Lupis sighed heavily as she bit the corner of her lower lip. I can’t harm a noble, especially a Duke’s son, no less. But that… is the one thing Persai left behind for her only child. A muscle in her jaw ticked. She forced a smile and chuckled.

  “Really?” she asked. She realized that it was just the two of them. She swiftly leaned back, striking a punch toward Kael’s belly. Kael gasped as he tried to move.

  BAM.

  Kael’s body folded as he held his stomach, lowering his hand.

  Lupis smirked as she snatched the book from his hand.

  “I’ll take that. Thank you!” Lupis said with a big smile.

  William finally arrived on the floor and groaned.

  “Lord Kael… I request a vacation…” he started, his jaw dropping. Then his eyes widened as Kael peeked one eye at him. Kael smiled. “Lord?”

  “Dame Lupis harmed a nobleman!” Kael wailed theatrically, groaning in pain. Or was it really painful?

  William’s eye twitched with irritation. His lips thinned as he swallowed his shame.

  “Lord Kael…”

  Lupis bit her lower lip, waving her hand.

  “No… I didn’t harm you! It was a mistake—”

  “Call the Imperial knights… anyone,” Kael teased. He reached his hand to William. “No… call Grandfather!”

  William slapped his face with frustration. You let an apothecary doctor punch you? Argh, what am I going to do if you lose your face like this?

  Lupis flushed with embarrassment and anger. She hugged the book tightly.

  “I did nothing wrong! I am only going to give this back to—”

  “Miss Elyane?” Kael interrupted, turning to her. His sly grin widened as he leaned closer. “Where does this Miss Elyane live?”

  Lupis gritted her teeth, shutting her mouth. I must not say… or else someone could hurt her. I promised Persai—

  Kael placed his hand on her chin, pulling the book away from her hand with his other hand gently as Lupis’s grip tightened. He chuckled.

  “Dame Lupis—”

  “I won’t tell you or a single soul… so beat it and leave. Now!” Lupis demanded.

  “Ouch…” Kael replied. Then a flash of light flickered, startling Lupis as she released her grip.

  “Ow!” Lupis yelped. She shook her hand, then she glared at him. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  He held the book and put it behind him. He clicked his tongue as he slowly turned his gaze to her.

  “You see… I haven’t been able to feel this calm and collected for eight years…” Kael expressed. Lupis furrowed as she took a step back. “I heard that this Persai is an S-rank Guide… wouldn’t that mean her child, if this Miss Elyane is, be an S-rank as well?”

  Lupis clenched her hands as she stared at the book behind him.

  “Persai was an S-rank Guide…”

  “Okay… now I need to know if I can get my hands on this Miss Elyane to see if she is compatible with me—”

  “But her daughter, Miss Elyane, isn’t.”

  The words wiped the smirk off Kael’s face. He looked at Lupis, observing for any hint of deceit.

  “W-what?”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  “She graduated from the Academy yesterday… as rank F.”

  “A daughter of an S-rank is F?!” William gasped, his jaw dropping.

  “That’s impossible—”

  “Young Duke, Kael… I would suggest that you find another Guide because she would definitely not be a match for an S-rank Esper like you…” Lupis advised.

  Kael scoffed, averting his eyes to the side. He shook his head.

  “Impossible…” he mumbled.

  “What do you mean? I just explained to you—”

  “The moment I grabbed her subconsciously… the pain that I felt for over eight years… subsided. Like there was a connection,” Kael explained. Lupis froze. “Something about her pulled me out of the overwhelming aura that burns my entire body.”

  Lupis choked on the words that she wanted to say. Wait… if she could do that, then wouldn’t she be considered an S-rank? Was I seeing her wrong? Her eyes rolled around in confusion.

  “Please… I need to check for myself…” Kael begged. He lowered his head.

  William’s eyes widened.

  “Lord!”

  “I’m begging you… I’ve always thought I would die any day now, but… after meeting her briefly, I…” he paused. Kael clutched his chest. “It felt like a cool moon beside the burning sun.”

  Tears fell silently on William’s face. Lupis gazed at Kael, aching in sympathy.

  “I… I will only tell you where she lives. If she doesn’t want anything to do with you, then please leave her alone!” Lupis demanded, swallowing her guilt.

  Kael smiled and grabbed her hand. He pecked a kiss on her knuckles, making her blush.

  “Where does she live?” Kael asked slyly.

  Lupis locked eyes with him, realizing that she may have been… fallen into his trick, yet her lips trembled and spoke.

  “Her home stands outside in the eastern part of the kingdom gates…”

  “Thank you…” he smirked. Then he marched to the window at the end of the room.

  “No… Lord Kael—”

  “I’ll see you at her place!” Kael winked, and he fell backwards. A trail of yellow light followed shallowly as Kael’s feet faded from the window frame.

  Lupis’s tongue caught in her throat. Did the young duke just jump out of my window?! She ran to the window and looked.

  Kael floated in the air as he ran toward the eastern side of the kingdom gate.

  “Why?!” William caterwauled on his knees.

  Soon, Kael arrived at the house in the forest, by itself. He looked at the front of the house, then he glanced behind him.

  “There’s a burial not too far from here… could that tombstone be Persai’s?” Kael wondered. Then he opened the small gate and walked to the front door. He softly knocked on the door.

  He waited.

  The leaves scurried behind him as he stood.

  “Could she be home?”

  William suddenly appeared from afar, dying from exhaustion.

  “Lord Kael… let me resign. Please,” William begged as he continued to walk toward Kael.

  Kael pondered as he turned to the side.

  “Didn’t Dame Lupis say that she just graduated from the Academy yesterday?” Kael recalled.

  William panted and nodded.

  “Yes… yes, she did…” he exasperated.

  Kael nodded, staring at the door.

  “Then she will come home soon. The Office of Affairs will be scanning each of them. You’ll wait here,” Kael ordered.

  William jolted, pointing at himself.

  “What?! Why me?”

  Karl smiled, patting William’s shoulder.

  “Because… you’re still working under me.”

  William seethed as he bit his tongue. This crazy ass heir to a dukedom! Why can’t I just beat you up right now?!

  “Curse about me all you want…” Kael said. Then he walked past William. “But you know, no one pays you better than my grandfather.”

  William’s eye muscle twitched as he clenched his fists.

  “This darn bastard… he’s right about that.”

  Kael walked away, leaving William alone in front of the house as he waited.

  Meanwhile, Valencia finally stepped inside the laboratory, where the agents checked the Guides’ ranks. Her hands sweated as she avoided eye contact at all times. Evie stared at her.

  “Hands up…” Evie demanded.

  Valencia flinched as she nodded. She stretched her arms like a cross, shutting her eyes tightly. Please… please fail!

  A light shone from above. A yellow gemstone fused with magic, detecting Valencia’s aura as best as possible.

  Her heart raced rapidly as she only heard her heartbeat. The voices around her faded as she panted.

  “No…” she mumbled. Soon, all she could hear was a distorted and faint laughter. Around her. Her muscles tensed up as she bit her lower lip.

  “Oh, Valencia…” the same distorted voice called.

  Footsteps thudded closer, and closer, but echoed louder.

  Valencia swallowed a lump of fear and anxiety. Please… stop this already!

  “Stop!”

  Her chest heaved, and for a fleeting moment, her irises flickered violet. A faint ripple of purple aura brushed the gemstone above—so subtle that no one could see it—but the gemstone shivered and cracked with a sharp snap. Her eyes returned to green just as quickly as they changed, and she gasped, heart racing.

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