"I should really go, right?" Christian asked, his eyes fixed on his sister, who was busy checking his attire.@@@@

    It had been about a week since Olivia and Eva''s cousin, had come to his house.

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    Now, with Olivia''s departure for the Academy just around the corner, Eva had asked him to meet with all three of them and have a conversation. She didn''t want things to remain strained between him and her daughter and was trying to arrange at least one meeting for everyone before her daughter left.

    Olivia had, of course, already been informed about their plan to move, though not about the exact location, as he feared she might reveal it "carelessly." And just as he had expected, while she had initially been moved and unable to respond right away, once she properly understood the situation, particularly that it was an Academy managed by powerful individuals from another world, the slight hesitation she''d felt quickly vanished, and she became determined to go.

    It was, naturally, a decision Christian didn''t find surprising at all.

    And that brought things to this point, where now he needed to go and try to become closer with her before she left.

    "After everything that happened between you and Eva, there''s no going back anymore... at least that''s how it seems. So, you need to be considerate of her circumstances... of her only family."

    His sister''s voice pulled him out of his thoughts as she responded to him.

    Her bitter and resigned tone went unnoticed by him, as he was more focused on the fact that she finally seemed okay around him again, after that shameful "punishment" episode.

    There were even two days when she returned to sleeping alone. So, seeing her current self, he couldn''t help but entertain the thought of teasing her, even if only briefly, as he couldn''t allow a moment of fleeting joy to affect the rest of his days, or possibly even more than that.

    So, as he finally started walking away, he said, "Well, then take care of yourself, and if you really need to go out, take Sophia with you."

    Christian, who had grown more cautious even when it seemed like nothing could truly happen, couldn''t help but nag his sister just a little. The last thing he wanted was for anything to happen to her. And while he still couldn''t fully trust Sophia, he did have considerable faith in Eva, after all.

    "Okay, don''t worry, just go!" Annabelle said, giving him a push on his back, and Christian finally left the house.

    He walked toward the car he had asked Eva to leave with him while his own damaged car had disappeared after she took it, and he hadn''t thought about swapping them back yet.

    And that was when he finally noticed... there was something wrong with this car!

    Olivia, who had never heard of or met anyone more talented than herself, even when mingling with children from ancient families, found the "weak" Christian utterly untrustworthy and ridiculous.

    He thought the special one was him, yet the real special one was sitting right in front of him... so, how would her reaction be?

    "For you to help me with my training, you''d need to be even stronger... far more skilled in the same essence technique I''m practicing. So, do you really think you''re capable of that?"

    She leaned forward slightly, her narrowed eyes brimming with defiance. "Do you really think there''s even a chance you''ll surpass me in the first place?"

    Her haughty tone, once grating, now struck Christian as oddly endearing... due to reasons he couldn''t quite explain, he found her more cute than annoying this time.

    As Olivia continued her confident rebuke, her words went in one ear and out the other for Christian, whose attention drifted more toward Eva, who seemed entirely uninterested in intervening, sitting back calmly as though she were a spectator enjoying a show.

    Christian, who had offered a couple of comments during Olivia''s speech, felt that maybe it was enough. He interrupted her and said, "So you mean you''re intent on going to the Academy, and no matter what, you won''t change your mind, right?"

    "Yes. If even Mom couldn''t change my mind, who do you think you are to think I''d change it for you now?" Olivia replied.

    ''You could have just said yes. Was there really a need for all that?'' Christian wondered, realizing Olivia seemed a lot more talkative than he had initially thought.

    Feeling both amused and a bit curious, he asked in a casual tone, "So, did your mother talk to you about our other plans related to your father?"

    As soon as he asked, Christian could feel the air grow noticeably colder, especially under Olivia''s piercing glare. His Danger Awareness skill also flared, ringing in his mind.

    He was slightly surprised but, at the same time, found the situation even more amusing. So, with his grin widening, he met her gaze, almost as if challenging her to make a move.

    In the end, he won, as it seemed Olivia wasn''t that impulsive. She simply closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and finally said, "He is not my father!"

    "Are sperm donors being called fathers now, without my knowledge?" she added with sharp sarcasm.

    "And do you really think Mom could hide something from me?"

    Christian didn''t bother listening to Olivia''s haughty and sarcastic tone as she continued speaking. Instead, his attention shifted to Eva. His eyes widened at the term Olivia had used to refer to Damian... it caught him so off guard that, for the first time, he found himself actually liking her. It was also at this time, that he noticed Eva''s embarrassed expression, as if silently questioning when her daughter had become this sharp-tongued, starting to speak like this.

    It was an amusing situation... at least until Olivia, who seemed to have lost all sense of restraint after talking so much, crossed a line.