Microscopes and Canvases - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 1
Cold air hung over the early morning. The finest residential quarter, lined with elegant townhouses, still lay wrapped in deep sleep.
At this hour, the few people moving through the streets were mostly servants employed by the estates in the area.
A maid hurrying to fetch fresh bread, a grocer’s boy making deliveries of milk and provisions, a newspaper carrier—all of them nodded to one another as they went about their business.
The peaceful, quiet routine shattered in an instant. A decrepit hired coach suddenly burst from the end of the street, clattering loudly as it careened into the Townhouse District.
“What madman drives like that at this hour!”
The coach barreled ahead without slowing even after entering the street. When a wheel struck a puddle and sent up a spray of filthy water, cries echoed from every direction.
“This isn’t even the main road—why won’t you slow down? Are you going to pay for the laundry?”
Sharp eyes followed the coach as it flew away. Several senior servants heading to work widened their gaze, determined to discover which household this reckless driver belonged to.
“Could they be servants from the Viscount Milton’s residence?”
“That’s—I work for the Milton household. No one went out last night….”
“Then it must be the next estate over. The young footmen from the Marquis Pallen’s house! I’ve seen them stumble out of taverns more than once, rushing into carriages at dawn like their lives depended on it!”
The Townhouse District was, in every sense, the finest residential quarter in the Capital—where the most prominent noble families across the realm came to stay during the Social Season.
Even the lowest-ranking servants, those who did nothing but run errands in the kitchens, earned wages incomparably higher than anywhere else in the city. The servants took great pride in serving such noble masters.
In such circumstances, any lapse in conduct earned a sharp rebuke from one’s superiors—a daily occurrence.
“We need to find out which house they belong to. A thrashing is what they need to knock some sense into them!”
Servants from various households banded together with grim determination to identify these troublemakers and turned the corner to see which residence the coach entered.
In the end, servants were servants—and after a few degrees of separation, nearly everyone knew everyone else. It was only a matter of time before they found out who it was….
“Wait. Isn’t that the Bennett Family? The coach is stopping…?”
“Come on, let’s go!”
One servant, who had been narrowing his eyes to observe the problematic coach, suddenly drew in a sharp breath.
“Wait, stop! Hold on!”
He waved his hands frantically, stopping those who had begun to follow the carriage.
“It’s not a servant. It’s a young master of the Bennett Family—you know, Patrick Bennett! I think he’s just come home!”
“What?”
“Patrick? The young Lord Bennett?”
A single name, spoken after so long an absence, shifted the air entirely. The anger that had been rising in the crowd gave way in an instant to a buzz of intrigue.
“The young Lord, you say? It’s been such a long time. He’s been away for years.”
“Move aside, please!”
Servants and maids from several households, a grocer’s delivery boy, even a postal courier—a dozen or more people crowded against the iron fence.
They peered across the street toward the entrance of the Bennett Residence.
But….
“Is he really the young Lord…?”
A young man in a simple Tweed Jacket and a flat Hunting Cap was hauling down a large piece of Luggage with his own hands. The bulk of the coach still obscured his face.
“Isn’t he a tutor?”
“No. He’s an only son. Patrick is the only young master of the Bennett Family. There’s no reason for tutors to come and go.”
“I’m telling you, I saw him clearly. It’s definitely the young Lord Bennett.”
Just then, the coach pulled away, and the full figure of the handsome young man—a Leather Bag tucked under his arm—came into view.
“Goodness….”
Standing across the street was undoubtedly Patrick Bennett.
As he removed his Hunting Cap and ran his fingers lightly through his flattened hair, the younger maids could not tear their eyes away.
The lustrous brown hair, streaked here and there with gold, gleamed brilliantly beneath the warm morning sun in a way that seemed almost unreal.
“The Social Season will be in quite the stir this year.”
One of the maids whispered, her voice trembling with excitement.
“Who would say otherwise!”
“He’ll be the most sought-after bachelor.”
Indeed, Patrick Bennett had become a handsome man in a way that bore no comparison to the pretty boy he had been in his teens. His frame had filled out with solid muscle, lending him an air of strength, and his sharper eyes and defined nose conveyed an impression of maturity.
“He wasn’t in the Capital all this time, was he? I heard he was studying biology or something out in the countryside?”
“Most young men go into politics, don’t they? If he didn’t study law, what will he do going forward?”
“I’ve no idea.”
“Oh my, oh my! Who is that!”
Just then, a maid carrying a bundle of fresh bread hiked up her skirts and came running to join the crowd of onlookers.
“Why has our young Lord come back so early? We were supposed to send the driver to fetch him on the appointed day!”
“He came without any word?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Goodness, there’s going to be quite the commotion today.”
The young maid from the neighboring house gazed at her with eyes full of longing and whispered softly.
“You’re so fortunate. To have such a handsome young Lord in your household. I wish I worked for your family too.”
“Oh, hush now, child.”
The Bennett maid let out a long, exasperated sigh.
“Pretty as he may be, his temperament is far from ordinary. His stubborn streak is something no one can break. Who knows what trouble he’ll cause for Madam this time….”
Midsentence, the maid’s face shifted to one of sudden realization. She was the one who should have reached the kitchen before the young master.
“Oh my, there’s no time to waste! Let me go ahead!”
The maid clutched the bundle of bread and hurried across, disappearing in quick steps. Left behind, the new maid watched with envious eyes, and curiosity finally got the better of her. She turned to those around her.
“Is what he said really true?”
An elderly gardener who worked at the Bennett Residence’s neighbor’s house answered kindly.
“Of course. He’s quite famously stubborn.”
* * *
Soft morning light filtered through the thin curtains drawn across the window. Three steaming teacups sat neatly arranged on the coffee table.
“I thought you wouldn’t arrive for another four days. You’ve made remarkably good time.”
Patrick saw the warmth in his father’s and mother’s eyes, but he deliberately looked away, reaching for the leather bag instead.
“I came straight after finishing my packing. I was eager to show you my Diploma as soon as possible.”
Patrick drew out a large Cylindrical Case from the bag, set it on the table, and stepped back a few paces.
The Count caught a glimpse of the case lined with fine velvet, exchanged a glance with his wife, and withdrew the Diploma from within, unrolling it.
“Collins University, Department of Natural Sciences. First-class honours degree… Patrick William Bennett.”
The Count’s expression remained unreadable as he read the gilt lettering slowly. Patrick straightened his shoulders toward his father.
“Top of the entire class. I received the highest marks in every subject. And as promised, I didn’t spend a single pound of the Bennett Family’s money—I lived as an ordinary student. I completed my studies entirely through my own efforts.”
“Top of the class? Patrick! That’s wonderful news. We’re so very proud of you.”
The Count listened in silence to his son’s words, while his wife beside him interjected smoothly. For a moment Patrick found her response oddly effusive, but just as quickly the conversation moved awkwardly onward.
“You’ve done your studies as you wished, so rest for a while now and attend this season’s Social Balls. It’s time we began looking for a suitable match for you….”
“I have no intention of marrying.”
“Patrick, no one’s asking you to marry at once, are they? Besides, you ought to begin attending the House of Nobility and finding your place there. Take your time meeting various young ladies and make a decision gradually….”
“No, Mother. Politics is not suited to my temperament.”
Patrick drew a deep breath and raised his head.
“I’m looking for employment.”
Patrick William Bennett, now twenty-five years old.
Heir to the Bennett Family, which had produced countless lawyers and politicians for generations—but now a heretic, a singular exception, an oddity departing from all precedent.
Just as he had packed his things five years ago and departed without warning, announcing he would study biology, so too did he now drop another uncompromising bomb upon the household.
“You—you utter fool!”
His mother’s mouth fell open in shock, but Patrick stood unmoved before her, pressing stubbornly on.
“For the time being, I intend to interview positions while carrying my Diploma, and I’m looking into roles at university research laboratories or museum curatorship….”
“Patrick-William-Bennnneeeett!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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