"Something went wrong with the batch of goods you wanted," the butler said tentatively, afraid of angering the other man. "The topic is also trending online. They're saying that a church was honoring invaders of our country."The hunchbacked old man clenched his fists tightly upon hearing that. His breathing became louder, audible even from a distance. "Leave, close the door, and allow no one to enter. I have some matters to attend to."The butler bowed slightly, saying, "Yes, sir." He ventured carefully, "What if the young master came? When he came to your study last time, he seemed to have—""My study? Why would he be there?" The old man stood up straight, looking at his butler with his sunken eyes. "Did he notice?"The butler shook his head. "No, no! I distracted him before he could enter the room."The old man was silent for a while. "Keep an eye on him and see if he's acting out of the ordinary recently.""Yes, sir." The butler took his leave. The old man didn't get back
At the same time, at the studio, the interviewer asked Leon, "To be honest, Kina, we're all curious about the reason you agreed to be featured in this variety show."The host, Jamie Morvan, sat across him, legs crossed. He chuckled as he continued, "As far as I know, you'll only experience the feeling of wonder if you have some degree of knowledge about ancient relics."The impressive cultural history of Farshya, spanning 5,000 years, will be exhibited in this show. As an idol, would participating in a show such as this be too difficult for you?"This question was surely meant to be a trap hidden behind a veneer of goodwill. Leon had been asked questions in this manner before, as his public image was still that of an uncultured idol with no background.He didn't mind it, but his fans didn't like it when he was asked these strongly biased questions. Clary, who was beside him, didn't want him to answer because his answer might be interpreted negatively.However, Leon seemed to have
Clary, an experienced manager, knew how to solve problems more efficiently. She quickly made a call to her boss.…On a train heading to Janovin, Clary's boss—Landon—was massaging Aria's waist. The first-class carriage was empty; no one dared sit in it.The head of York Group's Nymeria branch had practically booked a first-class carriage. They'd only known of Landon's arrival due to the incident happening at the church. Many people had requested them for their help in bailing their friends out. As if they'd dare do so!Who would dare bail someone out when their CEO was sitting right there? They didn't want to lose their jobs.They'd planned to treat Landon to dinner after the case concluded, but he wanted to return to Janovin immediately so they could only board the train with them.The three important men wiped their sweat. "Mr. York, uh—"Landon held his phone up, gesturing for them to wait so they shut up. "Yes, it's me. Please, go on." Landon poked a straw on the lid of
They finally knew why Landon valued her so highly. The man said a few more names before he seemed to remember something else. "Your cousin Marty was there too!""Yes, and he seemed to know Mr. Blooms really well.""We were surprised because one of them lives in Janovin while the other lives in the South. How did they grow to know each other that well? It's weird, right, Phil?"His colleague, Phil Chevron, thought, "Don't ask me that! Did you not realize that Mr. York is looking at us now? You sold yourself out!"As expected, Landon said, "Which means that all of you were there during that dinner too."Dan paused. He wanted to give himself a slap on the face. Landon said expressionlessly, "Tell me about that dinner. How did you become his pilgrims?"The men's backs were drenched with their sweat."His predictions are very accurate. He even managed to recount what happened to us during that time.""After we gave him some offerings, everything in our lives went smoothly.""We r
The three men nodded and hurriedly took their leave, clutching their briefcases. The train usually made short stops at stations on the way when a traveler or two would get in. For a moment, Aria couldn't distinguish between what was real and what was in her dreams. The desire for revenge consumed her, burning her throat and eyes.This went on until she heard Landon's voice through the din. "Don't overthink it. Take a nap."He spoke softly, and his hands were perfect for cooling Aria down. "If you really do feel bad, I'm here, aren't I? Your blood bag."Aria had realized last time that Landon could absorb some of the energy she released and that his blood was fatally tantalizing to her. Aria's eyes remained closed as she lay on Landon's shoulder, pushing her emotions down. She seemed to have done so once—many images flashed in her mind. Why was Landon in period clothes? In those images, Aria sat in a high chair, ordering Landon to wait as she bathed. She'd also said that Land
The journey from Nymeria to Janovin wasn't that long; it was almost dusk when Aria woke up. At dusk, the city was bustling with activity, but it was peaceful nevertheless. Perhaps it was because Aria had taken a nap, but she felt more relaxed now. It was as if the discomfort she felt due to the karma had been digested without her knowing. She hadn't known how to bring the subject of Ian's side of the family up to Warren, but she stopped feeling the need to hesitate.After what Fergus had gone through, she understood something—the sadness one felt after being betrayed was transitory; it was more important to evade risks. Also, Warren deserved to know the truth more than anyone else. Both the incident at the church and the stuff the Carver Group shareholders got up to in secret were heinous. Warren would feel sad upon hearing them, but letting him know was better than keeping it from him. Aria went to the Carver Group headquarters with Landon. The influencer who insulted Ari
It wasn't just because they worked for Carver Group, but also because of Aria's heroic deeds. Although the video wasn't complete, it was clear who had saved the children and allowed the heroic spirits to return to their rightful places.Aria paused and glanced at Keith, who pushed his glasses up and explained, "They admire you. The videos of you online have gone viral, and quite a few people are asking if we'll be making merchandise featuring you."Merchandise? What?Before Aria could ask more, Keith continued, "They didn't manage to capture your face, but they did take pictures of Mr. York standing next to you. You two looked good together, and now people say you are quite the couple.""Really? Where's the video? I want to see it," said Landon. He appeared very interested in this, judging from the smile on his face. Warmth pooled in his eyes, gradually melting away his aloof exterior. The employees rarely saw Landon in the office. His physical condition wasn't exactly a secret—e
They'd assumed that no one would dare approach Landon, yet Aria was standing on equal footing with him—perhaps even more domineering.Oh, how they loved it!Aria noticed their excitement but had no idea what had them thrilled. She didn't usually root for couples. Landon found the situation amusing. He had felt bound to someone in a similar way once before, but back then, it hadn't been as enjoyable.As Aria and Landon entered the elevator under the watchful, excited eyes of others, Landon received a call. It was for an online meeting, so he borrowed a conference room from Keith without a second thought. He didn't see himself as an outsider here.Meanwhile, Aria headed straight to Warren's office. Wasting no time, she took advantage of his good mood to explain everything that had happened at the church, including how Ian's family was involved."Fergus and I have been thinking about who arranged Poeta's 'coincidental' appearance. I have a suspect," Aria said, her gaze distant. "Th