The gala came to an end. Some of the older guests went to back rooms with one excuse or another. While their elders moved alone or in groups to arrange business deals with the Hook, the younger generation slowly dispersed.

Wolf was about to leave with Wayde when suddenly he saw Madam Didot wave at him to come over. Wayde stood in place for a moment, but since the mistress of the house didn’t even spare him a glance he took his cue and left.

Wolf walked over and bowed respectfully to Anna’s mother.

“Young man, are you the Mage Academy prodigy my daughter had told me about?” The woman gave him a warm smile, but her eyes failed to hide the cold contempt and even outright hatred she felt for Wolf.

The young man saw the coldness and distrust in that gaze. But he also saw the woman’s worry for her daughter.

“I am,” Wolf confirmed calmly without any modesty, false or otherwise.

Madam Didot was left speechless. She didn’t know what to say after hearing this response.

When people say that you’re a prodigy you should act humble, not just say yes. Madam Didot thought, falling silent for a moment before bending over so that her and Wolf’s eyes were at the same level.

Because of Margaret’s deep cleavage, Wolf saw everything. The young man nervously gulped.

She’s not wearing a brassiere! Wolf thought, wanting to avert his gaze, but his feasting eyes refused to listen and just kept staring at the deep pink spots. With how much Anna had teased him tonight Wolf struggled with all he had not to embarrass himself even more.

“It’s good when youths are bold, but you should also be careful of overconfidence. It might get you laid,” the woman whispered seductively then paused.

“To rest I mean,” she continued. “I heard a rumor saying you took a mission to kill two elite assassins all on your own.”

The woman had just winked at Wolf, licking her succulent red lips when a man came to Wolf’s rescue.

“Now, now Margaret,” Edwin said in a jovial, carefree tone, causing the woman to jolt and straighten immediately. “You should leave the youth alone. If a man believes he can accomplish something then by all means he should give it his best. In a sense that’s the essence of being a man. Am I right, young Wolf?”

As Edwin Didot walked over he gave his missus a loving glance before he continued addressing Wolf.

“I heard some very nice things about you from Bella. While we’re at it, I would like to thank you for helping her out at school. I’m Edwin, Bella’s father, I didn’t have much time for a proper introduction when you first came in,” the Baron said and firmly shook Wolf’s hand.

“Pleased to meet you, Lord Edwin,” Wolf said with an awkward smile.

This man had sent killers after him years ago without knowing or even caring about what had happened. Even though that smile was genuinely happy and easygoing, Wolf couldn’t relax.

“You can call me Edwin, there’s no need to put up any distance.” While speaking with Wolf, Edwin flashed his wife a sharp look to drive her away, but the woman wouldn’t budge.

You want to sell my daughter to a peasant for a handful of benefits, just like my father had done? Well, I’ll fight you with everything I’ve got. Even though that’s what Margaret thought, she didn’t dare say anything aloud.

She simply nodded. In public she had to act according to her social standing and couldn’t openly defy her husband. Even in private, acts of defiance against Edwin the Hook meant at least a brutal slap, but for her daughter not to go through the same kind of horrors as her, she’d take a beating.

“I believe Bella mentioned something about grabbing a cup of tea with you in the guest wing?” the man said, changing his tactic. “You two should have fun and not mind us old folks.”

Edwin then smiled and forcefully took his wife’s arm. He slowly walked out of the room, dragging Margaret as he did. As soon as they were out of sight a pretty young maid walked over to Wolf and led him to the guest wing.

“You know what he’s going to do to our daughter, don’t you?” Margaret hissed as Edwin dragged her into a private room.

*Pa!*

Edwin viciously smacked Margaret as soon as he’d closed the door.

“What were you doing, you two copper whore?” the smooth man who appeared harmless growled murderously. “Waving your tits in front of your son-in-law.”

“He will never be my daughter’s husband—” Margaret’s scream was cut short by a foot to her gut.

“Shut up,” Edwin hissed as he kept kicking the curled up woman. “He’s a Mage, he might hear you. Gods damn you, your head really is made for fucking, not for thinking.”

“He’s just a damn beggar,” the woman cried indignantly between the blows. “My daughter deserves better!”

“If she was only your daughter your family would’ve sold her to a whorehouse,” Edwin said as he stopped beating the poor woman.

“You think I don’t know what you tried to pull?” he continued calmly as if nothing had happened. “You think sucking his dick would save your daughter? You think my daughter needs saving? If something like this happens again, you will disappear from the face of the world. You’ll beg for death by the time my men are done with you.”

Edwin said without batting an eye, and Margaret shuddered.

The scenes of all the serving women, which Edwin had used as an example of what awaited her if she went too far out of line, flashed before her eyes.

“But Anna—” she gasped weakly.

“But Anna what?” he asked with a smirk. “Weren’t you the one that taught our daughter how to act like a woman? I’m not blind you know. I saw how you saved her face on the dance floor. She’d need it after following another stupid advice of yours.”

Edwin might not have been a Mage, but his eyes and mind were keen enough to figure out what was happening on the dance-floor.

“I was saving her honor,” Margaret sobbed. “I taught her how to draw in a man before I knew she had a perverse interest in beggars! If I had known who her man was going to be, I would’ve told her to bite it off as soon as she had it in her mouth!”

The woman started shouting again, only for a foot to slam into her stomach once more.

“Do you really want more servants to be used as an example for your stupid ass?” Edwin asked calmly. “You do know that if any of them heard you badmouthing that youth I’d have to silence them before they become a liability.”

Edwin crouched and grabbed his wife’s face in his hand, forcing her to look at him. The look of open hatred and defiance she’d given him made him smirk at her powerlessness.

“Don’t worry, she’s my daughter too, not just a dumb two copper whore’s,” he assured the woman. “She knows that if she lets him pop her that would be the end of her future as a Mage. Not that she has any future in that trade.

“What can a virgin brat do? Kiss her a couple of times? Grope her a bit? At worst OUR daughter will do things YOU taught her. So, even if this kid is a failure, she’d be perfectly fine to marry another man.”

As Edwin said all those vile things, Margaret struggled to free herself or at least bite the bastard’s leg. All she managed to do was get hit a dozen more times before lying limply on the ground like a dead dog.

“And I was in such a fine mood when the evening started,” Edwin said as he moved to leave the room. “You know, I caught wind of a rumor going around the castle. The Duke wants to hire this kid as an official Court Mage. That would make him a Viscount and someone an heir of a ruined house could only dream of marrying.”

With those words Edwin the Hook left his beaten wife on the ground and walked out of the room.

Hearing that tone and the door closing, Margaret smiled just a bit. At least the hateful bastard wouldn’t touch her tonight.

She hated the scum. She’d hated him ever since her parents sold her off to a commoner thug for money. She hated her parents who sacrificed her future as soon as she was free to have one.

Margaret recalled how she wanted to kill him and then kill herself on their wedding night, but she lacked the courage. If she’d done it, the rest of her family would still be alive. However, she didn’t feel much sympathy for the people who treated her like a thing. In fact she was happy when she’d heard that her father and mother had suddenly died.

As she lay on the ground, the woman wondered whether her mother fought for her like this in secret, or whether her fighting spirit was beaten out of her when she was a child. After a moment she assured herself her mother was just a bitch looking for money to live an easy life and didn’t care about her one bit.

Will Anna think this when that brute abuses her? Will she hate me? she despaired. I have to do something to keep them away from each other, but what can I do? Why did she fall for the beggar, when a potential Duke is standing right there in front of her? What can I do? What can I do?

***

While Edwin was brutally beating his wife, the daughter he had complete faith in was sitting alone with Wolf in a parlor. Now that she’d sobered up and that she was alone with Wolf, she wanted to die from embarrassment. When they sat down, Anna let Wolf choose his chair first and then seated herself across the table from him.

The maid and any other staff which might come to her aid had left the guest wing as soon as they’d served the tea and a late night snack for their Young Miss and her guest.

Even though the building was called a guest wing, in reality it was a perfectly functional structure separate from the main villa. Most people wouldn’t hesitate to call it a mansion. A huge mansion, which right now only had two occupants.

Anna and Wolf sipped tea quietly, both of them unsure of what to do next and with no idea how to make the first step. They didn’t even know what that step should be for that matter.

During the party Anna acted boldly. She was excited, slightly intoxicated and she felt safe with people all around her, since Wolf couldn’t really do anything in the crowded venue.

Now that fear and uncertainty had replaced her boldness and drunken courage she sat with her legs tightly crossed. She was all alone. Alone with Wolf. Just thinking of all the things she’d said and wanted to say while tempting Wolf turned her face even redder from embarrassment.

“Wolf,” Anna finally started sheepishly when she’d run out of tea.

“I, I want to become a higher Order Mage,” she managed to say these words, resisting the urge to bury her face into the expensive armchair she was sitting in.

Fortunately, Wolf immediately knew what Anna had meant and the birthday girl didn’t have to go into embarrassing details.

Wolf was aware of Anna’s desire, and just like Edwin, he knew how unreasonable her aspiration was. Anna’s natural talent was much worse than Frida’s and the woman had already had children. Even if Anna had all the money in the world, best tutors, resources and dedicated her life to magic, it was uncertain whether she’d be able to reach even the Seventh Order, which was the bare minimum to be considered a higher Order Mage.

If Anna were to have a child right now, she wouldn’t even reach the Fifth Order, let alone become a higher Order Mage, Wolf thought, then smiled with self ridicule. Well, it’s not like I can have children, so the two of us make a wonderful pair.

“It’s easier for you boys. Losing your virginity doesn’t break anything, nor leave scars— Only if you become fathers—” Anna started talking gibberish after seeing Wolf’s weird smile.

She almost immediately realized that she was speaking nonsense, but somehow she didn’t know how to stop herself.

“But you don’t have to worry. I won’t be unreasonable, nor mistreat you. Mother explained some things to me. I can make you feel good even,” she faltered.

Anna had no idea how to say what she needed to say, so she just closed her eyes tightly and kept on talking.

“…even if I stay a virgin.” She squeaked out the last bit in a weak whisper.

Women who went down the path of a Mage had a difficult road ahead of them if they really wanted to pursue this career.

Especially because of the pressure from their family and society in general as they aged. Anna knew this, but now that this had become her reality as well, it was a completely different story compared to just being aware of the issue.

She downed her cup of tea, not even noticing her cup was already empty. She stood up with determination, making sure her back was facing Wolf. Then she took off her garments and undergarments and turned to face the man she had chosen as her life’s partner.

“What are you doing! Get your clothes off,” Anna said, her face red, but she smiled, enjoying Wolf’s transfixed stare.

That stunned gaze did wonders for Anna’s ego, but at the same time made her feel uncomfortable and exposed.

Women are evil! That dress was so heavily padded, Wolf thought in shock as he gaped at the nude body in front of him.

However, Anna’s excited shout snapped him out of the thought. Unlike Anna, Wolf simply stored his clothes into his Ring of Holding, making it look as if his clothes had disappeared into thin air.