The four of them, led by the bandaged fighter in the jumpsuit, arrived at the edge of the trail in front of the main yard, where the sedans that Sisi and Kato had previously spotted were. Though they were in view of the front doors of the mansion, their little huddle was too far away for somebody at the door to make out anything in this dimly lit parking area of the trail.

“Alice.”

“Uncle Justin.”

The middle-aged man with a wide smile and his second cigar in his mouth stepped out of one of the cars to greet his beloved niece. He walked up to her to give her a big hug, which Alice returned with a smile on her face as well. They seemed to get along well, his demeanour a complete opposite from what he showed earlier in the great hall. His bodyguards, including the young lady in the bandages, gathered themselves around their boss, facing the two Eternians behind Alice.

“I’m sorry we had to subject you to this, but we didn’t know what to expect. Seeing everyone in one piece is reassuring for sure.”

“No worries, Uncle. I expected nothing less. So, what did you need me for? It must be something big.”

Her uncle spoke in Old Yue, in contrast to Alice’s insistence on speaking New Yue.

“Do you like your current school right now? Having fun?”

“Yes, of course I do. What about it?”

Justin scratched his head, almost apologetically. He took a deep breath before continuing.

“Hm. The thing is, we’re transferring you out of your current school to Regia Miriam. We’ll get it done by next week, and you’ll be moving in with me.”

Jaws dropped on the other side. Regia Miriam All-Girls Academy was a private school on the other side of the city in Tuenmun district. Even out here in Tseungkwano town, it was still far enough away to justify moving out.

“Why? Why am I being transferred?”

“Uh, hmm. I take it that you’re against being transferred?”

“Yes, of course! There’s no reason for me to be transferred out of Korolev.”

“So you like it there in Korolev? That’s good to hear. I was very worried that your depression would come back, but it seems like it’s gotten a lot better for you.”

“Uncle! Enough of that! That was from when I was younger.”

Her voice suddenly rose by an octave, embarrassed by the bit of her unspeakable past being revealed in front of Kato, who had a grin slowly spreading across his face.

“But anyway, this is kinda hard then. If you like it there a lot, I’ll feel bad having to move you out of it, knowing it’s you.”

He scratched his head again, showing a sheepish expression to the three guests. Behind him, another person got out of the car and into the dim spotlight that they stood under. With one surprise after another, the newly arrived girl wore a haughty and arrogant expression, as if she was in charge of the situation here. From Justin’s expression, she might be.

“Alice, I’d suggest you give it up. Class A has no use for a traitor. If you accept the transfer, it would be better for all parties involved.”

The piercing voice belonged to the small girl with a short auburn bob cut, a Class A faction leader, and chairwoman of the Activity Council, Mona Mackenzie.

On the other side, Alice and Kato both gasped at the appearance of a contemporary from school. She wore a suit like the rest of Justin’s goons, except for the shades with a pink frame. Alice was perhaps just a bit less surprised than Kato since everyone in Class A was a part of the one percent. As Mona was someone who she did not have good relations with at all, she could only assume nothing good was going to happen.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

“That’s what I want to ask you! Why is Kato clutching his stomach and has a bruise on his forehead? By the looks of things though, our bellhop got the worse end of it, eh?”

Laughing out loud without care, it was clear Mona was enjoying herself at the others’ expense. No one said a thing as she doubled over at her own hilarity. Slowly, a snarl began to take form on Kato’s face.

“And to think, this is going to be our new generation of Hearts! How farcical is this!”

“You’re one to talk, midget. Do you want to clutch your stomach too?”

She was not perturbed by Kato. In fact, she laughed even harder at his provocation.

“Hah! I’ll let you know what situation you’re in, Kato. If you dare touch me, it’ll be the end of you.”

“Hold on, Mona—”

“Don’t worry. It’s not about you.”

The bandaged girl stepped forward into Mona’s line of sight, which Mona anticipated and waved her away with her hand. She then waved to the goon behind her, who then motioned to the driver of the car behind them to lower the glass of one of the windows.

“Ms Romana. I presume you don’t want any more blood to be spilt around here, eh? I implore you to put a leash on your mutt before we kill ourselves over nothing.”

Under the poor lighting, it was hard to discern with the naked eye who she revealed behind the tinted window. But Sisi didn’t need the naked eye to sense the passenger who was intentionally exuding his aura into the atmosphere around him, and she recognized who this aura belonged to. Next to her, Kato could also sense that this halo belonged to one of a deity. On the other hand, the bandaged girl seemed surprised at the appearance of the mystery deity, to which the man curtly answered her bewilderment.

“Don’t mind me.”

Just as swift as the reveal, the windows rolled up, obscuring the man once more. Finally, Sisi shook her head reluctantly, and though Kato was forced to hold his weapons at ease, the grimace remained. Seeing Alice’s two guards accept the situation, Mona’s grin spread even wider. Witnessing Kato’s plight, it especially delighted her since he was an opponent in the Class Wars.

“Kato, you haven’t changed very much from the looks of things, and if only you knew how ridiculous this situation is, you would blow up right away.”

“Ho. So the girl who came into Class F and moved up and out together with Gilbert is this kind of a bitch. I’m pleasantly surprised at the impunity with which you have with your words. Class F taught you well, didn’t we? Not that we’d want to take any credit for it.”

The smirk disappeared quickly and her face hardened, the arrogant joviality drained from her face. Normally, she would snap back at his words, but she needed to get business moving along before anybody from the inside of the mansion got wind of this strange assembly of important people.

“Well, you’ll learn about it soon enough, so let’s drop it here until then.”

Mona addressed Alice immediately after.

“Right now, I need you to agree to transfer to Regia Miriam. You don’t have a choice, actually, since your guardians are Justin and Albert, and either of them can give consent on your behalf. But of course, we want to let you know of our decision, and what you think of it.”

“What’s going on here? There’s no way I’m transferring away. Not on your orders, anyway. Why are you even here in the first place?”

“Does it matter if I’m here? Your beloved Uncle here will pick you up anyway.”

“Then why is this happening? What’s the reason for transferring me to Regia Miriam?”

“The very first thing I said. To not be a hindrance to Class A.”

“Excuse me? I don’t have a place in your Class Wars in the first place. How does that justify removing me from school completely?”

“Not when you’re colluding with an enemy class. Normally, treason like this would warrant banishment to the unprivileged classes, but seeing as you’re Gilbert’s fiancée, we’d prefer to have you transferred out instead of suffering from the humiliation of demotion.”

The unprivileged classes were the classes below Class F, with no representation in the Assembly or the Council of Six, the judicial commission of the student government system. Though they were the least prestigious of the classes as they sheltered the lowest scoring students, Korolev Senior was still an elite school. A placement in an unprivileged class was not the end of the world, but it was certainly a blemish on one’s trajectory up the social ladder after they graduate. Since class placement in Korolev Senior was more or less a meritocracy, it really did lend credence to your abilities and social worth, which naturally led to Alice’s confusion.

“How would you remove me from Class A? That’s not something for you to decide. It’s a position that you earn.”

“But we have the Class Wars, Alice. A peace treaty is all that’s needed to cast undesirables out into the wilderness.”

That was a very dangerous proclamation, and Kato’s distorted frown was all that needed to be said of this abuse of the Class War system. He didn’t hesitate to interrupt.

“Then why would you support the Ewiger Landfriede? You can’t do that with eternal peace.”

“It’s only one method, young man. I’m not the AC’s chairwoman for nothing.”

She shrugged at Kato as if it was nothing out of the ordinary, yet the power she wielded inside Korolev Senior was terrifyingly great. Alice took the conversation back from Kato.

“Frankly, at this point, I’m not surprised that you would have this kind of power. Your ambitions in the Class Wars aside, the question still remains, why are you the one forcing me to transfer to Regia Miriam? You don’t have power over my attendance. How did you get Uncle Justin to do this?”

“Hmm.”

Strangely, Mona fell silent for quite a long while, as everyone waited in anticipation for an answer from her. Justin, who Alice expected an answer from also, didn’t speak up at all, preferring to let Mona make the explanations. Mona refocused herself in due time, sensing that the crowd around her was expectant.

“It’s a request from Gilbert.”

The two opposing Eternian guards looked at each other in disbelief, wide-eyed at the sudden turn of events. Alice took an involuntary step backward at the mention of his name. That he was the one who would want her to leave their school was unthinkable on every level. Time around her seemed to slow to a crawl. She could not believe it.

“How? Why?”

Mona was unrepentant. Actually, she was quite upset and visibly impatient with Alice’s response. In every other moment, she would have had the civility to keep her mouth shut, but Gilbert wasn’t by Alice’s side for once, so she didn’t hold back.

“Do you know how much Gil suffers when you make selfish decisions without him in mind at all? He just takes your bullshit for the past two years as if it was nothing, and now, when he makes a selfish request of his own, you’re still a self-centred bitch who doesn’t give a fuck about the person who supported you all this time.”

Pointing her index finger squarely at Alice and lashing out in Old Yue, the choice of words were, to say the least, not pretty and it stunned the surrounding group.

“You’ve taken his kindness for granted, and now you feel shocked, even betrayed, that he would do such a thing, right? He was the one who brought you here to Livia, to Korolev Senior, and rightfully, he should have the privilege to take you out of it.

“I don’t care what kind of past you have or what hardship you’re going through. This isn’t a place for your childish desires. If you wish to be freed from your status and your household, then just fucking leave. Gil doesn’t deserve to have a woman who doesn’t even respect him, much less love him.”

As Mona continued to unload, Alice’s face distorted with grief and frustration. Without a shadow of a doubt, Mona’s accusations were as accurate as much as it stung. She could feel that Mona wanted to say this to her for a long time, but it probably was Gilbert who prevented Mona from raging.

“I’ll tell you too, now that I’ve already said this out loud. I personally want to force you out of Korolev Senior too, not only because your treatment of Gil is shit, but it’ll be better for Gil to stay away from a bitch like you. Now that he’s agreed to do it, I’ll gladly pull out the pitchforks to do the dirty work.”

Alice, sufficiently terrified, looked over to her uncle next to the firestorm. Justin shook his head, signifying that he expected this kind of outburst and accepted the accusations Mona made. It took a moment for Alice to realize she couldn’t blame her uncle, as he watched over her childhood in place of her late father and so he knew what kind of a person she was.

“Isn’t this enough for Alice? She knows her faults all too well. Please, give her some time to think it over.”

“Mr Justin, I know she’s your niece, but there needs to be a line to appeasing her whims. I, of my own authority, will draw that line, and Gil has accepted this.”

Mona did not even peel her glare off from Alice to address the boss next to her as if she was the real boss, which in this case she really was. Justin was well-connected with the Mackenzie family, who were real estate tycoons in this city, and served as Justin’s faithful allies in his business dealings. On a personal level, Justin and Mona were related through Justin’s daughter, Alice’s cousin, who was married to Mona’s dear elder brother. Since Mona was Gilbert’s die-hard protégé outside of school, Gilbert was therefore an acceptable partner for Alice from Justin’s perspective.

Alice closed her eyes from the madness and covered her mouth with her hand, which trembled as it gripped her cheekbones tightly. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground, crouching and downcast with tears in her eyes, sobbing quietly.

“You still haven’t answered the question. You’ve been dancing around the problem the whole time. The Class Wars aren’t the real reasons why Alice is being forced to transfer. If the move is truly Gilbert’s idea, then explain, what is his motivation for imposing his will on Alice?”

Kato asked warily, stepping forward to Alice’s side. But he had a hunch on the true answer, no matter what kind of drivel Mona would reply with. After all, he was there to not only witness but incite Gilbert’s silent indignation only earlier today.

“He deemed it necessary to remove her from Korolev in order to safeguard his interests in Korolev, at home and in higher society.”

“And most importantly, his own ego?”

Mona’s eyes twitched at the slight that was thrown. From this small gesture and the bitterness exuding from her aura, it didn’t seem like she wanted to give any ground. Even though he declared his intent so clearly, she still gave vague answers, which meant it was likely a reason not meant for Alice’s ears.

“It’s not even his ego; like I said, it’s merely the respect that he deserves as her partner.”

“So, let’s say that her insolence has finally crossed this imaginary red line. Not that I don’t understand, she is a selfish person. Are we all not? Then, something must have happened, the straw that broke the camel’s back. Do you have any idea what that might be?”

Mona bit her lips, not knowing how to answer, or perhaps not knowing how she should answer.

“No idea. How about you ask Alice? She’s the source of Gil’s troubles, I can assure you.”

Kato nodded, somewhat exaggeratedly. He looked down at the crouching blonde girl next to her and smiled. Alice looked up in response and she turned somewhat bemused at his lightened mood.

“Right. Then, I’ve determined that, without good reason, there’s no need for Alice to transfer out. I’m glad we’ve solved this issue.”

“You fuck! What gave you any say in this? Why do you keep on fucking causing trouble?”

“So in the end, I’m the troublemaker. I get it.”

After blowing her top again, her face turned livid at the now-gung-ho attitude on Kato’s face. But even so, she didn’t let much slip through her mouth, as expected of a person of her calibre. Kato would have to take a gamble in his accusation, though it wouldn’t have really mattered what the outcome was, since he now made the decision to play it through to the end.

“The real story here is: Gilbert’s determined that I’m a bad influence on Alice, so he’s taking a roundabout way to get her transferred out of my reaches. A fair attempt, not gonna lie, but if you’re gonna do that, how about you try and get rid of me instead of punishing Alice?”

“Nice to see that you’re still the diva you always were. You think the world really does revolve around you, do you? Either way, this is not a place for you to make decisions anyway. All of this is really to just let Alice know of the decision, and see what opinions she has on it, nothing more.”

Contorted with frustration, Mona’s face was as unsightly as it could get. She glossed over his theorycrafting completely and instead just tossed the insults back in his direction. It was neither a confirmation nor a denial of his hypothesis.

“Then we’ll do everything in our power to resist your efforts to transfer her out of our school. It’ll only happen over my dead body.”

Alice stood back up, scared at the severity of his proclamation. He turned to her once again, giving her a grin to reassure her of his confidence in himself to follow through with it. It was no different than making a promise to her. It was just done in a roundabout sort of way. She felt a curious warmth settle within her chest, and it cured her of the gloom that had washed over her, reminding herself once more of the things she sought for.

“That’s right, Mona. I’m not going to transfer out of Korolev Senior. Please let Gil know about it.”

Mona’s glare trained on Alice again, evidently furious at Alice’s determination. Her hands curled into tiny fists, straining to contain her anger. Her voice was quite steady for the amount of outrage that was written all over her face.

“You do realize that your legal guardians have the right to remove you from the institution on their own.”

“That’s true, but there are ways to change that.”

“How?”

“By taking control of my own finances. If I do, then I’ll be considered as an independent by the school and my wishes will be first in the order of precedence. Both you and Gil are independents, as far as I know, right?”

The crowd on the other side stiffened. Mona was especially tense, as she was the first to realize what Alice becoming financially independent meant. Cautiously, as Mona knew it would affect every single person around her, she asked to confirm.

“What do you mean, taking control of your finances?”

“I’ll assume normal control of my shares in Westgrove Logistics, removing myself from the protection of the minors’ law. It can happen as soon as I visit the local office tomorrow morning, and with Sisi here, can also get my status in Korolev changed just as quick.”

“Alice…”

As Mona had expected, Justin was the most concerned and first to react. His expression was a mixture of surprise and disappointment.

“I’m sorry, Uncle. If I’m pushed, I don’t have a choice but to react. The reason I agreed to marry is to not take charge of this ownership stake, but now I have to do it.”

“If that’s the case, then what if we don’t push you on this transfer?”

“It’s too late now. There’s no more reason for me to not do it at this point.”

“So will you call off our marriage?”

Everyone froze in place at the voice of a person who wasn’t present in the group. Turning around, they saw two familiar men side by side, one a tall blond in the same shade as Alice’s and Justin’s, the other just as tall with wavy black hair. The speaker, in his usual monotone voice, was of course no other than Gilbert.

Though Alice didn’t flinch at the surprise this time, she was still clearly emotionally wrecked from earlier. The appearance of Gilbert wasn’t totally impossible, but what was actually surprising was Albert’s attendance, as Gilbert must have directed Mona and Justin on this because Albert would be against transferring out of Korolev.

“It depends on your attitude. I know my uncle and Albert just wants a piece of my shares, and in fact, I’ll still let them have it; for the right price, of course.”

Though not completely loosening the tension in their bodies, the two blonds did substantially relax their expressions upon hearing Alice’s assurance. Even if Alice didn’t want to have any part in the operation of the company, she was still way more than qualified to do it, and therefore knew how to handle operations properly. She motioned to one of Justin’s bodyguards to hand over a notebook and a pen, and quickly scribbled a note to give to Justin.

“It’s not exactly a promissory note, but it’ll put in writing that the contract we had, is now amended.”

Justin took the note, and found a small surprise on it.

“You’re giving each of us ten percent instead of the original one percent?”

“The extra nine percent is not without a price. Do you agree with the terms?”

Just as quickly as his niece did, he took out a pen to sign the note. He held it out to Albert, who stepped forward and took it from him cautiously. Slowly, Albert read the note, and he too was surprised.

“Hmm. I don’t have a problem with this either. If I’m to take this at face value, then from here on out, this is an issue for you children to settle, right?”

Albert too whipped out a pen to sign the note, and pocketed them both in his breastpocket.

“Yes, exactly. If I’m responsible for myself now, then that’s what’s going to happen.”

“What are her terms?”

Mona asked the two adults in the conversation, to which, surprisingly, Gilbert answered instead.

“Once she assumes normal control of her assets, Alice will transfer twenty percent to these two gentlemen here, ten each. In return, she wishes to have her marriage not be a matter of the Westgrove family.”

“And one more clause. Albert and Uncle Justin will be my references for my admission to the nomenklatura.”

Kato was mildly surprised, but he didn’t express it out loud. She really took what they discussed in her room to heart, and it was touching to see a friend value their friendship.

“Gilbert. If this is what Alice wants, then you’ll have to settle the rest of it yourself. I’ve already given my opinion on the matter to you just moments before, so you should understand my position on this issue.”

“Yes, I understand. I will, of course, take responsibility for my actions.”

Albert nodded solemnly to the rest of the group and excused himself from the discussion. Somewhat like Gilbert, his face was sombre and hard to read, and he alone departed quietly for the well-lit mansion.

Turning to Gilbert, Alice was neither angry nor unhappy as she was just minutes ago. Instead, she mirrored the seriousness that was so quintessential of Gilbert, showing to him that she had made up her mind.

“I didn’t expect you would take such drastic measures, though perhaps I was too conceited to not expect that.”

“No, Gil. You just didn’t understand what kind of a person I am. Or maybe you did, but your own principles blindsided you at almost every turn because I’m so contrary to those principles.”

“You’re right. I won’t say I’m sorry, because this is my ego speaking.”

“I’m also the same. I didn’t know your ego would push you this far. There’re so many things that we’ll never be on the same page for.”

The conversation that unfolded was unusually amicable, but the atmosphere was still evidently tense, as the two were obviously still dancing around the main issue.

“Gil! Are you going to just accept this? Giving up on everything you did?”

“The agreement was ultimately based on Alice’s consent, after all.”

Unwilling to wait, Mona snapped at her ally impatiently, making her way up to Gilbert to glare upwards vehemently at his pensive reaction. Unfortunately, nothing in his words or tone did anything to assuage her concerns.

Legally, the original agreement surrounding her marriage was based on Albert’s consent, as it was delegated through him because Alice was a minor. Of course, deliberating as a family, both Albert and Justin would have considerable influence on which suitors were appropriate.

Normally, the young man and woman involved in an arranged marriage wouldn’t already own considerable assets of their own. Because they didn’t, it would make their marriages truly arranged, as their parents could dictate their fates by virtue of feudal law.

However, Alice’s situation was different. If she took control of her ownership stake, she would no longer be considered a minor under Auxirian feudal law. She would no longer be protected as a minor, but then it meant that only her consent was necessary for her marriage. Up until this moment, although Albert technically held the power to consent for her, because she could always claim the status of an adult by assuming control of her ownership at any time, Alice was given the discretion to choose her partner, albeit within her family’s limitations.

Alice, by writing those pseudo-promissory notes to Albert and Justin, rewrote their original agreement, which was becoming a non-actor in the family business once she was married to Gilbert. Instead of that, the new agreement was to have herself become the sole consenter to her own marriage. By corollary, because her marriage was stripped of its political use, it meant her ownership stakes could no longer be inherited by her descendants. In other words, her shares essentially became lifetime leases, and if she were to give it up or pass away, it would be returned to the larger family instead of going to her children.

In addition, by giving Albert and Justin each ten percent, her ownership would be reduced to only fourteen percent. With both Albert and Justin controlling more than twice that, it was a number very unlikely to become a controlling stake ever again, and definitely no longer enough to exercise much control over the broad business at the board of directors. Thus, not only were these terms way more favourable to Albert and Justin than previously, but it also didn’t require the involvement of an outside family, albeit a closely-related one.

“So, Alice. What’s the final verdict?”

The main issue was finally raised, which was what Alice wanted to make of their original agreement. She sighed, but looked at him bravely in the eye, somebody who was not quite a friend but certainly not just an acquaintance. In her signature awkward fashion, one filled with pure selfishness and wishful innocence that came from a deep-seated desire for something real, she gave him her response.

“I want to indefinitely postpone our marriage. This day next year, will not be our wedding. Under these new circumstances, I think there’s a lot of conversation that needs to be had first before deciding on something.”

For the first time for many of the onlookers, Gilbert was visibly troubled. He closed his eyes and put his hand to his mouth, seemingly at a loss for words. Slowly, amidst the silence that hung over them, he started again.

“And I have no say in this?”

“No. This is a selfish decision I made, based on my circumstances.”

“You don’t want to get transferred out; enough that you would throw away everything you’ve worked hard on to avoid being a part of the bourgeoisie.”

“That’s right.”

“If that’s what you want. I just want you to know that, for me, I don’t want to call off our engagement. Just so you know.”

Alice nodded quietly, but didn’t respond at the sombre Gilbert with a slight sense of desperation in his voice, struggling to accept the turn of events.

“Then what are you going to do about this? We’ve just announced it to everyone today, and now you’re calling it off.”

“We’ll leave it as is for now. Closer to the date, we’ll announce something to that effect, depending on the situation.”

“Why not do it sooner? If I’m to guess, an indefinite postponement means giving up on the engagement, no?”

Alice’s eyes widened at Gilbert’s blunt and ruthless presumption of her intentions. She swallowed hard, steeling herself. He wasn’t wrong, but she originally didn’t want to hurt him so much by saying those words herself.

“That’s true, but it’ll be hard for the public to accept now, no? It’s better to give it some time to digest before announcing it.”

“Then, again, my feelings are not of any value? Am I not allowed to be selfish? If you want to make it clear that you don’t want to marry me, then say it out loud here. I have no need to hang on to something for the next several months, just to let it go anyway.”

She bit her lips, feeling a pressure from Gilbert that she had never felt from him before. Maybe she did take it for granted that Gilbert would never do such a thing, but it was presumptuous of her at best. With how much Gilbert pandered to her wishes, he must have expected something in return, and this was the last straw for him. Interestingly, this was probably the only time that Gilbert was frank with his thoughts in front of Alice. What an ironic time for Alice to finally see this happen.

“No, you’re free to be as selfish as I am. I can’t tell you not to be if I’m doing the same. If that’s the case, then yes, I don’t want to marry you.”

But then, why did you want me to transfer to Regia Miriam in the first place? If you haven’t done that, then all this would have never happened.

Alice wanted to ask him that, but she was hesitant, unsure if she wanted to push him on it. Without asking, she could already guess at why he would do it, according to Kato’s testimony earlier in the day, but she wasn’t sure of it. What exactly did Kato say to Gilbert?

“That’s enough, then. I have no more purpose to remain here, and neither do you. From here on out, you’ll be another Westgrove, and not my fiancée.”

Both people had very hard expressions on their faces. Gilbert’s was of the unyielding stubbornness type, whereas Alice’s was one of incredulity and frustration. One speaking on his emotions and ego, the other unable to rebuke the accusations because they were more than warranted. And in true Gilbert style, he turned around right after his curt reply, no fuss no buts.

“Gil!”

Alice called out to him, but couldn’t find any words. What could she do? She was essentially breaking up with him, but she didn’t think he would be just as brutally quick and honest with it, that even if there wasn’t any romance between the two of them, they were still close.

Maybe it was because that he didn’t view her as somebody close. Or he did, and it was his way of coping with the separation. This was the kind of hesitation that plagued her relationship with Gilbert, and it continued to this very last moment. They remained people who didn’t understand each other, and neither took the initiative to reach out and come to an understanding.

“It seems that all was in vain, so I don’t have a choice but to move on. It’s about time for me to be selfish.”

He didn’t turn around and left behind these words for Alice, who couldn’t help but tear up again as she watched his silhouette disappear back into the confines of his grand villa. She didn’t know it pained her so much to let go of Gilbert.

“Good riddance. Gilbert can have a peace of mind again.”

Mona, who was awfully quiet at the end there, whined annoyingly one last time in Alice’s direction, who was only met with a cold stare from Kato. She made her way back inside one of the black sedans, and the bandage-face challenger dutifully followed her, showing that Kato’s opponent was indeed under Mona’s orders rather than Justin’s.

“Alice, sweetie? I know Uncle isn’t and shouldn’t be the one to pick you up and bring you home right now, given that Mona’s still with me. I know Albert’s taking good care of you, and it seems like your bodyguards are from your school too, so I’ll have to leave them to you. Get home and rest up. You’re a big girl now, and Uncle knows that too, hmm?”

After having a short conversation with Sisi on the side, Justin came back to Alice and reassured her much like a parent. He embraced her and kissed her on the forehead before he had to eventually let go and retreat to his own vehicle. The SPs surrounding them, whose background presence in the confrontation felt a bit awkward to Kato, joined their bosses in their sedans and started up the engines. One by one, they left the villa quietly, leaving the three of them on the side of the street.

“Just wait here for a moment. Sisi shall bring the car.”

Once they were left alone, Alice turned around and thrown herself onto Kato, hugging him tightly and perching her head on his shoulder. They were suspended in time like that for only a short while before Alice spoke. Although her voice didn’t sound like she was shaken at all, prideful even here, at the very least she didn’t want Kato to see any more of her pitifully distraught face.

“Did I make the right choice?”

She spoke in Old Yue, together with her awkward accent. Kato returned her embrace good-naturedly, placing his hand over her head.

“That’s up to you. Make it so that your choice was right, and we’re gonna be right here with ya.”

“Then are you gonna take responsibility for me?”

“I already told you that the nomenklatura is not a recommended career. Besides, I thought you said you’re doing this because of Evie.”

“No, I’m doing this because of you.”

She let go of him as another sedan rolled up to the side of the curb from behind her, its front lights shining brightly in Kato’s direction as it obscured Alice’s form with a blinding backlighting. Even then, he could make out the warm smile that she now wore, beautiful together with her curly blonde hair flowing over her bare shoulders and her white dress. This expression was really what a bride-to-be should have on her face, and this was the first time tonight he had seen such a thing from her. Slowly, he crossed his arms and gave a single, lengthy nod before smirking as usual.

“That’s what I thought you said. Now, tell me what you really think.”

“Hehe. You got me there. I’m doing this for myself, of course, never for a self-involved asshole like you.”

Alice’s face lit up, perhaps brighter than even the headlights from the car that the two Eternians borrowed from their bosses. The arrogant and confrontational Alice that Kato saw every day at school resurfaced, and somehow, that made him felt lighter and more hopeful that things would turn out just fine.