Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 537 - 6 - Anecdotes about Private Life_1

Chapter 537: Chapter 6 - Anecdotes about Private Life_1

Kate Blue Hotel, an establishment that has been around for nearly three hundred years. Two hundred and seventy years ago, when the City of Freedom moved closer to the sea, Kate, at that time the head of the Bru Family, a rather insignificant commercial family in the Neville Federation, keenly smelt the business opportunity. After pacifying all opposition within her family, the Bru family moved eastward, leaving the Neville Federation and joining the City of Freedom. After the move, Kate mobilized all of the family’s assets during an economic downturn in the City of Freedom and invested in the city’s commercial construction. She opened over thirty shops of different sizes. At its height, half of the commercial facilities in the new city belonged to the Bru family.

While Kate was banking on future business opportunities in the City of Freedom and favorable incentives during that time, her actions practically helped the city weather the worst of the economic slump and set a positive example for other investors. Following the Bru family, more and more business investors turned their attention to the City of Freedom, thereby setting the city’s commerce on the right track and sustaining nearly three hundred years of prosperity.

In return, the City of Freedom rewarded the Bru family well, granting the family the city’s everlasting friendship. Regardless of the passing years, the Bru family always received preferential treatment in business. As long as they didn’t break the law, their business was smooth sailing. No brainless fool would be willing to spoil this win-win situation, either from the City of Freedom or within the Bru family. Therefore, successive mayors and heads of the Bru family maintained good personal relations. It is even rumored that Kate Blue, who never married, and the mayor who led the city’s relocation and was widowed in middle age, kept a very close relationship. Their tombs are even close to each other, looking like neighbors.

"Eh? That doesn’t add up." In the tenth private room of the Kate Blue Hotel, Lina tugged at Pannis’s sleeve with curiosity in her eyes as she waited for the waiter, asking, "As the head of the family, shouldn’t Kate Blue be buried in the family cemetery? Why is her grave next to the mayor’s? It doesn’t make sense."

"Don’t forget, at the beginning they were just a small family, with only a dozen or so members, and didn’t have the means to establish a large family cemetery," Pannis explained. "And, they moved here as a whole family, they couldn’t just bring their cemetery with them. So, they didn’t have a traditional family cemetery yet. Moreover, three months after the mayor at the time passed away, Kate also died. She was not even sixty yet, and it was said that she might have died of grief. The confirmed news from inside the Bru family was that she personally designated the cemetery a month before her death. Although she could have pulled out any reason—like saying she was ashamed to face her ancestors for making the family move far from the homeland they left behind, and as a self-punishment, no matter how grand the family cemetery became, she could not be buried there—everyone clearly knew the real reason. The same generation and the younger generation were just too embarrassed to expose her."

"Haha, she was really not straightforward," Lina covered her mouth and sniggered. The four young women were after all women, with women’s inherent nature, interested in gossip about celebrities’ private lives. Although only Lina was asking the questions, the others pretended not to care but were actually all ears. Even Vivian, who seemed to be sorting out the special knowledge she gained from the sea, from the frequency with which she wrote and then corrected her mistakes, it was clear that she was also absorbed in eavesdropping.

"Are you sure it’s okay to talk about their family’s private matters in the restaurant they own?" Catherine glared at Pannis and asked, "And, how did you come about such secretive information?"

"Their head of the family personally told me." Pannis replied, "We got to know each other during a banquet before. We thought each other were quite good, so we became friends. Whenever I come to the City of Freedom, I visit him."

"Oh? You know their head of the family?" Catherine immediately got excited, "Will there be any discounts when they bill us?"

"Sad to say, there won’t be now," Pannis’s face suddenly turned a bit downcast, he sighed, shook his head and said, "He has passed away long ago, there won’t be any opportunities for discounts."

Catherine was taken aback, her lips moved but she didn’t say anything. She just reached out and patted Pannis on the arm.

"Haha, just kidding." Pannis’s gloomy expression suddenly disappeared, he opened his mouth wide and gave Catherine a thumbs up, "All those were rumours I heard, I don’t know any Bru family head. Come on, it was quite convincing, wasn’t it?"

"Hehe, hehe, he, he, he." Catherine paused her movements, lowered her head and gave out a string of scary laughs, clenching her teeth and said, "Lina, help me check if the door of this room is closed properly. Let’s gang up on him."

"Cool down, cool down." Pannis screamed while shielding his head with a napkin, "I have other stories too. If you beat me to death, there will be no one else to tell them. So, you must keep your cool."

"Don’t worry, we won’t beat you to death." Lina sneered, puffing out her breath on her clenched fist, she ominously stated, "Just when you’re about to die, I’ll use the Healing Divine Spell to bring you back just to beat you up again."

"Are you really a priestess of Denia?" Pannis looked at Lina in horror, "Where is the characteristic of a follower of the loving goddess in your behaviour? You seem more like a demon that comes from a different dimension."

"About half a year ago, a little girl in a white dress taught me that the benevolent god who controls a share of life’s divine power, also controls a share of the power of death, she is one of the few gods who embodies two contrasting aspects." Lina bared her white teeth, pulling a threatening expression, "so now I’m a priestess of the Goddess of Eternal Sleep, Denia, you can stop resisting."

As the group jovially played around within the private room, the door was gently knocked upon. Pannis, in a manner resembling someone escaping, ran to open the door. Outside, a short-haired female server, dressed in male server attire, presented a cool and efficient demeanor, was giving Pannis a practiced, polite smile, "Hello, I am Itis, the server in charge of room ten today. May I enter the room and take your orders now?"

Kate Blue Hotel, located in the bustling City of Freedom, was one of the restaurants leaning towards the higher tier. It was the first property Catherine invested in after moving her family to the City of Freedom. For the Bru Family, it holds profound sentimental value. So, for over two hundred years, successive family heads have tried to maintain the hotel’s original appearance and features, as a mark of respect for their ancestors. The fact that all the service staff were dolled up in male attire, a distinct characteristic preserved from back in the day, became one of the hotel’s most appealing selling points. Many tourists, intrigued by this eccentric feature, made an effort to dine here.

"Please come in." Pannis, whose excitement startled the server that she almost cried out for help, felt saved. Thankfully she noticed the other four ladies in the booth before she turned to run away. Pannis awkwardly explained, "Please enter, we’re on the verge of starving to death, we have been waiting for you."

The server who introduced herself as Itis gave Pannis a puzzling look, out of courtesy she refrained from saying anything further. She walked naturally to Catherine’s side within the booth, dutifully bent halfway to keep eye contact with Catherine, and softly asked, "Here is the menu, ladies and gentleman, take your time and tell me what you are interested in. There’s no rush. I’ll wait here."

As Catherine started perusing the menu, Pannis took the opportunity to pace around the room with his hands clasped behind his back, admiring some paintings hung on the walls. This restaurant is considered one of the most distinctive eateries in the City of Freedom for preserving both its exterior and interior decor in their archaic designs.

Externally, the restaurant has the pointed structure typical of buildings three hundred years ago. The entire building is wooden, both the outer and inner walls, the roof, and floor were all made of wood and were not plastered with anything; thus the whole building maintains a delightful woody texture. It feels like being in the middle of a forest when you’re inside. Also, all tables and chairs in the restaurant were carved from solid wood, coated on the surface with a layer of refined transparent resin, giving it the effect of resembling amber, making them just as antique as the walls.

The private room was no different. Furthermore, according to the convention back then, several paintings were hung on the inner walls of the room. Although these paintings were fakes when they were first hung and worthless, after almost three hundred years, these counterfeit pieces had also become antiques. It was Pannis who realized this, which prompted him to move closer and admire the art pieces. Despite their limited artistic value, each piece had indeed survived hundreds of years.

"So, Itis, anything you recommend?" Ended up Catherine flipped through the full menu and candidly asked, "I’m not a regular here, not too sure about the tasty dishes you have."

"I see." Itis tilted her head and thoughtfully said, "If I had to make a recommendation, I would suggest you should try our new dishes. The ingredients are freshly caught seafood that are not more than three hours old. After all, the City of Freedom is known for its seafood."

"Absolutely not." All four girls shook their heads in unison, "We strictly no seafood, we even feel sick at the sight of it."

"How about trying our signature dishes?" Just as she was about to finish her sentence, the main door to the booth was knocked upon. A voice transmitted through the door into the room, "Is the Nellie Adventure Team here? I have urgent news that I’d like to share with you."