Chapter 215: A Family’s Dilemma After logging out, Xin took a moment to catch his breath before attempting to get some sleep. Despite his fatigue, the weight of Rever’s situation lingered heavily on his mind.
"I won’t get my avatar back until you clear that dungeon or get wiped out. Hurry up and clear it, alright?" Rever’s words echoed in his thoughts.
However, with school commitments, clearing the dungeon during the limited playtime on weekdays would take at least three days.
The more pressing concern was that only four of them would be attempting the second level.
The challenges they faced on the first level were already daunting. Now, facing the second level with just four of them? It seemed like an even more dangerous task.
Rolling to the other side of the bed, Xin curled sideways, hugging his pillow in contemplation.
"Well, if push comes to shove, I could always ask Elysia for help," he mused aloud.
Hilda couldn’t join him, so it was a shame. If she were there, Xin was certain she could single-handedly clear the dungeon all by herself.
Lost in his thoughts, Xin assumed Hilda was wandering the Dwarven Fortress. She must be somewhere in those parts, silently praising herself for how beautiful she was.
As the night wore on, thoughts of Guildbane consumed Xin until he finally drifted off to sleep.
When morning came, Xin found himself having breakfast with Xiaxia.
"Hey, what’s the latest news about our house?" Xiaxia asked while munching on her cereal.
"Ah . . . the owner contacted me; they’re selling the house for two million," Xin replied.
"Whoa, really? That’s a steal nowadays, considering that it’s in an area of 40+. Seems like having ties with Seraphina has its advantages," Xiaxia said, amused.
Xin stared at his sister with a deadpan expression. "Now you’re friends with her? What happened to keeping your distance?"
"That was before," Xiaxia defended. "This is different. Being friends with her has nothing but benefits. But it’s an entirely different story if you’re a boy getting close to her."
Xiaxia sighed, caught between amusement and exasperation. "But now, you’re her boyfriend. I’m speechless."
"Fake boyfriend," Xin corrected.
"Anyway, you don’t have to be in a hurry to buy our old house back, okay," Xiaxia said, steering the conversation away. "I quite like it here."
"We can’t impose on someone else’s kindness anymore."
"That someone else is your girlfriend."
"Fake girlfriend."
Xin glanced around and asked, "By the way . . . where’s Seraphina?"
Xiaxia narrowed her eyes at Xin. "Already missing her?"
Xin sighed, realizing he shouldn’t have asked. He was uncertain about what she wanted him to do with Seraphina. Should he get closer to her or keep his distance? Because both options seemed to upset her.
"She left early this morning," Xiaxia said, adding, "said she’d have breakfast with her father before heading to school."
"Is that so . . ."
"But she promised that she and I would go shopping and enjoy the spa later."
"I didn’t ask."
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In a private room at Diamond Palace, Seraphina and Michael Fey engaged in a tense standoff. The table before them was laden with breakfast, untouched, as the two locked eyes in a silent battle.
"I heard that you have a boyfriend," Michael began, his tone probing. "And it’s Xin, no less."
Seraphina calmly sipped her tea. "Why not? We’re both single."
Michael leaned back, crossing his legs. "Is this because I mentioned wanting to marry his mother?"
". . ." Seraphina’s eyes narrowed at her father.
That revelation had indeed hastened her decisions to expedite her plans.
"You can marry whoever you want," Seraphina said, her tone firm, her aura matching her father’s intensity. "But I will not accept Xin and me as siblings."
". . ." Michael studied his daughter and sighed after a moment. "I thought that might be the reason."
Seraphina rose from her chair. "If there’s nothing else, I will leave now. I have school to attend to."
"Your class is in the afternoon," Michael pointed out.
"I have other things to attend to," Seraphina replied coolly.
Michael leaned over, his face half-hidden behind his crossed fingers. "What about all this food?"
"Have the waiter deliver it to my unit. Xin would like these."
Seraphina was about to leave when Michael called her name.
"Seraphina . . ."
She paused but didn’t turn to face her father.
"You do know that engaging with Xin would put him in danger?"
Seraphina was silent for a moment before she chuckled lightly. "And associating with his mother wouldn’t put her in danger?"
". . ."
Seraphina waved her hand and walked out, her words hanging in the air as she closed the door.
"Don’t worry about Xin. I can protect him. Worry about your own relationship."
Once the door closed and Seraphina was out of earshot, Sebastian emerged from the shadows.
Sebastian cleared his throat. "I guess Lady Seraphina really likes the guy."
". . ."
"Ohohohoho. Like father, like daughter. Your tastes are the same. It’s a shame now you can’t marry Miss Evelyn, or she would certainly hate you for it."
Michael clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair. "She got me good. I shouldn’t have told her that I wanted to marry Evelyn."
"I think she already knows, even if you don’t tell her."
"She’s very cunning."
"She’s your daughter, after all."
Michael fell into a contemplative silence before Sebastian ventured, "What are you planning to do now?"
". . ." The corner of Michael’s mouth curled into a smirk. "For now, let’s observe the situation. She might like him now, but who’s to say it will last?"
Sebastian wiped his brow, clearly uneasy. "Lady Seraphina seems to like him a lot, enough so that she even moved to Diamond Palace to be with him."
Michael let out a scoffing chuckle. "She likes him, but love isn’t always enough to sustain a relationship. With all the men who have sought my daughter’s hand, they surely wouldn’t just sit idly by and let it pass."
"But is it really alright? He’s still Miss Evelyn’s child, after all."
"It’s fine. A little problem here and there won’t hurt. Just make sure that Xin doesn’t get hurt. That would make Evelyn cry."
"Understood," Sebastian replied, although uncertainty lingered in his eyes.
The men pursuing Seraphina could be a bit . . . foolish.