The fear of his secret coming out was one that Cæ hadn't forgotten. The fact of the matter was that Serulia still hadn't confirmed that she hadn't clicked what had happened. He hadn't been able to confirm the extent to which the knowledge of the events that she had borne witness to shortly before passing out was present in her brain.

He had speculated that the events were buried in her mind deep underneath a layer of some kind of trauma or intense emotion. He had noticed that the way she behaved with him had changed ever since she woke up. She acted differently from how she normally was in ways that Cæ didn't understand, but couldn't tie back to what she had seen; she was awake.

What was especially strange to him was her reaction every time he caught her staring at him. Her light blue eyes would bear deep into his, while her expression would grow lost. Her reactions to when he noticed her attention were one of flustered embarrassment. She noticed his mood changes, even the subtle ones, rather quickly, something that he found rather strange.

What could all of this possibly mean?

Cæ couldn't help but fear that she was beginning to suspect his secret. The intense emotion that she must have experienced was one of shock and perhaps suspicion, that there was more to him than met the eye.

Even if she didn't remember and the memory was truly beyond her reach, how long would it remain that way? He couldn't tell, after all, she too was likely to be going through a lot of depositions where her testimony would be interrogated by not only the legal counsel of the Walyn Family, but also her own lawyers as they attempted to hone and refine her testimony for it to be air-tight.

What was especially frightening to Cæ was that it was entirely possible that her father would go to rather extreme means to make sure that her memory of the event was improved to ensure that she could provide the most accurate and undeniable testimony possible.

In doing so, she would undoubtedly remember what had happened.

How Cæ had cast magic without a magic circle or an incantation.

Through the pure power of his imagination alone.

"What is the matter?"

Cæ's head jerked a little as the heavy voice of Lord Leonul broke him out of his stupor of paranoia. The man's powerful, red eyes bore deep into Cæ's eyes, as if trying to pry for a truth that he likely had no fathoming existed.

Cæ shook his head. "Nothing at all. I was simply thinking about just how challenging it would be to manage all my time. I have so many things going on that trying to do all of them will likely be impossible for me. I suspect that I will have to slow down on my research process for Project Heart-healing."

"It is of no concern to me." He waved his hand with a dismissive expression. "I do not mind, however long it takes for you to start your business. Once we finalise this agreement, I do not mind any timetable. What I seek is a well-done business venture rather than one that is highly hastened and faultily executed."

Cæ was the one who had problems with the delay that these depositions and even the court case would cause, but it was clear that the head of the Vritra Clan did not have the highest concern for Cæ's own desires when it came to his own projects.

He didn't complain, though. The fact of the matter was that the man was not giving his money for free. He was essentially paying Cæ for justice for his daughter and was also getting the bonus of having a stake in Cæ's business, which he found promising.

"I will have the agreement drafted by today," Lord Leonul remarked. "You will have to bring a witness to this agreement when we sign two copies of it. One for each of us. From then, I expect you to cooperate with our legal process entirely, within reason, of course, and when the time comes, we will fund your venture generously, as you desire."

Cæ nodded. "As for a witness, it would rather be a pain for me to actually bring someone else so…"

He turned to Serulia. "Can you be my witness?"

She beamed at his offer with a smile. "Of course!"

Her father snorted at her reaction, but didn't say anything else. His gaze shifted to Cæ, sizing him up with an eying gaze once more. His expression was one of grudging acknowledgement, unlike the thinly-veiled suspicion he had for the man on his motivations for saving his daughter.

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It was clear that he wasn't as opposed to his daughter's infatuation with Cæ as he was before. Of course, he wished Cæ's pedigree were of higher birth and more noble blood, but ultimately, he was not obsessed with the matter.

As a master mage, he understood full well that blood did not matter.

The only thing that mattered in this world was power.

And before him was a man who, in the span of a year, became strong enough to defeat his own daughter in magic and even win the combat selection process of his entire campus.

Who, in the span of a year, managed to achieve great success as a businessman as well.

A young man with a burning ambition and an even deeper sense of revenge within his heart. Of course, the man was not aware of the fact that Cæ's ambition was one that sought to destroy the entire world and build what he perceived to be a better one. Perhaps he wouldn't have thought as highly of him if he had realised that the very advantages and power that Lord Leonul could give his children and to the people he favoured was the kind that Cæ had come to hate.

His impression of Cæ was extremely positive overall. He found it rather refreshing that a young man of his calibre had made as much of himself when coming from truly nothing.

On top of that, he had thought that his daughter's infatuation with Cæ was simply a trauma response from almost dying, turning what should have been gratitude into a deep infatuation. However, after meeting Cæ, he realised that there was more to it. Cæ was truly someone she could rely on, someone who inspired those around him, and someone who evoked a deep sense of dependability.

He didn't think it was a bad idea to introduce the young man's blood into their family. The temperamental traits of an intense composure, even when confronted with someone powerful enough to leave almost all men his age cowering with fear, were especially something he liked.

The fierce determination and drive within him were exactly what he wanted to see in young men, especially suitors for his precious baby, who could be quite strong-willed herself.

"Why don't you spend some time together in the banquet being held downstairs for all guests?" Lord Leonul asked with nonchalance. "This hotel has a lot of high-profile guests at all times. It would do you some good to network, Cæ. A businessman is only as strong as his networks, mind you."

Cæ nodded slowly, still deep in thought, before turning to Serulia with a pointed gaze, offering her his hand.

"Would you like to join me?"

Her light blue eyes lit up at those words. "Of course!"

She gently placed her smaller hand on his as they enveloped, the dark skin of her cheeks flushing red. Cæ's gaze bore deep into her eyes, causing her to grow even more flustered.

He was thinking about how he could confirm what she remembered of when he used pure magic. Perhaps he could use the time together to gently probe and poke as to what she recalled.

It was safe to say that they weren't on the same page.

He turned to her father. "Thank you for your time, sir."

The man simply nodded. "Make sure the two of you don't spend too much time down there. And make sure that you don't consume any alcohol. You have university tomorrow."

Cæ simply nodded while Serulia simply grew even more flustered.

The two of them departed from the room while the head of the Vritra Clan simply grinned from tooth to tooth. A minute after they left, Serulia's mother and son emerged from the luxury suite adjacent, quickly entering the room.

"Father…!" His son began in a stunned tone, speaking to him in Durmenese. "How could you agree to these absurd demands from that conman?! And you let him whisk Serulia off just like that, you saw the look in his eyes, he was definitely thinking about fruits that are forbidden to someone of his blood!"

Lady Clara, on the other hand, smiled at her husband. "It seems that you have come around, my dear."

The man huffed with a grudging tone. "You were right, as always. He was an impressive man. It is not very often that you see such raw ferocity within a single man. With his heart burns a furious inferno, and yet he keeps it buried within a frosty exterior that doesn't crack. All while doing everything in his power to achieve his ambition. In comparison…"

He turned to his son, glaring at the young man. "You are sorely lacking. Serlin. You are only a year younger than him, and yet you don't possess even a fraction of the willpower and determination that he does. Pride without substance is just arrogance. You have not accomplished anything despite being twenty-four. Tsk, I have been too easy on you; I can't help but feel that after speaking with that splendid young man. Why I ought to throw you out of the family and have you fend for yourself for a few years."

Serlin's face grew pale at those words as the blood drained from his face. "I-I'll work very hard from now on!"

"Bah! You keep saying the same thing each time! What have you accomplished since I put you under the chief of logistics of our Eastern Division back home?!"

"I… I have learned more about our family business!"

"Not as much as you would learn if I tossed you into the real world and put you through some real hardships! In fact, I should have you start your own business from scratch just like that man.

"That's enough." His mother stepped forward to defend him, directing a pointed gaze at her husband. "It seems that your opinion of him has grown even more than I expected. Now I fear that you will become hard-headed about making them get together. With you, it's always one extreme or the other."

The man huffed with a hint of dissatisfaction, but didn't dispute her words. "Well, it would be good to have that kind of stock become the foundation of the future, don't you think?"

"That is a decision for Serulia to make," Lady Clara replied gently. "She is infatuated with him for now, but perhaps she will grow out of it. Or perhaps it will grow from a mere infatuation into true love. There is also the young man's will to consider. He didn't so much as even stir when he asked for her hand and took it. Most likely, he doesn't have any romantic feelings for her at all."

"Hah, it is impossible for any young man who still has his balls on him to resist my precious ange—"

"Please do not speak so vulgarly in the same breath that you speak of our daughter, my dear."

"…Hmph."

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