Chương 92: Chapter 91 – The Proposal

The next morning, it took Han repeatedly calling out to wake me before I could make it to class on time. By the time I entered the classroom, most of the students were already present. I originally wanted to arrive a bit early and pretend to sit next to Alice to ask her about Rushia, but I truly couldn't wake up early enough. The seat next to Alice had already been taken, so I could only find another spot nearby. However, upon seeing me, Alice suddenly stood up and moved her seat next to mine.

"Asher, you're back."

"Oh, hi, Alice. How have you been these past few days?"

"What could possibly happen to me? What about you? Did Lealia's mission go smoothly?"

"It was alright." I noticed Alice seemed a bit more awkward than usual, but I didn't ask directly, choosing instead to wait for her to speak first.

"After class today... are you free?"

"Uh... I'm free. Is something the matter?" Alice lowered her voice to a near whisper.

"My lady... Lady Rushia, she told me to pass on a message that she wants to meet with you privately after class. But no one else is allowed to know about this." I was taken aback: "Huh? Why?"

"I'm not sure, I'm just passing on the message. If you agree, come with me to my lady's private manor after class; she will meet you there." Rushia Matthew and I had never had any contact prior to this. I couldn't immediately guess the reason why she would suddenly want to meet me privately in secret. Could it be related to Rachel?

"Okay, tell your lady that I agree to meet her." Alice nodded. Just then, classes began as the instructor entered and took attendance. As the lecture started, curiosity got the better of me, and I turned to ask Alice.

"Hey, what kind of person is your lady?" Alice replied: "Lady Rushia is very kind. She isn't like other nobles who constantly look down on those of lower status; she treats everyone around her very politely. It's just that she is always a bit serious, but that also shows she is constantly striving to fulfill her role to the best of her ability."

"Then do you have any guess as to why she wants to meet me?"

"I... I don't know! You'll find out as soon as you meet her." With that, she shifted her body slightly further away from me. Humph, this girl definitely knows something. Throughout the entire school day, I kept dozing off. During the ancient languages class in the afternoon, I buried my face on the desk until the bell rang, startling me awake. Alice pointed at the top of my head and said: "Your hair is sticking up."

I ran my hand over it, hoping to smooth it down, but judging by Alice's expression, it didn't seem to work. Her hand kept reaching out and then pulling back, as if she wanted to help but didn't dare to. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. It seemed Alice was keeping her distance from me. Previously, she hadn't been this shy about touching, had she? I vigorously smoothed the top of my head a few more times, then said:"Let's go. Are we sharing your carriage?"

Alice nodded, then led me around to the back of the academic building. This was the opposite direction from the dormitory area, so very few people passed by. A carriage was already waiting there. By the time the carriage left the academy gates, a light rain began to fall. Rushia Matthew's private manor wasn't located in the central district of the capital but rather a bit far out in the southern suburbs, requiring about a half-hour carriage ride to reach.

During that time, I took the opportunity to recheck my stat board. Name Asher Griffin Race Human Health 69/100 Mana 135/??? Strength 95 Intelligence 390 Reputation 56 Rank / Skill Halunar's Eye (Lv.???) · Night Vision (Lv. Max) · Farsight (Lv. 30) · X-Ray Vision (Lv. 17) Mana Siphon (Lv. 37) Swordsmanship (Lv. 23) Martial Arts (Lv. 14) First Aid (Lv. 3) Cooking (Lv. 15) Strategy (Lv. 51) All my stats showed slight improvements, particularly those related to combat capability.

My swordsmanship skill had surpassed level 20 without me noticing. This meant that from now on, I would likely be able to activate mana flow while fighting with a sword. Once my body fully recovered from the lingering effects of the miasma poisoning, I would test this out. The carriage pulled up in front of a small yet elegantly designed manor, separated from the surrounding houses by a large garden and a high fence. Alice led me up to the second floor, then stopped in front of a room.

"My lady is waiting for you inside." I opened the door and walked in. Inside was a spacious study room, with Rushia Matthew sitting right in the center drinking tea. Seeing that I had arrived, she set her teacup down and stood up.

"Hello, Asher Griffin." Rushia possessed long black hair, fair skin, and sharp eyes. Unquestionably, she was a very beautiful girl. The only thing was that this beauty carried a touch of coldness, giving people the feeling that they couldn't approach her.

"Hello to you, Lady Rushia Matthew."

"I apologize for having Alice pass on the message instead of extending the invitation to you directly. Thank you for taking the time to come here. Please, have a seat." After I sat down, Alice appeared to serve tea and pastries, then retracted outside once more. I guessed Rushia hadn't called me here just to poison me, so I took a sip of tea to clear my throat while waiting for her to state her reason for inviting me. The two of us sat in silence for what must have been five minutes.

Only when I was about to find this awkward atmosphere unbearable did she finally speak up.

"I noticed that you've been on quite good terms with a few Hero Candidates recently."

"Oh, everyone studies in the same school. That shouldn't be anything strange, right?"

"It truly wouldn't be strange if you were only close with other students, but it seems you also have contact with candidates who aren't students, don't you?"

"What are you implying, my lady?" Rushia looked at me with her deep black eyes. If I remembered correctly, this girl was only eighteen years old, yet she possessed a gaze more perceptive than those who claimed to be worldly-wise. Rushia elegantly picked up her fork, poked a piece of pastry on the table, and put it into her mouth.

"I also heard that your relationship with Julius hasn't been as close as before lately. Did something happen?" I shrugged: "Not many people are willing to treat those of a lower status than them well. I'm just trying to find a path to make things a bit more comfortable for myself."

"Being acquainted with a few Hero Candidates isn't enough to make your position any more secure, you know that, right?" Oh, so she thought that my becoming close with others was an attempt to find a backing after running into trouble with the Griffin family. This line of reasoning was actually quite logical. But what did this have to do with her? The rain outside had lightened up by now, revealing a sliver of the late sunset.

I wanted to return to the academy to sleep before it got entirely dark, so I decided to stop beating around the bush.

"Forgive me for asking bluntly, but what exactly did you want to discuss with me privately today, my lady?" The teacup that had been brought to Rushia's lips suddenly froze. She set it down, slowly took a breath before looking up at me once more with a cold expression.

"What would you think if we were to get engaged, Asher Griffin?"