Just as his thoughts deepened, the familiar chime echoed faintly across his vision.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!

Countdown complete {00:00.}

[Current probability of hidden encounters: High

Target's emotional state increased by 100%

Predicted desire metric: 50% threshold reached]

A wave of silent amusement washed over Eran. He let a low, self-assured smirk spread across his face. It was clear now, the message confirmed what he'd suspected; if the emotional state was maxed out at 100% within the countdown period, the target's base desire chance increased by 50%. That means the process of establishing connections and hidden encounters are high, way more than he had ever imagined.

He hadn't been mistaken; his new skill, Stare Veil of Murmur, was infinitely more efficient than its predecessor. It wasn't just planting a thought; it was systematically tearing down emotional defenses to light the fires of lust and desire in a single, focused goal.

Eran gave a subtle, upward wink, as if acknowledging the system's success. He knew that activating the Veil a second time now would likely push Nyssa's desire chance to a full 100%, enough to completely shatter her remaining resolve and make her utterly dependent on him.

Not yet, he mused, savoring the moment. He had only placed a few subtle stakes, but they were already enough to leave her suspended exactly where he wanted her... curled between the urgent pull of desire and the crippling sting of her flustered pride.

Before he could respond, Nyssa's voice rose softly from the far end of the chamber, her tone even but threaded with something faintly uncertain.

"Ahem!… Are you always this kind," she clears her throat and asked, her back still to him, "or is it just me thinking too much?"

The words carried across the space like a quiet ripple, poised yet unsteady, betraying the flicker of emotion she couldn't quite restrain. Even as she composed herself, her thoughts tangled... 'why did his words, simple as they were, strike her so deeply?'

Eran shifted slightly in his seat, adjusting his posture with deliberate calm. His gaze lingered on Nyssa where she stood... elegant, poised, the very image of noble restraint. Yet beneath that dignity, he could sense the faint tension in her shoulders, the quiet hesitation that betrayed her calm.

He smiled calmly. "Well," he began, "I am kind at least, I try to be. But I suppose it depends on how others see me. And you…" His tone softened. "You're the first person who's ever said that to me here."

He let out a low sigh, glancing toward the floor before meeting her eyes again as she glanced over her shoulder.

"In a school where nobility rules and pride shapes everything," he continued, "who would ever expect kindness from someone like me? A commoner with nothing to offer, as they say. I just live by being myself.. without expecting anyone to notice."

Nyssa's head turned slightly toward him, a glimpse of her profile catching the warm glow of light that spilled across the room. Her voice came quieter now, almost reflective.

"I'm surprised," she murmured, "that you still speak like that—with such calm, even after what you've faced."

Eran tilted his head, studying her in silence as she continued.

"Do you really mean those words from earlier?" Nyssa asked, her tone wavering just enough to betray her curiosity. "Because… it's the first time anyone has ever said something like that to me."

She exhaled slowly, her composure tightening again. "You see, in this academy, power and pride measure everything. Each grade, each rank.. it's all about status, not sincerity. People might praise your abilities, but it never means anything deeper. It's just… a formality."

Her eyes softened as she glanced his way again.

"But yours.. it sounded different. It felt real, as though you saw something beyond just a grade or rank."

She paused, brushing a strand of hair aside before finishing quietly, "Or perhaps you're just still unfamiliar with how things work in this hierarchy."

Eran stared at her for a long moment, the silence between them heavy yet strangely magnetic. Her words lingered in his thoughts—truths he'd already known but never heard spoken aloud by someone from her rank.

So even the high noble feels it too, he mused quietly. Hm if i hadn't been wrong, the nobles feel it too, The pressure, the constant comparison, the loneliness that comes with their pride.

He leaned slightly forward, his eyes tracing her calm reflection across the polished edge of the chamber's floor tiles. For all her composure, all that calm nobility that wrapped around her like armor, he could now see it... the small fracture behind her perfect grace. It was subtle, but it was there: a human softness, a longing she probably didn't even realize she'd shown.

His lips curved faintly. That's the crack, he thought.

Nyssa stood still, her posture poised but her breathing barely steady. For a woman of her discipline, her guard had slipped.. if only for a heartbeat. And in that heartbeat, Eran could almost feel her pride wrestling with something quieter, gentler… something that didn't just belong to a Rank IV noble, but far beyond that.. to a woman who, for the first time, felt seen.

Eran tilted his head slightly, studying her more closely, his eyes locked on hers, calm yet unwavering. "Well," he began, "I may not fully understand the hierarchy itself, but I wouldn't deny what I felt to be true. If I decide to appreciate your warmth and caring heart… then of course, you must know you deserve it—and worth even more than that."

Nyssa's breath hitched, soft but sharp. She turned slightly, her robe shifting aside and leaving only the thin fabric that clung to her curves, tracing every outline of her form as faint heat radiated from her body. "It's okay," she said quietly, voice trembling just enough to betray the emotion in her chest. "I understand… How do you feel now? Your body, does it feel any better?"

From where Eran seats, he glanced briefly toward the side of his shoulder before meeting her eyes again. "Yes," he murmured, "it's better. I guess I'll have to take my leave and rest for a while… it's been a long day."

Nyssa gave a small nod, her eyes lingering on him a moment longer than she meant to. "Alright…" she replied softly.

Slowly Eran rose from his seat, the faintest smile touching his lips as he adjusted his robe. Before stepping toward the door, he turned back once more, meeting her gaze.

"I appreciate you," he said quietly, the warmth in his tone unmistakable.

Then, with that same calm composure, Eran walked out through the chamber door—leaving behind the quiet trace of his mana and a silence that clung to the air, as Nyssa stood still, her hand lightly pressed against her chest, feeling the strange warmth that refused to fade.

For a long moment, Nyssa stood still, her thoughts drifting deeper, her breath slow and quiet.

It felt as if, for the first time, her true worth had been spoken beyond her status, the pride that every noble of her grade in the academy carried. Yet, his words… the weight of them lingered in the air, clinging like a whisper that refused to fade.

She let out her hand that pressed lightly to her chest as she lowered her gaze directly at her palms, which was radiating a deep mana glow, humming softly—deep, serene—spreading across her skin, reflecting the swirl of emotion she couldn't quite name.

She tilted her head slightly, a quiet whisper escaping her lips.

"Eran… from the first moment I saw you, I knew there was something different about you."

Her voice trembled, caught between confusion and certainty. "And now, you've proved it to me."

Slowly, she lifted her chin, eyes closing as a deep breath filled her lungs. The calm trace of a smile curved her lips before she turned toward the chamber window. The mana in her palm faded into stillness, replaced only by the quiet shimmer of the setting light washing through the room... soft, golden, and warm against her calm face.

Meanwhile, Eran finally stepped out through the chamber door with a soft click.

A certain amusement flickered between his eyes, the faint glint of satisfaction playing at their corners. He exhaled slowly, letting the quiet air of the corridor wrap around him as his thoughts drifted back to Nyssa.

He knew well he'd left her deep in thought... and truth be told, the realization pleased him. Still, he couldn't deny the gratitude stirring beneath the surface; all thanks to that new skill.

'Veil of murmur '

He wondered just how deep its effect truly ran, because he hadn't expected Nyssa to draw that many words out of him... words that felt too genuine to be just strategy. Her questions had been sincere, directly reflecting the cold truth of the academy's hierarchy and the pride that defined it, confirming his own observations.

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