After a while, Liya recovered.
She gracefully picked up her teacup, a slightly awkward but still polite smile appearing on her face.
"Ahaha… so that's how it is."
"It was my misunderstanding. I'm really sorry, Duke Levi."
After Duke Levi's explanation, Liya finally understood.
In fact, things were not as simple as Liya had thought.
She had assumed that Viktor had gotten the duke's daughter pregnant.
Even thinking about it herself made Liya feel embarrassed.
She hoped the duke was not angry.
She gently lifted the teacup to her lips, took a calm sip, then looked up and glanced at Duke Levi's reaction.
Levi still wore a warm smile, as if he had not taken Liya's earlier misunderstanding to heart at all.
"It's good that it's cleared up. It's also my fault for not explaining in advance."
His friendly way of speaking and behaving made Liya feel as if she were bathing in a spring breeze.
She could not help but sigh inwardly.
Just look at his broad-mindedness. No wonder he can become a duke.
"Then, after some time, I will send someone to sign the contract. We can talk in detail at that time."
Levi stood up, nodded slightly to Liya, and continued, "The carriage is not far. Miss Liya does not need to see me off."
Liya also stood up immediately and nodded politely.
"Duke, take care."
The servant at the door respectfully opened the main gate and bowed to the duke.
Liya remained where she was, her eyes following the duke's back as he gradually walked away.
After she was completely sure that Levi had gotten into the carriage and left, she turned and returned to the sofa.
She dropped down onto it tiredly, covering her forehead with her palm.
"Sigh…"
She let out a deep breath.
From the duke's words, she learned that Viktor had already returned to the royal capital but had not come home immediately.
The duke said that he had first safely sent Erica home, then brought Erica back to the academy.
And regarding business matters, it was Viktor who asked Duke Levi to come to her for a detailed discussion.
Liya's feelings were complicated.
She did not know whether this counted as Viktor trusting her.
Liya turned her thoughts and figured, perhaps Viktor also felt that once he returned home, he would be troubled by visits from many people.
With his personality that dislikes trouble, in order to avoid such a situation, he definitely would not come back right away.
Liya gradually felt sleepy, leaning back on the sofa.
As if thinking of something, her eyes became slightly unfocused.
"Viktor's… child?"
For a moment, she even thought about it.
If Viktor really brought back a child with the surname "Clavenna," what should she do?
After all, it would be Viktor's child, so it would also be part of the Clavenna family.
Every time she thought about Viktor running around busy with everything, Liya would feel a headache.
What was more, with Viktor's indifferent personality, it was possible people would misunderstand and think his child was picked up.
A very special thought suddenly popped up in Liya's heart, 'Should I… help Viktor raise the child?'
The moment this thought appeared, she snapped back to her senses, suddenly sitting upright, her eyes wide open, her cheeks red like caramel.
'H-h-h-how is that possible! How could he have a child… no, how could I help him raise a child!'
Liya's emotions became restless, like a tangled rope that could not be untied.
In the end, she shook her head hard and slapped her cheeks with both hands, trying to calm herself down.
'No, I can't keep thinking nonsense.'
'Calm down, calm down.'
Suddenly, the blue crystal ball hanging at her waist gradually lit up.
This was a magical item used for two-way communication. It was expensive, and Liya had always used it for communication.
Liya felt a little puzzled and took it from her waist.
From the deep blue crystal ball came Gwen's voice, "Liya."
The voice was familiar, but compared to before, it seemed even calmer today.
Liya was silent for a moment. On the other side of the crystal ball, hearing that she had not spoken, there was also silence.
Finally, Liya asked, "What's wrong, Gwen?"
Gwen's voice was filled with coldness, "Has he returned?"
———
Clack! Clack… Tap! Tap! Tap…
The sound of the carriage wheels rolling over the bluestone pavement, together with the steady rhythm of horse hooves stepping on the ground, moved forward.
The carriage of the Du Croy family stopped in front of the academy gate, and two people stepped down from inside.
It was midday. Inside and outside the academy, there were crowds of people, and pedestrians by the roadside came one after another.
Large groups of people all turned their eyes toward the carriage, staring nervously and expectantly.
Passersby and students all wanted to confirm whether the person stepping down from the carriage would be that genius girl, Erica.
Erica stepped out of the carriage. Her golden hair swayed gently in the breeze, like shining golden waves.
She still looked confident and calm, her back straight, her steps elegant.
People by the roadside widened their eyes and stared at Erica in surprise. Even passing students were deeply shocked.
"Erica, Erica is back!"
"It's been so long. I really haven't seen her for a long time."
"Last year's top freshman, the youngest genius… compared to the princess this year, I wonder who is more outstanding."
"It should still be Erica. After all, she's two years older than the princess."
Passersby and students teased each other sentence by sentence, but suddenly they fell silent.
Because in the next second, a cold-looking man also stepped down from the carriage.
He was still wearing that black coat, and that iconic one-eyed crow stood on his shoulder.
On his chest was a badge with three shattered human heads, lifelike.
If seeing Erica just now only brought nostalgia and surprise, then seeing Viktor now left only explosive shock.
"It's Professor Viktor!"
"Professor Viktor is back!"
When they saw Viktor's figure, students cheered in surprise. A crazy wave of onlookers instantly surged through the crowd, like startled birds flying in all directions to inform others.
Some newly enrolled students were seeing Viktor for the first time in person, and their faces showed youthful excitement.
"So this is the legendary Professor Viktor?"
"So handsome…"
However, more people suddenly realized something.
'Wait!'
'Why did Professor Viktor get down from the Du Croy family's carriage?'
There were rumors saying that Professor Viktor liked minors, so that was why he chose to become a professor at the academy.
'Could the rumors be true…'
People whispered among themselves, even recalling that Viktor had once confessed to the Du Croy family's daughter.
And the scene of him embracing the blonde girl in the battle of the Padalunbu sea area.
'Isn't that Erica?'
"Damn, it's confirmed. Who would have thought the two of them really had something going on!?'
'Teacher… student romance!?'
Boom!
As soon as this news spread, the entire crowd was in an uproar, everyone starting heated discussions.
Viktor looked at the large group of people gathering around and frowned slightly.
There were too many people. The road was blocked. He did not like it.
Erica was still standing on the road, facing the crowd of onlookers, realizing Professor Viktor's displeasure.
She was about to speak and disperse the crowd.
But suddenly, a figure with long silver-white hair walked over, carrying a noble and elegant aura that matched her refined academy uniform.
After countless people saw who it was, they consciously made way.
Aurelian walked forward slowly, expressionless, as if she had not seen Erica at all.
She walked up to Viktor and gracefully bowed deeply.
"Teacher."
Aurelian had also come.
At that moment, gasps rose from the crowd, as if they were witnessing something extraordinary.
Viktor lowered his head and glanced at Aurelian, his brows lifting slightly.
To be honest, he did not like being surrounded and watched like this.
His original intention was to return directly to the academy, handle some matters, and then leave.
But coming with Erica and being discovered by others was expected.
He just did not expect that after receiving the news, Aurelian would rush over so quickly.
Erica looked at the two of them and paused.
Just now, Erica could feel it.
Aurelian had clearly glanced at her, only quickly shifting her gaze away.
And in that look, she clearly felt the inexplicable hostility from the other party.
However, Aurelian had shown hostility toward her more than once, and she would not bow to her just because she was a princess.
So Erica spoke to Aurelian, "Your Highness, do you have something you need to deal with?"
"If there's nothing, then I will go with the professor to report to the academy."
Erica deliberately stressed the words "go with."
Hearing Erica's almost provocative tone, it instantly caused unrest in the crowd.
Aurelian and Erica.
One was last year's top freshman, the other this year's top freshman.
The tug-of-war between two outstanding top freshmen was undoubtedly the focus of many people's attention.
Some believed Erica was older and more experienced, so she should be stronger.
Others felt that Aurelian standing out under increasingly strict freshman assessments clearly showed extraordinary talent.
Thus, inside the academy, it had gradually turned into two major factions.
The Gold Faction and the Silver Faction.
In other words, supporters of Erica and supporters of Aurelian.
Sensing that the atmosphere was becoming tense, Viktor felt he could not continue watching.
Just as he was about to speak to stop all this and disperse the crowd, suddenly, a burst of pitch-black magic descended from the sky, landing on the street and stirring up black mist.
Then, from the darkness came a familiar and seductive female voice, "Everyone, this is the entrance of the academy. Please do not linger here."
As the black mist dispersed, Henny appeared among the crowd, her graceful swaying figure full of temptation.
The moment she appeared on the street, the surrounding students, regardless of gender, all froze in place.
Henny was only wearing the standard teacher's uniform, but her full figure and obvious charm made it impossible to look away.
And the charm she constantly gave off left many young boys and girls feeling overwhelmed.
When they saw Henny appear, many students did not even dare to raise their heads to look at her.
That's right. Besides the Gold Faction and the Silver Faction, this academy had actually developed another new faction.
Apart from the Gold and Silver Factions, the academy seemed to have formed a new group, Henny's followers.
Because of Henny's unique youthfulness, friendliness, and near same-age presence, even though she was a professor, she had become the dream lover in the hearts of many young students.
However, their dream lover looked at Viktor.
And Viktor's gaze also rested on Henny.
The moment Viktor saw that Henny's loose robe was gone, his brows tightly furrowed.
He had just wanted to say something.
But Henny had already taken the initiative to approach him, her intention obvious.
"Professor~"
In front of everyone, she called him intimately, then her soft body leaned against Viktor's chest.
Her lips were almost touching his cheek. Her warm breath, carrying a sweet scent, lingered by his neck, making him feel a slight itch without meaning to.
Seeing this sudden scene, countless students, both male and female, stood like statues.
For a moment, they were completely stunned, their jaws almost dropping to the ground.
Especially Erica and Aurelian, who looked at Henny with disbelief.
They saw one of Henny's hands tightly hook around Viktor's arm.
Just right, she pressed his arm between her curves.
From her mouth even came a uniquely sweet female fragrance as she spoke to Viktor affectionately, "I missed you~"
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