow on the armrest, she rubbed her temple with two fingers, asking, "Where are you?"
Getting up from the chair, Nora Scott walked to the bookshelf, found the third tier of "Heavenly Craftsmanship," moved the book slightly, and a drawer popped open below.
She said slowly, "Just right, go to the Tofu Shop, get a long box that can hold bookmarks, and have Young make thirty pieces in three days. Send them to Manager Woods along with what I made."
"He’s just a quiet carpenter, yet you always make things difficult for him."
"Your toys require intelligence to play." Boss Alex chuckled, then asked, "Got a blueprint?"
"The blueprint is in the Mechanical Box."
"Do I have to open it?"
"Won’t be a problem for you."
Nora Scott hung up the phone.
Her finger hooked the opened drawer, pulling it out to reveal a pile of wooden bookmarks inside.
This was a batch of special bookmarks made by the publisher when "Death Legend" released its first standalone edition, themed as Barlow, the cute pet. Being meticulously crafted and wooden, Nora Scott had collected a batch back then.
No use in keeping them, might as well take this chance to give them away.
As for the Mechanical Box...
Let’s just consider it a little joke with them.
After dealing with the gift sending, Nora Scott tidied up a bit.
Not having left the house for days and feeling idle at home, she planned to go out for a walk, and by the way, buy some daily necessities at a nearby supermarket.
However, just as she stepped out of the building—
A flashy red sports car entered her line of sight.