“Miss Sophia.”
Viloti walked up to Sophia and her group, bowed slightly in greeting.
“Viloti! You look absolutely stunning tonight.” Sophia embraced Viloti, showering her with praise.
“Thank you, Miss Sophia.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Sophia suddenly placed her hand on Felyn’s shoulder.
“This is the son of a good friend of mine. I brought him with me to the venue tonight.”
She discreetly pinched Felyn’s shoulder, signaling him to say whatever it was he had to say.
“It’s been a while, Miss Viloti.”
Felyn gave a slight nod, wearing a relieved smile.
“Well then, I’ll leave you two to talk. I still have a few things to tend to.”
As Sophia’s figure gradually disappeared from view, Felyn couldn’t help but swallow hard.
“Miss Viloti, actually, tonight I...”
“Were you kidnapped again?”
Viloti suddenly cut him off.
“Me? I wasn’t kidnapped.”
Felyn looked completely confused.
“Then why were you feeding Adelina cake and massaging her legs just now?”
Viloti’s expression darkened.
The atmosphere took a strange and heavy turn.
Felyn was stunned.
Viloti had still been backstage at that time—how had she seen?
His mind began racing.
Even though she was no longer his client, tonight was her big night. He couldn’t afford to say the wrong thing.
Otherwise, he’d be condemned by everyone at the banquet.
Beneath Viloti’s gloomy expression was a completely blank mind.
She had rehearsed this many times in her head—start with a greeting, then small talk, and finally ease into the cake incident.
But the first thing out of her mouth had already jumped straight to the heart of the matter.
Was that too abrupt?
“At that time, Adelina and I were just acting. It was like a stage play.”
In such a short span, Felyn couldn’t come up with a convincing excuse and could only tell the truth.
He also didn’t understand why Viloti would be upset about him being with Adelina.
Just let it all end already!
Tonight’s situation had completely spiraled out of control.
“I see.”
To Felyn’s surprise, the lady’s tightly furrowed brows eased, as if she believed the explanation and had no intention of digging deeper.
That’s it... she believed him?
This young lady was way too easy to fool.
“Miss Viloti, this place is a bit inconvenient. Why don’t we talk on the balcony?”
Viloti nodded and obediently followed Felyn’s lead.
The two of them stood on the balcony, gazing at the night view of Seiwa.
From this height, the entire city looked like a painting sprinkled with starlight.
The night breeze gently brushed their cheeks, and Felyn’s hair swayed slightly in the wind.
The glass door behind them cut off the banquet’s clamor like another world.
Here was quiet night, the city lights in the distance scattered like stars.
There was the brightly lit banquet hall, filled with noble laughter and the clinking of glasses.
Felyn often found himself standing between these two worlds.
On one side was the harsh reality he faced alone. On the other, the dazzling world he saw while with his clients.
In this sharp contrast, Felyn would sometimes feel helpless.
“Must be nice to have money.”
Leaning against the railing, Felyn spoke his heart aloud.
Viloti stood beside him, motionless.
He wants money?
In her mind, Viloti started analyzing what the man before her was truly thinking.
Even without any experience interacting with men, Viloti was certain—Felyn had come here for her.
Back in her estate just days ago, Viloti could clearly sense that Felyn was deliberately keeping his distance.
But now he was here again. Could it be that he still couldn’t let go?
Or perhaps he just wanted one last look at her before bidding a final farewell?
No matter what, she ought to ask him properly.
Felyn had already seen Viloti open her mouth for the eighth time, only to tightly shut it again.
Her expression remained calm, but he could see the faint pink on the tips of her ears.
A drop of sweat slid down her cheek, dampening the loose strands of hair by her ear.
Ten minutes had already passed.
Though part of him wanted to stay here like this until the banquet ended, trapping himself and Viloti on this small balcony...
But behind him was a transparent glass door, and as time passed, more and more nobles would notice the two of them standing out here like this.
‘Did you hear? Miss Viloti and Felyn were talking alone on the balcony.’
‘Felyn went to see Miss Viloti again—confessed to her under the stars.’
Rumors like that would surely spread throughout the banquet soon enough.
Then, a certain rose-tea-haired young lady would hear of it... and she would transform and go absolutely berserk.
“Congratulations, Miss Viloti. For being admitted into the academy in the capital.” Felyn smiled at her.
“Thank you.”
Felyn realized that no matter how many more rounds of pleasantries they exchanged, they’d never get to the point.
He had to strike fast and finish it.
“Miss Viloti, this may be a bit sudden, but may I ask—do you like me?”
Viloti froze for ten seconds. Her breathing grew a little faster.
She clenched her teeth and squeezed out three words.
“No, I don’t.”
“That’s a relief.”
Felyn felt his uneasy heart finally settle.
Though he didn’t think it was likely, it wasn’t impossible.
Some clients really did fall in love with him after the contract ended, insisting on marriage.
That would be a huge problem.
Because Felyn knew all too well the gap between himself and his clients. They were simply addicted to a perfect relationship they didn’t want to let go of.
Given enough time, they’d naturally come to their senses.
If both sides really fell in love, in the end, Felyn would be the only one hurt.
The young lady still had her mansion and savings. Felyn would be left with a stale loaf of bread.
“I used to like you, Miss Viloti. But not anymore. It’s not that you weren’t good enough—I just chose to see things clearly. There’s no future for the two of us.”
He scratched his head, then leaned his cheek against his hand.
“So I gave up. That’s all. I came tonight just to say a final goodbye—to give it some closure, nothing more.”
She stood in the wind, her long pink hair swaying slightly to the side.
Her red lips parted.
“My father didn’t thank you today.”
“Thank me?”
Felyn recalled how Lord Silafiel had read off a long list of thanks during the opening.
“I’m just a fallen noble, there’s nothing about me to thank.”
Viloti shook her head, her earrings letting out a crisp chime.
“You saved me. In more ways than one.”
Viloti would never forget that Felyn had meant more to her than just a suitor.
Without him, she never would have found the courage to step outside her room and achieve what she had today.
Everything Felyn had done for her—she had remembered clearly.
Those nobles she’d never even seen before were being thanked.
Those so-called relatives and friends—none of them helped her when she was struggling.
Why should they be thanked while Felyn wasn’t?
“My father knew. But he didn’t thank you.”
Felyn wanted to tell her—your father already thanked me... with money.
He’d given him a full 500,000 crowns in hush money.
But if he said that, Lord Silafiel would never let him walk out of this castle alive.
“So now you want to compensate me?”
Viloti nodded. “Mm.”
“The clothes you gave me last time, I sold them. Got around 100,000 crowns.”
Felyn turned his gaze to the cityscape of Seiwa.
“So now you don’t owe me anything. Not that you ever did.”
Viloti nodded thoughtfully, pulling out a magic seal card.
“You really need money, don’t you?”
Felyn quickly waved his hands. “A hundred thousand is already more than enough for me.”
“Then I’ll hire you.” Viloti’s hand remained outstretched, stubbornly held before Felyn.
“Hire me?”
Viloti nodded, her expression dead serious.
“200,000 crowns a month—is that enough? If not, I can offer more.”
“Can I ask why?”
Viloti pursed her lips and lowered her head slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Being close to a man was the thing she hated most.
So she’d probably never marry or fall in love.
Then what's reason? Why?
It's very simple. She was simply used to having Felyn by her side.
Whether it was money or a leash keeping him there, somewhere in her subconscious she had already decided he would be with her forever.
“I’m sorry, Miss Viloti.” Felyn smiled confidently. “I may not look like much, but I’m trying to get into the Royal Academy too. I don’t have time to think about anything else right now. I have to decline.”
Get into... the Royal Academy?
Then that means... maybe they’d be classmates in the future?
Viloti’s eyes sparkled, making Felyn wonder if he’d just said something terribly wrong.
She felt that in her future, there was still a possibility that Felyn would be there.
However slim, it was better than nothing.
She had to help Felyn get into the Royal Academy.
There were too many people getting in the way at school and at home.
Next week, she’d go to Felyn’s place and help him study.
With that thought, Viloti’s expression finally softened.
On the third floor, Sophia kept glancing at the two people on the balcony.
They looked... they really looked...
Like a couple in love. The pose, everything. It looked like Viloti was the one confessing.
Could it be... Felyn had actually managed to melt Viloti’s heart?
That didn’t seem likely. Right now, Felyn was probably already crying about the past, and Viloti was just keeping a polite distance.
Poor kid!
“Miss Sophia, the president of our student council, Adelina, is right here. Why don’t I call her over so she can go over the details with you?”
Adelina—that name sounds awfully familiar.
(End of Chapter)