When Anna refused, Rothgar frowned.

Where was her usual cunning and cleverness? Did she not hear him say he would leave tomorrow?

"Do you really think so?" Rothgar didn't bother using Ulysses' memories. Ulysses' lack of experience with women. He stared at Anna. "I'm leaving tomorrow. You'll never get another opportunity like this."

Anna thought, if he really left tomorrow, she'd thank him every day for sparing her life.

But for now, she had to use her best acting skills, showing reluctance and sadness, but ultimately replying firmly, "sir, while I deeply regret not being able to be your student, I truly cannot agree to marry you and tarnish your noble reputation."

Only then did Rothgar finally believe that Anna hadn't misunderstood him. Just when he thought he had fully grasped her intentions, her response took him by surprise once again.

What exactly was she after?

He had personally seen her give up on Parish to approach Ulysses. But when he became Ulysses, offering her what she supposedly wanted, he didn't get the answer he expected.

Could it be that she really only wanted to be Ulysses' student?

Rothgar didn't want to admit it, but the fact was, he couldn't fathom Anna's decision.

He glared at Anna, his face dark, and sneered, "Don't regret this."

Then he turned and left her behind.

Seeing the demon leave, Anna's tense body gradually relaxed.

She picked up the food box and walked back, feeling a surge of disappointment.

What a waste of hope; she still had to deal with that demon.

As for his threat about leaving tomorrow and her regretting it, she didn't believe it for a second. He wasn't going anywhere!

Parish's lunch was still delivered by Anna. His condition had improved slightly since breakfast, and he could now sit up to eat. He even seemed not to recognize Anna—finally noticing her and asking her name.

Anna respectfully gave her name. Parish smiled weakly but brightly, complimenting, "What a lovely name, my dear. Your smile is as radiant and pure as the Light Goddess's blessing. I truly love your smile."

Anna smiled back, "Thank you for your praise, Master Parish. I am honored."

She noted that although the words were similar, when Parrish himself spoke, it sounded much more genuine and pleasant. But when those words came from the demon's mouth, they felt like honeyed knives, poised to stab at any moment.

Parrish didn't say much more. After finishing his meal, he let Anna clear the table and leave.

He didn't remember anything from when the demon had possessed him. According to Vodo, he'd been ill for the past two days and was treated by Father Louis. He assumed the illness had caused some memory loss. Since Vodo mentioned nothing significant had happened during that time, he didn't think much of it.

On her way back, Anna thought about Parish's behavior and felt relieved.

After confirming that the demon had left Parish's body, she was worried about any lingering aftereffects—like Parish remembering the demon's presence and the special treatment she received.

Now it seemed Parrish didn't remember anything from the possession period and had no intention of expelling her. She felt at ease.

As Anna approached the kitchen, she noticed her maid friends waiting for her.

They looked a bit unease, not speaking to each other but occasionally exchanging nervous glances.

Seeing Anna, the three shrank back slightly. Fiona bit her lip, then stepped forward, with the other two following.

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"Anna, you're not mad at us, are you?" Fiona hesitated before finally asking.

The three of them had been agonizing all morning before mustering the courage to find her.

"No, I'm not," Anna smiled, shaking her head. "I figured out what happened yesterday."

Upon hearing this, Abigail sighed in relief, clutching her chest. "I knew you were smart, Anna. You'd figure it out."

Anna wouldn't always show her true self to these three, but she couldn't constantly act either. Her quick reactions, sharp mind, and ability to easily keep up with their conversations, along with her being praised even by the strict Rebecca for her learning ability, had all left an impression of her intelligence in their minds.

Carrie, still shaken, said, "Anna, you have no idea how scary Lord Parish was at that moment..."

Anna thought to herself, she knew better than anyone.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this," Anna apologize.

"As long as you don't blame us for obeying Master Parish's orders to bully you," Fiona shook her head. The dark circles under her eyes showed she hadn't slept well. "So, did you... see Master Parish later?"

Abigail and Carrie looked at Anna, eager for an answer.

“Yes, I did,” Anna nodded. “He now knows about my lover, should give up soon.”

With the demon having left Parish's body, Anna no longer worried about Parish proposing at every opportunity.

The three friends exchanged glances, but they weren’t as thrilled as Anna had expected. Parish’s demeanor yesterday genuinely frightened them, diminishing their romantic fantasies about him.

“It’s great that Master Parish listened... Anna, can we still come and chat with you?” Abigail asked timidly.

Anna smiled. “Of course you can.”

The three visibly relaxed, moving closer to Anna now that their fears were allayed.

Anna acted as if nothing had happened yesterday, reconciling with them and chatting as if there were no hard feelings.

Though they were only superficial friends, there was some comfort in it. If there was anyone to blame, it was the demon.

When Anna went to deliver what was nearly a brunch to Parrish, she found not only Parrish but also the demon possessing Ulysses sitting at the table where the demon liked to sit.

Anna hesitated for a moment, showing a surprised expression.

She apologized to the demon. “Sir, I didn’t know you’d be here. I only prepared breakfast for Master Parish. Please wait a moment; I’ll prepare something for you right away.”

“No need,” Rothgar stopped her.

“Yes, sir.”

She stepped back and quietly waited for Parish to finish his breakfast.

Parrish smiled at Rothgar, saying, “There’s not much to do in BlueStone, but there are a few nice spots outside the city. Since you’ll be here to recover for a while, once we’re both feeling better, I’ll take you out.”

Anna lowered her gaze but listened intently to every word.

See? She knew the demon wouldn’t leave. He was just using his injuries as an excuse to stay.

Rothgar coldly replied, “I’m not interested.”

He found Parish’s attitude extremely annoying. In both Parish’s and Ulysses’ memories, they hardly had any interaction. Now Parrish was acting overly familiar for no reason.

“Haha, if you don’t want to, that’s fine,” Parish said cheerfully, unfazed by the rejection. As a wealthy and attractive playboy, he was used to getting rejected occasionally despite his usual success. Laughing it off, he added, “Don’t you want some breakfast? I’m sure dear Anna would be happy to fetch it for you.”

Rothgar didn’t even bother to respond, completely ignoring Parish.

Parish shook his shoulder and continued eating his breakfast in a good mood.

Watching the scene, Anna suddenly thought that if she couldn’t see the demon possessing Ulysses, it would indeed look like a love triangle. After all, both men had proposed to her...

Anna remained silent. When Parish finally put down his knife and fork, Anna instinctively stepped forward to clear the table.

Suddenly, she felt a tug on her hair. Startled, she turned to see Parish, who was inhaling the scent of her hair with a look of bliss. He smiled at her and said, "My dear, your hair is so beautiful, justlike the vibrant flowers blooming at the goddess’s feet."

Anna felt a surge of irritation. "Dear goddess, please punish this pervert!"

She restrained herself from throwing the dishes to Parish. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the demon watching the scene with interest, as if he were analyzing something.

Right, when the demon had been possessing Parish, she had played along with Parish’s advances to a certain extent. But after she had approached Ulysses to become his student, the demon had switched hosts, trying to use her desire to become a mage as leverage to make her sign a contract.

If she changed her behavior too quickly, the demon might be suspicious. If she continued to play along, the demon might return to Parish’s body to tempt her further.

It was a difficult situation.

Anna kept her head down as she finished clearing the table and placing everything back into the food box. She then pulled her hair from Parish’s grasp, her face flushing as she tried to remain composed. Before she could say anything, Parish caught her hand, "Are you embarrassed, my dear? Please don’t be. My praise is sincere, and it is what you deserve."

This guy is insane!

Anna pulled her hand back forcefully, forcing a smile through gritted teeth. "Thank you, Master Parish."

Anna felt that Parish’s behavior was even worse than the demon who merely wanted her soul. At least the demon didn’t touch her.

She quickly bowed and left, hearing Parish's laughter behind her.

After she left, Parish, still holding her hair, inhaled its scent again and remarked, "What a delightful girl. Don’t you think so, Ulysses?"

Rothgar had been silently observing Anna’s reactions, noting her supposed embarrassment and anger.

He remained skeptical, convinced that the cunning human woman was merely pretending to be a shy lamb.