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Aster nodded with a beaming grin. Just having Shani agree to it was more than enough to fill him with immense happiness.

Shani estimated that Aster could raise his rank from D to C using energy potions in about three weeks, drawing from her own experience.

To play it safe for Aster, since her own physical constitution differed from a typical beastman’s, she tacked on a few extra days, which was why she suggested scheduling their resonance session for the end of the month.

After dinner, Shani left the apartment.

Leaving alone, Aster sat on the edge of his bed and called his older brother, Deryan.

”Are you eating regularly? Are you doing okay over there?” Deryan asked in rapid succession.

Aster answered every question, the familiar voice instantly reminding him of home.

Back in Lunarion, he hadn’t dared to call Deryan, terrified his brother might pick up on the fact that things weren’t going well. Now, they spoke almost every day, even if only for five or ten minutes.

After asking about his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew to ensure they were all thriving, Aster finally voiced his lingering concern.

”Shani has given me so much. Doesn’t that make me look like a parasite?”

”Shani is a good girl, but she’s also sharp...” Deryan replied gently.

”...Remember how she dealt with those kids around the farm, ensuring none of them would ever dare bully the orphanage children again?”

”I’m sure she has a plan for everything, including what she offers you. Still, if you feel you dislike or can’t manage a business up to her expectations, you can always step back.”

”I can do it!” Aster blurted out, before realizing a second later that his reaction had been a bit intense.

”I might not know what the future holds, but I know my own limits, what I can and can’t handle. Besides... I enjoy business far more than I ever imagined.”

”Then you already have your answer,” Deryan said softly.

From their conversations over the past few days, Deryan could tell Aster genuinely enjoyed learning the ins and outs of trade and gaining hands-on experience under Toby.

He knew his younger brother just needed a gentle push to make up his mind.

After wrapping up the call with his brother, Aster sent Logan a message of thanks.

Logan: I truly believe you have real potential, so don’t mention it. In return, we’re going for another morning run tomorrow. Oh, and start prepping for a marathon. I’m dragging you along for the next one.

Aster: Roger that, sir.

Back in her dorm room, Shani was still trying to guess how Aster and Logan had grown so close. It never crossed her mind that the reason was absurdly simple: running buddies.

...

On Monday afternoon, Logan notified Shani that he had successfully secured a recommendation for Aster from an established entrepreneur. He would be submitting Aster’s application shortly.

”Miss Rowan, the hardest part of Vipera isn’t getting admitted. Any wealthy individual can secure a recommendation. The true hurdle is actually graduating,” Logan relayed, passing along wisdom he’d gathered from the business leaders he had approached.

”Many mid-tier merchants and trade associations consider simple student status at Vipera prestigious enough. But if one wishes to reach the pinnacle, earning the actual degree is mandatory.”

”I’m confident Aster is more than eager to soak up everything Vipera has to teach, and well, he will definitely graduate,” Shani stated firmly.

Logan didn’t belittle her conviction, he shared a similar faith in Aster.

It was simply that Vipera’s quarterly tuition was exorbitant, and he worried Shani might find the financial burden overwhelming later on, especially given that the Executive Program barred students from applying for scholarships.

He kept those reservations to himself, choosing instead to wait and see how things unfolded.

As soon as the call ended, Shani headed to the cafeteria.

The forum thread regarding Nora was still trending, and as the primary victim of the scheme, Shani could feel the heavy gazes of her fellow students lingering on her.

Nora herself, however, was nowhere to be seen in the cafeteria.

At that exact moment, Nora was meeting Orin in an empty classroom on the seventh floor.

”Orin, I didn’t want to tell anyone this... but you’re the only person who has ever been truly kind to me. I trust you completely, so I’m going to share this secret with you,” Nora spoke in a solemn, sorrowful tone.

The tall boy’s skeptical expression gradually softened, allowing her to continue.

”In truth, my mother wasn’t just a maid. She was the daughter of the late head of House Falkner from his first love...”

Orin looked visibly shaken, a mix of pity and lingering skepticism flickering in his eyes.

Nora pressed on, her voice soft and fraught with pain. ”Because of their difference in status, they couldn’t be together... Even so, Grandfather brought my mother into the Falkner Mansion.”

”Madam Falkner and her daughter, Emilia Falkner, Vivienne’s mother, hated my mother bitterly. They treated her like a lowly servant until everyone genuinely believed she was nothing more than a maid.”

”Grandfather couldn’t do anything because he never witnessed her abuse firsthand. And after he passed away, my mother’s life became even harder.”

”When Aunt Emilia got married, she brought my mother along just to humiliate her. Then my mother met my father, but Aunt Emilia couldn’t stand seeing our happy family, so she separated them. To this day, I don’t even know who my father is.”

Tears cascaded down Nora’s face in a picture-perfect display, her voice choking up. ”Vivienne is no different from her mother. She torments me endlessly.”

”If you look into my mother’s background and mine, you won’t find what I’ve told you because Aunt Emilia erased everything after Grandfather died.”

Suddenly, Nora unbuttoned her blazer. Orin’s eyes widened in shock, but he remained silent. Nora lifted her inner shirt, exposing a deep purple bruise lingering on her abdomen.

”Vivienne kicked me in the stomach yesterday... It still hurts so much.” Nora looked up at Orin, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Orin swallowed hard, completely at a loss for how to react.

Nora reached out and caught Orin’s hand, pressing his fingers lightly against her bruise. ”Can you feel the mark she left on me?”

Orin nodded, dazed and disoriented.

...