CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 11: HANK BRAND

The decoration on the second floor is even more luxurious.

Shawn followed a beautiful maid upstairs to the second floor. He immediately smelled a peculiar incense, not the kind with a hint of sensual allure, but rather a faint scent that made one feel very comfortable.

The floor was covered with a soft carpet.

On both sides were exquisite porcelains from the Dagon Region, said to have been shipped from elsewhere by sea.

The fragrance carried a hint of herbs.

"Harmless, capable of relaxing the mind." Spirituality flickered slightly.

Shawn was taken into a small cubicle, with exquisite mural sculptures on both sides. From the window, he could overlook the peaks of Wushan, and at the far end of his vision was a small waterfall, presumably where the hot spring also lay. From this spot, one could gaze upon almost half of the Roman Imperial Palace, covering thousands of acres. As dusk fell, lights gradually emerged.

Footsteps approached the door; it was a woman in her thirties, with a beautiful appearance, gentle brows, and eyes full of tenderness. Her attire was a plain dress in Roman style, similar to the ones Shawn remembered from his past life.

She glanced at Shawn, who was sitting with his eyes closed, carefully took a bottle of olive oil from a box, and evenly applied it to his back.

Hmm.

This truly is a relaxing place for the mind.

Shawn exhaled deeply, preparing to experience the massage techniques of the Dorne Kingdom, which inherited Roman style. The strength was intense but just right for him. With olive oil evenly applied, he couldn’t help but hum in response to the pressing fingers.

On the side of the cubicle was a line of words, and he opened his eyes to take a glance.

"Baths, wine, and women corrupt our bodies, but aren’t these also a part of life?"

This sentence is very Roman.

Although Shawn didn’t know much about Rome, he remembered it as being rather extravagant and indulgent, with bathing culture indeed flourishing for a period. Even in early times, heating conduits and heating systems had already been installed in baths.

It was indeed as luxurious as the Roman Imperial Palace, with marble columns everywhere, domed ceilings, beautiful mosaic floors, fountains, and sculptures.

Shawn almost fell asleep there.

When he awoke from a half-dreaming state, the masseuse had long since left, and he was thoughtfully covered with a thin blanket, the scent of olive oil lingering on him. Dorne’s tradition believed that applying olive oil could protect health.

He was exhausted.

An oppressed heart, taut nerves, made it impossible for him to even enjoy a moment of tenderness.

"Indeed, a good place for relaxation and distraction. But I guess the cost is not cheap."

In this era, everything in the Roman Imperial Palace was accumulated with money. Even with an Investigator’s salary, it probably couldn’t withstand the expensive costs.

Occasionally coming to unwind would be fine.

Just as Shawn was putting on a bathrobe to check if Hank had woken up.

Suddenly.

He heard soft footsteps coming from the stairway, followed by a figure of enchanting grace appearing before his eyes. It was a woman so stunning it was difficult to describe her beauty with words. Countries could be toppled; nations ravaged over her. Such words were not at all inappropriate to describe her.

She wore a luxurious classical black gown, her tall and graceful figure accentuated by the dazzling ruby on her chest. Yet, it lacked the mesmerizing cleft of a snow-white valley. Her slender hands wore white silk gloves, with her wavy golden hair cascading down. Atop her head was a recently popular white lady’s hat among Dorne’s noblewomen. Two bright and charming young girls followed her, dressed differently from other maids, exuding a touch of extraordinary elegance with their luxurious accessories.

This woman seemed a bit out of place with everything here, appearing like a noblewoman of significant status from a royal court.

"Mr. Sean?"

She gave a slight courteous smile, her inquiry clearly polite yet infused with an indescribable charm.

Such words could not describe an unparalleled beauty.

Shawn moved slightly, feeling a twinge of confusion.

In an instant!

He saw swirling black mist reflected behind the exquisite beauty, her visage gradually changing amidst the ever-shifting mist. A pair of demonically red horns emerged on her forehead, her beautiful purple vertical pupils resembled radiant gems. Strange purple tattoos appeared on her stunning visage, stretching from her fair cheek down to her neck, eventually disappearing on either side of an uncanny valley. When Shawn’s gaze fell to her slender legs, his pupils slightly contracted as he saw a pair of hooved, bizarre feet.

The swirling black mist gathered like waves, dispersing into a pair of grand, illusionary bat wings almost covering the entire corridor.

It wasn’t just this unparalleled beauty before him; behind her, the two charming girls also exhibited a hint of strange transformation.

Their alluring, pale faces shifted mysteriously like fog, their icy eyes void of pupils, only a haunting dark void like death.

Transcendent beings.

And very powerful High Sequence Transcendents!

"Demon Path?"

"Those two maids seem somewhat like Banshees!" Sean’s heart skipped a beat.

Across from Shawn.

The woman with the enchanting visage frowned slightly, her slender willow leaf eyebrows above deep blue eyes watching Shawn, her expression seemingly slightly displeased as she said, "Mr. Sean. This is rather impolite of you."