"Your Highness Louise, please have some tea."

Clink.

Gracefully holding the tray, Matilda served the steaming teacup to Louise with impeccable etiquette, then respectfully retreated to Lynn's side without a word.

The princess's eyes flickered slightly, yet her gaze remained locked onto that female steward in plain attire with an extremely low presence, perfectly meeting the Sun Clan nobility's requirements for a 'perfect servant.'

‘Matilda. Lynn's female steward.’

Though Louise's face showed no change, her heart was surging with turbulent waves. This woman's sudden appearance instantly reminded the princess of many memories from before her rebirth.

‘The one who accompanied Lynn to the very end in my previous life.’

When everyone else ran off to curry favor with Ivan, that so-called 'Savior,' only Matilda silently stood behind Lynn, never abandoning him. Even as the status of master and servant in the Mage Tower declined day by day, even as Lynn was saddled with enormous debt and a bleak future, Matilda, who clearly possessed outstanding talents, always followed Lynn loyally.

‘Back then, I even thought she was servile, but in the end… Matilda was the one who was right.’

Louise confirmed this fact with a heavy heart.

‘Even after Lynn sacrificed himself to save me from that Legendary Monster, that woman, that woman who was usually so calm and composed, actually…’

Louise closed her eyes slightly. Though it was a matter of a past life, she was now utterly too timid to recall the horrific scene from back then.

‘Sigh. And it was precisely after her death that I realized the ugly true face of that person Ivan.’

Louise sighed softly, as if mocking herself.

‘So... why, why did I have to witness that scene just now?’

She clutched the teacup in extreme agony, her slender arms trembling slightly. Just thinking about opening the door earlier and witnessing the blissful sight of Matilda lying securely in Lynn's arms made Louise feel as if her soul was being torn apart and her whole body in discomfort.

But, but she simply couldn't find any reason to hate Matilda, to hate that woman who was the only one in the previous life who truly understood Lynn's greatness.

‘So unwilling, so unwilling! I-I will not admit defeat.’

Louise abruptly made a firm resolution.

Clink~

A crisp sound pulled Louise back from her painful entanglement. Looking up, she saw the face she yearned for day and night shaking its head with a face full of helplessness.

"Well then, junior." Lynn pointed to the simple furnishings around the room and explained, "Though I know this meager reception doesn't meet the standards of hospitality, my family's situation... well, you're well aware of it."

He wasn't exploiting a personal vendetta, deliberately lowering the reception standard because of Louise's earlier 'betrayal.'

Although as the dignified First Disciple, Prefect, and Student Vice-Chairman, Lynn's dormitory could be considered top-tier by student standards. It was incredibly spacious, covering several hundred square meters. In the Neutral City-States, where land was exorbitantly expensive, its market value was upwards of tens of thousands of Mithril Coins—that is, hundreds of millions of copper coins. Using the original setting where one copper coin equals one yuan of purchasing power, it was undeniably a luxury mansion.

But... the dormitory was just space; the specific arrangement depended on personal finances.

And the Morsol family that Lynn belonged to, not to mention great wealth, could at least be considered utterly destitute. So this vast dormitory space became synonymous with a house empty of any possessions instead.

"It's fine." Louise's gaze slowly moved away from Matilda, murmuring softly in a troubled state of mind, "Anyway, with me around... money or whatever..."

"Anyway, with you around?"

‘What's that supposed to mean?’

Lynn looked at Louise, baffled, then followed her earlier line of sight and glanced to the side, just in time to see his female steward winking and frowning at him, seemingly wanting to say something.

‘Was Louise looking at Matilda just now? Strange, with her arrogant personality, she even looked down on other Sun Clan Arcanists with mediocre strength, let alone a mere Moon Clan member. What was there to pay attention to... Ah! So that's it? My script of The Wicked Profligate Young Master Attempts to Violate the Poor Maid had an effect? So that's why she kept secretly glancing at Matilda just now? Hehehe, I told you so. Playing the villain is much easier than playing the good guy, especially when your opponent is the protagonist; you just need to keep courting disaster. Wanting to win is hard, but wanting to lose? Isn't that a piece of cake?’

Thinking of this, Lynn deliberately pulled Matilda over with a frivolous hand, forcibly dragging the female steward from the corner back to the dining table.

"Is that so? It's good that you don't mind, junior. By the way, didn't you just say that the Saintess will visit the Neutral City-States tomorrow? You can discuss the details with Matilda. After all, I'm still busy cultivating and really don't have much free time. Moreover..." Lynn meaningfully traced his hand gently across Matilda's pure, delicate face tinged with a scholarly air, drawing out his tone as if fondling some precious collectible, "She is my most trusted assistant, my most precious treasure. You can fully trust in her abilities."

Clatter.

The teacup fell to the floor.

"S-sorry..." Louise bent down to pick it up, her body somewhat stiff.

"Your Highness Princess." As a dutiful head maid, Matilda swiftly cleaned up the teacup before Louise could, smoothly taking out a napkin and gently, naturally wiping away the stain, "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine." Louise withdrew her hand as if electrocuted. She was silent for a moment before regaining her composure.

"There's no need for such a fuss and trouble, Matilda. It's not a major matter anyway; it's just confirming the list."

‘Tsk, how tactless.’

Lynn secretly lamented. He had originally wanted to use this opportunity for Matilda and Louise to interact privately and exchange information, so that the steward, who usually suffered so much at his hands, could thoroughly recount his evil deeds to Louise.

‘Speaking of which…’

Lynn secretly scrutinized the female lead opposite him. The princess's complexion seemed a bit pale and tired; she even waved her hand several times before successfully invoking Spatial Arcane Art and taking out that parchment scroll list.

‘Could it be that she was frightened by my shamelessness? Did I overact? That made sense. After all, Louise was only sixteen, usually well-protected by her father Chris, practically a flower raised in a greenhouse. Seeing such cruel teasing of a maid all of a sudden must have been a bit too much for her. Perhaps I should tone it down a bit?’

So Lynn casually scanned the parchment scroll a few times and found no issues whatsoever.

"Oh?"

After confirming the list, a sudden idea struck Lynn.

‘In the original work, the Saintess didn't have much plot relevance at the official reception. After all, at that time, the protagonist Ivan was merely a Menial Disciple. It was two weeks later, after the Saintess concluded diplomatic talks with the Supreme Council of the Neutral City-States and proposed visits to each academy, that she came into contact with Ivan. At that time, Ivan happened to be dueling a few villainous side characters and awakened his Indestructible Body. Consequently, the Saintess saw through him at a glance—that talent was remarkably similar to the Savior prophesied by the Holy Cross Church, even leading to the Secret Realm Exploration quest…’

What if he moved up the timeline?

‘Hehehe, after all, the protagonist is currently my servant in name. A Sun Clan noble bringing a servant to a banquet is only natural, right?’

By then, not only could he find a way to let the protagonist show his face before the Saintess, but he could even make him 'infamous' in one go in front of the Supreme Council of the Neutral City-States and even the high-ranking members of other countries?

Tsk tsk.

Thinking of the Magic Crystal Coin reward he'd just earned, Lynn hardly dared to imagine how generous the reward would be if this plan succeeded.

Scribble scribble scribble.

Better to act immediately than to just daydream. With the speed of lightning, Lynn added the name Ivan in large letters at the end of the parchment scroll, and even thoughtfully appended Sophie alongside.

Unlike the troublesome Louise, that new student was quite competent. With her around to help, everything would be foolproof!

Lynn couldn't help but applaud his own cleverness.

"I-Ivan?" Louise saw the name Lynn added, her expression somewhat stunned.

"Hehehe, as a broad-minded Sun Clan master, isn't it only right to give my junior a chance to see the world a bit?" Lynn revealed a wicked, treacherous grin, the spitting image of a villain plotting against the protagonist behind the scenes, utterly oblivious to his impending doom.

"So that's it?" Louise nodded abruptly.

‘Right, so Lynn had indeed seen through the problems of Ivan and was even planning to deal with him immediately? As expected of the man I, Louise, have taken a fancy to! To make him eternally damned and never able to rise again directly at a diplomatic occasion?’

A blazing fighting spirit ignited in Louise's eyes.

"I understand." Taking back the parchment, Louise nodded emphatically.

"I will report to my father."

‘Oh? Is she going to bring reinforcements? As expected, she's shocked by my shamelessness, right? Not only did I harass the maid right in front of her, but I'm also not planning to let that Ivan off? Hehe, with the criticism of his own daughter, surely Mentor Chris will see my true colors sooner or later? When the time comes, all I need to do is use the villain's standpoint, give the protagonist some resources to slap his face back, act well as his stepping stone. Perhaps I can even complete the role in advance and collect my reward? Good luck, Ivan!’

Lynn silently cheered for the protagonist.

"Well then, Senior, I will take my leave now."

Thump.

Louise hurriedly closed the door, just as she had hurriedly come.

"...Master." Watching Louise's receding figure, Matilda looked at Lynn with a complicated expression.

"What's wrong?" Lynn chuckled.

"Was my performance just now too scary for you? Ah, you wouldn't understand. This is my secret plan."

"Master, you are truly an idiot." Matilda sighed deeply.

‘Young Master Lynn... he really didn't see through it, did he? However…’

Matilda walked to the side and pulled a thick book from one of the few pieces of furniture, the bookshelf.

The Genealogy of Royal Blood, the authoritative social handbook of the Neutral City-States that records the orthodox golden royal bloodlines of the continent and introduces the historical inheritance, bloodline secret arts, territories, and family trees of each major noble house.

‘Emerald Alliance, Bauhinia Kingdom, found it.’

Matilda stroked her chin.

‘Although that idiot master hasn't grasped the situation, judging from Miss Louise's performance just now... there's a good chance? If the master marries that princess…’

Surely it would quickly restore House Morsol and clear its debts—including her family's, right?

‘Sigh. But…’

Matilda recalled the master's 'rudeness' towards Louise just now and felt an inexplicable heaviness in her heart.

‘The most precious treasure?’

Matilda placed the thick volume back on the bookshelf, shaking her head forcefully with a conflicted expression and murmuring, "Forget it. Let's first help the master sort out the intelligence on the Holy Cross Kingdom's delegation. Starting with the Saintess."

That was the Saintess of the Holy Cross Kingdom, of the Kilan family, a top-tier noble house ranked far above even Morsol or the Bauhinia family in the Genealogy of Royal Blood, second only to the Supreme King's family of the Myriad Laws Empire across the entire continent.

‘Why would a noble lady of such status suddenly come on an envoy mission to the Neutral City-States? Whatever. When the sky falls, tall people—like Young Master Lynn—will hold it up~’

* * *

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of the Neutral City-States.

Clatter clatter.

A luxurious carriage, driven by four unicorns fluttering their wings and soaring high, was racing at extreme speed through the sky.

"Achoo!"

A graceful figure clad in a pure white robe, completely concealing her features yet unable to hide her holy aura, let out a sneeze.

‘Who is it, thinking of me?’

The girl gently reached out to caress the book in her hands, the Genealogy of Royal Blood.

‘Is it you, Lynn?’

The golden sunlight pierced through the robe, illuminating her golden hair which shimmered with a dazzling luster.

"Your Highness Saintess, we are about to arrive at the Neutral City-States."

An old woman beside the carriage window respectfully reminded her.

However, the usually amiable Saintess did not pay attention to her attendant's reminder this time. She only stared absently at an inconspicuous name in the corner of the book she clutched tightly.

‘Lynn de Morsol. The person I let down the most in my previous life. And now, the God of Light has granted me the chance to make up for my own mistakes.’

The Saintess's nose stung with emotion.

Patter.

Two streams of hot tears gently traced down her cheeks and fell onto the paper.