"...Thank you," Sylvia whispered.

I tilted my head. Ah. That had to be because I interrupted Everard's little interrogation session.

She tried to smile, but the single teardrop escaping down her cheek betrayed her effort. It slipped quietly, catching the faint light before she quickly rubbed it away, as if hoping I hadn't noticed.

I simply placed a hand on her shoulder.

Lady, you should see how me and my father speak to each other after I mess up something as basic as filing reports. Forget tears, I'd be lucky if my dignity survived.

I gave her a small smile.

Then I felt it — someone's presence behind me.

Oh, great.

A sharp tug on my ear confirmed my worst fear. I had been caught.

I croaked.

"When did you even get here? Old wit— Ahem, master."

"When you were trying your non-existent rizz on your fiancée, my dear disciple," she said sweetly, dragging me toward the training hall like I was some disobedient puppy.

In desperation, I raised my free hand toward Clara, my ever-loyal maid. Surely she would rescue me..

She only smiled... and waved.

Betrayal.

***

Sylvia's PoV:

"Father," I called softly, watching his back as he stood with the parchment crumpled in his hand.

He turned toward me. The weariness in his eyes pierced deeper than any blade. "I should have listened to you," he said.

A faint smile curved his lips — his smile, the one that had always given me strength. Yet today, it cut into me like a thorn. I lowered my gaze quickly, unwilling to let him see the sheen in my eyes.

Then his hand found mine, warm and steady despite the storm weighing on him. "Do not worry. I am fine," he said gently. "In fact, I am grateful we are left with only this much, considering the consequences…of the leak." His sigh carried years of burden as he added, "But still… if these moles truly trace back to Griffinvale, then our rivals will already have the details of every product we planned to launch."

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

His other hand rose to his temple, pressing hard as though the weight of it all might split him apart. His smile strained, fragile. "What should we do now?"

I tightened my hold on his hand, steadying him as much as myself. "Father," I said firmly, though my voice trembled at first. "Leave it to us."

He lifted his head to look at me. His tired eyes searched mine. I let my lips curve into a smile — one I refused to let falter. Clara stood quietly beside me, and when our gazes met, she gave me a reassuring nod. It was enough.

I turned back to him. "With Lord Hugo's help, I am certain we can overcome this storm." I let my words linger, let conviction seep through them. "After his training today, let us hold a meeting post lunch. Together, we will decide the next steps."

For a long moment, he only looked at me. Then slowly, almost unwillingly, a smile formed on his face. "You seem confident," he said.

"I am," I replied, my own smile widening though my chest tightened with unspoken emotions. "And soon, you will be too. Just wait and watch Lord Hugo work his magic."

***

"Move your lazy ass."

That was my master's grand, wise elder advice. Truly inspiring. Really captured the essence of centuries of cultivation, discipline, and enlightenment.

"Master, just look at these dents in the training hall," I groaned, pointing at the warzone of broken walls and cracked floors. My body is still aching from all those crashes. I'm half convinced my bones signed a resignation letter.

The granny didn't even glance up. She just sipped her tea, calm as ever. "When your father was your age, he was crushing boulders with his bare hands. And your grandfather — he could stay underwater for days."

Underwater? What the hell's he doing there? Practicing to become seaweed?

Before I could voice that very valid question, Inspect suddenly flared on its own. My eyes widened as a neat little trajectory appeared… behind me.

And then — snap.

The invisible whip of space magic smacked me right across my noble ass.

"OWW! Oww! I'm moving! I'm moving!" I yelped, mana flaring from both of my cradles as I bolted forward.

Seriously, cursed old witch.

My body blurred as speed and mana control fused, the floor cracking beneath each push of my foot. I darted across the hall like a launched arrow, straight toward the mark she'd set in the air. My skin prickled, muscles straining under the enhanced momentum, but I held my form steady. The distance vanished in a heartbeat—

BOOM.

Okay, fine, maybe a little too steady. My shoulder slammed into the wall again. The dents collection expanded.

"Great. Another addition to the art gallery of pain," I muttered, rubbing my arm. At this rate, maybe I should stop reinforcing my defense and just let a bone or two snap. That'd be a free ticket out of training, wouldn't it?

But then — something caught my eye.

The glowing mark in the air… it had cracked. Just a little. But it cracked.

I froze. Wait. Wait, doesn't that mean I actually hit it?

My eyes lit up, all the pain forgotten. I whipped my head around to face the old witch, expecting at least the tiniest nod of acknowledgment.

She sipped her tea again, cool as a glacier.

"Fluke," she said.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.