“I’ve tried all possible medicines, but there’s no sign of improvement in his condition.”
“And then?”
“I thought maybe if I learned healing magic myself, I could help him get better.”
“Hmm.”
“My mother passed away without us being able to do anything. I can’t lose my father too… I just can’t.”
Despite the heart-wrenching story, Leonard remained unimpressed.
“Enough with the fake tears, speak the truth.”
‘Heartless!’
Cordelia realized that emotional appeals were useless with this man. She wiped the tear from her eye and straightened up. Her face was now composed.
“The truth is, I want to escape this dreadful reality.”
“And how does that relate? Why not just divorce and be done? Why learn magic if you’re going back to Vasquez after the divorce?”
“I don’t plan to return to Vasquez after the divorce.”
“Why not?”
She couldn’t tell him that she couldn’t return even if she wanted to, as her father had already disowned her. She didn’t want to give him more leverage over her.
“Why would I want to return to a family that sold me off?”
She said it with an involuntary sneer, remembering the cold look in her father’s eyes as she left home.
“So honestly, I originally planned to divorce, take the alimony, and open a shop dealing in magic items.”
“Magic items?”
Cordelia tapped her eyes.
“Because I can see magic. I can verify if magic items are properly enchanted or cursed. But if I could also perform some basic supportive magic, it would be even better.”
“So, you want to be a magical appraiser?”
“Yes. I don’t need to learn anything extraordinary. Just a few basic supportive spells would be enough.”
She was earnest, not aspiring to be a great magician.
But her words seemed to be heard differently by Leonard. His smile twisted.
“No.”
“Why not? What’s the problem?”
Cordelia protested vehemently. Leonard crossed his arms, smirking.
“I can’t bear to see someone bragging about being my apprentice after learning just a spell or two. And an appraiser? Ridiculous. The idea of Leonard Atilei’s apprentice being a mere appraiser is laughable.”
“I promise not to tell anyone that I learned from you.”
“How can I trust you?”
“I swear on my family’s name…”
“What use is swearing on the name of the bankrupt Vasquez?”
“…”
His biting words left Cordelia speechless.
She contemplated threatening to go to Maximilian but feared it might actually get her killed.
So she forced a smile.
“Trust is built over time.”
“That’s your view.”
“But how can trust be built without giving a chance? Shouldn’t you at least give me that?”
“That’s none of my concern.”
Their argument had dragged on longer than expected. The sun was setting, casting a glow into the room.
Leonard still looked at her distrustfully. Cordelia decided to step back for now.
“Oh, look at the time. You should rest. I’ll come again tomorrow.”
“Don’t. It’s bothersome.”
“By the way, I heard you didn’t eat much. Don’t you like the food?”
“What’s it to you?”
“Should we change the chef?”
“Weren’t you leaving? Go.”
“How can she not let a single word go by.”
“What?”
“Did you hear? At least your ears are still functioning. That’s a relief.”
Leonard looked at Cordelia with an incredulous expression. She, unfazed, smiled brightly and rose from her seat.
“Well then, I’ll really be leaving now. See you tomorrow.”
Such a tenacious woman.
Only after the door closed and she was completely gone did Leonard relax his body. His entire body trembled as if having a seizure.
It seemed this useless body was already drained from casting those few spells.
Nausea was setting in, and his head felt like it had been hammered.
He grimaced in pain, enduring the discomfort.
“Cordelia Vasquez.”
From start to finish, she’s a woman full of suspicion.
Her claim of having deduced he was Leonard Atilei with just a few clues seemed implausible.
“Is there someone behind her?”
But to consider her sent by Maximilian seemed too sloppy and amateurish.
His head was already in turmoil, and now Cordelia’s appearance made it more complicated.
“Damn it. All this from just a few spells.”
The trembling in his hands hadn’t stopped. The hands of this flawless man felt alien to him.
He let out a self-mocking laugh at his pathetic situation.
All because of that bastard.
“Maximilian.”
The name slipped out in hatred. He ground his teeth, clenching his fist.
His brother was always an annoyance but never a real enemy.
More precisely, Leonard never considered him worthy of being an enemy. Leonard’s only rival was himself.
Others might see it as arrogance, but Leonard always thought it natural.
“I’ll kill him.”
His boiling hatred overcame the pain.
The cold blade that had pierced his stomach and Maximilian’s ecstatic face before he lost consciousness were unforgettable.
If not for the soul transfer magic he performed at the brink of death, survival would have been impossible.
“Let him laugh for now. Just wait until I tear him apart at his brightest moment.”
He muttered ominously.
The sun outside the window finally sank.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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