Chapter 24: let it simmer

Silence.

When Char uttered those words, the entire floor fell into silence once again. Before they could fully process the weight of his challenge to Angelica, they were struck by another bombshell of news.

What kind of punishment should be imposed for publicly insulting the daughter of a grand duke?

There was no explicit provision for such a punishment in the imperial law.

However, in Angelica's mind, the moment he uttered that word, he had already been sentenced to death.

And true to her expectation...

As soon as Char's words fell, an intense and almost tangible wave of chilling coldness surged forth, akin to a blizzard, spreading in all directions!

All the students on this floor felt as if they were suddenly transported to the heart of the northern polar region, engulfed in an absolute zero-like bone-chilling cold that made them instinctively hug themselves, shivering uncontrollably.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

They initially thought it was just an illusion caused by extreme cold.

But as the sound reached the ears of most people, they glanced at each other and couldn't help but lift their heads, searching for the source of the noise in their surroundings.

Then they were astonished to find that on the windows, walls, and even the floor, wherever it was smooth and even, a thin layer of ice began to form. It spread slowly like maggots gnawing at bones, exhibiting a trend of freezing this place solid.

It was only the beginning of autumn, still far away from winter, yet this phenomenon, defying the change of seasons, appeared so easily here.

Could such a terrifying transformation occur from just an overflow of magic power?

And the instigator of this phenomenon stood at the entrance of Char's apartment with an icy expression.

Angelica's current mood was extremely, extremely, extremely bad.

A faint shimmering blue light enveloped her, and the turbulent outpouring of magic lifted her short hair gently. Her rose-colored mage robe, tailored to fit her figure, moved without wind. She looked like a queen in the midst of ice and snow, capable of effortlessly commanding and controlling the element of cold.

The Eternal Frost Magic, a powerful spell for which the Althia family from the Northern Duchy was renowned. That land was perpetually freezing, covered in frozen soil and snowstorms.

This type of magic is as cruel and chilling as the weather there, capable of ruthlessly depriving lives but freezing them in the moment before death.

"I suddenly have some appreciation for you," Angelica's beautiful eyes narrowed and turned icy, revealing a hint of playfulness and amusement, but within that smile, there was unmistakable cruelty. "To be arrogantly ignorant to such an extent, honestly, it's a kind of ability."

"In that case, three days from now, I will be prepared with a magical contract waiting for you in the arena. The wager will be the title of Viscount Adelaide. If you lose, you will willingly renounce your inheritance rights and leave the capital, returning to that poor and rundown village for the rest of your life, never taking a single step outside."

"This is the punishment for your lack of restraint and insults towards me."

"But what if I win?"

Char didn't answer. He took a step forward, blocking Dahlia from the approaching cold breath.

Angelica took a step forward, closing the distance once again. She lightly tapped her lower lip with her finger, looking puzzled and lost in thought. "Oh right, what if you miraculously win? What then?"

"Well, what you're currently thinking is that you'll catch me off guard by using your hidden true strength combined with some peculiar magical items to secure a victory, right?"

"Hmm, let me guess... a quasi-knight? One-star or two-star?"

As she spoke, she glanced at the ancient charm in Char's hand, as if implying that she knew everything.

"?! "

Upon hearing her words, a fleeting moment of surprise flashed across Char's face. The smile at the corner of his mouth gradually disappeared, and his hand, adorned with the Veil of Concealment, instinctively moved to hide it behind his back.

It seemed as if Angelica had pierced through his innermost thoughts.

Although he quickly realized what was happening, his expression returned to calm, and he gazed at Angelica with a deep and enigmatic look. However, the expression that had briefly surfaced in that moment couldn't deceive the other party.

The surrounding students, upon hearing this conversation and observing Char's reaction, displayed looks of astonishment.

In their daily lives, Char's knight training had always received praise from his mentor, and in a recent test, he had even achieved the level of a five-star knight's attendant. He was undoubtedly one of the outstanding students in the first year.

Could it be that this guy had already broken through to the quasi-knight level and was waiting for an opportunity to strike?

Judging from his expression and Angelica's clearly investigative tone, it was almost certain.

Although he couldn't compare to those monstrous geniuses, he was still considered promising for the future.

Many people sighed inwardly.

He was clearly a genius, so why did he choose the path of challenging the impossible?

They couldn't understand.

As they witnessed his current state, Angelica's expression also quickly turned cold, as if she had unraveled Char's deepest secret, finding it rather dull and uninteresting.

"To conceal your true strength and wait for an opportunity to challenge me, hoping to turn the tide and reclaim your inheritance rights by capitalizing on my underestimation of you. For someone with no foundation, it's a decent strategy, albeit the only one."

"But, it's just decent."

"Sometimes, in the face of the absolute gap between lineage and talent, your clever tricks are simply insignificant."

"I hope that three days from now, the capital will no longer have a person named Char Adelaide."

She gave Char one last glance before turning around with a cold expression and leaving, accompanied by Nia and the other members.

As they were leaving, Nia glanced at Char expressionlessly, remained silent for two seconds, and then bowed to him like a puppet. "Goodbye, elder brother."

They came in a grand manner, and they left in the same manner.

...

Once the people in the corridor gradually dispersed, Char finally closed the door to his apartment.

Recalling Angelica's words just now, he couldn't help but admire the investigative abilities of the Althia family.

Even though he had never revealed his strength surpassing that of a knight's attendant before, Angelica still deduced from certain information that he was concealing his true abilities.

Fortunately, back then, he was only a quasi-knight, or else he might have exposed even more.

But it was even more outrageous how accurately Angelica looked at the ancient charm on his body.

He had only recently killed someone, and the news hadn't spread yet. Even if Angelica had orchestrated it, she shouldn't have known so quickly.

In that case, she probably had some magical device on her that could detect magical items.

Seeing Char remaining silent, Dahlia grew worried. She took the initiative to approach him and embraced him, saying, "Master... Are you okay?"

Seeing the reaction just now, she easily made some unfavorable speculations.

Could it be that the young master's trump cards were all exposed by that woman?

Such worries faintly lingered in Dahlia's heart.

As for how much of her concern stemmed from her desire to be close to Char, we cannot ascertain.

Upon hearing her words, Char paused for a moment, then turned around. The defeated and incredulous expression on his face from earlier disappeared, replaced by his usual calm and unflappable smile.

"Don't worry, I deliberately put on a show to deceive her and the bystanders," he said, snapping his fingers lightly and smiling. "Well then, Miss Maid, please help me prepare my clothes. I will be paying a visit to Mr. Sitar later."

"Speaking of which, I have to thank Angelica. She actually scheduled it for three days from now, just as I had envisioned."

Char took off his shirt, rummaged in his pocket, and found the small white flower that Irene had given him. Without much thought, he casually placed it in the vase on the table.

"Is there any special significance to three days from now?" Dahlia asked as she helped him change clothes.

Of course, after finishing dressing him, she embraced Char once again.

Feeling the incredible softness of his maid's bosom against his chest, Char slightly stretched his back before saying, "It's good to let things simmer for a while and allow more people to become aware of this battle. It's beneficial for me."

"Why is that?"

Noticing Char's movement, a slight curve formed at the corner of Dahlia's mouth as she tightened her arms around him, pretending to be innocent as she asked.

Char sighed, "The more exposure and the more high-ranking individuals who come to witness it, the more value there is in what I demonstrate. When facing noble families like the Althia, it's impossible to successfully reclaim my title relying solely on my own efforts."

"Oh..." Dahlia responded vaguely, unsure if she had fully grasped his words.

"By the way, Dahlia, do you know that your breasts are quite large?"

"Of course, young master."

"Then... for these three days only, can you let me focus on preparing for the battle without any distractions?"