Chapter 195: Hyperion Vows to Keep an Eye on Lance

Raindrops hammered against the window like countless tiny mallets, casting a slightly dim shadow over the shop's vintage window frame. Each time a drop struck the glass, it left a wet smudge, blurring the view of the outside world even further. However, the eatery remained as tranquil and cozy as ever.

The crisp tinkling of the bell rang out from the entrance as the heavy wooden door was pushed open by a pair of hands speckled with raindrops. A faint chill and dampness instantly mingled with the warm air inside.

The newcomer was a gentle, pleasant-mannered young man. His clothes were lightly spattered with rain, and his boots were damp. What drew the eye most, however, was the small black cat cradled in his left arm. Its eyes were wide and its fur was slightly fluffed up.

The little black cat looked somewhat dazed. Its brain seemed to be stuck in a state of system failure. Upon entering the familiar environment of the restaurant, its pointed ears twitched instinctively, as if trying to pick up the sounds around it.

The young man took a few cautious steps forward. Water dripped steadily from the tip of his umbrella, splashing onto the floor.

A waitress, her apron spotless and her demeanor radiating earnest dedication, quickly appeared from behind the counter. Her eyes were fixed intently on the little black cat, as if she had been waiting for it for a long time.

She hurried over to Lance and said directly to the little black cat, "Boss Cat, why are you only just getting back? The kitchen is swamped!"

"Oh, meow~ Sorry, meow." Boss Cat finally snapped out of its stupor, hurriedly hopped onto the floor, and headed toward the kitchen.

It glanced back at Lance with a complex expression. On the surface, the guy seemed to embody every virtue. He was gentle, restrained, humble, and righteous. Basically, he was an outstanding young man in every respect.

Now, however, the cat was starting to feel that there was something that was seriously off about this kid! It had never seen anyone play matchmaker quite the way Lance did.

It was just too bizarre. The results remained to be seen. Perhaps this tentative spark of love was never meant to be!

The waitress breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Boss Cat return to the kitchen. She then turned to look at Lance and said, "Oh, right. Miss Tali said that if you showed up, I should tell you to meet her in the second-floor storeroom."

"Thanks." Lance smiled gratefully and headed toward the familiar second floor.

He understood exactly what that message meant. Having caught the Church of Resurrection mole within the Yaloran Kingdom's academic delegation, there would surely be plenty of surprises in store when Dean Lawrence returned tomorrow. When he went on his date with Knight Commander Juliana, there would certainly be no shortage of things to talk about.

If Lance put in a little more effort over the coming days, it wasn't even out of the question that Juliana might travel all the way from the Kingdom of Yaloran to ask Lawrence out on a date herself.

The staircase was made of dark wood with steps worn smooth by the passage of time. A slightly worn carpet had been laid down specifically for rainy days. Upon reaching the second floor, a long corridor stretched out before him.

Vintage picture frames hung on the walls, while the dim, amber lighting lent an air of mystery to the hallway. At the far end of the corridor stood a row of doors, each with a unique color and number, evoking the atmosphere of an old inn.

Lance walked slowly, looking for something. His gaze lingered briefly on each door before finally coming to rest on one labeled "Storeroom."

He gave the door two light knocks. "Tali, Hyperion, are you two there?"

"Come in."

He quickly heard Talia's familiar voice. Clearly, upon realizing it was Lance, she had briefly deactivated the barrier. He placed his hand on the handle of the door and pressed down slightly. The storeroom door, which had previously refused to budge, swung open. A whiff of stale, slightly damp air wafted out as he stepped inside.

A quick glance around revealed Hyperion and Talia standing guard over a man tied to a chair who was presumably the suspect.

However, that wasn't the important part. What mattered was that, judging by their expressions, Hyperion seemed to be in high spirits and in good mental shape. She didn't appear to have been mistreated at all.

Talia, too, looked calmer than expected, showing no signs of annoyance regarding Hyperion's presence. The two of them were getting along far more harmoniously than Lance had anticipated. It was to the point where it almost seemed like they had a genuinely good relationship.

Hyperion walked over to his side with a smile. "Lance, you're here."

Lance nodded, looking a bit sheepish as she said, "Yeah. It's a shame I lost my match against Adam today though."

Hyperion's expression froze instantly. If Lance had won, she would have thought it was fine. However, the fact that he had lost so easily meant that the implications were likely far more serious than she had imagined.

She suddenly felt like she didn't want to go back to school. At least, she dreaded the thought of facing Dean Lawrence upon his return tomorrow morning...

Talia glanced at Hyperion's face, then at Lance, but offered no comment.

Lance turned to Talia. "Thanks for the help, Tali."

He hadn't expected Talia to be so cooperative this time around. It seemed that with her advancing age, she had developed at least a touch of human warmth.

Talia simply stared at Lance without saying a word.

Lance looked at the unconscious Fenix in the chair and said to Talia and Hyperion, "Now that the mole within the Yaloran academic delegation has been caught, Hyperion can move back to the dorms today."

He was concerned that if Hyperion and Talia continued to stay together, one might end up feeling aggrieved while the other grew irritable.

However, Hyperion lifted her eyes as she said, "Lance, I..."

She then hesitated, finding it difficult to speak. Truth be told, she wanted to stay with Miss Tali for another two days. But the thought felt too embarrassing, and she couldn't find a suitable excuse.

Even though Miss Tali had agreed to teach her magic, that didn't strictly require her to live at Miss Tali's home.

Talia interjected in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, "Let her stay with me for a few more days, just in case there are any other unexpected incidents. After all, according to the contract, she is supposed to stay here for a full two weeks."

She emphasized that last point with a businesslike air.

Hyperion looked at her with a mix of surprise and emotion. If Miss Tali had previously been acting solely to fulfill an agreement, she was now genuinely looking out for her own well-being.

"What do you say, Hyperion?" Lance, naturally, had no objections.

If Talia could build a good relationship with Hyperion, it would be ideal for his future plans to expand and strengthen the Boundless Love Company.

Come to think of it, this was typical of Talia. She disliked taking advantage of others in a deal. If she promised two weeks of protection, then she would provide exactly two weeks of protection.

"If Miss Tali doesn't mind, I'd like to stay here a little longer." Hyperion glanced at Talia, murmuring somewhat bashfully. "But I will be going to school."

She was set to resume her classes and her duties with the Student Management Council. She didn't dare let Lance out of her sight anymore. Otherwise, her two-week leave might result in Ikerite University undergoing some bizarre transformation.

Talia nodded as she said, "Then I'll pick you up and drop you off at school every day."

"I'll leave it to you, then." Lance breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

With Talia's dedicated protection, Hyperion's safety was absolutely guaranteed. It was just that, for some reason, their conversation gave Lance the impression of a mother taking her child to elementary school.

This is just too weird. Could this be part of an "Act like Hyperion's mom" plan to take over the duchy?