After Lance finished explaining all the details of the deal—
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you card crafting.”
Talia didn’t waste ti with aningless hesitation and accepted Lance’s proposal.
“Great. Before tomorrow, I’ll also arrange an identity for you in the estate. You can choose between a maid or a steward—”
“Steward.”
Before Lance could even finish, Talia cut him off with a cold tone.
Lance nodded vigorously, not daring to push his luck.
Even though he was pretty sure Talia wouldn’t hurt him so easily anymore, the sheer difference in power between them still made him a little uneasy.
There was a line in one of the demonology books from this world:
"A demon does not need a reason to kill a human, nor do they feel guilt for it."
"If they have the thought, they simply act on it."
Right now, Talia might seem to act no differently from a human, but that was only because she was suppressing her violent and ruthless nature, trying to integrate into human society.
Lance knew he was playing with fire.
Dealing with Talia was no different from negotiating with a tiger. And even if the tiger promised not to harm him, a re house cat like him would still tremble in its presence.
As this thought crossed his mind, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile curled at the corner of Lance’s lips.
Talia frowned slightly.
She had a nagging suspicion that this human was thinking about sothing utterly ridiculous.
But she had no proof.
It was just… a feeling.
“Well then, I look forward to your guidance, Teacher Tata.”
Lance’s voice was clear and confident, his face still wearing that harmless smile.
The title seed to make Talia uncomfortable. As usual, she ignored Lance.
But this ti, she didn’t reject it outright—practically acknowledging their teacher-student relationship.
… One and a Half Months Later
As the sumr drew to a close, the crisp autumn morning arrived. Sunlight stread down, glistening on the dewdrops as they dripped to the ground.
The golden morning light swept over the deep-gray station platform and the cold tal tracks, giving them a rare touch of warmth.
At the South Wantina Border City-State’s Magical Rail Station, crowds bustled with movent.
Travelers rushed to and fro, parting ways or crossing paths, each beginning their own journeys.
Idle chatter between passengers, heartfelt goodbyes from those sending off loved ones, and the rhythmic announcents of arriving and departing trains all blended into a unique symphony of the station.
On one side of the platform, Hans the butler lifted a suitcase and handed it to Lance. Lance took it firmly.
“Thank you, Hans.”
Lance smiled.
“Take care of yourself, Young Master Lance.”
Hans’s voice was as deep as always, but this ti, it carried a rare trace of warmth.
With Noah off traveling to another province, Hans was the only one left to send Lance off in his father’s place.
With two weeks left until the academy’s entrance exam, Lance and Talia had already arrived at the station. Today, they would depart from the South Wantina Border Region and head deep into the Hetton Kingdom, toward the royal capital, Ikrit.
The magical rail journey to the capital would take over a day.
After arriving, they would have three days to rest before the entrance exams began.
“Young Master Lance, safe travels!”
The maid couldn’t hide the concern on her face, though her words carried an underlying worry.
“For now, you really shouldn’t co back anyti soon. If Lord Noah finds out that you stole the family’s ancient relic, he definitely won’t let you off…”
Logically speaking—
All the trouble Lance had caused in town before had only made Noah feel frustrated.
But if Noah discovered that Lance had lost the family’s ancestral treasure, The Lanting Verses…
He would be absolutely furious.
Over the past two months, Lance’s easygoing and approachable nature had changed how the estate’s servants saw him. They had grown fond of him, and the maid Francine, who had always been closest to him, no longer spoke to him with fear.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Lance’s smile remained calm, reassuring everyone who cared for him.
If his old man Noah saw what kind of magic card he and Talia had crafted using The Lanting Verses, he’d probably be so shocked he’d fall right out of his chair.
But he wouldn’t bla him for it.
Hans chuckled absentmindedly, shaking his head. Listening to Lance and Francine talk, he more or less guessed why Lance seed so confident.
Then, he turned his gaze to Talia, who stood behind Lance, now dressed in completely new attire.
Her fitted coat accentuated her fra, and a silk tie was neatly fastened beneath the collar of her elegant dress, giving her an air of both grace and authority.
Gone were the ragged clothes of a vagrant.
Now, Talia shone like a freshly polished gemstone.
“Miss Tata, I leave the young master in your care.”
Hans spoke sincerely.
From the mont he had traced Talia’s whereabouts based on Lance’s painting, Hans had been utterly shocked.
That foolish young master of his had actually set his sights on such a powerful—and dangerous—woman.
But seeing how well they got along, Hans gradually felt reassured.
Talia remained silent.
But after a brief pause, she gave a slight nod.
Despite appearing to be the sa age as Lance, her composed and aloof deanor made her seem far more mature.
She had been paid.
So, she would fulfill the contract.
Whether it was protecting Lance from being assassinated—
Or serving as his teacher.
As the silence stretched between them, a distant silhouette erged at the end of the tracks, accompanied by the sound of a train whistle.
The vibrations on the rails grew stronger.
A deep rumbling followed.
The train’s outline beca clearer and clearer, its tallic body gleaming under the sunlight.
The bright headlights at the front of the train pierced through the layers of morning mist, guiding the steel beast toward its destination.
Lance pulled out his ticket, double-checking their assigned seats.
As the mont of departure approached—
Hans suddenly smirked, as if he had just rembered sothing, and said with a teasing tone:
“By the way, it’s such a sha we didn’t get the chance to show Miss Tata that portrait in your room before you left—”
“Ahem!”
Before the butler could finish his sentence, Lance coughed loudly, cutting him off.
Hans might not have ant him any harm—
But he definitely wasn’t up to anything good!
“What portrait?”
Hearing her na, Talia turned to Lance and asked.
Lance felt a wave of panic inside, but his expression remained calm and composed. Without rushing, he answered smoothly:
“A portrait of a poor, pitiful old lady—one of my early works. But Hans and Francine seem to really appreciate that painting…”
Just then, the deep gray and reddish-brown train roared into the platform. The screeching brakes and the grinding of wheels against the rails drowned out the rest of Lance’s sentence.
The train gradually slowed until it ca to a complete stop.
Since the topic had nothing to do with her, Talia quickly lost interest. She shifted her gaze away from Lance.
Through the train’s windows, a warm light illuminated the faces of the passengers inside. As the doors slowly slid open, a cool breeze drifted out, brushing against them.
The waiting passengers on the platform began moving toward the doors, eager to board.
Amidst the bustling crowd, Lance let out a silent sigh of relief.
Good. He had managed to talk his way out of that one.
Next ti he returned, he would definitely hide that painting—no way could he let Talia find out that the “poor, pitiful old lady” was actually her.
“Well, I’m off.”
With a smile, Lance waved goodbye to the butler and maid one last ti, then turned and stepped onto the train.
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