After finishing the meal, Char declined Tyrus's invitation and went straight back to his apartment.
Upon opening the door, he discovered that Dahlia 's shoes were missing, and the room was empty, indicating that she had gone out to buy something.
Char then made his way to the living room, rummaging through boxes and cabinets until he found several stacks of yellowed papers that had been tucked away by the maid. As he flipped through them, he brewed himself a cup of lemon blossom tea, enjoying the aroma wafting around his nose.
Having completed these tasks, he reclined on the sofa, looking at the papers held above his head, silently calculating something in his mind.
"108 Will Lane, Mystic Street, Victor District. There is a small residence worth around 300 gold coins, originally used as a base for teleportation rituals, but now temporarily abandoned..."
"The Violet Society secretly saved some money for Dahlia, totaling around 1000 gold coins including interest, which can be withdrawn temporarily..."
"At the moment, there are still over 100 gold coins at home for daily expenses, but Dahlia definitely wouldn't allow me to use them..."
"And there's the carriage, which could be sold for 50 gold coins..."
"Damn it, why is it so little? Am I really this poor?"
After going back and forth with the calculations, Char sighed and scattered the papers in his hand onto the nearby table, far from reaching the desired amount.
He closed his eyes, contemplating where he could quickly acquire a substantial sum of money, no less than 8,000 gold coins.
Upon careful consideration, the methods for getting rich quickly were all prohibited by imperial law. If worse came to worst, he could consider robbing a noble family, although the likely outcome would be being labeled as a madman and thrown into the Tower of Judgment.
In reality, Char's earning speed was not slow.
Over the past ten years, including daily expenses and the costs of teleportation rituals, he had earned no less than 15,000 gold coins, equivalent to the net income of a middle-class family residing in the Upper City for thirty years.
However, it was still far from enough. Even if he managed to get through this current predicament, to enhance his abilities in the future, he would still need to spend a significant amount of money to purchase virtual realm stone powder for teleportation rituals.
This is much more expensive than the typical knight's training, and it can easily rival the expenses of students studying magic.
As he contemplated, Char's thoughts began to wander.
Due to not having slept a wink after yesterday's ritual and being killed by a witch, his mental state was somewhat languid.
Accompanied by a slight drowsiness, Char's consciousness gradually became blurred.
Eventually, he ended up slumping on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.
It's unclear how much time had passed.
"Knock, knock—"
A faint knocking sound roused Char from his slumber.
Perhaps due to the experiences of the past, his sleep had been light for many years. Even the slightest noise could wake him up, as if he remained in a constant state of alertness.
Char rubbed his eyes, picked up the now cold lemon blossom tea from the table, and finished it in one gulp. Then, he stood up and walked towards the door.
"Who is it?"
Char asked, following the customary protocol.
However, the person on the other side didn't answer but knocked gently once again.
Could it be Tyrus?
Seeing the somewhat mischievous demeanor of the person on the other side, Char immediately thought of that guy. Without further inquiry, he directly opened the door.
The sky and clouds were adorned with a magnificent golden-red radiance, as the remnants of the setting sun cast a beautiful orange hue on the corridor floor.
Standing at the door was an unexpected girl.
"Good evening, classmate Char."
Sylvestra bowed slightly and raised her head with a smile.
Compared to when they met at noon, she now had her beautiful golden hair pinned up behind her head, revealing a graceful, swan-like snow-white neck. Paired with a sparkling diamond necklace, she exuded elegance and nobility.
Char was taken aback for a moment. "Sylvestra? What brings you here?"
"I've come to apologize on behalf of my sister for her behavior at noon," Sylvestra smiled apologetically and lifted a small box in her hand. "This is a little gift purchased on Arcane Street. Please accept it."
Arcane Street was a district frequented by many nobles and mages, renowned for selling various expensive customized magical tools.
With Sylvestra's family background, whatever she could present was certainly not something cheap.
Seeing this, Char sighed.
Although he couldn't tolerate Angelica's behavior, Sylvestra was his friend, and after today's incident, he hadn't considered taking it out on her.
So Char looked around and then opened the door. "Please come in."
"Ah?" A faint blush quickly appeared on Sylvestra's face. She averted her gaze, and her previous elegance vanished in an instant. "I-isn't that inappropriate?"
As the beloved second daughter of the Grand Duke of Aljedia, this was the first time in her life that she visited a boy's house without anyone accompanying her.
Moreover, there were only the two of them in the room.
"For the heiress of the Aljedia family to visit and be turned away at my door, it would be spread around as the countryside bumpkin who doesn't understand etiquette. And if it's seen by the students living nearby, it will give rise to unfavorable rumors... It would be troublesome if your sister found out, wouldn't it?"
Char thought for a moment and explained.
Sylvestra nodded in agreement. "My sister can be quite terrifying."
"Then please come in for now."
Char turned around and walked towards the kitchen behind the living room, leaving Sylvestra with his back facing her.
Sylvestra pursed her rosy lips and cautiously walked inside. At the entrance, she untied her strapped high heels and her small feet, wrapped in short socks, lightly stepped on the wooden floor of the house.
Curiously, she looked around the interior and was pleasantly surprised to find it unexpectedly tidy.
Is this a boy's room?
Sylvestra's face blushed slightly as she sensed Char's presence everywhere, and her heartbeat slightly quickened.
"Would you like some black tea?"
At that moment, Char, who was boiling water in the kitchen, retrieved a box of precious Darjeeling tea from the cupboard and turned around to ask.
Sylvestra sat gracefully on the sofa in the living room, with her long legs close together and lightly leaning to one side. She replied, "Yes, thank you for the trouble, classmate Char."
Feeling the faint warmth coming from the sofa, her face blushed once again.
At that moment, Sylvestra's attention was suddenly drawn to a few sheets of paper on the coffee table. Subconsciously, she stole a few glances at them.
After reading the contents carefully, her expression showed surprise, and her mind seemed to be contemplating something.
After a short while, Char walked back into the living room, carrying a steaming cup of hot tea, and placed it in front of Sylvestra. "Please enjoy."
"Thank you." Sylvestra delicately held the exquisitely crafted ceramic teacup in her hands, took a gentle sip, and then placed it on the saucer. She paused for a moment, contemplating how to begin, and then spoke, "Char... about what happened at noon..."
"What is it?" Char glanced at her shiny lips but quickly averted his gaze.
Sylvestra looked worried. "What are your thoughts on the matter?"
"I've already said it before, I won't sign it."
Char glanced at her and then returned to the kitchen.
He returned once again, this time carrying another cup of steaming hot tea.
"But, if you go against the Blood Roses, I'm afraid you might get hurt, Char." Sylvestra bit her lip lightly, her gaze clear as she looked at him. "Can't we... take a step back for now?"
Char paused for a moment, his expression softening. He took a deep breath and replied, "Sylvestra, I appreciate your concern, but this is something I have to do. I can't back down now."
Sylvestra's face fell slightly, disappointment evident in her eyes. She nodded and said, "I understand. Just...."