"Thank you for coming despite how busy you are, everyone. I'm very thankful."Lorelia walked down the stairs, clad in a black evening gown. She raised her head and looked at the people in the hall, her bearing intimidating. Malcolm took a deep breath abruptly. "It's been a long time since I'd last seen her, but she's as formidable as always."Aria raised a brow. "You know her?""She's the eldest daughter of the York family. She joined the army before, but I think she's managing a business now," Malcolm added, "You'd better not let loose in front of her. She can send you flying with just a punch."Aria heeded his advice. She lowered her head and chewed on another piece of candy, looking innocuous. Lorelia was a beautiful woman with sharp and deep-set features. It was obvious that she'd been taught well despite her fierce appearance. "My family has prepared a small gift for everyone." She clapped her hands, and a gift box rose beside everyone's seats. The box's contents were
"Yes, it's elvenroot," Aria said, "When you store elvenroot, you should avoid exposing it to strong sunlight, and the temperature shouldn't be higher than 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It's 75 degrees outdoors now. This is also when the UV radiation is the most intense."I'm storing the herb inside my bag so as to preserve its medicinal value. Does a member of the Gunther family not even possess such basic medical knowledge?"The room erupted in chatter the moment she said that. Constantine was still sneering at her. "As if I'd buy any of that bull—""Be quiet, Constantine!" Salome barked.Constantine was stunned. He turned sideways to look at the expression on Salome's face and also at everyone's gazes that were focused on him. Panic showed on his face. Had Aria really hit the nail on the head?Someone laughed, saying, "I expected nothing less from Georgina's student. She has a good intuition when it comes to identifying herbs." The speaker was Wendell Claude, the head of the Clau
"Please enter, everyone!" Lorelia gestured with a flourish. The walls of the hall seemed to ripple for a moment, then receded to reveal several ornately decorated consultation rooms.The doctors would have to form groups and treat those patients. Salome was the first to make a move. She was eager to show everyone what the Gunther family was capable of, especially to Aria. All the patients the York family had found were difficult to treat. Every group of doctors who had entered the consultation rooms stayed a long time in there and came out looking solemn. The doctors from the Gunther and Short families were the only exceptions; they came out with smiles on their faces. Even Zephyr found it somewhat difficult. Fortunately, he also managed to issue a prescription. Many doctors couldn't even figure out what illnesses those patients were afflicted with. They came out muttering under their breaths like students who'd just been done with their exams."What illness is the third pa
"We're done here." Aria grabbed her bag. The patient sounded skeptical. "That's all? You haven't even asked me what other symptoms I have aside from a headache and if I'm suffering from any pre-existing conditions. "You didn't even look at the scans on the table before making such a hasty conclusion. That's a bit ridiculous, isn't it?"Aria returned the pen to the pen holder on the table and smiled. "You're fine. I don't need to ask any more questions."Shiloh pulled her back, though. "Wait, we've only been here for five minutes. You should inspect him for a while longer. Look at the other groups! They spent 20 minutes treating the first patient alone!""That's not important." Aria pressed the bell decisively, confirming that they were done. The people outside the consultation rooms were still discussing the patients' illnesses. They laughed uproariously when they saw Aria's group emerge so soon. "They were in there for such a short time! Did they fail to identify the answer
"Heartbound Hall!" Lorelia announced, looking at Aria with a smile. Upon hearing the results, everyone in the hall fell silent, their eyes wide in disbelief. "Heartbound Hall's in the first place? That's impossible!"Norman's face darkened. Salome couldn't help but lunge forward for the sheet of paper, which she opened only to see the two words "Heartbound Hall" on it.Lily's smile disappeared from her face. She couldn't believe it. Was Aria really a skilled doctor?Everyone's gazes fell on Aria, Malcolm, and Shiloh instantly. As someone decidedly unskilled in medicine, Shiloh had never been the subject of such attention. Startled, he stopped in the middle of yawning.Malcolm was dumbfounded. They placed first? Really?Aria was the only one who remained calm throughout. Salome couldn't handle losing to a nobody under the gazes of everyone else. She crumpled the sheet of paper in her fist and steadied her breathing before asking, "As a doctor, it's probably not appropriate for
"Grandpa." Lorelia stepped forward.A group of black-clad bodyguards stepped forward, forming an orderly line beside the old man. The old man had wrapped bandages around his head as part of his act. He yanked them off, giving Aria a meaningful look before turning to everyone. As expected of a noble family, Titus was sharply intimidating. His gaze made everyone's heart sink."I heard all your discussions," Titus said, his gaze sharp. "Heartbound Hall unquestionably deserves first place."No one dared to voice objections when Titus spoke. Norman, who had initiated the discussion of treatment approaches, wilted under the weight of Titus's statement.Salome forced a smile. "We didn't know it was you…""None of you guessed that it was me inside, except for those three young people," Titus remarked blandly.Salome felt embarrassed, and everyone else was equally uncomfortable; they wished they could disappear. Who would have imagined that the third patient was actually Titus York, p
Lily shook her head, biting her lip. "It's not her fault. There was a massive upheaval in my family, and she couldn't come to terms with it."Her words seemed innocuous, but she'd actually pinned the blame on Aria. Christian frowned. "Just say it, Lily. We're here, so there's nothing to fear. She can't do anything to you!""She didn't do anything to me!" Lily's head was bowed. "She just had a slight misunderstanding concerning us. The Gunther and Kent families have a close relationship. My father gave the Gunther family the Whisperwind Herb as a sign of gratitude after Dr. Gunther took me in as her student, and then…"Christian sneered. "And here she is, making something out of nothing!""Christian, calm down." Salome put on a show of being the bigger person here. "It's good that the misunderstanding has been cleared, or anyone not in the know would think that the Whisperwind Herb was acquired from unlawful sources."A smile bloomed slowly on Aria's face as she watched the borin
Aria remained silent, her eyes focused on the grandfather clock in the hall as she idly chewed on her candy.Salome took her silence as a sign of cowardice. She covered Lily's hand with hers and sat down confidently.Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Lily's heart raced. Perhaps it was the anticipation of meeting Landon soon. She glanced down, her eyes resting on the wooden box. As anticipated, only the Whisperwind Herb could act as a conduit to the York family.Titus picked up the box under everyone's jealous gazes. The masses were about to congratulate Salome when Titus said, "My family isn't known to be righteous. Regardless, we cannot, in good conscience, take away what belongs to someone else. "Landon's fate lies in the hands of higher powers. The Whisperwind Herb is very rare, certainly, but we cannot take this."What?Everyone turned to Titus, including Aria, who lifted a brow in surprise. Titus set the box down and lifted his right arm. Suddenly, four words appeared on
Ordinary people understood the harshness of reality. Brent, having lived in poverty for most of his life, had been looked down on more times than he could count.Poor people like them could die unnoticed at home, and no one would care, let alone offer help without expecting something in return.If something really happened to Eden, Brent doubted he and his wife could do anything to save her. Judy was a prime example. Her father, Alec Lanez, had even given up selling bread just to look for her.Every time Alec went to the school, he was met with the same cold response."It has nothing to do with us. Your daughter ran away and refuses to acknowledge you. So why are you coming here? Peasants like you should know your place. Without us, people like you could only dream of going overseas. How filthy!"Brent had heard the school's representative say those exact words when he accompanied Alec. Both of them could only stand there, humiliated and speechless.Alec's back was sore from how m
Eden immediately opened the windows after hearing that. "Did Ms. Carver send you here? Is she in any danger? I'm really worried about her. Should I call the police? I'd feel horrible if anything happened to her."Weston remained calm and indifferent. "Calling the police will only make them suspicious. My boss is amazing, and there's nothing she can't handle. She has a plan. Right now, my priority is to bring all of you to Heartbound Hall in Janovin so your grandfather can receive treatment."The respect in Weston's voice when he spoke of Aria was unmistakable."Pack up your things and come with me," Weston ordered.Their team had already checked the surroundings and ensured nothing would go wrong. Anyone watching would think Eden's grandparents were simply collecting bottles and preparing lunch as usual, not leaving the house until the afternoon.Without wasting time, Weston picked up the elderly couple's luggage. His most important task now was to get Eden and her grandparents to
"We followed the address, so this must be the place. Sir, isn't that the girl?" It was the same group of people as before. After failing their last mission because of Aria, they were being extra cautious this time."We can't afford any more mistakes. Treat her kindly so that she won't suspect anything.""Yes, sir."When they saw a young woman in a school uniform appear right on time, they were convinced she was the right person. After all, Aria looked exactly like Eden.They rolled down the car window and waved. "Ms. Bohmer, over here."Aria looked up and recognized several familiar faces. She grabbed her bag and walked toward the car."Ms. Bohmer, we meet again," The driver greeted Aria warmly. "Let's go."The team had prepared for a difficult encounter. They'd even been authorized to use force if necessary, as long as they avoided surveillance cameras. But to their surprise, Aria simply opened the car door and got in without resistance.Aria glanced at their puzzled expression
The aged voice was filled with indifference. "It seems like she reached a dead end."Amos sneered. "I don't understand why these peasants like staying in the city. Still, it's fortunate for us. Otherwise, it'd be hard to get our hands on them.""Amos," the person cut in sharply, as if reminding him of his place.Amos only dared to speak so harshly when no one was around. If word got out, his image as the perfect secretary would be ruined.He quickly calmed down and fell silent. The caller didn't press the matter, simply saying, "You need to change the way you speak and act from now on."Since she's already agreed, give her the money. Don't treat her requests as a nuisance. The more requests they make, the less likely they are to cause trouble later."After picking her up tomorrow, send a few men to check if her grandparents need any help. Make sure everything is done properly."Amos nodded. "I understand. You always see the bigger picture. We'll continue looking after them."Poo
"I promise it won't happen again!" To an outsider, it might've sounded like Amos was talking about the cafeteria mishap. But the truth was much darker. What Amos really meant was that incidents like this could continue, just never publicly. Once the media's attention died down, they could go back to doing whatever they pleased. But for now, the performance had to be flawless.The man on the other end of the call seemed satisfied. Though his voice was flat and monotonous, there was a noticeable shift; it was now less stern."She's been manipulating the stock market," he said. "It's caused major damage to several of Luwditen's corporations. We can't let her walk free."Amos removed his glasses, a grim look on his face. "That's exactly what I told the Securities Regulatory Department. It doesn't matter who comes to plead on her behalf. Even if she's the late Mr. Barron's heir, she has to face the law."She's confessed. No one's going to let her off the hook now. You know what jail'
At first, Eden didn't understand what Aria meant. But as night fell, Aria lowered her head and started fumbling with something. When she looked up again, Eden was stunned—Aria looked exactly like her.Eden's eyes widened in disbelief. She'd only seen something like this in movies. But now, it was unfolding right in front of her. So there really was such a flawless disguise technique in the world."Aria, you…""Since I'm using your identity, I have to be you," Aria said with a soft tug of her mask, smiling. She had always been bold, yet precise. Working in the Special Missions Unit meant secrecy was second nature to her—this part was routine."Stay home and rest tonight. I'll leave first thing in the morning. Once I'm gone and the coast is clear, take your grandparents and leave."Eden opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond. She didn't even know when the people watching them would leave."My team will come get you," Aria reassured her. "What's important is that your grandparent
Eden nodded. "Okay. I'll do as you say, Aria."She sent the text just like Aria instructed. Moments later, her teacher replied—everything had been arranged. A car would pick her up from home. There was no need to return to school.A cold shiver ran down Eden's spine. They knew where she lived. They'd been watching all along. Not just the school—they were everywhere.Eden didn't linger at school. Outside the entrance, the main topic of conversation was the officials' arrival for an investigation and the school's public exposure.Everyone knew the cafeteria was a mess. Students had complained countless times, but each time inspectors came, the food improved just long enough to pass the checks. Then it would all revert. It had become the norm—something they were forced to accept.Eden was no different. She just wanted to get home. She needed to see her grandparents. She feared something might happen to them next.Every step on the way home, she stayed alert, scanning her surroundings
Eden listened closely, her brow furrowing. Her teacher wasn't speaking Farshyan. School was no longer a safe place, and Eden didn't know who she could trust. Her classmates were too caught up in mocking Aria to notice anything was wrong, all assuming Eden was lucky to have been chosen.She considered calling the police, picking up her phone, but then paused. What could she even say? That there was a mole at school? Her face turned pale as she remembered how close the principal was to influential people. The authorities might not believe her, or worse, they might be involved.Despite the headlines claiming Aria had been arrested, Eden felt a spark of hope. Aria had promised she'd show up if Eden ever needed her. Taking a deep breath, Eden dialed the number Aria had given her.She didn't expect anyone to answer. But then came a cool, familiar voice. "Eden? What's wrong? Did someone give you trouble again?"Eden's heart soared. "You're not arrested! The news is fake, isn't it? I knew
Lucas gave Amos a sidelong glance. "In that case, let's do as Mr. Lune suggested—punish everyone involved."Announce to the public that Oakvale Academy will be used as a test case. We'll be conducting surprise inspections in all middle and high schools."As for why Mr. Kelsey encountered two completely different scenes during his visits—well, that's easy to explain." Lucas' gaze swept across the room. "Someone tipped off the school before your visit. If any other school received advance notice, every one of you will be under scrutiny."Though Lucas spoke with a smile, none of the seven present—including the three officials—could return it. The smile, in this context, was more chilling than rage. This was a warning. Amos, in particular, felt deeply unsettled. He had come intending to redirect Lucas' attention away from Oakvale Academy. Instead, the incident had blown up. With public attention turning toward the school, transferring Eden would soon become impossible.Still, Amo