While Annabelle left, not bothering to dwell on the obvious implications of her brother''s statement... leaving the mess he created for him to resolve.

    After all, he was the one who decided to pursue a relationship with the mother of his classmate.

    But for others, it was more than just shocking... Eva, Sophia, and most of all Olivia, who was actually hiding her strength, couldn''t help but react.

    ''How did he find out?''

    ''Could he really have some abilities even I can''t detect?''

    ''No, wait. Is he bluffing? Was it a careless statement, one he doesn''t even understand the meaning of?''

    As Olivia stood frozen, trying to find every possible excuse to explain Christian''s shocking statement, Sophia, on the other hand, didn''t bother overthinking it once she came back to her senses. To her, it didn''t matter even if it was true. If anything, it was better that her young miss was stronger, and her role wouldn''t change anyway.

    But for Eva? It was not the same... it was not merely a light statement. It was a revelation, as she had an unshakable faith in Christian and his ability.

    She knew there was no way he could possibly be wrong. So, forgetting her earlier embarrassment and even her current position, she looked at her daughter and, finding it hard to understand why she felt the need to do that, asked, "Why were you hiding your strength?"

    ''Why was she hiding her progress?'' Naturally, there were many reasons for that.

    Starting from her earnest wish to take everyone by surprise and fulfill her mother''s desire to not be restricted by anyone, to become truly free. To her more selfish desire for her mother to hold even the tiniest expectation of her when she discovered her true abilities.

    Everyone born into families like hers, where so much is demanded, is often crushed under the weight of expectations. But for her, even though she bore the expectations of everyone around her, the one person she desperately wanted to hold even the slightest expectation of her... didn''t. So, in the end, it really didn''t matter.

    She had always received from her mother... affection, warmth, and even material things, so she had always wanted to give something back, even if it was just a small gesture. That''s why she continued going to school, even after discovering the kind of talent she possessed, even when she felt it was a complete waste of time, as she could have easily dedicated that time to training, and if there was something she really needed to learn, she could have just hired tutors.

    That''s also why she tried to make friends, even when she felt they were all inferior to her and not even on the same level.

    It was all because her mother still regretted not being able to attend school and hoped her daughter could do what she couldn''t. So, she did it.

    In the end, knowing he had made her stay here all this time without letting her go out was probably for this reason, she returned her gaze to her cousin and said, "No, it''s fine to have it here."

    The move Eva made didn''t go unnoticed by Liora, who, with a sense of satisfaction, thought that maybe her smart cousin had finally lost her mind.

    With a gaze that seemed to hold even more kindness now, Liora nodded and turned her head toward Olivia. Like Sophia, who had already left the room, Olivia finally caught on to the meaning of her aunt''s gaze, clenched her hand tightly, and began walking, leaving the room.

    With the room finally silent, Liora, instead of looking at Christian and giving him the commanding gaze she thought she had, stared at her cousin, who wore a troubled expression.

    As time passed without anyone speaking, Christian finally broke the silence. "If it''s anything related to your rotten Ashvale family, feel free to say whatever you want in my presence. I''ve already heard everything anyway."

    Liora''s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly provoked, but she remained steadfast. She wasn''t about to lower herself any further by responding to this kind of trash in such a place. She kept her mouth shut and simply stared at Eva.

    Christian, feeling how much of a big shit she thought she was, especially when she hadn''t even bothered to ask the owner of the house for any kind of permission, finally decided to take a step back.

    There was no need for a clash with the Ashvale family at this moment... at least, not yet.

    With that, Christian carried Eva to the side, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and left the living room. As soon as he stepped out, he pulled his phone from his pocket and messaged Eva though, asking, "Can I listen to the conversation?"

    As she made sure, that plebeian had really gone away and wasn''t eavesdropping, Liora shifted her gaze back to Eva and, filled with distaste, said, "After all this time, was that thing really your choice?"

    ''Were your eyes really that bad?'' While Eva wondered, as her mood worsened by this starting remark. Knowing that she wouldn''t have to listen to them for much longer, she tried to reign in her emotions.

    Buzz.

    Noticing the vibration of her phone on the side, she checked to see who had possibly sent her something, as only a rare few knew this number. And with a smile, she confirmed Christian''s request, then finally turned her attention back to her cousin, who had helped herself and was now sitting.

    "Well," she said, "he is more handsome than all those people I got to know due our family, at least." It was a small jab at her cousin, as no matter how you looked at it, Christian was young and handsome, unlike the middle-aged man; her husband.

    With that, their conversation continued, with Liora trying to belittle Christian, only for Eva to counter her more heavily. It felt as though either her cousin had changed, or she no longer felt the need to pretend, as the conversation was anything but pleasant.

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