The lobby of the Green Warbler Inn.

'Gulp gulp gurgle~~~'

Rosen finished the last mouthful of vegetable soup in his bowl, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Was it tasty?"

Lilyss sat beside him, smiling gently with narrowed eyes, like a warm-hearted big sister caring for her little brother.

Rosen nodded profusely: "Extremely delicious! It's the most scrumptious lunch I've ever had in my life."

A trace of worry then appeared on his face again: "Miss Lilyss, I'm very grateful for your hospitality. But I've been out for long enough, I must get back now."

With that, he made to leave.

"No rush, let's chat some more," said Lilyss, reaching out to press Rosen back into his seat as he stood up halfway.

This somewhat high-handed move made Rosen's heart skip a beat.

"The Nightingale Society is no kind group. If left unchecked, who knows if I'll ever gain freedom in this lifetime, let alone learn magic."

"Even if I somehow win my freedom through every trick, it would surely cost me the prime time to study magic."

One should strive upwards in their golden youth, not while it away among fiends and villains.

Thus, he immediately activated a riskier backup plan.

Rosen pretended to be flustered, waving his hands in refusal: "No no no, let's talk another time. My master will scold me if I'm away for too long."

"My boy, I'll tell you straight. He's not your master anymore, nor will he scold you," Lilyss said plainly.

She had expected the boy to sigh in relief, but instead, his face paled in dismay.

Distraught, the boy muttered to himself: "How could this be? How could Master abandon me? He said he'd take me as a disciple, that he'd teach me magic!"

"Oh you poor naive darling," Lilyss tittered.

Her smile held a touch of caustic mockery.

"That mage is a selfish liar. Every word from him is meant to deceive you. His offer to teach you magic was just to make you willingly draw for him."

But to her surprise, the boy shook his head repeatedly: "No no no, Master didn't lie to me. He told me plainly from the start. I draw for him and he teaches me magic. Why would he suddenly go back on it?"

As the boy spoke, tears welled up in his eyes. He seemed deeply upset.

Seeing the boy's pathetic foolishness, Lilyss felt even more contempt.

If not for his phenomenal artistic skill, she would have slapped some sense into this dumb fool about the harsh realities of the world!

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But for the sake of coin, she held back.

Patiently, she consoled him: "Trust me, he was never going to teach you magic."

Her words had barely landed when a mild voice drifted over from the staircase: "Miss Lilyss, it's unbecoming to malign an accredited mage's reputation behind his back."

Lilyss looked up to see Celeste descending the stairs at an unhurried pace, approaching their corner of the lobby.

The boy Rosen immediately stood up and scurried to Celeste's side, explaining: "Master, I didn't mean to. She wouldn't let me return and even lied that you've abandoned me."

Celeste gave a gentle pat on Rosen's shoulder, an almost fatherly fondness on his face.

"How could your master abandon you? You're my sole disciple. What I know will ultimately be imparted unto you in full."

Rosen's face lit up with elation. "Thank you, Master! I swear I won't fail you. I'll study my hardest."

Lilyss couldn't help but scoff disdainfully. "Ha! In every tragedy, there is a fool and a fraud!"

Celeste patted Rosen's arm again. "Wait for me at the stairs."

He then walked over to the corner table and sat down, speaking solemnly: "I swear by the name of Polluxia the Wise, founding dean of the Golden Dawn Academy, that I will do my utmost to instruct Rosen and help him become an accredited mage. Now, do you believe me?"

Lilyss' brows furrowed slightly. "Mage, are you set on opposing the Nightingale Society?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper.

Celeste shook his head, replying softly: "No. It is you Nightingales who are too greedy. There was profit enough to share, which would have made everyone happy. Yet you sought to swallow it whole - most unseemly."

"Just what are you after?"

Celeste gave a faint smile. "As you can see, Rosen is obsessed with magic. And I'm the only free accredited mage in White Horse. Only I can fulfill his wishes."

Lilyss' eyebrows knotted together. "So what? Can he not paint if he doesn't learn magic?"

Celeste conceded a step at the right time.

"For his paintings, I'll only take forty percent. I guarantee no poisons or curses on the boy. I'll even impart some magical knowledge now and then to indulge his curiosity and keep his artistic fervor burning."

Lilyss fell silent, pondering.

She glanced over at the boy waiting anxiously by the stairs, stealing worried looks their way every so often.

It was evident he feared abandonment by Celeste.

Catching his gaze, Celeste gave Rosen a faint reassuring smile.

He murmured, "Don't forget, I discovered his talent. I'm also the mentor he trusts and respects the most. My every word holds tremendous influence over him."

Lilyss was persuaded.

"You take forty percent of the painting proceeds, but my condition is he can't live with you. Aside from teaching magic, you don't get to be around him. Even for lessons, I must be present to stop any foul play!"

Seeing Celeste's silence, she threatened through gritted teeth: "While White Horse only has you, one idle accredited mage, the Northern Realm has thousands! Also, I want that 20 silver back!"

Celeste sighed lightly and conceded: "Very well, we have an accord. But you'll cover the costs of his new lodgings."

Lilyss shrugged dismissively. "I'm not as miserly as you. A cornucopia used as a bed and poison for drink. From now on, he'll stay in the best room at the Green Warbler Inn, right next to me!"

"Well, do take care not to reveal your true form to him," Celeste replied as he rose to his feet and walked towards Rosen, his face wreathed in smiles.

"My boy, I'm arranging a new studio for you, still at the Green Warbler Inn, right next door to me."

Hearing this, Rosen was overcome with joy.

In his mind, the best case scenario was using Lilyss to break free of Celeste, establish his reputation first, then find a chance to learn magic later.

But now it seemed Celeste was being more accommodating than expected, allowing Rosen to have it both ways and achieve optimal results.

He made no attempt to hide his elation, barely stopping himself from jumping up in glee. "Really, Master? That's fantastic!"

Lilyss also came over, smiling gently.

"Rosen, your master and I have agreed. You'll be staying with me from now on. I'll take care of your meals and lodging so you can focus wholly on magic and painting."

Rosen's delight deepened. "Miss Lilyss, I'm glad you cleared up the misunderstanding about my master. And thank you very much for your help. I'll be sure to work hard at painting, without letting magic lessons affect it."

Seeing his foolish guise, Lilyss suppressed the urge to mock him and mentally rolled her eyes.

"Bliss of fools, tricked every which way yet still happily snot-bubbling. What an idiot."