"Unnecessary question." Draco could hardly contain his laughter.
Hermione smiled with satisfaction, while Trillian's smile froze on her face. She then pouted and muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction, "... I knew you'd say that."
"Let's go, it'll be dark soon if we don't leave now."
Hermione, in a good mood, reminded the two of this.
Just as they were about to leave, Trillian asked in confusion, "Young Master, why didn't you change into something nicer? We both dressed up specially, but you're dressed too plainly."
Draco pushed open the door and replied matter-of-factly, "What do you know? Only when the two of you are dressed well and I'm dressed plainly will others envy and resent me."
The three of them stepped out of the villa and walked side by side down the bustling street. Trillian followed beside them, muttering, "I never imagined that you, young master, could be so cunning..."
"Hey, that's not quite right!" Draco refuted Trillian's statement, countering with a dialectical approach, "This isn't cunning, it's called optimal resource allocation. You two are responsible for being beautiful, and I'll be responsible for overall control and management. Each of us has our own role."
"Chief Engineer?" Hermione and Trillian were both taken aback, repeating the word in confusion.
"Yes, Chief Engineer." Draco nodded.
"A word to describe emotion."
"How can 'chief engineer' be used to describe emotions? It sounds more like a title for someone in charge or doing work." Trillian was even more confused.
"That's a metaphor," Draco began his "twisted logic," "The Chief Engineer attracts the opposite sex through his abilities. For example, you, Trillian, were initially attracted to my powerful magical abilities, and later discovered that I was stunningly beautiful, so you willingly became my little maid."
Trillian thought about it and actually found it somewhat reasonable, nodding in agreement, "... That makes sense. What about Hermione?"
Draco's gaze shifted to Hermione:
"Well, she was naturally won over by my 'persistence.' But she's stubborn; I was incredibly persistent back then, and Hermione couldn't withstand my onslaught... In the end, she could only..."
"In the end, what could you possibly do?" Hermione pressed, but before Draco could respond, she added, "Isn't it because you do have some real talent and aren't exactly ugly that I've only tolerated your shamelessness?"
Trillian covered her mouth and chuckled, "I didn't expect that even though you're already so outstanding, you still need to be so persistent in pursuing girls!"
Draco sighed. "There's nothing I can do. Pride and prejudice... Someone didn't have a good impression of me at first, thinking I was just a Pure-blood villain. If I don't keep pestering her, how will I ever have a chance to see my excellent inner qualities?"
"That wasn't pride and prejudice! That was—reasonable vigilance! Nobody would have a good impression of you looking like that!" Hermione retorted, her face flushed.
Draco didn't refute, but just smiled and continued to boast, "Of course, in the end, you still have to rely on excellence to retain people; otherwise, pestering them will only get you a 'friend zone' card."
Hermione rolled her eyes at him, stopped arguing, and turned her gaze to the dessert shop window on the street, lest he take advantage of her.
"Young Master, then according to you, what should we call someone who isn't particularly capable?" Trillian asked.
"A manual laborer," Draco answered. "When there's no work, you're idle; when there is work, you work hard, putting all your strength into it, ending up with a body full of injuries, and then everyone goes their separate ways."
"That's a pretty accurate description, the manual laborers really have it tough..."
Let's not talk about this anymore. It's all his own fault.
"Not everyone is as outstanding as you, young master. Ordinary people are trapped in this deadlock; how can this situation be broken?"
"A change of scenery brings life; the road to freedom is littered with bones. It's not raining outside, so when will I ever rise above my station by clinging to my little patch of land?" Draco said with a touch of nonchalance. "Anyway, I'm not going to be a slave. If I'm out of options, I'll definitely choose to be bold and leave early. The dead face the birds; the living live forever."
"Reality certainly has its limitations," Draco added. "If you don't even dare to have thoughts, then there's nothing you can do. Just do good deeds, avoid drowning, and hope you're reborn into a good family."
Draco is the most qualified to say this, because he is the best example. He was reincarnated as Young Master Malfoy, and with the help of a system, he reached the pinnacle of life.
Upon hearing this, Trillian asked curiously, "Young Master, what have you been through? How come you can talk about all this so eloquently?"
"That's because I've been criticized too much by Pure-blood wizards who benefit from the system. They say I'm Pure-blood awakened one because I fell in love with a Muggle Half-blood girl, Hermione Granger."
"My God... So, young master, you were under pressure from two sides? On one hand, there was the hatred of the Pure-blood beneficiaries, and on the other hand, there was Hermione's lack of understanding?"
"... I really didn't understand him at the time. I thought he just... had ulterior motives," Hermione said guiltily.
"It's not my wife's fault," Draco defended her. "She was just blinded by those Pure-blood newspapers."
"The newspaper claims to be a Muggle newspaper, speaking for Muggle, but in reality, it is controlled by Pure-blood families. Not only do they want Pure-blood to discriminate against Muggle, but they also want Muggle to avoid Pure-blood at all costs."
"This would fundamentally sever the connection between the two sides."
"Those newspapers are awful," Trillian said indignantly.
"It's too complicated to explain in a short time. Let's talk about the specifics another time. Right now, our main task is to go out shopping." Draco didn't delve deeper into the topic.
As he spoke, he looked at the brightly lit street not far away. Neon lights lit up one after another in the twilight, street performers had already begun performing on the street corner, and the outdoor seats of cafes and restaurants were full of people, with the aroma of food and coffee wafting in the air.
Hermione followed his gaze, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes. She put the somewhat heavy topic from her mind and the three of them walked into the brightly lit city together.
The three of them strolled through the streets of New York for nearly two hours, leaving their mark on the sea of lights in Times Square, the shop windows on Fifth Avenue, and the bustling crowds in the Broadway Theater District.
After we'd had our fill of sightseeing, Draco said, "It's about time. Let's take the subway to the Supernatural Bar."
The three of them then walked along the street toward the nearest subway station.
They hadn't gone far when a fine drizzle suddenly began to fall from the sky, starting with a few scattered drops and quickly becoming more intense.
Pedestrians on the street quickened their pace; some held their briefcases over their heads, while others jogged towards the nearest eaves for shelter. Draco pulled a large umbrella from his pocket.
With a gentle shake, the umbrella unfolds.
Seeing that he only took out one umbrella, Trillian asked:
"Young master, you only brought one?"
"That's enough," Draco said, opening the umbrella. The umbrella, when opened, was a size larger than a regular umbrella.
The umbrella was wide enough to allow three people to stand side by side without being crowded. Raindrops hit the umbrella surface, making a dense and crisp sound, but none of them splashed onto the three people under the umbrella.
"This umbrella is huge!" Trillian exclaimed in amazement, touching the edge of the umbrella ribs and feeling that they were more durable than ordinary umbrella ribs.
The three continued walking in the rain, which grew heavier and heavier, the raindrops hitting the umbrella with a dense, drum-like sound.
The number of pedestrians on the street dwindled, and the glow of the streetlights became hazy in the rain. Trillian looked at the gloomy sky before her and asked, "Young Master, shall we still go to the tavern?"