Ryan, who had been watching from the sidelines for a long time without saying a word, finally couldn't help but speak up:

"I have a question: who prepares your clothes every day?"

There was no mandatory uniform rule in Aetherland, but Adrian would change into a new outfit every day. Most of the time, he wore a pure white mage's robe, but sometimes he would change into more practical gear for classes. The outfits were tailored and stylish, perfectly accentuating his tall and straight figure, and he often attracted a lot of attention as he walked.

Even Ryan, who doesn't pay attention to these things, has heard people asking about the same clothes worn by His Holiness the Holy Son.

"You even know this?"

Adrian seemed genuinely surprised.

“The Vatican has people to take care of my personal affairs every day… I originally wanted to do small things like what clothes to wear myself, but they refused on the grounds that the Holy Son represents the face of the Vatican when he travels abroad.”

"Is there something shameful about the clothes I chose?"

Adrian couldn't help but complain.

"..."

They might have agreed with this statement before, but now they seem to fully understand the Papacy's good intentions...

The three of them thought of it at the same time.

Vili finally regained his voice.

"Hmm... Just be yourself..."

As he spoke, he took the hairpins from Adrian's hand and looked at Ryan, who was sweating profusely beside him.

The familiar rhythm was finally found, and Willie flashed a mischievous smile, waving the thing in his hand.

"..."

Raine wanted to run away, but seeing the expectation in the boy's eyes, his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, refusing to obey his commands.

He heard the words, like those spoken in a dream, coming from his own mouth.

"bring it on."

-

A moment later, Ryan, with his head full of little tufts of hair, sat in his seat looking utterly dejected. But whenever someone passed by, he would rush ahead and glare at them with a fierce look until he scared them away.

Ryan didn't warn him that behind them, someone was already using a magical artifact to capture images.

But it's just a back view... I don't think anyone would mistake Renn for him, right?

The students taking photos felt a chill run down their spines and quickly put away their props.

The mastermind behind it all, Vili, seemed somewhat unsatisfied, and his gaze unconsciously drifted to Ryan, the only one who had not suffered any harm.

For the first time, Ryan didn't want her brother to pay so much attention to her.

"Brother, class is about to start. I think the next class is Professor Greenwood's?"

Willy's attention was diverted as he had expected.

Just as Ryan said, when the bell rang for class, the necromancer professor dressed in black strode into the classroom, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

The classroom, which had been filled with laughter and playfulness, suddenly fell silent.

One student instinctively pinched his arm. He couldn't believe his eyes! Professor Greenwood had actually come to class? And he was even right on time!

Ero ignored their little schemes. He simply gave Vili a deep look, then opened his textbook and began his lesson.

He hadn't originally planned to come... but...

My memory went back to an hour earlier.

Inside the laboratory, the boiling crucible was almost boiled dry, but Ero hesitated to put the embers of soul he was holding into it. He stared intently at a point in the air, as if lost in his own thoughts.

The rustling sound of papers flying around him didn't wake him at all until the other person poked his shoulder with cold, hard skeletal fingers, finally bringing him back to his senses.

"You have a class at the college today."

Ero didn't even glance at him:

Is such a trivial matter worth bothering me with?

“Even if I don’t bother you, this potion of yours is beyond saving.” Desmond gestured for him to look down.

Ero looked over in the direction he was referring to, his lips curving into a sullen expression, radiating a dark and oppressive aura.

This is the third dish he has ruined in the past few days.

Things that used to be easy for me now feel wrong without that person.

The Greenwood ancestor could see through his thoughts at a glance. He calmly helped clean up the mess of the crucibles and said:

"If you care so much, why don't you go find him?"

"..."

Ero pursed his lips, thinking for a long time before deciding to open up. This matter had been lingering in his mind for a long time, but he had no one else to talk to except Desmond.

“I… am not worthy to see him.”

Once the words were spoken, the rest followed naturally.

“I promised to help him break off his engagement with the prince, but after so long, I still haven’t been able to do it.”

Since the founding of the State of Seldos, the Greenwood family has maintained its status as an old noble family to this day, with more than 60% of its members holding positions in various political circles.

As for Ero, the necromancer who summoned their ancestor... even though he never participated in family affairs, his status was extremely extraordinary.

When he expressed his objection to the prince's engagement, even though everyone was gossiping in private, they still faithfully carried out his wishes.

After all, didn't Desmond say anything?

In an instant, all sorts of opinion polls were presented to the king's desk, all pointing to one result—

Prince Aiden's reputation is plummeting, scandals are flying, and commoners are whispering in taverns and alleyways, as if a conspiracy against the Seldos royal family is brewing.

Meanwhile, discontent with the prince's excessive power is spreading among the nobility. Willi, the heir to the Russell title, is a once-in-a-lifetime all-elemental mage. If these two fulfill their marriage agreement, will it threaten their positions?

It should be noted that some of them are older than the current king, and some are even veteran ministers who have witnessed the change of two kings.

The current king, as a ruler who maintains the status quo, is unable to restrain the power of the nobility and can only try his best to maintain a balance.

When the king saw all these things presented to him, he looked around in bewilderment and realized that not only was his beloved son in danger, but his own position was also on the verge of collapse.

At that very moment, an old minister in the Privy Council named Greenwood made a timely suggestion—

I've heard that His Highness has recently become very close to a commoner named Hill, who turns out to be a rare possessor of healing magic.

If these two were to marry, wouldn't that perfectly demonstrate Your Majesty's respect and acceptance of the common people? And the nobles would surely be very satisfied.

In this way, two things can be achieved at once, and the kingdom can restore its former peace and prosperity.

Just as they had planned, the king indeed wavered. As the situation escalated, he eventually secretly drafted a decree and affixed his seal to it.

—But after he spent the night in the Queen's bedchamber, the edict disappeared without a trace.

The next day, the king, contrary to his usual behavior, became firm and refused all interference in Aiden's engagement.

The Greenwood family's "conspiracy" thus failed.