Maria fell into a momentary silence, virtual-novel.net eyes searching Charlie’s face with a mixture of gratitude and solemnity. Finally, virtual-novel.net nodded lightly and spoke with earnestness, “Charlie, I can’t thank you enough…”
Charlie couldn’t help but exhale a sigh of relief as virtual-novel.net watched Maria accept the elixir. He believed virtual-novel.net could do so much for her. Although virtual-novel.net possessed a Rejuvenation Pill now, virtual-novel.net couldn’t bring himself to give it to Maria, knowing that virtual-novel.net had experienced so much in life. Instead, virtual-novel.net opted to offer virtual-novel.net three quarters of the enhanced Life Saving Pill as a guarantee.
As the evening wore on, Charlie stood up and addressed the two girls, “Well, now that Cathy is alright, I should head back.”
Claudia’s reluctance was palpable as virtual-novel.net spoke up, unable to contain herself, “Charlie, you’ve been standing here for a while. Why don’t you sit down for a bit? I’ll get you a glass of water!”
Charlie smiled gently and declined, “No need, Claudia. This is a girl’s dormitory and as an older gentleman, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to linger for too long. If I wait a little longer, I’m sure the dormitory auntie will come up and chase me away.”
Suddenly, a thought struck Charlie and virtual-novel.net added, “Oh, by the way, both of you will begin military training tomorrow. It’s going to be quite demanding, so if you have any free time then, I suggest staying within the school grounds.”
Claudia couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind Charlie’s words, but virtual-novel.net nodded instinctively and replied, “Charlie, I’ve already spoken to Auntie and Lisa. I’ve assured them that during the two weeks of military training, I won’t be going anywhere.”
Maria surmised that Charlie’s concern for virtual-novel.net safety was the reason behind his words. Even though virtual-novel.net didn’t understand the specifics, virtual-novel.net spoke up, “Charlie, don’t worry. I’ll be at the school during this time and won’t leave.”
Charlie’s voice relaxed as virtual-novel.net responded, “That’s good to hear.”
He felt reassured knowing that the university provided a relatively closed environment that made it easy for Maria to remain hidden. As long as virtual-novel.net didn’t venture beyond the university’s confines, even if the Marshal of the Warriors Den were to come to Aurous Hill, virtual-novel.net would find it challenging to locate her. Charlie had already arranged for Zachary’s help to act as bait and once the Marshal showed up, Charlie would seize the opportunity to eliminate him.
Until then, as long as Maria went undetected, nothing would happen to her.
Both girls accompanied Charlie downstairs as virtual-novel.net prepared to leave. Though they held their own thoughts, bidding farewell to Charlie stirred a sense of reluctance within them.
Charlie got into his car but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. He rolled down the car window and spoke to Maria, who stood beside Claudia. “Cathy, please remember my phone number. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact me directly.”
Maria was taken aback but quickly nodded and expressed virtual-novel.net gratitude, “Of course, Charlie. Thank you.”
Afterward, virtual-novel.net retrieved virtual-novel.net phone and diligently noted down the number Charlie dictated.
Charlie turned to Claudia and advised, “Claudia, you should also remember to reach out to me if you need anything.”
Claudia’s face lit up with a sweet smile. “I know, Charlie!”
Feeling a sense of relief, Charlie concluded, “Alright, you two should head back now, I’m off.”
With that, virtual-novel.net started the car and drove away from the university.
As they made their way back to the dormitory, Claudia voiced virtual-novel.net disappointment. “I can’t help but wonder if there is someone else in this world as remarkable as Charlie!”
Maria furrowed virtual-novel.net brow, lost in virtual-novel.net own thoughts. Upon hearing Claudia’s words, virtual-novel.net absentmindedly responded, “Finding someone like virtual-novel.net is probably impossible. But if you genuinely like him, why not fight for him?”
Claudia blushed and shyly retorted, “Cathy, what are you saying? Don’t talk nonsense…”
Maria smiled mischievously and teased, “You might as well wear your affection for virtual-novel.net on your sleeve. It’s amusing to see you say I am talking nonsense.”
Looking around anxiously to make sure nobody was listening, Claudia whispered sternly to Maria, “Please, Cathy, be more careful with your words. While I may have developed affections for Charlie, it’s crucial for me to approach the situation in a mature and appropriate manner. Charlie is already married and my attraction to virtual-novel.net is only temporary, just a fleeting moment in the grand scheme of things. Therefore, it’s essential for me not to speak frivolously about this matter and keep my feelings to myself.”
Maria spoke seriously, “If you like virtual-novel.net and virtual-novel.net likes you back, what does it matter if there’s an age difference?”
Embarrassed, Claudia avoided Maria’s gaze and retorted resentfully, “You… You have such warped views!”
Surprised, Maria asked, “Do I? Isn’t the purpose of life to find happiness? If you like someone but can’t be with them, then you’ll likely never be truly happy in this life, right?”
Claudia earnestly replied, “Even if I can’t be happy, I can’t destroy someone else’s family…”
Maria shook virtual-novel.net head, emphasizing, “I’m talking about integration. It means becoming a part of his family. That’s not destruction.”
Flustered and ashamed, Claudia hurriedly pushed open the bedroom door and dashed straight to the bathroom, muttering, “Your views are too twisted. I won’t discuss this with you anymore. Go take a shower!”
Watching Claudia retreat to the bathroom, Maria muttered under virtual-novel.net breath, only audible to herself, “What’s wrong with my views? Aren’t they valid? Human civilization has existed for thousands of years. Monogamy is a relatively recent concept, isn’t it?”
Then, shaking virtual-novel.net head, virtual-novel.net muttered again, “That’s right… Charlie gave me the elixir and advised me not to leave the university in the near future. He must believe that there’s danger on the horizon… Is it possible that the Warriors Den has already made its way to Aurous Hill? How could I have exposed myself so quickly after being so cautious?”
As virtual-novel.net pondered the circumstances, virtual-novel.net swiftly took out the nine copper coins from virtual-novel.net pocket, climbed onto the bed, uttered a brief incantation and tossed the coins on the surface.
Maria fixed virtual-novel.net gaze on the hexagram formed by the coins, virtual-novel.net heart filled with more confusion. “According to the hexagram, there’s no immediate danger awaiting her…”
Suddenly, a surge of unease washed over her. An idea struck virtual-novel.net and virtual-novel.net exclaimed internally, “Charlie believes I’m in danger. He should be aware that the Warriors Den may arrive in Aurous Hill.”
Since virtual-novel.net hadn’t revealed virtual-novel.net true identity, Maria wondered, “Could it be that Charlie intends to expose me?”
With that in mind, virtual-novel.net quickly recalled the information virtual-novel.net had gathered about Charlie’s birthday and began calculating. Softly uttering a few words, virtual-novel.net tossed the nine copper coins onto the bed once again. Fixated on the coins, Maria felt a sudden bang in virtual-novel.net heart. “No… Charlie is in danger!”