Enrico continued looking at Angela for a few seconds, trying to figure out what she was planning. The woman, on the other hand, took another sip of tea with a calm expression, as if she hadn't just thought of something that could seriously compromise his dignity.
"Young master, is there a reason you're looking at me?"
Angela turned her face toward him, tilting her head slightly.
"No, I'm just thinking about a few things."
"I see. I hope they're pleasant thoughts."
'They definitely aren't.'
Enrico looked away and began eating, determined not to get involved in that conversation. Unfortunately, his attempt to remain discreet didn't last long.
Matteo observed their interaction before asking a question.
"Lady Angela, could you tell me what Lady Virelle thinks of my son?"
Enrico remained quiet as Angela brought a hand to her chin and looked up, as if organizing her words before answering.
"My lady has said many things about him, and I agree with quite a few of them."
Titanza placed her cutlery on the table and looked at Angela with interest.
"Really? What exactly does she say?"
"That he's a very promising young man who deserves special attention and that, despite a few peculiarities, he possesses qualities that cannot be ignored, such as his intelligence, adaptability, and dedication."
Angela answered naturally, hiding a small smile behind the teacup she raised to drink.
Enrico raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing one particular part of her answer.
'Peculiarities?'
[She's just telling the truth. You really do have those peculiarities.]
'Are you talking about my ability to cause trouble?'
[Exactly.]
Enrico almost let out a sigh but restrained himself when he noticed that his family was still paying attention to the conversation. Titanza, quite interested, decided to continue asking questions.
"I imagine it's difficult to find someone as special as him, isn't it?"
She wanted to confirm how much Enrico truly meant to the D'Rosvalia family.
"Without a doubt. My lady has very high standards."
Angela agreed, briefly glancing at Enrico.
"That's why, when she shows so much interest in someone, it means she's found something truly valuable."
Matteo and Titanza nodded slowly, seeming satisfied with those words. Platinum, meanwhile, watched her brother with growing curiosity, while Taíra remained suspicious, unable to fully accept that this young man could be the same person she had known for so many years. Valerio, as always, showed no reaction whatsoever, making it impossible to know what he was thinking.
Enrico, however, just wanted to finish dinner in peace.
'Please, someone change the subject.'
Dinner continued with a few occasional questions, mainly about the academy and recent events. Enrico answered only what was necessary, avoiding revealing information that could compromise his plans. Angela, on the other hand, took the opportunity to observe the family dynamics, mentally noting every detail.
When they finally finished, Enrico stood up and announced that he was tired.
"I'm going to rest. It's been a rather long day."
Titanza looked at her son with a smile that almost made Enrico roll his eyes.
"Of course. You need to regain your strength."
Platinum smiled at him immediately afterward.
"Sleep well, little brother!"
Valerio merely nodded, while Taíra said nothing, limiting herself to watching him suspiciously.
Enrico didn't mind. He said goodbye to everyone present and went upstairs, relieved that he could finally be alone. Upon reaching his room, he closed the door and checked whether all the vases were still in their proper places.
"Everything's fine."
After making sure nothing was out of place, he took off his shoes, changed his clothes, and lay down on the bed. The fatigue accumulated over the past few days was beginning to weigh on him, and his body finally seemed ready to rest.
[Good night, idiot.]
Enrico let out a quiet laugh, closed his eyes, and pulled the blanket up to his chest.
'Good night.'
Little by little, his thoughts lost their clarity, and his consciousness sank into the darkness of sleep.
In a void within Enrico's mind, he opened his eyes and found the same scene as always. The panther was there, accompanied by the egg it protected behind itself. That place never seemed to change, regardless of how many times he returned.
Enrico sighed and sat down with his back to the void, keeping some distance from the creature.
"Are you going to give me your body now?"
"You're so persistent and annoying."
This situation had been repeating itself for quite some time. Ever since the first time he entered that place, Enrico had encountered the panther in his sleep at least twice a week. He didn't mind those visits too much, but there was a problem: as soon as he returned to the real world, he immediately forgot the encounters. Because of that, he couldn't tell the system anything.
"How annoying."
The panther frowned, clearly bothered by his attitude.
"I'm the one who's really irritated. I have to stay trapped in this place without being able to leave. So come on, get a little closer."
"So you can take over my body? Don't even think about it."
Releasing that creature, which claimed to be his worst side, would be a disaster. Enrico didn't know what would happen in the outside world if it took control, much less what might happen to him if he ended up trapped in that space forever.
'To make matters worse, this bastard does nothing but try to take over my body for a while.'
Enrico hated that creature. One of the few things it said to convince him was that only it could truly understand him.
To be honest, Enrico believed it might actually be capable of understanding him, since it knew his life. Even so, there was something that deeply bothered him.
'It talks to me as if I were a child, even though it seems even more childish than I am.'
Over the course of their encounters, Enrico had discovered that the panther was quite impulsive whenever something got out of control. Once, taking advantage of a moment when the creature was distracted, he had managed to grab the egg and bring it closer to himself.
What happened next was an explosion of darkness. A mass of shadows rushed toward him while the panther displayed an irritation Enrico had rarely seen before.
Not knowing what to do about it, he returned the egg shortly afterward. After all, the object seemed indestructible, and he had no idea how he could use it against the creature.
"Let me out."
The panther continued staring at him, showing no intention of giving in.
"No. Besides being a bad part of me, you're too impulsive."
"You're blaming me for that? It was your fault! You stole something important, and I only lost control because of that! I swear I can stay calm in other situations... Wait, are you already leaving?"
Enrico closed his eyes, deciding it was time to leave. He had absolutely no intention of staying in that place any longer with someone so annoying getting on his nerves. It was better to focus on sleeping than waste time arguing.
"Come on, stay a little longer! I feel like I'm close to convincing you."
"Wrong. You're nowhere near it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Enrico disappeared from that place.
Enrico opened his eyes and stared at the bedroom ceiling. Realizing that it was already morning, he got up and began getting ready because he needed to go to the neighboring city.
[Did you rest well?]
'To tell the truth, I don't think so. I woke up in a bad mood...'
[It's obvious. You must have had a nightmare.]
Enrico made an even more irritated expression but soon tried to calm down. He opened the door, left the room, closed it carefully, and went downstairs.
On the lower floor of the residence, he found Titanza sitting down. Among all the family members, she was one of those who usually woke up earliest to take care of her own affairs.
"You woke up early. Judging by your expression, you seem used to it."
Enrico approached while adjusting his clothes.
"I use this time to train."
Titanza watched him for a few moments before replying.
"...Very good. Keep it up and focus on becoming stronger, because Virelle has great faith in you."
"All right. I'm going out for a run."
After Titanza nodded, Enrico left the residence.
The woman approached the window and watched her son begin running. He ran around the mansion grounds and performed various exercises for two whole hours. The servants working outside couldn't believe what they were seeing. After all, Enrico had never shown such dedication to physical training.
Platinum appeared behind her mother and looked down, watching her brother's training without showing any surprise.
"Impressive, isn't it, Mother? And this is only the beginning."
Titanza continued watching Enrico as he exercised.
"He's changed quite a lot. I hope he keeps it up."
After some time, Enrico spoke briefly with one of the servants and began running away from the mansion. The two women were confused by his behavior until the servant approached to explain that the young master wished to visit the city of Braig.
"City of Braig? Platinum, I want you to go after him."
Platinum nodded immediately.
"All right, Mother."
She ran out of the residence, while Titanza noticed Valerio walking in the same direction Enrico had taken. Apparently, he had also received an order from Matteo.
"Wait, what is Taíra doing?"
Titanza spotted her youngest daughter running as fast as she could, trying to keep up with Enrico, who was several levels above her in speed.
"Why are children your age always like this?"
Sighing, Titanza moved away from the window and decided to return inside, where she would wait for Angela. However, she was surprised to find the woman sitting down, calmly drinking tea, as if she had already been there for quite some time.
That display of ability made Titanza realize even more clearly how powerful Angela was. If she wanted to establish an alliance with the D'Rosvalia family, she would need to act carefully.
Enrico was running at high speed because it was already time to start a small battle in that city.
The level of power involved wasn't particularly high, but a villain would emerge from that confrontation. Enrico knew the events that were about to unfold and intended to intervene before things got out of control.
Of course, there were people in that city whose power surpassed his own. That was precisely why he had informed his family of his destination. Matteo and Titanza would certainly send someone to watch over him, and he intended to take advantage of that opportunity.
'Since they're stronger, I won't have to worry about them as much.'
Upon arriving in the city of Braig, Enrico slowed down and wiped the sweat from his face. He then headed toward the square, observing the shops around him.
Naturally, he didn't fail to pay attention to the vases displayed in the shop windows. As he walked, he admired a few pieces and even stopped in front of a store to examine the texture of a vase through the window.
"This one's well above normal quality... I think I'll buy it."
Enrico entered the store, which sold various decorative items for homes. After choosing the vase, he made the purchase. However, while waiting, he was slightly surprised to notice that there were three people in another part of the establishment, examining some objects.
'Are those Arvanys and Dorian? I didn't think I'd run into them so soon.'
One of the two was holding an object while talking to his companion.
"He told us to buy this, didn't he?"
The other tilted his head, examining the item in his hands.
"I think so. I hope we chose something suitable."
Enrico discreetly observed the two. The third person beside them, who was covered by a cloak, was someone he didn't recognize. Even so, that situation could prove useful.
'Come to think of it, this is a surprise. I don't know the third person, but I can use those two.'
He thought for a few moments, devising a plan.
'I'm definitely being followed. However, in the middle of the confusion, I can change clothes and take on Kael's appearance so the two of them can see me. Maybe they can help me.'
With the plan beginning to take shape, Enrico left the store.
As soon as he stepped onto the street, he noticed a magical barrier forming overhead. The structure expanded rapidly, covering half the city and isolating that region from the rest of the territory.
Enrico raised his eyes to observe the barrier, immediately recognizing what was happening.
'It seems their suicide attack has finally begun.'
"Professor?"
Upon hearing a voice behind him, Enrico turned around. For a moment, he thought the person was addressing someone else, since it wasn't common for anyone to call a teenager like him professor.
However, as soon as he recognized the figure in front of him, his expression changed slightly.
"Are you Kaela?"