The Witch's Bodyguard [Comprehensive Anglo-American]

Wayne Manor is located on a tree-covered hillside on the outskirts of Gotham City. A large number of vegetation and lawns surround this Renaissance manor.It is said to be a manor, but it is actually more like an ancient castle, just like the big mansion that only princes and nobles can afford to live in on TV.Ma Linglong had seen many such ancient castle buildings, and she never thought that an American Muggle would like to live in this kind of place. Bruce didn't seem like the type of person who loved old things.

The appearance of the castle has a Baroque style, and the undulating walls are quite unique. A gorgeous palace-style mansion like this is the design preferred by Western aristocrats in the seventeenth century.Not only the appearance pursues magnificent and finely crafted, but also the interior decoration is quite luxurious. 【Note】

Bruce introduced the places of interest near Wayne's mansion along the way, and he was naturally in a good mood, because Ma Linglong was sitting in the co-pilot seat, and her luggage was in the rear compartment.

The girl brought Bruce the answer he longed for this morning. Ma Linglong agreed to be his personal secretary, but only on the condition that the time on weekends must be absolutely free. Bruce agreed, and they signed the contract on the spot.The terms of the contract were not harsh, and even if Ma Linglong broke the contract midway, he would not be punished in any way.

Because Bruce thinks that Ma Linglong can't do it for a long time, and he doesn't really need a witch to provide life services.

He didn't use a dedicated driver, as Batman pointed out, Bruce Wayne didn't allow extra people to enter the manor.The black Audi he drove first passed through the tall iron gates, then drove down a long downhill, and then arrived at the garage.Bruce's underground garage is enough to park more than dozens of luxury cars, as well as more retro and out-of-print classic cars.

This made Ma Linglong immediately think of Stark's garage. Comparing the two, the retro decoration here made the latest supercars more stable.

He turned off the engine, got out of the car, walked out of the co-pilot's window, and opened the door for Ma Linglong himself.He put his hand on the top of the car door in a very gentlemanly way to prevent people who get out of the car from accidentally bumping into the hard edge: "My garage." He said, "I will give you a car starting tomorrow, so that you can go in and out of the manor easily." ’” said Bruce, “I’ve got a couple of models that are perfect for women.”

The manor is nearly two hours' drive from the city, and there are no supermarkets or other shopping malls around. It is unwise to walk or wait for the bus in addition to driving. The dozens of miles of land around the castle belong to the owner here. non-public areas.

"I'm very glad that you are willing to be my personal secretary, Lilian." Bruce took Ma Linglong into the elevator from the underground garage. He was still a little disappointed. Ma Linglong was still wearing a short skirt above her knees, except for her hair. There is no black element in her whole body, even the girl's skin is not the color of the yellow race he thinks in the true sense.

It seemed that she didn't intend to please him anymore.

The style of the elevator is in line with the style of the manor. Outside is a very old lattice retractable iron door. This style of elevator often appears in the wizarding world. This is the elevator used by the Ministry of Magic, but in the Muggle world, they have long been It is replaced by an advanced touch type.

When Bruce opened the iron door, there was only a slight rattling sound from the iron track, which sounded smooth and frictionless, indicating that it was used frequently on weekdays.After pressing the lift button, Bruce continued, "I hope you will get used to it quickly. My home may not have as many convenient facilities as the Wayne Building. Many of them are manual."

"Your house seems very big." Ma Linglong said, "I think I need a map."

"So you can joke too." Bruce said with his characteristic smile, "But I will indeed give you a map. The inside and outside of the manor can sometimes be like a maze, especially at night."

The two walked into the elevator, and Bruce chose a floor. Ma Linglong noticed that apart from the door switch and the alarm, there were a total of four buttons in the elevator, and they led to different places.

"Of course I'm joking." She looked at Bruce and found that her boss was really amused by what she said just now. He might be the first person to be amused by Ma Linglong's serious joke, "But many people don't I don't think it's funny."

"Really, maybe it's because you don't smile much, I guess." Bruce's voice is also pleasant, his smile is very charming, and his white teeth have no blemishes, but it's a pity, Ma Linglong doesn't know how to appreciate.

When the floor arrives, the elevator door opens automatically. There is no retractable iron door on the outside of this floor. Outside the door is a group of furniture and style that only European nobles can have.

"Welcome to Wayne Manor." Bruce Wayne said proudly.He found that Ma Linglong's expression was flat, and he was not surprised by the sight in front of him, which made him a little frustrated.

Although Wayne Manor occupies a huge area, the internal room structure is multi-layered, and the decoration is extremely luxurious, but compared to Hogwarts, it is just an ordinary old building that cannot be more ordinary. It is far inferior to Ma Ling Long's thrill when she went to Stark's villa for the first time.As for getting lost, it is even more impossible. The intricate corridors of Hogwarts are incredible. You must also pay attention to the dormitory stairs that change passages from time to time, they always lead to inexplicable places.

Ma Linglong didn't worry at all that she would get lost somewhere in the manor because she couldn't find her way or took a wrong turn, because there were "people" who would guide her.

In such an ancient family-style house, ghosts are scattered in almost every corner. When passing the garage just now, Ma Linglong saw two of them.They were dressed in luxurious medieval dresses embroidered with gold silk, a man and a woman, talking and laughing in an old car.

Batman said that there are no other servants in Wayne Manor, only an old housekeeper who is over half a year old keeps guard day and night, which seems to be an unusual phenomenon.Even in modern times, most nobles would have at least ten servants in the manor if it wasn't for decline or lack of financial ability. Nobles pay attention to these things.No matter how bad it is, there must be decent security personnel. After all, every brick and tile in the house is of antique level, not to mention that the furnishings in the room and the oil paintings on the walls are all treasures that attract thieves, and they can be exchanged for a lot of money.

However, Wayne Manor is stingy about asking outsiders to take care of everything.

Batman's description exacerbated Bruce Wayne's suspicious points, and he also promised Ma Linglong that he would show up occasionally to help her, such as taking her through the basements with institutions to find secrets.

Ma Linglong guessed that his so-called appearance meant sneaking into the manor to find her. After all, he seemed to be a veteran in this industry, and Batman seemed to have doubts about Bruce, so Ma Linglong thought it was not just a simple help.But she still warns Batman not to break into the girl's room without her permission.

"Welcome home, Master Bruce." The old butler was already ready to welcome the guests brought back by Bruce, and he said with his pure British accent, "Welcome, Miss Lillian, you are more beautiful than the photos in person." Alfred Alfred Pennyworth (Alfred Pennyworth), he used to be an agent of the British security organization. He is good at more tricks than Bruce, and he is also very good at medical treatment.

He is a very shrewd old man at a glance. Even though his hair is gray, his eyes are like torches. He is slightly fat but tall and steady. He is dressed in a tuxedo, standing respectfully at the elevator entrance, smiling and giving the most sincere greetings to the people in the elevator. greeting.

The two walked out of the elevator, and Bruce introduced Ma Linglong: "He is the butler of Wayne Manor, and of course my old friend. You can call him Alfred, and you can find him if you need anything."

"Yes, Miss Lillian, don't be restrained, in fact, I have known you for a long time." Alfred kept his kind smile, his body arched slightly, "Master Wayne will say your name every day." More than three times."

"I didn't." Bruce said.

"Really, so, is there any other lady named Lilian in your office?" Alfred seemed to be doing it on purpose, and it seemed that he had already colluded with Bruce, "Then, this may be another lady." Miss Lillian?"

"Afu, I think we should let the guests look at her room now, instead of standing and watching us chat." Bruce interrupted the old housekeeper's teasing in embarrassment, and turned to Ma Linglong, "I'll start I will take you to the room to store your luggage, there are only me and Alfred, and he will help us prepare dinner first. If you think the room is not suitable, or if there are any missing daily necessities, please be sure to mention it.”

Ma Linglong didn't respond to her boss immediately. She was disturbed by the ghost standing next to the old housekeeper. She was a beautiful and elegant woman. Even though her body was translucent milky white and her facial features were somewhat unclear, Ma Linglong could still tell that the other party was about thirty years old.She was wearing a cashmere plaid trench coat that was popular among the upper class ten years ago, a string of precious pearl necklaces around her neck, and short dark brown hair.

When the ghost realized that Ma Linglong could see her, he backed away with a surprised expression.

"Lillian?" Bruce called to her.

"Can I visit your home?" Ma Linglong suddenly asked to cover up the fact that he was distracted just now, "Considering that I will stay here for a while in the future, I don't want to be caught up in finding the exit every day."

"Of course there is no problem, but are you sure you don't need to take a break and have dinner before slowly visiting?" Bruce said, "I have prepared a sumptuous dinner for your first day."

"Actually." Alfred said with a smile, "I prepared it."

"Okay." Hearing that the delicious food was about to be presented, Ma Linglong immediately changed her focus, "Do I need to change into a dress to match your reception?"

"It's a real joke with a smile on your face." Bruce smiled gently, as if demonstrating the standard of smiling for Ma Linglong, "If you want, I'm glad you changed into a dress, dinner time How about 06:30?"

Ma Linglong nodded.

The bedroom Bruce prepared for Ma Linglong was similar to the decoration style of medieval aristocratic women, with all kinds of carved furniture, expensive silk quilt covers and cashmere carpets, and even the table lamps and ceiling lamps were quite retro.For a moment, Ma Linglong felt as if she had traveled back to Hogwarts, and her room there was also full of old western atmosphere.

"How do you feel?" Bruce asked with concern, "The furniture is from the past, but it is in good condition. You can use it as you like. I hope you don't dislike the oldness of this place. It is cleaned every day. There will be no moldy or damp, and no mice. and cockroaches." He thought for a while and said, "Oh, the bedding on the bed is new." His expression was polite and neat, and it sounded like there was no pretensions from the boss, but in fact, he was describing an unchangeable fact.

The quilt was probably the only new product in the bedroom, and of course there were the light bulbs in the lamps. Even if Ma Linglong hadn't studied Western antiquities, he could tell from their workmanship that these were all ancient craftsmanship.Every pattern is carefully crafted, and even the wood used to make the furniture is also a top-quality product that has been carefully selected.In other words, almost all of the objects presented in front of her are antiques. If you take any one to auction on the black market, some people will be willing to pay a high price for it.

Presumably, the Wayne family has been rich since their ancestors, and must be a famous family (of course it is richer now). Everything here is not something that ordinary people can afford casually.

Bruce said tentatively, "Looks like you like the style."

"Yeah." In fact, Ma Linglong didn't like it very much, she just liked antiques.

It's just that the older the object, the more it cannot escape the concern of the ancestors.Just now, when Bruce introduced the antique room to her.A ghost dressed as a maid is holding a brush, and is doing dust removal work on the bedside table and the decorations on it. In fact, it has no effect at all. The brush in her hand moves directly through the decorations, leaving no dust It cannot be swept away, just like a holographic projection.

When the ghost turned around and found that Ma Linglong had been looking at her, he bowed slightly and then disappeared.

What surprised Ma Linglong was that there was nothing unusual about Wayne Manor from the outside, such as being overly cloudy or being invaded by evil spirits. It was very "clean", even "cleaner" than she expected. "Much.And full of vigor, even though there is not much popularity, the inside and outside of the manor are clean.This shows that the castle has not undergone much change or turmoil since ancient times, and no one has died because of resentment. This phenomenon is quite rare for an ancient house with a history of one hundred years. It means that Every homeowner upholds justice.

Ma Linglong couldn't believe it, but she had to show her inner peace without ups and downs. She touched a dolphin-shaped crystal table by her hand. It might be the only modern handicraft in this room. Even this one, There is also a lot of value.But, seriously, the blue dolphin crystal is so different from the rest of the room that it seems someone else dropped it.

"About that." Bruce said with some embarrassment, "That's me... If you don't like it, you can take it outside the house." Bruce didn't expect Alfred to put his childhood toys in, although That does qualify as a "crystal table," but it seems so childish.

God, where did Alfred find it!

"Very beautiful." Ma Linglong said, "Is it yours?"

Bruce shrugged, "Yes."

"Do you want to take it?"

"No, you keep it."

Ma Linglong saw another ghost poking out his head from the wall. It was a middle-aged man in military uniform with several metal pieces pinned to his chest, which should be medals or something.

What a headache, Ma Linglong thought, she would be frequently harassed by Bruce Wayne's ancestors and their servants.

It's time for dinner soon, Ma Linglong is not wearing a dress but just a casual outfit, her hair is all tied up in the back, and since it's not very long, the back of her head becomes a small bunch, a little broken Hair dangling in her ears.Ma Linglong was out of tune with the surrounding scene, she dressed like this on purpose, she knew what Bruce was thinking, but she didn't want to satisfy his wish.

The layout of the dining room is very luxurious. The huge hall is matched with European-style furniture and dinner plates. The old-fashioned record player is playing a romantic melody, creating a grand atmosphere.Bruce stood in front of the dining table in formal attire. When he saw Ma Linglong's attire, he couldn't help but smiled wryly.

"So, you were really kidding me just now." It is undeniable that Bruce Wayne has an attractiveness that makes women follow suit. He is like a prince, and his gestures are elegant.

In fact, he is indeed a real nobleman.

"I thought you heard it, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce put away his disappointment, walked to Ma Linglong's side, and gently opened the high-back chair for her without making a sound: "I hope you can call me Bruce, please sit down."

"Bruce." Ma Linglong said, with an insignificant name, "Thank you."

Alfred knocked on the door and slowly entered the house with the silver dining cart. He first greeted him, and then put the thick soup on the table.

"I don't know your taste, so I have prepared three soups, and I hope one of them is your favorite." Bruce said.

After Alfred introduced the thick soups to Ma Linglong one by one, the girl said that she could accept all of them. In fact, she really didn't mind three kinds of soups being placed in front of her, they all smelled delicious.

"The dinner is made by Alfred, and he can also cook simple Chinese dishes. If you have special cravings in the future, but Alfred can't cook them, you can also make reservations at Chinese restaurants." Bruce was very pleased with his The partner does not reject Western food, "What do you think?"

Ma Linglong simply loved the food on the plate, and of course the soup in the bowl, they were so tender and delicious.From the moment she popped a morsel of steak into her mouth, she knew she had come to the right place.Ma Linglong was not listening to what Bruce said at all, she cast reverent gazes at the old butler, almost treating Bruce as transparent.

Alfred felt this gaze, and leaned towards Ma Linglong slightly.

"Lillian?" Bruce said, "are you listening to me?"

"Yes, I'm listening." Ma Linglong looked back, "I want to say, they suit my taste very much."

"Thank you, Ms. Lillian, I am honored to be appreciated by you." Alfred said, "Please enjoy it slowly." After saying that, the old butler pushed the dining car and left the room.

"There will be a reception in downtown Gotham tomorrow night, you can do hair or beauty during the day, you don't need to go to the company." Bruce thought for a while and said, "I hope you can wear the dress I prepared for you this time , I don't mean that your dress is not good-looking, I just want to make sure that my vision is also useful to oriental women."

"I have no opinion."

Ma Linglong saw the ghost with the pearl necklace again, she was standing in a corner of the dining room, staring at Bruce tenderly.In fact, Ma Linglong couldn't see the ghost's facial features, but judging from its body language, it should have a special feeling for Bruce.

Because the other ghosts would just bow or salute Bruce when he passed by, even though they knew Bruce couldn't see.

"What's wrong?" Bruce noticed that Ma Linglong was staring at the corner of the wall, and turned his head, but he didn't find anything.

"Nothing." Ma Linglong said.

At twelve o'clock in the morning, when Batman patrols the night, Bruce drives the Batmobile to every alley and corner of Gotham City every day. When it is close to three o'clock, Batman will stand by the sea for half an hour. He likes to listen to the sound of the waves hitting the beach. Echoes, that sound helps him meditate.

"I thought you would suspend the night watch today." Alfred said, looking at Bruce who was ready to go, "Even a pretty girl can't make you cancel your routine. It seems that you are destined to be single, Master Bruce."

"It's not routine, Aff." Once Bruce's night gear was put on, he no longer belonged to him. Perhaps, that was the real Bruce Wayne.

"Since you pretend not to be interested in that girl, but I am very interested in that girl." Alfred paused, "That's the truth, what I want to say is whether her weird behavior can remind you more Interested?" The old butler clicked on a corner of the surveillance video, and the screen showed a clear image recorded by Ma Linglong visiting the Wayne Manor alone a few hours ago.

"What is she doing?" Bruce asked looking at the screen.

"Without a doubt, talk." Alfred said. In the picture, Ma Linglong is facing the stairs with her arms around her arms, as if she is chatting with someone. Besides, no one was recorded, "It's just that the object of the conversation is air, can you explain this behavior? Of course it's more than that, and look at this."

Alfred called up an image from another time period, the location is the hall, when Ma Linglong was walking, she would suddenly move sideways, as if someone was walking past her and she had to get out of the way, but there was no such thing in the video Something must be avoided.

"That might not be air, Aff." Bruce said solemnly, "She's a psychic who can see..."

Both men had goosebumps at the same time.

"Just pretend you didn't see anything," Bruce said. "At least the ghosts of Wayne Manor won't hurt us."

"In fact, she is a lovely child." Alfred turned off the monitor screen, "Among your many female companions, Lillian is the only one who seriously tastes my cooking skills, instead of staring at your face the whole time Or some other part of the girl."

The author has something to say: [Baroque]: An architectural style extended from the Italian Renaissance in the 17th and 18th centuries.

If you are a fan of the old man, you should be able to guess who the ghost is, right?