NOVPUBThe sky of Chinston City turned into a piece of silk dampened by time, its colors gradually shifting from vivid to monotonous, with gold and orange slowly being replaced by dark blue.
The warmth and prosperity that were once present in the drawing room seemed to have been replaced by a thin layer of loneliness.
In the faint light, whether it was the large sofa or the exquisite coffee table in the room, the family emblem seemed somewhat dim. The red curtains on the windows swayed softly, carrying a hint of chill as the breeze entered the room.
The candle on the candlestick flickered in exhaustion, at any moment about to be swallowed by the approaching darkness of the night.
The three of them just sat in silence.
When Viscount Levin Chinston returned to the drawing room, Lilith had already vanished.
The steady Lord had the butler and attendant entertain Lanci and Sikder, while inviting Shaar for a walk and talk.
Only the contemplative Lanci and leisure-enjoying Sikder were left in the drawing room.
Until the sky finally darkened, Lanci and Sikder finished their dinner delivered by the attendants. Under the guidance of the butler, they walked down the corridor heading to their guest rooms.
The two maintained this mutual silence for a long time.
The corridor on the second floor of the mansion was still slightly warm.
Looking out of the large windows, there were only a few scattered stars left in the night sky.
"Sikder, what kind of romance stories do you prefer?"
Lanci finally looked up and asked.
Sikder thought for a moment, tapping the air in front of her languidly as she strolled.
"A boy and girl fall in love, but encounter the oppression of power and family along the way. Next, the boy uses his wisdom, courage and determination to break through the difficulties, take back his destiny girl, and write a romantic love song."
Sikder seriously shared her thoughts.
"Meow!"
Just hearing it made Cat Boss start to get agitated.
It seemed she had a big bias against Sikder.
Regardless, her view of romance was quite tasteful.
Even Cat Boss couldn’t help but get excited about how the love story between Shaar and Lilith would unfold.
It was a good thing this time that Lanci didn’t seem to have any plans, he got successfully tied down by the sage words of Xiu Bao!
"I see..."
Lanci murmured to himself,
"Using wisdom, courage and determination to break through difficulties, indeed, I’ve been thinking it through."
He suddenly clenched his fist and patted his palm, speaking to Sikder.
He asked someone else’s opinion, and it wasn’t very different from what he thought, indicating there was no problem with his understanding of love.
"Meow!"
Seeing Lanci’s sudden realization, a bad feeling instantly rushed over Cat Boss’s heart.
What exactly have you understood, you newbie?
But without even a moment’s regard for the suddenly sitting-up Cat Boss, Lanci sped up his steps.
In less than a minute, he arrived at the guest room where Shaar was resting, as he had inquired from the butler, and gently knocked on the door.
"Shaar, it’s me."
Lanci said calmly.
There was a hint of movement inside the room.
The footsteps sounded a bit dispirited, as if they were weakened, approaching the door.
"Right, if Shaar is feeling down at this time, there should be a mentor to inspire him."
Sikder unexpectedly felt that Lanci understood a lot.
In the brief moment while waiting for Shaar to open the door, Sikder stood behind Lanci at the edge of the corridor, gazing sideways at the Little Black Cat that had jumped off Lanci’s hand.
She didn’t know why, but ever since Lanci came up with ideas and was full of initiative, the state of the Little Black Cat suddenly worsened.
But then, the Little Black Cat had always been scared of her, so it was normal to be uneasy around her.
"His role is probably ’the benefactor encountered in life’, ’our imagination of reliable adults in our teenage years’, a very trustworthy big brother image."
Sikder sighed to Cat Boss.
"Meow ... It’s not like that ... It’s not that wonderful ..."
Although the Cat boss is still scared of her, afraid of being killed by her with a single slap, the only person who could stop Lanci at this point is Sikder. After all, as the Bishop of Hegemony and a woman, her views on love are very straight.
"Sikder... I beg you... please stop him. This is not a romantic comedy..."
"Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. A romantic comedy performed according to my cues can’t go too far astray."
Sikder believes that there can’t be much of a difference between the romance script commissioned by the Saint Heir and the actual performance.
Accompanied by the sound of the doorknob turning, Shaar finally opened the door.
"..."
The Cat boss also has a feeling it’s over.
"Shaar, do you want to take back your true destiny woman?"
Standing in the corridor, Lanci’s expression remains mild as he gazes into Shaar’s eyes and asks.
Shaar is in fact gifted. As a Second-Order, he was able to evade the pursuit of several Third and Fourth-Order individuals in the snowfields for quite some time. If he took the Ichrite Academy enrollment exam, it is likely he would pass.
He just hasn’t awakened yet. The south is too peaceful, it could even blunt a tiger’s claws.
"I want…"
Shaar’s voice is steady, but the hand hidden in his sleeve is tightly clenched, with his nails digging into his palm.
"Can you help me, Mr. McCarthy."
Every time he despairs, he sees this man appearing in his gray vision.
In those gentle green eyes, there is a willingness to believe in you.
And it makes you believe, he will genuinely help you.
Such a gaze, you could only encounter a few times in a lifetime.
[Of course.]
"..."
Just two simple yet affirming words made Shaar’s eyes sting with tears.
It is a feeling like someone willingly sharing their furnace with you in winter, while you’re shivering uncontrollably and about to freeze to death.
Since childhood, Shaar has had unique insight and intuition.
In fact, he noticed from the moment he first saw Lanci and Sikder.
Both individuals seemed laden with many unsolved mysteries. Despite sensing danger, the man before him evoked a desire to rely on him. His jade-green eyes were the deepest and most beautiful color Shaar had ever seen, and being consumed by them felt akin to bliss.
He wanted to be as powerful as him.
There might not be many times in his life when he is required to stake everything. However, now, if given the opportunity, even if it meant becoming allies with the devil and betting on his soul, he would spare no effort. He simply could not let Lilith fall into Dean’s hands.
"Even if it requires a certain price."
Lanci stands off, deeply, hands behind his back, smiling and asking.
"Do you have the courage to invest in a ground with no hope of retreat and then survive, to place yourself on the edge of death and then live?"
"...?"
Hearing these words, the Cat boss immediately began to wail. It had seen this happen in other episodes. This damn cat, this is absolutely not a romantic comedy!
"The price? What could I possibly offer? As long as I can protect her, I’ll give everything I have!"
Shaar’s eyes hardened adroitly, his voice trembling and choked.
"Good! Let me guide you then."
Lanci managed to get a promising student, and in high spirits, he heavily pat Shaar’s shoulder.
"Love is war; without the endurance of iron and blood, it is nothing but a farce. From now on, I am your drill sergeant, understand?"
"Understood!"
Not far away.
"..."
Sikder stood by the corridor, holding her arms crossed and listening to the wailing of the Cat boss, puzzled.
Up until the phrase "Love is war", everything seemed normal.
Beyond that, she began to realize that Lanci was speaking literally.
Is this really a romantic comedy...?
