Sebastian and Al were already nearing the vicinity of the Virellano residence.

Just one more turn into the elite district, then a straight road for a few hundred meters, and they would arrive.

The car they were using was no longer the extravagant luxury vehicle from before.

This one was still a luxury car, but more casual in appearance—something refined enough to bring to any event without drawing unnecessary attention.

Sebastian glanced at Al through the rearview mirror, watching him in the passenger row.

"How far should we escort you, Master? Are we entering the Virellano residence?" he asked from the front seat near the driver.

Al, sitting alone in the middle row, jolted slightly. He had been on the verge of falling asleep, only to snap awake at Sebastian's voice.

"Ah… just drop me off at the last turn," he said flatly, wiping a small trace of drool at the corner of his mouth.

"There's no need to take me all the way inside," he added.

Sebastian and the driver chuckled quietly at that behavior and could only nod.

"Very well, Master," Sebastian replied respectfully. "It seems you're a little drowsy, but we're almost there," he added.

Al rubbed his face.

"Huff… yeah. Listening to all those arguments at the police station was insanely boring and totally drained my energy," he replied. "At least after this I can finally enjoy some sleep."

Sebastian nodded.

The car continued forward toward the location they had agreed on.

It was a large turn at one of Makazhar's elite residential districts—a place that was never particularly crowded, mostly traversed only by the upper class.

The expansive district housed no more than twenty elite families of Makazhar, half of which belonged to the Virellano family.

A silent display of their dominance, even among the elite themselves.

Al leaned back for a moment while Sebastian, prepared out of habit, moved to get out first to open the door for him.

"No need, Sebastian," Al said, stopping him.

"You should know this entire area is covered in CCTV. Seeing a teacher opening a car door for his own student would look extremely suspicious," he explained.

Sebastian nodded.

"I understand, Master," he replied. "It's just… it feels strange not doing it."

Al simply gave a short laugh, opened the door on his own, and stepped out. He stretched his arms and released a long yawn.

"Hooaamm… finally, I can rest for a bit," he muttered.

Sebastian followed behind him.

"Are you still planning to join the patrol tonight?" he asked.

"Of course. As long as my laziness doesn't stop me from moving, I have to keep moving," Al replied, patting the slightly wrinkled hoodie he was wearing.

"Besides, I want to check that place tonight," he added.

Sebastian lowered his head slightly, wanting to respond but hesitating.

Al understood and patted his shoulder.

"I get it," he said reassuringly.

"Your role as a teacher will drain you for the next few days. Looks like you'll be pulling overtime at school tonight—just like Michaelis."

Sebastian let out a sigh.

"So this is the anxiety Michaelis feels," he murmured. "The anxiety of not being able to assist you."

Al laughed.

"At least you didn't request leave like he did," he said.

He slipped both hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

"Besides, your role as a teacher is also part of our mission. We've been at that school for almost three years, and soon enough we'll be taking on a new role."

He looked at Sebastian with clear pride.

"Even though you're the coldest among all of us, your integration has been the most successful," Al praised.

"So far, you've formed the most connections with the teachers, the staff, and even the students. Michaelis bonded with the physical workers—the guards, the cleaners. And I blended with the students as a classmate."

Sebastian lifted his head, and Al continued speaking.

"They've accepted us with these identities. And with all the relationships we've built, I'm sure… just a little more, and they'll accept us for who we truly are."

Sebastian nodded.

"You're right, Master. Our progress has reached that point. Even if it feels a little fake, our bonds with them have become quite strong," he said.

"I hope everything succeeds and goes according to our plan."

Al smiled, nodded, then exhaled deeply.

"Good. Use the remaining time to strengthen those bonds. This period will be crucial. Because after this…"

He paused, gazing up at the sky before continuing.

"…we'll be taking on a new journey."

He waved his hand lightly, turned around, and began walking away.

Sebastian only smiled, bowing his head slightly in a faint gesture of respect toward his master.

When he raised his head again, a luxurious car sped around the turn. He turned toward it and accidentally locked eyes with someone inside.

But ultimately he didn't care, simply glanced once more in Al's direction before getting back into the car.

And the car sped away, leaving Al behind with all his matters at the Virellano residence.

---

Just a few minutes earlier,

Aurielle and Sandra were chatting warmly inside the luxurious Virellano family car.

The vehicle wasn't moving particularly fast, nor was it going slow—its pace was perfectly steady, offering a level of comfort tailored precisely for them.

"Aurielle… you really gave me a fright. I thought something serious had happened, but it turns out it was only about buying this bag," Sandra protested.

Previously, Aurielle had coaxed her mother into going out without giving any clear explanation.

As it turned out, it was merely a small trick to bring her mother out for a shopping trip at the mall.

Conveniently, her assistant had contacted her informing that a newly released limited-edition luxury handbag had arrived.

The assistant only wanted to ask whether she should purchase it on Aurielle's behalf.

Yet it sparked a mischievous idea in Aurielle—to go herself, and at the same time take her mother, who had been gloomily sulking at home, out for a stroll.

"Ahaha… sorry, Mom," Aurielle replied. "I just didn't want you sitting at home sulking. It's not good for your health." She reasoned with a sweet tone.

"Besides, it's a limited-edition bag. You definitely want it, right?"

Sandra pouted slightly at her daughter's sugary excuse, but she could only nod.

"Of course I want it," she replied. "But don't do that again next time. I almost had a heart attack. I thought something had happened."

"This already qualifies as 'something happening,' Mom. Haha," Aurielle teased her mother.

"Hm." Sandra merely cleared her throat.

Aurielle looked at her, then hooked her arm around Sandra's.

"Alright… alright… I won't do it again," she said in surrender.

Sandra exhaled lightly.

"Good," she replied more calmly.

Not long after, as they approached the final turn, Aurielle's gaze accidentally fell upon a familiar face at the far end of the road.

She squinted her eyes—the distance was still a bit far. A black luxury car was parked there, and two men stood beside it. One wore a navy shirt, and the other a black hoodie.

As their car rolled closer, she finally caught the familiar features.

It was Al—and a man with white hair.

"Oh, Al. What's he doing there?" she murmured.

Sandra jolted slightly and followed Aurielle's line of sight. She too clearly saw Al and the elegant-looking man with white hair.

"Yes, that's Al. But who is he with?"

"I don't know, Mom. I've never seen anyone like him before. Don't tell me he's one of the acquaintances from the orphanage?" Aurielle replied.

"Maybe. But judging from his looks and how he presents himself, he seems a little too refined to be someone from an orphanage," Sandra said.

Aurielle agreed. His appearance did indeed look elegant, although the distance still hindered a proper view.

Instinctively, both of them attempted to observe the man more intently, watching what the two were doing.

But there was nothing suspicious—just light conversation between Al and the mysterious man, though they had no idea what they were talking about.

Their suspicion gradually faded, leaving behind nothing but curiosity about who this person was—someone capable of interacting with Al so casually.

And as their car approached and passed by the two, Al had already begun walking away. The white-haired man glanced at Al momentarily before entering the car and driving off.

Sandra exhaled softly.

"I guess he's not someone dangerous," Sandra murmured.

She waited for Aurielle's response, but nothing came. Strangely, the car felt unusually quiet.

She turned, only to see Aurielle staring blankly, her gaze fixed behind them in the direction the luxury car had gone.

She looked almost entranced—and for some reason… her cheeks were lightly flushed.

Sandra tried calling her, several times, until finally—

"Aurielle!" she said, shaking her daughter gently.

Aurielle snapped back to herself and turned to her mother.

"Ah… Mom. S-sorry, I—I was just… hmph… too focused on checking the car he was using. It looked nice," she stammered like a kid caught stealing candy.

Sandra stared sharply at her with a suspicious gaze, but eventually she didn't push further and simply sighed. There was something more urgent she needed to do right now.

"Ah… I thought it was something else," Sandra said. "If you know the model, you can buy one too. I think that car has plenty of units."

Aurielle nodded awkwardly, while Sandra instructed the driver.

"Stop up ahead. We'll pick up Al."

The driver was taken aback. As far as he knew, this was the third time Al had ridden in one of the family cars—and he would be the one driving him this time.

For him, this could become a unique story—either a badge of pride or a secret he would need to keep from turning into gossip among the other drivers.

Just like the two drivers before him, who had ended up becoming jokes among all the household staff.

But maintaining a professional demeanor, he nodded and stopped the car, reversing slightly since they had already passed Al.

The car window rolled down.

Al had been walking leisurely, enjoying the breeze. He had noticed the family car passing by and knew who was inside, but he hadn't expected them to pick him up.

"Mother? Sis?" he said, sounding as if he truly hadn't expected this.

"Al… come on, get in," Sandra said softly, trying to give a warm smile despite the tiny sting she felt in her heart.

Watching Al walking like this always felt strange. It had already been three months, and Al remained the only child who had no assigned driver.

But it was all part of their wager. And at most, in nine more months, Al would receive what was rightfully his.

Aurielle sensed that sentiment too, but her mind was occupied with something far deeper. Her neck seemed unable to stop tilting backward.

But when she saw Al, an idea popped into her mind.

"Al, hurry and get in," she said hastily.

The front door of the car opened, inviting Al to sit in the front seat.

Al looked a bit confused.

"Rare of you two to invite me like this," he said with a faint hint of sarcasm. "Don't tell me you've got some strange plan for me again."

"Aaalll!" Sandra groaned.

"Yes, Al. Stop being snarky. Just get in," Aurielle said.

Al simply nodded in the end, not making a fuss about it, and took the front seat.

"Alright," he said.

And as the door closed, he turned toward them.

"Thank you, Mother. Sis."

Sandra nodded, wanting to speak—mainly about the mysterious man earlier. But Al spoke first, noticing something odd.

"Oh! Sis… why is your face so red?" he asked Aurielle.

Aurielle, who had been arranging sentences in her mind, stiffened, startled for no clear reason.

Sandra also turned in confusion—seeing Aurielle's face genuinely flushed red.

And the reason Aurielle was like that… would become something astonishing, even for herself.

---

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