The air was beginning to cool as I left the stable area, feeling the weight of physical exhaustion mixed with a cold satisfaction.

The silence of the rustic pavilion was left behind, replaced by the sound of my own footsteps on the fine gravel that led to the academy’s central courtyard.

Lila followed a few steps behind, maintaining the protocol distance of a servant, but the Sensory Bond still vibrated between us like an electric wire.

I could feel the residual tremor in her legs and the devoted confusion in her mind.

She was marked, not just physically, but in her own consciousness.

As I approached the main courtyard, I noticed that the Bartfort carriage was still there, but the movement around it indicated that the visit was coming to an end.

Director Valerius and my mother, Baroness Elara, were leaving the administrative building.

They walked side by side, an image of elegance and power that seemed rehearsed for decades.

Vice-Director Marcus followed close behind, carrying some papers with the expression of someone who had just survived an interrogation.

(Master, now that the restrictions have been lifted, I can confirm that their conversation was protected by a high-level acoustic isolation seal,) Aria’s voice resonated in my mind, clear and precise.

(Even without the block, it would have been difficult to intercept without triggering magical alarms in the Director’s office.)

(Doesn’t matter, Aria,) I replied internally, observing my mother’s predatory smile.

(Whatever they planned, the foundation of my plan is already solid. The engagement is now a public fact. The board has moved and they are just trying to catch up to the pace.)

"Ah, Shade, there you are," my mother said when she saw me.

Her eyes roamed over me, noticing the state of my clothes and the sweat still drying on my neck.

She cast a quick glance at Lila, who immediately positioned herself beside the carriage.

A gleam of understanding — or perhaps just disdain — passed across my mother’s face.

"I see you kept yourself... busy."

"Just taking care of my duties, Mother," I replied with cutting neutrality.

"Of course. Well, Director Valerius and I have finished our business. It was a very nostalgic conversation,"

my mother turned to the director, who maintained a granite-like expression.

"I hope my son continues to be an... exemplary student."

"He is certainly a unique element in this institution, Baroness," Valerius replied, and for a moment her eyes met mine.

There was something there I couldn’t decipher: respect, fear, or perhaps just the curiosity of someone observing a dangerous experiment.

Elara approached me, the jasmine perfume suffocating the night air.

She lowered her voice so that only I could hear.

"Don’t think this engagement solves all your problems, Shade. In fact, it creates new ones. I intend to meet this Rebeca and her family soon. After all, a union with the Fou Holforts requires the families to be... perfectly aligned."

She didn’t need to say anything else.

The subtext was clear: she wanted to get her hands on Rebeca’s fortune to clear the barony’s debts and maintain her luxurious lifestyle.

She thought I was her winning ticket.

"I understand perfectly, Mother," I said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.

"I’m sure it will be an unforgettable meeting."

She nodded, satisfied with my apparent submission, and entered the carriage.

Lila climbed in right after, without looking at me once, although I could feel her heart racing through the bond as the door closed.

The carriage departed, leaving me alone with the weight of my new secrets and a balance of 21,100 VP.

Some time had passed since I talked to my mother and said goodbye to her. After that, I had met with Rebeca and the other girls, instructing them to wait for me in the library at seven. When I realized it, night had already fallen, and the stone clock on the central tower marked exactly that time.

The academy was immersed in academic silence, with most students retired to their dormitories or in the dining halls.

I walked toward the eastern library, an immense circular building that smelled of ancient parchment, dust, and latent magic.

It was the perfect place for a meeting that no one should witness.

Upon entering, I went straight to the Ancient History section, where the shelves were so tall that their tops were lost in the darkness of the ceiling.

There, at a table hidden behind heavy tomes about the Era of Ruins, they were already waiting for me.

Rebeca was sitting at the end, her posture exuding the confidence of someone who had just turned the world upside down.

Beside her, Olivia nervously played with the hem of her dress, while Hailey and Sofia observed the surroundings with caution.

"You took your time," Rebeca said, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips.

I looked directly at Rebeca.

The faint light from a magical lantern in the center of the table created dramatic shadows on her face.

"You were quite bold, Rebeca," I began, crossing my arms.

"Going over your own mother’s orders and spreading the news of our engagement so quickly... The entire academy is talking about nothing else. The whole kingdom will soon know."

She tried to keep her expression neutral, but her eyes shone with genuine surprise.

*But how do you know all this? How did you find out that it was me — and, more importantly, that I talked to my mother, and that she asked me not to make the engagement public yet? That should be impossible...*

I stood up slowly and walked around the table, stopping behind her.

I placed my hands on her shoulders and felt her stiffen for a second before relaxing.

My fingers touched her face in a calculated gesture, feeling the soft skin under her chin.

"I know the woman I’m marrying," I whispered close to her ear.

I gave a slight smile before continuing, my voice low and confident:

"And how do I know you had that conversation with your mother...?"

"Let’s just say I have eyes in many places. I know what happens."

Then I continued.

"You’re not the type to wait for fate to happen. You force it. And although you were impatient, that saved me some work. For that, you deserve a gift."

Rebeca tilted her head back, meeting my gaze.

"A gift? And what would that be?"

I kissed her.

It was a kiss that carried authority and possession, making it clear that, although she was the rich heiress, I was the one who set the rules here.

Then I did the same with Olivia, who blushed deeply, and with the other two.

The library, a place of study and silence, was now the stage where I consolidated the loyalty of my harem.

"Listen carefully," I said, returning to a serious tone while they recovered from the moment.

"In the coming days, things are going to change. Rebeca, you need to prepare your family. But there is a crucial detail about my Airship."

Rebeca frowned.

"The Airship? What about it?"

"I can’t just show up with superior lost technology. The Kingdom would try to confiscate it as ’national heritage’ within hours. That’s why the plan remains: you will tell your parents and your family council that you found the Airship in ancient ruins during one of your explorations. You will officially give it to me as a wedding gift."

"Give an Airship as a gift?" Hailey interrupted, incredulous.

"That’s worth an incalculable fortune, Shade! Even for the Fou Holforts, it’s an excessively extravagant gift."

"Exactly why it works," I replied coldly.

"Who would dare question the generosity of the richest family in the kingdom toward their future son-in-law?"

If the gift is yours and you gave it to me, it becomes private property protected by the marriage contract. The Kingdom will not be able to touch it without buying a diplomatic war with your family.

Rebeca processed the information for a few seconds, her eyes shining with the logic of the plan. She smiled audaciously.

"You are diabolical, Shade. You’re using my family’s name as a shield for your forbidden technology."

"I prefer to call it ’resource optimization’," I retorted. "Will you do it?"

"I will," she said firmly. "My parents will complain about the cost, but since I already spread the rumor of the engagement, they don’t have much choice but to keep up appearances. A gift of this magnitude only proves that our union is the most powerful this kingdom has ever seen."

"Great. We have an agreement."

I looked at the clock on the wall. It was already past seven-thirty.

"We have to get back to the dormitories before the final rounds. Olivia, keep your focus on your support magic studies. Hailey, Sofia, continue being my eyes and ears in the noble wings. Nothing should go unnoticed."

I said goodbye to them with the silent promise that this was only the beginning.

While they slipped out furtively, I stayed there for a moment longer, observing the bookshelves.

The board was set.

The Airship now had a legal identity.

My VP reserve was healthy and my abilities were back.

I walked back to the male dormitory with a single thought: the meeting with the Holfort family would not just be an engagement dinner.

It would be my declaration of sovereignty.

And with Aria by my side, I was sure that no one would be prepared for what was to come.