Rothgar looked over at Ulysses Russell, who had no idea what was about to happen.

Ulysses had been injured by a magical beast. While his physical wounds had mostly healed, his mental strength had not fully recovered, making him an easier target for possession.

After limping back to the kitchen with the food box, Anna got scolded by Rebecca. She humbly accepted it and helped Rebecca prepare new food, asking Rebecca to deliver it to Parish while she went home.

Rebecca, seeing Anna's injury and recalling her diligent work over the past few days, didn’t make things difficult for her. She took the food box to Parish herself and let Anna go home early.

It didn't get completely dark until eight, and though Anna was later than usual today, she wasn't afraid of walking at night. The main road was lit with kerosene lamps, and there were night markets.

Once she was at a safe distance from the mansion, Anna dropped her limp and started walking normally, hurrying home.

Shortly after arriving home, there was a knock on the door. Anna opened it to find no one there, only a bouquet of lavender on the ground.

Picking it up, she spoke to the empty alley, "Thank you, but you don’t need to do this anymore."

Gayle saw Anna bring in another bouquet and smiled. "Still Mark?"

Anna nodded. "I think so."

For days now, flowers had been delivered daily. She suspected it was from Mark, the one who had given her flowers on the day she got the job, but he always left quickly, leaving her no chance to refuse.

Gayle chuckled. "Mark is a good boy. His family might not be as well-off as Little Tim’s, but he’s strong and can protect you."

Anna smiled. To her, it was like choosing between a little wolf dog and a little puppy.

"Only gold coins can truly protect me," she joked.

Adel came out rubbing her eyes, and seeing Anna home, she ran over, saying softly, "Anna, I missed you today!"

"I missed you too, Adel." Anna bent down and scooped her up despite the weight, feeling immense happiness from Adel’s dependence on her.

"Let's go to bed!"

"Anna, I want you to sing to me. I haven’t heard you sing in a long time!"

"Alright, but just one song. Which one do you want to hear?"

Adel pouted. "Only one? But I want three!"

Gayle watched the sisters with a smile as they headed to bed, replacing the old lavender in the vase with the fresh bouquet.

Anna sang to Adel, who clung to her, and glanced at the drooling Evan beside them. She silently hoped for success in her plans for tomorrow.

It would be the first step towards ridding herself of the demon. Only then could she safely earn money and take care of her beloved family.

The next morning, Anna encountered Lily as she was heading out.

Since the day the crowd had driven Lily and her mother, Renée, away with scorn, they hadn’t troubled Anna again. However, whenever they crossed paths, Lily never failed to shoot Anna with dirty words.

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Anna ignored her, walking past without a glance.

Yesterday, Anna had used her “injury” as an excuse to avoid delivering food to the demon, but today she had no such luck. Accepting her fate, she picked up the food box and headed to the demon’s residence.

Today, the demon wasn’t at the table on the balcony but lying in bed.

Vodo said, “Master Parish wants to eat in bed today.”

The change of location made Anna wary. She slowly walked in with the food box, glancing at the demon as Vodo set up the bed tray.

Wait, where was the demon?

After blinking and looking carefully, she realized that the demon, who had been inhabiting Parish’s body, was truly gone!

Anna paused, recalling the events of the previous day.

Had the young mage scared the demon away?

No, the demon had known about the mage’s presence before and hadn’t fled. Could it be that after she left yesterday, the mage discovered the demon and dealt with it?

This would explain why Parish, who had been well enough to get out of bed, was now back in it. He must have been injured during the exorcism!

Anna was nearly overjoyed. She suppressed her excitement as she took the food out of the box.

Parish, looking weak, barely glanced at Anna. He ate a few bites and then signaled her to clear everything away.

Anna didn’t ask any questions and quietly put everything back in the food box before leaving.

Not far from the small building, Anna spotted Ulysses in the garden.

Her eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace.

He had solved her biggest problem, and she wanted to thank him! With the demon gone, her desire to become a mage wasn’t as urgent. If he didn’t want to take her as a student, she wouldn’t insist.

Perhaps hearing her footsteps, Ulysses turned around, revealing his full figure from behind the vines.

Anna’s joyful steps halted abruptly as she stared in horror at “Ulysses.”

The demon was inside him!

Anna, who usually refrained from swearing, couldn’t help but curse inwardly with all her might.

"F**K!"

Anna felt as if she had plummeted from heaven to hell.

She desperately wanted to find a secluded place to vent her frustration, anger, and fear. However, the demon stood before her, and she couldn’t afford to let him see any sign of her distress.

Her ability to deceive this demon relied on him not knowing that she could see through him. If he discovered that she was aware of his true nature and wouldn’t fall for his tricks, he might disregard the rules altogether.

Forcing her terrified expression into delight, Anna knew she looked unnatural, but it was the best she could manage.

“Good day, Your Excellency!” she greeted.

Rothgar noticed Anna's initial fear when she saw him, but he dismissed it, assuming his sudden appearance startled her.

He had taken control of this body the previous night, now brimming with elemental power, unlike the weak frame of Parish. His mood was awesome.

Ulysses, the four-star mage and duke’s second son, was a stark contrast to Parish. He possessed remarkable fire elemental affinity, yet his personality was the opposite of the passionate nature of fire—aloof and arrogant, focusing on enhancing his spiritual power and magical skills.

Thus, Rothgar couldn’t rely on Ulysses’s memories to charm Anna. But he believed that since Anna had set her sights on Ulysses, he wouldn’t need many sweet words.

Looking forward to ending the matter with Anna today, Rothgar’s demeanor softened slightly. “You want to be my student?”

I want to be the student of a genius mage, not a malicious demon! Anna swallowed back her real thoughts and feigned excitement. “Yes!”

Yesterday, Anna had thought the demon avoided showing himself out of fear of the four-star mage. Now she realized how wrong she had been.

Not only did the demon not fear the four-star mage, but he could also possess him directly. This alone proved he was far more powerful than she had imagined.

She had initially considered the demon a low-ranking entity, but that was evidently not the case. He must have been lurking nearby, overhearing her conversation with the real Ulysses, and then took over Ulysses’s body.

Quickly regaining her composure, Anna reminded herself that despite the demon's strength, he was still bound by rules.

This realization provide her some comfort.

Rothgar said, “I can accept you as my student, on the condition that you agree to marry me. This is your only chance; I will be leaving tomorrow.”

He then watched Anna, waiting for her to joyfully agree.

Unlike Parish, Ulysses would leave once he recovered. Anna had no more opportunities and had to make a decision.

There was no other answer she could possibly give.

Parish was a playboy; Anna had to use her wits to win his genuine affection. But Ulysses was different. Missing this chance would mean it was truly lost. Rothgar knew she was smart and wouldn't make a mistake on something that important.

Anna wasn’t surprised at all by the demon's ultimatum using Ulysses’ voice.

He was dead set on depriving her soul.

Anna knew she couldn’t refuse too abrupt. After hearing the demon’s words, she put on a face of being torn, alternating between excitement and hesitation. After a considerable period, she finally said, “Your Excellency, I truly wish to become your student… but I cannot marry you. I am merely a humble maid and unworthy of your esteemed status.”