Chapter 59: I Also Want to Beco Your Disciple!
In an instant, the atmosphere around them dropped to freezing point, as though swords had been drawn.
Many guests had witnessed the confrontation between Viktor and Jess Rether.
Viktor had even invoked Magic to warn Jess.
Jess Rether's expression was extrely unpleasant. Being publicly humiliated left him feeling utterly suffocated.
But that wasn't the main issue. What Jess desperately wanted to know was what kind of relationship Viktor had with Her Highness the Princess—and why His Majesty had been so comfortable leaving the Princess alone with Viktor.
Gwen had also witnessed the scene. She gathered her trailing skirt and was about to march over, only to be hastily pulled back by Kavra, who had been watching from the side.
"Hey, hey—Little Gwen! What are you going over there for?"
"To stop those two."
"Don't go over there and make things worse."
Kavra successfully dragged her back. Looking at the puffed-up expression on Gwen's face, she could tell Gwen was stewing inside.
Gwen naturally knew who that eldest son of the Rether Family was.
The mont she saw him deliberately seeking out Viktor and stirring up this much commotion, Gwen had already grown displeased.
Why should he? The Rether Family had committed such a grave mistake, and yet here he was, still coming to pick a fight with Viktor.
What was even more outrageous—the people around them were simply watching.
Gwen was indignant, but with her sister holding her back, she had no choice but to stop.
She turned away in sullen frustration and stord off, step by step, to drink.
Erika, on the other hand, kept glancing at Gwen. Watching Gwen's angry display, she was rather curious.
She tugged at Kavra's sleeve and quietly asked:
"Kavra Sis, Miss Gwen, she……"
After the battle against the Demon, Kavra and Erika's relationship had ward rapidly. Despite their considerable age gap, they were comrades who had faced death together.
"She looks a little angry? Naturally she does."
Kavra said with a grin:
"Seeing your fiancé get deliberately provoked—how could you not be angry?"
"Oh, so that's it!"
Erika had a mont of sudden understanding, and breathed a small sigh of relief at the sa ti.
What was all that about—turns out it's a fiancé. Good thing it's not a couple……
"Huh???"
Erika blinked.
"Fiancé?"
"Mm, fiancé."
Kavra nodded with a smile.
Seeing Kavra confirm it so matter-of-factly, Erika clutched her own head.
She then heard Kavra continue:
"Ah, not that many people actually know about this—after all, both of them are quite low-key. But the generation of your father basically all have so idea."
"What's wrong? You look like you're in a bad mood."
Kavra asked with concern, gently patting Erika's head.
"It's……it's nothing."
Erika's mood quietly sank in a way she couldn't quite articulate.
She just felt, vaguely, slightly irritated.
Kavra watched her with a smile, letting out an inward sigh.
Although Erika had been through the grand spectacle of life and death.
Strictly speaking, she was still a child.
Her thoughts were far too easy to read. With a single glance, Kavra could see the admiration Erika held for Viktor.
Mixed in with that admiration might be sothing else entirely.
If that was the case—before that feeling had ti to fernt, before the teacher-student dynamic between the two had a chance to sour—
Firmly cutting off Erika's thoughts now was undoubtedly the best choice.
Besides, she truly believed in her little sister.
Even though Viktor's character was rather poor, his ability was absolutely real, and he knew how to make money.
Just thinking about the 8,000 Geo she had spent after being saved by him, she felt inexplicably displeased.
That man was simply a business genius.
She supposed she finally understood why so many people resented Viktor.
That said, Kavra was only joking to herself.
Her little sister's future husband was this capable—there was no way she'd let him end up with soone else.
While she and Erika were chatting, things over on Viktor's side had grown lively again.
Jess was now extrely frustrated.
His face flushed red, and his emotions grew agitated.
He began to confront Viktor:
"Get lost? What gives you the right to tell to get lost?"
"He does, actually."
A voice rang out from within the crowd. The Second Prince, wearing a mild smile, parted through the crowd and stepped forward.
The people around them, upon seeing the Second Prince appear, imdiately broke into murmurs:
"Why has His Highness the Second Prince co over?"
"Who knows—surely he hasn't co to side with Viktor, has he?"
The crowd speculated about the Second Prince's intentions, while the Second Prince himself remained completely composed.
He glanced at his little sister, who had ducked behind Viktor's back, and gave a slight frown. He let out a quiet sigh, then addressed Jess Rether:
"Cousin Jess, I understand your feelings, but that is not a reason for you to co here deliberately picking a fight."
"Your manner has frightened Little Sister sowhat."
Jess Rether looked at the Princess. Seeing Auréliane shrinking back slightly, not daring to et his eyes, the rush of heat clouding his mind began to clear sowhat.
But he was still unhappy as he said:
"If Her Highness the Princess wants to leave, I'll naturally go—but what standing does Viktor have to tell to get lost?"
The Rether Family's contributions to the Imperial Household were no small thing. It was absolutely not sothing the Clavena Family could trample on simply because of one Demon battle.
That was what Jess was thinking—when he heard the Second Prince narrow his eyes, his tone taking on a slight edge.
"Jess."
The Second Prince no longer addressed him as Cousin. His voice carried a hint of displeasure:
"Mister Viktor is the Magic instructor personally appointed by the Emperor himself for Little Sister."
Shh!
The entire hall erupted in an uproar.
"Viktor actually beca Her Highness the Princess's private instructor!?"
"No wonder he could accompany His Majesty—hasn't he completely tied himself to the Imperial Family now?"
Gwen, who had been drinking alone not far away, also heard the news and instantly spat out the wine in her mouth.
"Huh? Viktor? He's Her Highness the Princess's Private Magic Instructor!?"
Kavra too, upon hearing the news, was struck dumb. The smile on her face slowly froze.
This was no ordinary matter.
Instructors ca in different tiers.
If it were rely a lecturer from the Academy, it would naturally not be enough to shock the nobility like this.
But Viktor had been personally selected by the Emperor as the Princess's instructor.
Strictly speaking, this now constituted a true relationship between Master and Disciple.
As the teacher of Her Highness the Princess, Viktor could, strictly speaking, even influence the Princess's future.
And so, a new question arose among those present.
A position this important—had the Emperor entrusted it to the right person?
He was beyond the right person!
Setting aside the fact that Viktor was already a Senior Professor at the Royal Magic Academy and thus already belonged to the Empire—
The youngest 4th-Tier Saint Mage in history alone was proof enough of his genius!
Before Viktor, no one would ever have believed a Mage could reach this tier before the age of thirty.
Viktor's na as a genius had broken Empire records one after another.
If he wasn't the right person, then there was simply no one who was.
"Originally, Father planned to announce this to the entire city the following day. But by ntioning it early, I can at least give everyone here a mont to prepare yourselves."
"So—Mister Viktor's word is Little Sister's word. Jess, do you understand?"
The Second Prince explained everything with a light smile.
Hearing this, Jess Rether's expression turned dark. Unable to accept it, he gritted his teeth, shot Viktor a glare, let out a resentful snort, and stord off in a swirl of sleeves.
He had gotten lost. The atmosphere around them was no longer quiet.
The nobility began to murmur amongst themselves, heads bowing together in whispered conversation. The entire banquet had taken on a completely different character.
Everyone had co to realize—Viktor had beco Her Highness the Princess's teacher.
Viktor had risen yet again in rank. The Clavena Family could truly be called a family in its ascendancy.
The Second Prince had personally appeared to defuse the situation for Viktor, then proactively announced Viktor's teacher-student relationship with the Princess.
Among those capable of holding a noble title and attending this banquet, there were very few fools.
First he had accompanied His Majesty, and now one of the Imperial heirs was extending goodwill.
In this mont, everyone felt a wave of breathlessness wash over them.
Leah had just co out of the washroom. She smoothed out her gown, noticed the atmosphere in the banquet hall was sowhat off, and was utterly baffled.
What was going on? Why was the Second Prince standing beside Viktor?
She hadn't seen the scene from the beginning, and felt a little puzzled.
Could the Second Prince already be planning to draw Viktor in as an ally?
The Second Prince gave Viktor a slight smile of acknowledgent.
"I apologize for the situation that arose. Viktor, Viscount…… sorry, it's Count now."
"I offer my apologies for Cousin Jess's rash behavior."
He gave a slight bow, offered his apology, and without waiting to see whether Viktor would respond, turned and departed briskly.
As though he had co simply to defuse the situation for Viktor—to let him gain a little prestige in front of the guests.
He hadn't even stayed to say anything further.
Watching the Second Prince depart, the guests gradually dispersed as well, each returning to whatever they had been doing.
Quite a few young nobles were now looking at Viktor with strange expressions.
They very much wanted to walk over and greet Viktor—but thinking back to how Viktor had treated Jess just now, none of them dared go over and court unpleasantness.
By contrast, Leah beca the target of many people's attempts at conversation.
"Miss Leah."
Hearing the voice, Leah turned to see several nobles walking toward her.
She put on her habitual polite smile.
"I'm Hanser. These two are Mister Tick and Madam Annie."
Leah smiled amiably in return, shaking hands with each of them in turn.
Leah handled these nobles with practiced ease.
While making conversation, she kept shooting glances over toward Viktor in quiet exasperation.
She could see Viktor sitting expressionlessly in a corner, not a single person daring to go chat with him—and felt a sudden pang of envy.
Just put on a Poker Face and be left in complete peace. How wonderful.
Sigh.
Thinking this, Leah let out a heavy sigh, quickly composed herself, forced a smile back onto her face, and resud chatting with the nobles.
Kavra leaned against Erika's side, clicking her tongue in wonder.
"Who would've thought—Viktor actually got himself tangled up with the Imperial Family."
"Her Highness the Princess's teacher, no less. I've heard the Princess has quite good talent too. I wonder if that's true."
As she was talking, Kavra noticed Gwen on the other side—her cheeks faintly flushed, the look of soone who had clearly drunk a little too much. With an exasperated sigh, she walked over and firmly snatched the goblet from Gwen's hand.
"Alright, alright, Little Gwen, that's enough."
"If you drink too much, there'll be no one to take care of you."
Only Erika was left standing in place, staring blankly at Viktor in the corner.
Beside him was Her Highness the Princess. She didn't seem to dislike Viktor at all—while talking with him, she was actually smiling.
And Viktor? Still that sa Poker Face. No change whatsoever.
As though sothing had occurred to her, Erika snapped back to her senses and walked toward Viktor's direction.
The Duke had been standing nearby the entire ti. He saw Erika's movent, couldn't help but let out a sigh, shook his head, and turned back to chat with the nobles beside him.
"Mister Viktor, thank you so much……"
"That…… Professor."
While Her Highness the Princess and Viktor were talking, an ill-tid voice cut in.
Both the Princess and Viktor turned toward the source.
Erika pressed her tightly balled fist against her chest, her cheeks flushing faintly red.
As though she had made so kind of decision, she lowered her head and said boldly:
"I also want to beco stronger!"
"I also want—to take you as my Master!"
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