Grandmaster Wei was being exceptionally stern with her for the first time. Lillie have always been an obedient disciple—unlike her wayward of a Senior Brother—and usually listens to her master without any objection.

She hadn't given him any headaches or a reasons to be angry in the past, that's why he's so indulgent with her. ​​

And since he and her paternal grandfather are like brothers, Grandmaster Wei treats his good friend's granddaughter like his own.

So, why now, in this particular day, was he being so difficult? He didn't even let her say a single word to question his verdict.

Lillie didn't kept count on how many times she sighed in one day. She didn't see anything wrong in sharing a bedroom with her soon to be husband.

They even already consummated before the wedding—not that she would let her dear master know, lest she's asking for Ethan to end up six feet under.

"At this time, the teachers and students here have all retreated to their own quarters. It'll only be the four of us here, so it's alright to remove your disguise." Lillie said to Ethan before her Senior Brother took him away.

She could practically here the Titanic song, My Heart Will Go On, playing in the background when she had to let go of Ethan and watch his form disappear from the corner of the wall.

Ah, this feeling must be what Rose felt when Jack sunk into the depths of the ocean.

If Death ever heard his Junior Sister's thoughts, he wasn't sure if he should roll his eyes at her dramatics, be flabbergasted that she watched a sappy romance movie like Titanic and that her ice heart had the ability to produce such sentimental feeling.

Most certainly, he did all of the above.

Well, it's not like Lillie watched the movie out of curiosity. To be honest, she have no particular preference when it comes to movies.

She simply happens to watch the movie because her dear mother made her.

"Knowing you, you're taking my suffering as a sort of entertainment, aren't you." Ethan narrowed his eyes at the albino.

If that satisfied and smug grin wasn't an indication of his mood, then perhaps the way he started prancing all over the place when Lillie was out of sight.

Death skid a halt as they were about to cross the bridge over the pond. He whipped his head to Ethan and gasped.

To add more flavor to his reaction, he placed a hand over his chest. "What gave you the idea?" He asked in feigned confusion, blinking innocently.

Ethan scoffed. As if that would do anything to make him believe otherwise.

"Lighten up, brother-in-law," Death slumped his arm around Ethan's shoulders as if they were close friends. "This was probably a little test master prepared to see your sincerity with our Little Flower."

Ethan casually shrugged the white-haired man's arm off him. "Don't call me that. And how would separating us measure my sincerity to Lillie?" Nothing makes sense with what Death said.

What result is the master looking for in separating them? Was he actually expecting him to oppose? Fight for his right to be with his wife—er, fiancee?

Wouldn't that be courting death?

Don't take him for a fool. His encounters with Lillie's male relatives, or every men she considered family, had been enough for him to understand their overprotective tendecy.

If he counted the shovel talks he received, his fingers wouldn't suffice.

"Do I look like I read minds? Not even I have any idea what kind of diabolical scheme goes through the geezer's mind."

Ethan stared blankly at him.

Did you not realized what you said just now? You just admitted that the master was plotting something terrible.

Undoubtedly, he'll be at the receiving end of whatever it was.

Now that Lillie was nowhere around them, Ethan and Death bickers to their hearts' content.

All of the subtle, snarky comments they fired at each other previously, were now being hurled back with the intensity of children fighting over the last swing.

"Keep both eyes open if you don't want to wake up inside a tiger's stomach!"

"Not if I make them swallow you first! Oh, wait, never mind. You'll make them sick. I don't want to be called out for animal abuse."

"Excuse me?!"

"You're excuse."

"F*ck you!"

"No thank you. I prefer your Junior Sister."

"Y-you! I'll kill you!"

Hands on each other's throat aside, one thing Ethan was grateful for about Death, was that he's actually a great tour guide. He'll be going circles around the compound if it's only himself.

However, he'll have to eat sh*t first before he'll admit it out loud.

God knows how much the albino's already massive ego expand beyond the limit if his rival admitted his competence.

"This is the Southern Courtyard where the males' quarters are." Death grumbled as they went pass a moon gate, entering one of the compound's courtyards.

"And that," Death pointed at a dilapidated wooden door. "Is where you'll be residing, alone, for the rest of your miserable stay here."

Ethan dread to see the inside. Hopefully, the room isn't in a bad state as its door's condition.

"Across your room is mine. If you need anything, don't you f*cking dare disturb me." Death nearly had a whiplash when he rotated his head towards Ethan. "What are you sighing in relief for?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing."

"The hell? As if I'll believe that!"

Ethan ignored him. His door was fairing better compared to the one across.

It isn't even called a door anymore. As if the poor thing was used as a target practice, or some sort of punching bag.

And...is that a hole?

If Ethan squinted his eyes and lower his head, he'll be able to see the inside.

That hole was definitely made by a foot crashing through.

"What are you looking at?!" Death can feel the scrutiny from Ethan. He's being judged, he just knows it.