Ryan no longer paid attention to Evelyn. His gaze drifted across the palace buildings arranged with such elegance that they were genuinely breathtaking.

  Evelyn noticed his wandering eyes, and the corner of her mouth lifted in a barely visible curve. What trouble is he plotting again?

  Not that she was worried. The binding Rope still connected them at the wrist. She refused to believe he could pull off anything outrageous while tied to her.

  As evening settled, the palace lamps lit up. These lamps were no ordinary lights. Their wicks were refined from the tail wings of magical fireflies.

  They emitted a soft glow that was gentle on the eyes, bright enough to illuminate the entire corridor.

  Ryan and Evelyn seemed strangely in sync. They said almost nothing the whole way, yet walked side by side with effortless harmony.

  Derrick and Darlene were another story. Neither of them stayed quiet for more than a minute, always quarreling over tiny things.

  It always ended the same way: Darlene kicking Derrick squarely in the backside, while he still stiffened his neck in defiance like a rebellious teenager.

  As night deepened, the four of them sat on stone benches in the garden, watching the stars. The sky was a river of diamonds, and shooting stars occasionally streaked across with a faint shimmering trail.

  "Hey, Darlene, do you have any wishes?" Ryan suddenly broke the silence and turned toward her.

  Darlene frowned, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. She pointed at him."What are you planning? Are you up to something?"

  "Just tell me first." Ryan smiled, not bothering to deny it, yet his tone carried a hint of sincerity."If it's something I'm capable of, I'll help you make it come true someday."

  Darlene studied him carefully. Seeing he didn't seem to be joking, her guard slowly lowered.

  She never expected Ryan to actually accomplish anything. It was just that this wish had been buried in her heart for too long. Even her mother refused to talk about it. Here, beneath the stars, she suddenly felt a desire to speak.

  "Are you serious?" She bit her lip. Then, like whispering a wish to the sky, she said softly,"If possible… I want to meet my father."

  She had never seen him. Every time she asked, her mother brushed it off, calling him a heartless man and telling her not to bring him up again.

  But the more she was forbidden, the stronger the curiosity grew. She simply wanted to know—what kind of person he was.

  "Alright." Ryan thought for a moment. Searching for a single person across a vast magical continent would be difficult, but he still promised with firm certainty,"If the chance comes, I will help you meet your father."

  His tone was so confident that Darlene froze for a moment, almost believing him.

  Ryan couldn't help feeling a bit guilty. Darlene had innocently invited him to the palace as a guest, while he had been scheming to borrow treasures from the royal vault to trade for Magic Origin Points.

  But he was in desperate need of Origin Points. Even with all the techniques and knowledge from eight past lives, he needed the Grimoire's assistance to absorb everything quickly and break through bottlenecks.

  He would just owe Darlene this favor for now. He would repay it someday in another way.

  He was certain that in this lifetime, he would reach the level of Mystic Mage within a hundred years.

  After all, he possessed countless lost ancient magical techniques, and the accumulated experience of eight lifetimes.

  If he still failed to reach Mystic Mage within a century, then his previous eight lives of study would have been completely wasted.

  Ryan could not help thinking to himself. Her mother was already a Ninth tier Archmage, so her father's magic level must not be low either.

  "But…" Ryan paused, swallowing the rest of the words that almost slipped out.

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  "But what?" Darlene turned her head in curiosity, her gaze landing on him, full of questions.

  "Nothing." Ryan quickly waved his hand.

  "It's getting late. I will arrange your rooms." Darlene clapped her hands and stood up. Her eyes swept playfully between Ryan and Evelyn, and she gave them a meaningful smile.

  "I promise the palace's soft beds are extremely comfortable. A hundred times better than the hard ones in Sword Mage Academy."

  Hearing this, Evelyn glanced at Darlene's knowing expression. Her movement stiffened for a moment, a hint of helplessness passing through her eyes, though she said nothing and maintained her usual calm.

  Ryan also understood what Darlene was hinting at. He coughed lightly and leaned toward Evelyn, whispering,"Evelyn, maybe we should get separate rooms?"

  After all, they were only tied by the binding Rope. Sharing a room still felt a little awkward.

  "No." Evelyn answered firmly, without a trace of negotiation.

  "Look, Mentor's Lady does not want separate rooms. Mentor, stop resisting." Derrick added from the side, not understanding the situation at all, even winking at Ryan with a look that said I know what is going on.

  "Mind your own business. You know nothing." Ryan lifted his foot and lightly kicked Derrick on the backside, sending the troublemaking apprentice away.

  With no choice, Ryan could only go along with Evelyn. Whatever she wanted was fine.

  But when Darlene led them into the room, Ryan could not help being stunned.

  In the center stood an enormous soft bed.

  The surface was woven from star-velvet grass, layered with three thick pads of magical cotton. It looked so soft that one might sink into it the moment they sat down. Forget two people, even five could sleep on it comfortably.

  "How is it? Big enough? Comfortable?" Darlene asked with a proud grin as she watched their shocked expressions.

  "It is fine." Ryan coughed awkwardly, quickly straightening his expression and pretending to examine the room calmly.

  Other than the oversized bed, the room had no table or chair at all. Only a cabinet sat in the corner and a few softly glowing lamps.

  "Where is my room?" Derrick stood at the doorway, rubbing his hands expectantly. Clearly, he wanted a bed like that too.

  "Yours? Over there." Darlene pointed toward a small shed not far outside, speaking with teasing delight.

  Everyone followed her gaze and saw a little hut filled with hay. A short-legged black dog barked inside, as if welcoming a new friend.

  Derrick's face collapsed."What? A doghouse?"

  "I am joking." Darlene laughed until she bent forward."Your room is next door, right beside mine. Come with me."

  She waved at Ryan and Evelyn."Good night, sleep well."

  Then she left with the still-pouting Derrick.

  The door closed softly, and the atmosphere inside the room instantly quieted.

  Ryan and Evelyn stood at the entrance, looking at each other for a long moment. Only the binding Rope between their wrists swayed gently, reminding them of their unbreakable link.

  Ryan rubbed his hands. His handsome face stayed composed, but his aura unknowingly turned a bit awkward and uneasy.

  After all, a man and a woman alone in a room with one giant bed could not help feeling uncomfortable.

  He tugged Evelyn toward the bed, and the two sat down side by side.

  Ryan complained inwardly. Was Eryndor doing this on purpose or was it just careless?

  There was not even a single table or chair in the entire room. It was obvious the setup forced them to sit on the bed.

  Besides the oversized soft bed, the room had a small bathing area in one corner. Other than that, there was truly nothing else.

  "Evelyn, just untie the rope. I really have something to do tonight!" Ryan spoke again, his tone carrying a hint of pleading.

  Taking someone along to borrow things was far too inconvenient. If they were discovered, even escaping would require considering the other person, making it far less flexible than acting alone.

  Evelyn sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at Ryan, full of doubt. What was so urgent that he had to go tonight? Should she let him go? What if he ran away?

  "I just need to grab something. Could you untie me, please?" Seeing that force would not work, Ryan quickly changed tactics. He reached out, trying to touch Evelyn's arm, his tone sweet to the point of cloying.

  Evelyn instinctively shifted to the side, avoiding his touch, her brows knitting slightly."Don't talk like that."

  His whining was unbearably cheesy, making her feel uncomfortable all over.

  "Then will you untie me or not?" Ryan immediately stopped the playful expression, replacing it with a serious face. His eyes were firm as he looked at her.

  Evelyn said nothing, her mind plunged into intense internal struggle. She was not someone who acted stubbornly, but Ryan's constitution was far too unusual.

  It was a trait only a Grand Magus could possess, the same origin as the body of the Grand Magus in her spiritual domain.

  If she could bring him back to Glacial Arcana Academy and train him with the academy's resources, perhaps he could grow into a Grand Magus.

  And if her own magic fully recovered to Grand Magus level, the academy would then have two Grand Magi at once.

  She owed her growth to Glacial Arcana Academy, and her feelings for it were deeply rooted in her bones.

  She wished for nothing more than the academy to grow strong, surpassing even the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword with its hundreds of thousands of years of heritage.

  With two Grand Magi in the world, the academy would not only firmly hold the title of the top school on the continent, but it would also have a ninety percent chance of completely suppressing the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword, becoming the true continental hegemon.

  "I don't care! Just untie me already!" Seeing her remain silent, Ryan rolled onto the soft bed, twisting back and forth like a spoiled child.

  The other end of the binding Rope was tied to Evelyn's wrist. As he thrashed around, a tugging force immediately transmitted through the rope, causing Evelyn's body to sway involuntarily.

  She looked down at Ryan, rolling and thrashing on the bed like a child, and her inner struggle gradually began to fade.

  Her desire for Ryan to stay at the academy had never wavered, but simply restraining him would only make him more resistant.

  Thinking this, a flash of resolve appeared in Evelyn's eyes. She finally made her decision.