We're Rich!

The sky grew dim, and a crescent moon flickered in and out of the thick clouds.

The maids bowed respectfully as the head maid saw Ansu out of the hall, through the garden, and to the front of the manor.

Once the gate opened, Ansu saw Mary standing outside, waiting anxiously.

"Oh, if it isn't Teacher Mary?" Ansu greeted with a smile. "Rushing over this late at night, you must have something urgent, right?"

"You! Why are you here?" Mary stared at Ansu in shock, her expression immediately turning grim.

"You're just in time! Come with me to see Lady Cecilia!"

Ansu could see the undisguised killing intent in her eyes, so he mocked her with a laugh: "Did the ether fry your brain, or are you just failing to read the room? Didn't you see where I just walked out of?"

Mary froze. She glanced at Cecilia's mansion, then said in disbelief, "You... have already met with Lady Cecilia?"

"Of course."

"What did you say to her!?" Mary was stunned. Even with her anger flaring, she should have been able to put the pieces together by now.

The fact that he was summoned by Cecilia and walked out alive, escorted by her maids, could only mean one thing...

Lady Cecilia had been bewitched by this brat's lies again!

"I said what needed to be said." Ansu shrugged, speaking in riddles.

"You lying piece of trash!" Mary exclaimed indignantly. "You must have used your silver tongue to bewitch Lady Cecilia again! But don't think you can fool me!"

"The abnormal movements of The Order are all because of that note of yours. Combined with how you suddenly left the classroom that day, did you know my identity all along? Were you trying to report us to The Order to get us arrested?"

"Huh?" Ansu blinked in confusion. "Teacher Mary, I never knew you had such a vivid imagination."

In truth, her guess was actually pretty close to the mark...

"Stop playing dumb with me!" Mary reached out to grab Ansu. "Come with me to confront Lady Cecilia! I'm going to expose you for the fraud you are! Let's see whether Lady Cecilia believes me or a brat like you!"

Mary's eyes were filled with murderous intent. The more she looked at this kid, the more wrong it felt. He was a definite threat to The Order, and she wouldn't let him leave here alive today, no matter what!

Ansu watched her agitated state and let out a mocking laugh.

"The reason for this isn't what you think. Besides, Teacher Mary, I'll give you a piece of advice: everyone has secrets. Before you try to expose others, you should look after yourself. If you were truly loyal to Lady Cecilia, would she be unwilling to see you?"

Mary stiffened, and a sense of panic and unease began to spread in her heart.

She knew this brat was just mocking her; he couldn't possibly know about her relationship with certain elders...

Yet, Lady Cecilia had left her waiting outside.

Could it be... that she was already starting to doubt her?

Mary panicked, truly panicked.

She looked at the mansion with suspicion, her fear of death overriding everything else.

"Don't come looking for me so rashly next time." Ansu watched Mary's panicked expression with satisfaction, his lips curling into a wicked smile.

"Otherwise, Lady Cecilia will get angry. You know what happens when you make her angry, don't you?"

"You!"

Mary was both furious and terrified, but she could only watch as Ansu walked away.

Benalu City was brightly lit after nightfall. This merchant port city had a nightlife that rivaled the bustle of the day.

Ansu checked the sky. After a whole day of running around, it was already eight-thirty in the evening.

If he didn't get home soon, his sister might be worried sick.

Since it was a long way and there was no public transport at this hour, Ansu did something uncharacteristically "extravagant." He waved his hand on the street and hailed a carriage to take him home.

The Black Port District was not safe at night. The taverns along the road were filled with noise and chaos, and Ansu saw countless thugs causing trouble on the streets along the way.

Gunshots and screams even echoed through the main road...

This chaotic, real-life GTA scene only strengthened Ansu's resolve to move his sister out of the lower-class districts.

Back at his residence, Ansu pulled out his key and inserted it into the lock. Before he could even open the door, Vera's surprised voice drifted over from nearby.

"Brother?"

Ansu could almost picture her skipping over to him, and he couldn't help but reveal a soft smile.

He opened the door to find everything as usual, though his sister's expression was a bit dissatisfied.

"Brother... why are you only just getting back?"

Vera looked at Ansu, who was wearing his refined academy uniform but looked utterly exhausted, and frowned in confusion.

"You've been coming home later and later lately. If you didn't come back soon, I was thinking of going to the school to find you..."

"Don't you dare!" Ansu took off his coat and warned his sullen sister, "You know how bad the security is in the Black Port District. Listen to your brother—you are not allowed to go out at night!"

"Oh..." Vera puffed out her cheeks, but nodded obediently. "I know."

She tied on her apron and headed toward the kitchen.

"The food has gone cold. I'll go heat it up!"

Warm yellow candlelight lingered in the kitchen. As his sister finished heating the food and the two siblings sat at the dining table, Ansu realized that she hadn't eaten anything while waiting for him to come home.

"Don't look at me like that... it's all your fault, big brother." Vera pursed her lips in annoyance.

"You come home so late every day; you didn't used to be like this! And you never tell me what's going on, hmph!"

Ansu smiled helplessly. "It's really nothing, just schoolwork. I was asking Mary some questions today."

"Hmm?" Vera knew about Ansu's new substitute teacher, Mary. "Teachers at school rarely keep you behind, right? Did your grades drop recently? Or is it that... this teacher Mary doesn't like you?"

Ansu glanced at Vera, thinking that a girl's sixth sense was truly accurate.

Teacher Mary didn't just dislike him...

She disliked him quite intensely, to the point where she would have loved to kill him on the spot.

"Uh... there was a slight disagreement," Ansu said. "We had a small dispute, but fortunately, we both exchanged our opinions honestly in the end, and the problem has been resolved."

"Oh." Vera nodded silently. "Is that so? That's good then..."

The siblings continued to eat.

At the dining table, the two occasionally chatted about the major and minor events happening in Benalu City, and sometimes they talked about interesting things at the Royal Academy. The light of the kerosene lamp flickered warmly, and a faint sense of comfort lingered in the air.

Only when he was with his sister did all of Ansu's defenses and anxieties vanish. He didn't have to think about the destined death that hung over his heart, giving him the feeling that this was what a home should be like...

When the conversation turned to the academy, Vera started worrying like a mother hen again. "Brother, pay less attention to those girls at your school. We are different from them. The most important thing for you right now is your studies. Students who graduate from the Royal Academy are sought after all over the country. As long as you focus on your studies, everything will get better for our family after you graduate! By then, we can move out of this dump..."

Ansu listened to his sister's nagging with a smile, just as he always did.

However, when he heard her mention moving, he spoke up:

"Vera, regarding moving, I think we can start preparing for it now."

Ansu instinctively looked at Vera's small hands. Because she worked part-time at the newspaper office on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, her clothes always carried an indelible scent of printer's ink, and those once fair and soft hands had developed a layer of calluses, which made his heart ache.

His sister was only ** years old, an age that would be middle school in another world, yet now she had to support this family for the sake of survival and for his sake.

Ever since he awakened his memories, Ansu had been vigilantly guarding against the future tragedy and that fickle, trashy witch, to the point where he hadn't had time to properly plan his sister's future...

First of all, Vera had to go back to school.

The reason she could work at the newspaper office instead of a dirty and dangerous factory was precisely because the child's general education was completely up to par; her talent for reading was no less than his own. Secondly...

Vera was also gifted in divine arts, investigation, and even martial arts. After all, she was a future top-tier demon hunter of the Church.

If only there were a powerhouse from the Church to guide her...

Of course, given his current status as a "cultist," the matter of cultivating her on the path of the extraordinary would have to be considered carefully.

"Brother, you're talking in your sleep again..." Seeing Ansu fall into deep thought, Vera waved her hand helplessly in front of him.

"Where would our family get the money to pay for my schooling now? Going to school in the Empire is a significant financial burden. Don't let your imagination run wild; wait until you graduate..."

As she spoke, Ansu suddenly pulled out a check and placed it gently on the table.

"Who said I don't have money? Take a look at what this is."