Regaining his composure, Eros shot his "stinky sister" a sideways glance and said with righteous confidence: "The preparations for dealing with a Sublime One... how could a Sequence 8 little sister like you possibly understand them?"

  "I have a Holy Artifact to protect me from the contamination of high-level powers, but what about you? You don't have one. You’d probably grow sties in your eyes just from a single glance."

  "I didn't tell you for your own good, and here you are, getting angry with me instead."

  Hearing this, Undine’s momentum instantly collapsed. She went from being 'righteously confident' to having neither the right nor the confidence. Though she didn't know what a "sty" (sties) was in Eros's context, anything associated with "high-level power" sounded terrifying.

  She took a deep breath, stood up from the sofa, and walked over to Eros, a flicker of bashfulness crossing her eyes. Eros blinked, wondering what she was up to.

  The next second, Undine threw her arms around his, pressing his hand against her chest. She swayed his arm back and forth, cooing in a sweet, pleading voice: "I was wrong! I misunderstood you. Won't you forgive me? Please? Pretty please~?"

  She finished with a look of pure, pitiful yearning in her beautiful eyes. She looked so delicate that anyone would feel the urge to protect her.

  Eros’s pupils contracted, and goosebumps broke out across his entire body. It took a long time for him to find his voice. "Where... where did you learn that?"

  Internally, he was screaming: Holy swan! My dear holy swan! This little sister is just too... too cute! Who could possibly resist this?! Calm down! Stay calm!

  Undine’s cheeks flushed, and her eyes darted away guiltily. She didn't answer. She couldn't very well admit she had spent the previous night meticulously studying a book titled Ten Ways to Capture a Man's Heart, could she? That was too embarrassing. Besides, she was certain that if this "dog-thing" found out, he would surely take an ell if given an inch.

  Seeing that she didn't want to talk about it, Eros didn't push. After calming the storm in his heart, he curled his lip. "Fine, keep your secrets. Anyway, you should head to class. I need to bathe and change. Also, have the maids prepare a sufficiently grand formal suit. It’s the most basic etiquette when meeting a Sublime One."

  With that, Eros extracted his arm from her embrace and headed toward the bathroom. Standing there, Undine pouted, but she still took his instructions seriously. When meeting a Sublime One, one truly couldn't afford to be sloppy with the details.

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  In the bathroom, Eros let out a blissful groan as he soaked in the tub. So comfortable... After a while, he asked casually, "Did you find any issues?"

  Silence reigned for a few seconds before Barbara’s crisp voice echoed in his mind: "There is indeed a strange power within her body resonating with you!"

  Eros was startled. So there really is a problem? He was, of course, asking about Siphreya. As for why he waited until now to ask, it was because he’d been... occupied... earlier, making it inconvenient to talk shop.

  It wasn't that he suspected Siphreya of foul play, but the situation was just too bizarre. Siphreya had given too much—it was a total "freebie" without him having to pay a price. Wait... that wasn't quite right. He had paid quite a bit of effort.

  But that wasn't the point. The point was: why such a windfall? Unless she was a total "love-brain" (hopeless romantic)! Even if she were, caution was a virtue. He carried the rise and fall of a family on his shoulders; he couldn't afford to be reckless. If it turned out he’d misunderstood her, he’d certainly compensate her. Who wouldn't cherish a literal angel?

  He just hadn't expected there to actually be a problem.

  "Power resonating with me? Why didn't I feel anything?" Eros asked.

  "Perhaps because of your unique nature, the resonance is one-sided on her part," Barbara said thoughtfully.

  Right. My 'uniqueness' again.

  "Can you tell what that power is exactly?"

  Barbara shook her head, her tone slightly bewildered. "I don't know. The status of that power is extremely high. I can't perceive the details; I only have a faint sense of familiarity, but I can't recall what it is."

  "Perhaps it’s because my current state is too poor. Once I’ve mostly or fully recovered, I might be able to identify it."

  "I see," Eros felt a flash of disappointment, which he quickly suppressed. He then asked his most pressing concern: "Does that mean Siphreya falling for me is entirely because of that power? And does it have any negative effects on her body?"

  After a moment of thought, Barbara answered calmly: "Her liking you is her own heart's choice. That power merely deepened your influence over her. As for negative effects... from what I can perceive, there are none! On the contrary, it’s a great boon. Carrying that power will protect her if she enters the Spirit World or other mystical realms in the future."

  "Also, you might want to ask her if she’s encountered anything strange recently or visited any unusual places. This power hasn't been in her for long. If I know what she’s been in contact with, I might be able to sense more."

  "Understood!" Eros nodded without hesitation. Understanding the nature of that power was good for both her and him.

  Elsewhere, a middle-aged man dressed in a pitch-black divine robe embroidered with gold leaned back in a high-backed chair. On the long table before him lay a plain, ordinary hand mirror.

  At the far end of the table, Dean Como and two other deans from different Church academies stood respectfully with their heads bowed. They didn't dare steal even a single glance toward the head of the table.

  This was the awe commanded by a Sublime One—even if two of them belonged to different Churches.

  The Sublime are Sublime because of their Sublimity; the Great are Great because of their Greatness.

  This reverence had nothing to do with the factions behind them; it stemmed solely from the man’s own inherent stature!

  The middle-aged man tapped the table lightly. His eyes were like a well of still water, and his voice was flat as he spoke:

  "Speak."