Aurielle was still clinging to her mother's arm—Sandra's expression mildly sullen—while staring toward the windshield without truly processing anything she was seeing.

However, everything shifted the very moment the car rounded the corner, revealing a familiar silhouette at the edge of her vision.

Aurielle narrowed her eyes slightly.

The distance was still fairly far… yet that face—that posture—there was something about it that instantly pulled her gaze toward it.

She subtly signaled to her mother that she had spotted Al up ahead.

But there was another figure beside her younger brother, someone who for some inexplicable reason made her feel… strange.

Not in a special way—at least not yet—but the curiosity that welled up within her was overwhelmingly large.

That was definitely Al… and who in the world was the man standing in front of him? she wondered.

Aurielle unconsciously leaned forward a little, as if doing so would somehow sharpen her vision.

As the car continued to approach, the details of the white-haired figure slowly grew clearer:

a composed face, elegant features, a posture that stood straight yet relaxed at the same time.

There were no excessive expressions on him, no dramatic movements. And yet… his aura felt unusual. As if he was someone extremely… unique.

Her curiosity surged for reasons she couldn't explain, and she began casually discussing theories with her mother regarding who the man might be.

The most logical possibility was that he was someone Al knew from the orphanage. But his appearance was far too refined to belong to someone from a lower or middle-class background.

She went through a thousand possibilities in her head, and without realizing it, her chest slowly grew… tight? Or warm? Or somehow both?

A few seconds later, when their car passed right beside him, Aurielle's gaze reflexively shifted toward the man.

And at the exact same moment, the man looked toward the car she was in.

Their eyes met.

And in that single instant—

Aurielle's world stopped.

Just a fraction of a second.

Just a single sliver of time.

Just one accidental crossing of gazes.

But it was enough for the tips of her fingers to tremble involuntarily.

Her neck stiffened, as if caught in a spell, and she found herself unable to look away from him. Even when the man began stepping into his car.

Even when his car started pulling away. Aurielle remained frozen, her eyes locked onto the direction it was heading until it disappeared around the corner.

That man… who is he? His eyes…

Her mind raced uncontrollably, chaotic with questions.

Something felt so wrong inside her. A sensation she had never experienced—not once. A faint vibration, an abnormal pounding in her chest that shouldn't have been there.

She didn't even notice her face warming up or her heartbeat accelerating.

She only snapped back when Sandra shook her arm after calling her name multiple times.

Sandra gently shook her daughter's shoulder.

"Aurielle!"

Aurielle jolted.

She looked at her mother, as if only now realizing Sandra had been calling out to her.

Confusion clouded her for a moment before she finally remembered she was inside the car with her mother.

"I—I… mom... sorry! I was just… checking out that car. It looks good."

She blurted out whatever excuse crossed her mind. It was, without question, the clumsiest lie she had ever told in her entire life.

She knew it was ridiculous. She also knew Sandra could read her expressions better than anyone else alive.

But she couldn't give any other answer. She had no idea what explanation she could possibly offer. What was she supposed to say? That she had just been hypnotized?

Sandra didn't press the issue and instead instructed the driver to stop and pick Al up.

Meanwhile, Aurielle, now fully conscious of everything, began replaying the moment in her head.

What in the world just happened to me? she thought.

She touched her cheek and immediately felt heat blooming across her skin. Then she touched her chest, which was pounding far too fast.

My heart? Why is it beating so fast? Am I sick?

But she couldn't think further because the car had already stopped to pick up Al.

She could only try to steady her breathing, though strangely enough, it felt difficult this time.

And her mind refused to stop replaying that moment of eye contact. The curiosity gnawed at her, almost compelling her to call her assistant for an immediate background check.

Her neck subtly turned to glance backward—just to confirm if the man's car had truly vanished. But yes… it was gone.

And now Al sat in front of her. The one person who might provide answers to this sudden, maddening curiosity.

Al climbed into the front seat, greeting her with his usual teasing tone.

Aurielle wanted to ask immediately, but the moment she tried to open her mouth, her lips trembled slightly, making it strange and difficult to speak.

The lingering vibration in her chest was throwing her entire body's rhythm off.

She tried to compose herself. But Al had already turned around and said—

"Oh! Sis… why is your face so red?" He waved his hand in the air as if testing the temperature. "The AC is definitely working fine."

Al assumed the heat from outside had seeped in due to a malfunctioning AC during the dry season. But he was completely wrong.

Aurielle stiffened awkwardly.

Sandra also looked at her, puzzled.

"Aurielle… your face suddenly turned really red. You were fine just a moment ago," she said gently.

She touched Aurielle's arm, then her neck, cheeks, and forehead.

"Your body is a little warm. Don't tell me you're coming down with a fever?" she asked.

Aurielle instinctively touched her own face with both hands.

"Ah! I—I'm… I'm fine, Mom. I think it's just fatigue."

"Hmm? Really? But I recall today was your lightest workload. You even came home earlier," Sandra replied.

"This… um… I think it's accumulated exhaustion from the past few days, haha," Aurielle answered, still flustered.

Sandra could only nod, choosing not to push further.

"Alright… but please take care of yourself. Just rest tonight, okay? I'll call the family doctor later."

Aurielle nodded quickly, relieved her mother didn't pry deeper.

Meanwhile, Al observed her closely, entering a slight half-dimensional-eye mode. A faint red shimmer flickered across his irises.

Although her symptoms resembled fever, he detected no signs of illness from her energy rhythm.

It looked more like the aftermath of sudden shock—something that would settle on its own soon.

Al simply nodded and turned his attention forward again.

But for some reason, discomfort prickled at him from his right side.

The driver, seated on the right due to Indorosian car layouts, seemed to be staring at him with an unpleasant expression.

Al felt surrounded by different kinds of pressure.

Sandra's aura of guilt.

The driver's aura of rejection.

And Aurielle's aura—strange, sharp, and overwhelmingly curious.

That suspicion was confirmed when Aurielle eventually asked,

"Al… by the way, who was the man with you earlier? At the corner?" she asked, sounding calm, though there was an odd sense of urgency in her tone.

"Yes, Al. I wanted to ask the same," Sandra added, equally curious.

Al turned again and looked at them. He paused briefly to think.

Oh… so they saw me with Sebastian.

It should be fine to tell them who he is.

However… if they ask anything deeper, do I need to explain everything that happened at the police station?

He frowned slightly.

No. No, involving them might help with my issues with the elites, but definitely not with Daraka. That would only restrict my movements.

On top of that, it would be dangerous if they knew I was a Virellano.

If those people chose to act barbarically and attack me even after knowing, it would only endanger the Virellano family.

He decided to give a simple explanation and fabricate a reason for why Sebastian was with him earlier.

"He's one of my teachers at HIHS. His name is Mr. Sebastian—my literature teacher," Al said. "He happened to treat me and a few other students earlier, since we're graduating soon."

He nodded once, continuing,

"Kind of like an encouragement gesture for students with average grades to stay motivated for the national exams."

It was a lie, but both Sandra and Aurielle believed it.

Not because the excuse was perfect, but because neither of them actually cared much about what happened—they simply wanted to know 'who the man was'. Particularly Aurielle.

Al sharpened his gaze slightly, preparing answers for any potential follow-up questions. But out of all the scenarios he had envisioned, Aurielle instead asked—

"Ah… Mr. Sebastian, huh? That's a cool name. I've never seen him before. Is he from an elite family?"

Sandra remained clueless, but didn't particularly care. All she needed was confirmation that he was Al's teacher, which meant everything was safe.

Al, however, was slightly stunned.

Huh? I thought she'd ask about me, but she's asking about Sebastian instead. Am I less popular than my subordinate now? he thought bitterly.

He felt mildly annoyed and looked directly at Aurielle. But her behavior surprised him even more.

Aurielle wasn't looking at him—instead, she kept her gaze elsewhere, her body visibly restless. Like someone completely out of sorts.

Al's thoughts clicked in an instant.

Wait… why does Sis Aurielle look like that? She's asking about Sebastian instead of me.

And… her face has been red since earlier. Her energy flow is quick—meaning her heartbeat is fast.

Al's eyes widened, unable to fully process his own assumption.

Woah… don't tell me Sis Aurielle… and Sebastian? Out of all people? Woah!!

He was absolutely fascinated by his own theory, even though he wasn't entirely convinced it was true.

He then decided to tease Aurielle while responding—

But before he could say anything, the car came to a stop at the main gate, waiting for the security guard to open it.

The halt was smooth, but since Al was sitting backward without wearing a seatbelt, his unstable posture sent him lurching forward slightly.

"Ouch…" he muttered.

"Al!" Sandra called out in mild panic.

Aurielle's eyes widened as she instinctively lifted her hand to help, even though her hand wouldn't reach him.

The driver hurriedly apologized and reached out to steady Al.

A brief moment of chaos unfolded. But it was amusing enough to make both Sandra and Aurielle smile.

Al's plan to tease Aurielle was completely foiled.

Meanwhile, Aurielle was left dissatisfied because she still hadn't gotten her answer. But she chose not to push it now—there was more than enough time for questions later.

For now, she was far more focused on the strange sensation within her chest, and on how to calm her pounding heartbeat and burning cheeks.

---

The household staff was already stationed out front, moving swiftly to assist, collecting all the shopping bags belonging to Aurielle and Sandra.

Aurielle had already stepped out alongside her mother, while Al was still crouched inside the vehicle, picking up the items that had scattered earlier.

From behind the car, two additional figures were also approaching.

Sarah, dressed in an exclusive athletic top with wireless earphones dangling loosely around her neck. Beside her stood Vianna, likewise dressed in sportswear.

Judging from their attire and the faint flush on their faces, it seemed both of them had just finished a light afternoon workout and were heading inside for some rest.

They turned their heads the moment they saw Aurielle and Sandra stepping out.

"Mom. Sis," they greeted, their smiles bright and vibrant.

Sandra returned the greeting warmly, and Aurielle attempted to smile as well—though her expression looked awkward, her mind still thoroughly occupied by the image of a certain man.

They exchanged a brief round of small talk, warm and harmonious.

Naturally, that pleasant atmosphere shattered the instant one anomalous entity exited the car.

Sarah's arch-nemesis appeared out of nowhere, stepping out from the front passenger door.

"Al!" Sarah exclaimed in utter disbelief.

Vianna blinked with an equally confused look.

"Yo," Al responded casually, climbing out and shutting the door with zero urgency.

He waved at both sisters, then offered Sandra a polite bow before walking past them.

Sarah looked completely speechless—truly struck speechless.

"M-Mom… why is that creature inside the family car?"

"Yeah, Mom. Isn't he… like… still not allowed to ride in the family car?" Vianna asked innocently.

"Sarah. Vianna. There is absolutely nothing wrong with your little brother riding with me," Sandra replied in a serene tone.

"But—" Sarah tried to protest, but the words evaporated halfway, leaving her no choice but to nod grudgingly.

Sandra simply shook her head,

"Don't overthink it. Just help me inside," she said.

Both girls could only nod and move to support their mother.

Sarah huffed in annoyance.

She leaned toward Aurielle and whispered,

"Sis… what happened? Tell me everything," she demanded.

Unfortunately for her, Aurielle was moving like a lifeless puppet—

no response, no expression, merely walking forward with vacant eyes, as if her body knew the path by muscle memory while her mind wandered across distant galaxies.

Sarah grew worried at the lack of reaction, poking Aurielle repeatedly until Aurielle snapped out of her trance.

"Ah… what… what is it?" Aurielle asked, genuinely confused.

Sarah scowled. "Sis. Why are you acting weird too?"

"Ah… haha… really? I feel perfectly fine," Aurielle replied awkwardly.

Sarah shot her eldest sister a sharp look, lips pursed. Something was definitely off.

Mom seems to be taking Al's side lately, and now Big Sis comes home looking like she's been possessed. What exactly happened today? she thought.

Then a wild, ridiculous theory suddenly clicked in Sarah's mind.

She grabbed Aurielle's arm tightly.

"Sis… you're aware, right? You're still conscious, right?" she asked, horrified.

Aurielle blinked, baffled, but before she could reply, Sarah announced something utterly absurd:

"Don't tell me that kid hypnotized both of you? I need to save you!"

Aurielle and Sandra froze, stunned speechless, unable to comprehend how their daughter—an international-level celebrity with supposed world-class intelligence—could produce something that nonsensical.

And so a comical chaos ensued, with even Vianna dissolving into laughter.

---

From a distance, despite the noise being faint, Al still heard everything perfectly thanks to his heightened senses.

He nearly burst into laughter, never expecting Sarah to spiral that far in her suspicions.

"She doesn't even realize her sister is spiraling emotionally because of some guy," he murmured.

Al exhaled deeply.

"Huff… since she has no solid material to use against me, she's resorting to calling me a hypnotist. Seriously," he muttered with a helpless grimace.

Still, he didn't let it bother him. After all, he had already endured three months here.

Sarah's delusional accusations had never been enough to derail him from his mission of integrating himself into this household.

He walked slowly toward his room—but halted midway across the courtyard.

His eyes lifted toward the evening sky, glowing fiercely with burning crimson hues.

A soft breeze swept across the yard… yet there was an unmistakable pressure saturating the air.

Amid those swirling orange clouds, a colossal avian silhouette appeared—an ancient eagle-like creature with wings unfurled wide enough to divide the heavens.

It made no sound. It simply manifested… and faded.

Al stared at the sky, whispering under his breath,

"Three months… still considered new. And for now, everything is still manageable."

"If three entire years aren't even guaranteed to secure our integration in the school system, then I have no idea how long it will take to integrate with this family."

His eyes glimmered faintly—not with energy, but with an unshakeable firmness of spirit.

"But whatever the time required… I can… and I will. Especially now that I'm no longer just a cursed human…"

"...but a human entrusted with a divine mission."

And thus, the exhausting, intrigue-laden day finally came to an end.

---

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