Cecilia's Mission

As the sky grew dark, Vera lit the gas lamp on the dining table, and a warm, yellow glow enveloped the kitchen.

Ansu ate the cozy dinner his sister had carefully prepared for him.

Given their family's circumstances, it wasn't exactly exquisite—nothing more than baked beans, a thick pot of stew, and some slightly warmed black bread. It wasn't anything to write home about, but it wasn't bad either.

"What's wrong, brother?" Vera noticed Ansu's expression. "Is your appetite poor?"

"No, just thinking about some things."

Ansu took a bite of the bland, hard-to-swallow black bread, thinking that if he had the chance, he could cook for her himself and show off the superb culinary skills he brought from another world.

Besides, the quality of their family's diet really needed an upgrade. Ansu subconsciously glanced at Vera's underdeveloped, petite frame.

With almost no curves to speak of, she really needed to consume more high-protein foods.

It was time to improve their family's financial situation.

With the ability to simulate the future, Ansu felt he wouldn't be short of ways to make money. For instance, he could walk into any casino or horse racing track, and it wouldn't take him long to transform into a god of gambling.

Of course, the prerequisite for everything was to first reverse his fated death...

"Brother has been distracted ever since he got back..." Vera was sharp; Ansu had spent a lot of time zoning out today, and at times, he looked deeply troubled.

"Did something happen at school?"

"Nothing." Ansu knew he could never hide his emotions from Vera, so he smiled and comforted her: "Just a small bit of trouble, but your brother has already solved it."

"Oh... I see." Vera blinked her eyes. "Then don't think about things that put you in a bad mood. Tell me about something interesting at school, brother!"

"Alright." Ansu nodded. "What would you like to hear about?"

"For example..." Vera asked with a playful smile, "Are there any girls at school who have written you love letters?"

Ansu looked at her helplessly. "Why are you always focusing on these things..."

"I'm just kidding!" Vera's eyes curved into cute crescents. "Tell me about your studies, brother!"

Under the warm, yellow light, the siblings ate dinner while chatting about the problems Ansu encountered in his studies. Although those profound subjects were still far beyond Vera's reach, she listened with exceptional focus.

Ansu could feel that Vera longed to attend school.

Their adoptive father had been a doctor, and they used to be considered a respectable family, but ever since their father passed away three years ago, their circumstances had plummeted.

Ansu, who attended that prestigious institution, was the family's only hope. However, because the fees for the Royal Academy were quite expensive, his sensible sister had voluntarily dropped out to fully support his education.

After selling their house, the siblings had also worked part-time during weekends and holidays to make ends meet, living a rather frugal life ever since.

Ansu stared at the old dress Vera was wearing. He remembered their adoptive father had bought it for her four years ago. Because the girl was still young and hadn't hit her growth spurt yet, she could still fit into it, but it had inevitably developed many signs of wear.

This gave him a pang of heartache.

"Vera... in a while, you should go back to school." Ansu suddenly proposed. "And then we'll move—move to a place with better security..."

Vera's eyes widened in surprise. "Brother, stop joking! Where would our family get the money?"

"Don't you worry about that. When the time comes, your brother will definitely have money—lots and lots of money!" Ansu had at least that much confidence; after all, he was essentially cheating...

Moreover, he didn't want Vera to walk down the same path as in his past life.

Mixing with a bunch of freaks and lunatics, fighting and killing every day, covered in scars, and never knowing when she might suddenly lose her life...

His sister was actually very bright; it would be a real shame if she didn't study.

"Hmm?" Vera scrutinized Ansu suspiciously. Ever since he returned today, she felt her brother was a bit different from before, but she couldn't put her finger on where this change came from...

"You're just a poor student who hasn't even graduated yet. Where would you get money?" The more Vera thought about it, the more wrong it felt. "Brother! You haven't been kept by someone, have you??"

"Ah?" Ansu was stunned for several seconds before silently poking her little head.

"How could your brother ever fall to the point of being kept? What kind of wild things are you thinking about all day long..."

"As long as that's not it..." Vera breathed a sigh of relief, then giggled and dodged Ansu's hand.

"I'm not thinking wild things! Who told you to be so handsome, brother? There are plenty of stories about talented poor boys being kept by rich women! If I were a rich woman, I would..."

"You would what?" Ansu glanced at her.

Vera said with a chuckle, "Lock you up, watch you every day, and never let you go out!"

Ansu rolled his eyes dramatically. "Then it's a good thing you aren't a rich woman."

Vera burst into laughter. She stopped teasing her brother and instead rested her chin on her hands, observing his appearance without blinking.

The Ansu before her possessed a subtle temperament that sat between a boy and a young man.

Perhaps because he was always worried about the future, his dark green eyes looked slightly melancholic, giving him a mysterious and inscrutable air.

Although he wore a cheap linen shirt and his unkempt black hair was a bit messy, his handsome and gentle features made it all look just right. He looked like a young noble from a fallen house, all thanks to the good education their adoptive father had given him.

It was no wonder that as soon as they moved in, he had charmed Ms. Joanna from next door like that...

The girls in this poor neighborhood had never seen anything like this before!

After dinner, his sister urged him not to study too late and to go to bed early, just as she always did.

Ansu saw her acting like a nagging mother, shaking his head with a smile before closing his bedroom door.

The moment the door clicked shut, a familiar laugh drifted from inside the room.

"Your little sister is quite cute, isn't she~"

Ansu was startled, turning his head to see—

Cecilia was sitting in his chair with her long, smooth legs crossed, curiously flipping through a stack of books on his desk.

"You..." Ansu quickly checked outside the door; his sister didn't seem to have heard anything. "Lady Witch, why did you come here so suddenly? You didn't even give a heads-up..."

"Didn't I just greet you?" Cecilia raised an eyebrow. "Besides, do I really need to knock and ask for permission to see my own person?"

Ansu nodded helplessly, then lowered his voice. "Do you have something you need me for?"

"No need to be so cautious; I've already cast a magic barrier. Your sister can't hear a thing." Cecilia scrutinized the nervous and uneasy Ansu, a mischievous smirk suddenly tugging at the corner of her lips.

She leaned in close, speaking in a slow, threatening tone:

"It seems you and your sister have quite a close bond. That just means you'll have to work even harder for me, otherwise..."

"You wouldn't want your adorable sister to suffer a tragic fate, would you?"

Ansu's heart tightened, but he quickly forced a sincere smile onto his face.

"Lady Witch, since you've already said I'm one of your own, just give me your orders directly. I will certainly give it my all."

Cecilia watched Ansu with a beaming smile; it seemed his sister was indeed his weakness.

This made Ansu all the easier to control.

With that, she stopped teasing him and pulled out a booklet, handing it over.

"This is..." Ansu flipped through it and discovered it was the student roster for Benalu Royal Academy, covering everyone from freshmen to seniors, including the names of teachers, teaching assistants, and graduate students.

"Your next task is to help me find someone in the academy."

"Find someone?"