Dusk.

A brilliant strip of golden light hung on the horizon.

It poured over every brick and tile of the ancient castle like molten gold.

At this moment, the castle's back garden appeared exceptionally tranquil and serene, as if nature had deliberately draped this historic structure with a golden veil.

A gentle breeze caressed Ian's cheek, carrying with it the faint scent of flowers from the back garden. It weaved through the neatly trimmed bushes, with occasional calls of night birds adding to the tranquility.

His gaze passed through layers of flowers, landing on the elegant lady in the distance. She wore a long deep green dress, its hem gently swaying with her steps.

As if she was one with the garden.

This was Morgan's mother.

Lady Igraine hadn't noticed Ian's arrival. She was crouched in the garden tending to her plants, a task meant for the gardener, yet she seemed quite adept at it.

Perhaps it was a hobby of hers—Ian stood in the shadows of the castle's back garden, still somewhat astonished that reality was even more absurd and outrageous than the wildest tales.

A pregnant woman!

And having an affair with King Uther!

The early Middle Ages were indeed more chaotic than what he had understood from his past life!

"Even the intrigue of 'Empresses in the Palace' would seem minor!" Ian looked down at the king chess piece in his hand, which he had obtained from Slytherin's Secret Chamber, now glowing faintly.

At this moment, the chess piece seemed to have come alive, trembling slightly in his palm. Clearly, it was resonating with the unborn child in Lady Igraine's womb.

The fetus in Morgan's mother's womb was likely the legendary King Arthur of ancient Great Britain. However, why would this chess piece resonate with Arthur while he was still a fetus?

This was something from Slytherin's Secret Chamber, and even if it was an artifact made by early Slytherin, it should hail from the era of the four founders centuries later.

What exactly was Salazar Slytherin up to, creating an item that resonates with an ancient legend? There must be an unknown reason hidden within.

"Of course, it might just be Slytherin's collection and not his creation... However, even so, the fact that it can accurately seek out a real king certainly means it's not a simple item." Ian couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss, which brought an unsettling unease.

After all, in his heart.

His impression of Salazar Slytherin was not favorable.

He always felt that Slytherin was someone who liked to work behind the scenes as a puppet master. While Ian was pondering this, suddenly, subtle noises came from not far away.

The rustling of thorny leaves brushing against boot surfaces.

Soon, three maids holding silver trays emerged from the castle, their lace skirts sweeping across the cobblestone ground, with sweet aromas of perfume mingling with the scent of baked apples.

The maids' silver trays were filled with exquisite pastries, delicacies only enjoyed by the nobility in this era. As Ian watched the maids get closer, he quickly and discreetly took a few steps back, muttering a spell under his breath, and instantly his body vanished into the air, like merging seamlessly with it.

Illusionary Body Spell.

A practical magic spell highly recommended by peepers. Wizards were rare creatures in this castle, and Ian, being part of a legend, no longer worried about his relatively unskilled Illusionary Body Spell being seen through. As expected, the maids passed by him without noticing, continuing until they disappeared into the depths of the garden. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"There's no Headmaster Dumbledore or Grindelwald here who wouldn't follow magic rules..." Ian watched as the maids reached Morgan's mother, cautiously attending to Lady Igraine as she sat on a chair, and then placed the pastries on a finely crafted stone table in front of her.

The stone table was unmistakably adorned, its artistry not inferior to the various tables of later centuries, perfectly matching the exquisite pastries. This was, without a doubt, the kind of afternoon tea envisioned by the little fairies of later generations.

"Madam, you've been getting hungry quite often lately, so we've specially prepared some pastries that won't make you gain much weight." One of the maids said softly, carefully pouring a cup of tea for Lady Igraine. Although it was called tea, it was quite different from the red tea that was to be popularized a thousand years later.

It could be considered a sort of herbal tea.

"Indeed, I've been getting hungry quite quickly lately, and my taste has become quite picky. The sweet things always remind me of the rotting honey jars in the cellar when I was a child." A hint of helplessness flashed in Morgan's mother's eyes. She nodded gently and carefully picked up a piece of pastry, taking an elegant bite.

Her actions were calm and graceful, as though every detail was meticulously polished. Noble elegance was not just about complex etiquette; it was also reflected in the way one ate with such refined grace.

Of course.

In Ian's view, it seemed somewhat uninteresting; his preference was for hearty meals and large bites of food.

The little wizard's internal commentary was, of course, unknown to Morgan's mother. While eating, she engaged in light conversation with the maids, occasionally laughing so hard at a joke that she doubled over. But Ian noticed that there was always a trace of subtle worry in her eyes that was hard to detect.