The dean's office door was open.
Hermione stood outside the door, craning her head to peer inside.
The first thing she saw was not Dean Zheng, but two witches. One was tall, dressed in a brilliant red gown, sitting comfortably on the sofa as though it were a throne. The other was slender, dressed in the ordinary black robes of Registered Wizards, standing before the bookcase with her hands behind her back and rising onto her toes as if inspecting the books within.
With just one glance, she recognized both of them.
After all, Buji Island was only so large. The Dean of the Edge's reputation for being "dashing and romantic" in his school days was legendary among the younger generation. Whether it was getting a Moonlit Parliament Upper Councilor pregnant or running off with the legitimate daughter of the Zhongshan Jiang Family, his exploits were topics young wizards discussed with relish, witches indignantly condemned, and parrots marveled over.
"—As you can see, the legal document... this contract has no blank space left for additional clauses or new signatories."
A male wizard's voice drifted from the office, quietly explaining something. "You're truly worrying too much... I asked her here only because she has deep ties to that place."
Hermione did not know what the dean was talking about.
But her intuition told her that this discussion concerned her.
Just as she hesitated over whether to knock and remind the "adults" in the office that someone was outside, Su Shijun, seated on the sofa, turned toward the door. Immediately afterward, the witch before the bookcase turned to look at her as well.
"—Hermione is here?"
Zheng Qing's head popped up from behind the desk, and he beckoned to her. "You came at just the right time... In a few days, we'll