"Basque?" Madame Camille shook her head. "No, Navarre."
Hearing it wasn't Basque, Xia Qingtian breathed a silent sigh of relief. At that moment, Madame Camille continued, "But they all speak Basque."
"!" Xia Qingtian's heart, which had just settled, leaped into her throat again.
"Basque is a bit difficult," Madame Camille said, putting down her wine glass and reciting a short poem in Basque.
Her pronunciation was tinged with its usual languor. Coupled with her hazy gaze and parted full red lips, even without fully understanding, her voice sounded melodious, pleasant, and captivating.
Xia Qingtian looked at Madame Camille, momentarily lost in thought.
She knew Madame Camille was beautiful.
She had noticed this in various magazine reports and interview videos before.
But it wasn't until they met face to face that Xia Qingtian realized Madame Camille's beauty was so dynamic and varied.
Like an elegant cat, poised at a comfortable distance, her occasional displays of approachability were laced with a mysterious aloofness.
Even as a woman, Xia Qingtian felt her heart flutter.
Jean Ringor looked at Madame Camille with admiration. He had known his Aunt Camille's charm since childhood.
She was beautiful, and very dangerous.
Any man who fell in love with her eventually found himself in a predicament.
She could make a man feel as if he were in heaven, only to plunge him into an endless hell in an instant.
Those tender moments and beauties were the source of Madame Camille's inspiration. Once she could no longer find what she desired in a man, she would disappear from his world with resolute finality.
As Madame Camille herself said, she was married to art and loyal only to her art.
As for those men...
They were like the wine pairings with French cuisine, appearing only when needed.
Cruel and beautiful.
"Alright, it's getting late. I need to prepare for my banquet," Madame Camille said after finishing her poem and rising. "Please excuse me."
Seeing Madame Camille about to leave, Xia Qingtian immediately stood up and exchanged a glance with Jean Ringor.
"Aunt Camille, I'll accompany you." Jean Ringor, catching Xia Qingtian's hint, walked over to Madame Camille's side, performing a rather amusing English gentleman's bow and offering his arm to her.
Madame Camille looked somewhat surprised by Jean Ringor's action, but she merely smiled and lightly rested her slender fingertips on his arm.
After they left, Xia Qingtian lost her appetite. She politely asked the butler to prepare a breakfast for Li Mengxiao so she could take it back to her room.
Li Mengxiao had only been asleep for a few hours and was still groggy.
The butler not only prepared the breakfast but also had the kitchen staff accompany Xia Qingtian to deliver the meal.
Seeing the maid the butler had called, Xia Qingtian's heart sank.
It was the same maid who had spoken Basque last night and had a concealed weapon.
The maid, holding the tray, kept her head slightly lowered, only glancing at Xia Qingtian occasionally with a dangerous glint in her eyes.
Xia Qingtian dug her nails into her palm, forcing herself to remain calm, pretending not to recognize the maid.
The light had been dim last night. If she pretended not to know her, perhaps it would offer some safety.
Xia Qingtian was terrified, but she maintained a composed demeanor.
She secretly rejoiced that she had faced similar situations multiple times before, which had increased her experience in such matters.
Leading the maid to her room door, Xia Qingtian reached out to take the tray, offering a polite smile and saying in French, "Thank you for your help. It must be a busy day today, isn't it?"
"I can take it inside," the maid said, keeping her hold on the tray.
She had missed the opportunity to eliminate the Chinese woman last night, but today, in this room, she would not fail.
She had been too nervous last night to sleep, fearing even the slightest mistake.
After much thought, eliminating her was the safest option.
"No, thank you. It's not necessary." Xia Qingtian dared not let her inside. This was still a public area, and there were many maids busy decorating and cleaning upstairs and downstairs at this hour. "My friend is still asleep."
If this maid entered the room with her, it would be an enclosed space, endangering not only herself but potentially Li Mengxiao as well.
"It's alright, I'll be very quiet. You are a guest, and this is what I should do," the maid insisted.
Xia Qingtian blocked the door with her body and gripped the edge of the tray, holding firm against the maid. "My friend isn't dressed yet, it's inconvenient!"
Upon hearing Xia Qingtian's words, the maid couldn't say anything further. Her gaze towards Xia Qingtian became peculiar.
If she remembered correctly, there were two female guests from the Camille estate yesterday...
Xia Qingtian realized at that moment that her excuse was somewhat awkward and oddly suggestive, but the words had been spoken, so she could only maintain a smile.
Just as they were locked in a standoff, Jean Ringor's sudden appearance broke the deadlock.
"Ah, you're here. I just went to the dining room to look for you," Jean Ringor said, walking over quickly. "Aunt Camille said your stylist is arriving soon and you need to get ready too."
As soon as Jean Ringor appeared, the maid released her grip, lowered her head, and turned to leave in a hurry.
"Alright, I understand." Xia Qingtian replied, looking at the maid. She noticed a rather prominent mole behind the maid's ear and her shirt pocket bulging, as if containing something.
With a hurried glance, the maid was already far away.
"I'll take this breakfast to my friend first," Xia Qingtian said to Jean Ringor before turning and entering the room.
By then, Li Mengxiao had slowly woken up, her eyes full of fatigue. She lazily called out in a hoarse voice, "Qingtian?"
"Awake?" Xia Qingtian placed the breakfast tray on the bedside table. "Have something to eat first. If you haven't slept enough, you can sleep again after eating."
"Mm." Li Mengxiao yawned and said, "What were you talking about with someone at the door just now?"
She had heard it, but didn't understand much.
"It's nothing," Xia Qingtian said, her gaze shifting slightly. "The maid was just reminding me that there will be many guests today and to please bear with any inconvenience in hospitality. Also, she advised us not to wander around unnecessarily as the entire estate is being decorated."
Turning back, Xia Qingtian cautioned Li Mengxiao, "Xiaoxiao, if you have nothing to do today, please don't leave this room. Don't eat anything that I haven't personally brought in."