Housekeeping

Xia Lun could tell that Aina was very happy after being coaxed by him.

Her joy was unmistakable—the smile on Aina's face couldn't be hidden at all.

"You're such a smooth talker, darling," she said.

Xia Lun shook his head. "I'm just telling the truth."

Aina lightly covered her lips with her hand, as if trying to hide her flustered state from him.

"Now... shall we return to the manor?" Aina made an enticing suggestion.

Xia Lun replied, "Let's wait until evening. It's better not to skip class."

Aina wrapped her arm around Xia Lun's. "Whatever you say."

The two arrived at the classroom.

It was Mo Lini's music class again.

This time, Liyana sat in the front row, leaving the back seats for Aina and Xia Lun.

However, the spot where Xia Lun had sat last time was now occupied by someone else.

Mian.

Aina's cheeks puffed up again, and Xia Lun gently pinched them, signaling her not to be so childish.

"Ah... Mr. Xia Lun." When Mian saw Xia Lun, a faint smile appeared on his face as he greeted him.

Then, Mian pulled out a few gold coins from his pocket and placed them in front of Xia Lun. "This is for that recovery potion from before..."

But Xia Lun simply shook his head. "This amount isn't enough, and I don't need it."

Mian's expression stiffened.

Xia Lun patted his shoulder. "Consider it a simple investment. You can repay me in the future when you're able."

After a brief moment of surprise, Mian's eyes filled with gratitude. "I understand, Mr. Xia Lun."

"By the way... why did you choose this course?" Xia Lun asked curiously. "Are you interested in musical magic?"

Mian couldn't possibly be unaware that, as a commoner, he should be focusing on knowledge and magic that would be more useful for his future.

"No, Mr. Xia Lun," Mian replied, blushing easily. "Actually... Teacher Mo Lini and I knew each other before coming here."

"Oh?" Xia Lun was slightly surprised.

"We both lived in Olifando... the city outside the academy. Teacher Mo Lini lived alone next door to my family. She was my neighbor.

Teacher Mo Lini loved singing and had a natural talent for music. After her father went bankrupt and took his own life, a wandering bard took her under his wing for a while. That's how she learned music.

She once told me she wanted to become a wandering bard herself someday.

Her singing captivated me—listening to her voice felt like it could cleanse the soul. That's why I make time to attend her classes."

Mian seemed a little embarrassed. "It's not like I have any other classes during this time anyway."

Xia Lun asked, "Is that so? So you know Mo Lini... What kind of person do you think she is?"

"Teacher Mo Lini? She might seem delicate, but I think she's incredibly resilient. No matter what setbacks she faces, she always picks herself back up." Mian didn't hide his admiration.

Mo Lini walked into the classroom, and the moment she saw Liyana sitting at the front and Xia Lun in the back, she instinctively wanted to flee.

But she held herself together, pretending nothing was wrong as she stepped onto the podium.

"Mo Lini!" Liyana's call made Mo Lini flinch.

"You can do it!" Liyana clenched her fists in encouragement.

The surrounding students exchanged puzzled glances.

"You can do it!" someone suddenly echoed.

"You can do it! You can do it!"

Certain things are contagious—just like how one person clapping can lead to an entire room applauding. Soon, the classroom was filled with cheers of encouragement.

Mo Lini: Huh?

She was just here to teach a class—what was happening?!

...

Yisi lazily yawned before tearing off a piece of the surrounding space and stuffing it into her mouth.

The spatial rift quickly mended itself.

"The space here is so soft... absolutely delicious!" Yisi covered her cheeks, looking utterly pleased.

As the Void Mother... her food was space itself.

Space was infinite—even if she ate to her heart's content, she could never consume it all.

Truly, following Aina had been the right choice.

There was a familiar aura around Aina that made it impossible for Yisi to even think of resisting her.

Her task was simple: take care of the manor while Xia Lun and Aina were away.

It was an easy job. Most of the time, Yisi hid within the manor's space, eating and drinking as she pleased. When she had the energy, she'd lay a few eggs in the void where she used to live.

Watching the humans in the academy go about their lives was far more entertaining than being stuck in the empty void.

Outside the manor, a figure cloaked in gray-yellow suddenly appeared.

"Hmm... who is that?" Yisi racked her brain.

Wolund... no, Kalinda... no, other students... didn't seem to fit either.

Xia Lun and Aina had warned her—before attacking, she had to confirm the person's identity. She couldn't just harm any guest who came to the manor.

The manor had protective wards, but the figure moved like he belonged there, his form flickering as he bypassed every barrier without triggering a single alarm. Soon, he was at the door, stepping inside.

Then, the gray-yellow figure began searching through the rooms one by one, as if looking for something.

Yisi stared at his back, deep in thought.

Her not-so-bright mind still hadn't decided whether he was an enemy or not.

After all, Aina had said that hurting the wrong person would have serious consequences... so as long as she didn't attack, she wouldn't make a mistake!

But just because Yisi thought that way didn't mean the intruder would.

Just as the gray-yellow figure was about to enter Mo Lini's room, he suddenly turned and raised his staff toward Yisi's direction—then unleashed several sharp wind blades straight at her.

He had sensed her gaze.

However, Yisi was hidden within the space itself. Unless he tore through the fabric of reality, he couldn't harm her.

The wind blades sliced through the walls, leaving a massive gash that revealed the outside scenery.

He attacked her!

Finally, Yisi's little brain caught up—this guy was an enemy!

Yisi slowly emerged from the void, pointing at the gray-robed man and shouting, "Who are you?!"

The robed man hurled another wind blade, but it froze mid-air in front of Yisi. She casually reached out and crushed it into nothingness.

"Hmph—attacks like these won't work on me!" Yisi boasted proudly.

After being beaten to tears by Xia Lun before, it was finally her turn to bully someone else!

But just as Yisi was about to capture the intruder, his figure suddenly dissipated, leaving only a gray-yellow robe fluttering to the ground.

Yisi blinked.

It was a simple illusion.

The real one had escaped.