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Shani called out to Mina several times, but Mina did not answer. Even so, Shani knew that Mina was at least safe because the commotion sounded muffled, as if it were coming from another room.

After a while, Mina’s voice finally came through. ”Shan, that was my adoptive mother’s family.”

”Did something happen? Does this have anything to do with you?” Shani asked, her brows furrowing.

”No... Hmm, actually, it does,” Mina replied hesitantly.

Shani became extremely worried. It wasn’t just Aster who was struggling. Now Mina was in trouble, too.

”Mina, if you feel unsafe there, I can bring you to Aurelis. I’ll pay for your life and schooling here. Aster too...”

Shani did not need to think twice about making that decision.

Mina was silent for a long time before finally saying, ”Thank you, Shan. I’d be very happy to be with you. But my adoptive parents are good people. They truly love me.”

”Then what was that commotion about?” Shani asked, confused.

Mina took a breath, preparing herself to tell a rather long story.

”My adoptive father is a businessman in Anemone and the towns around the border. My adoptive mother also comes from a business family. But her family has a much larger business, based in Lunarion. Its scale is far bigger than my father’s business.”

”They met in Anemone when my mother went there to prove her business abilities to her family. As the only daughter, her father didn’t approve of her marrying a man whose business was not on the same level as theirs. But Mom still chose to marry Dad and eventually settled in Anemone with him.”

”After she had a miscarriage, Mom could no longer have children. They decided to adopt a child. They started looking for information about orphanages in Anemone and the surrounding towns. That was when they heard about Rowan House, which was founded by a former Grand Academy instructor.”

”Before they could visit our orphanage, they received news that my mom’s father had died and she was ordered to return to Lunarion. At first, they wanted to postpone the adoption, but Mom had a feeling that the situation in Lunarion wouldn’t be resolved quickly.”

”So they immediately went to Rowan House and told the Director that they would be taking their adopted child to Lunarion. They didn’t have any specific age requirements. Mom simply wanted a daughter. That’s why they adopted me.”

”After they arrived in Lunarion, the funeral had already been hurriedly handled by my mom’s father’s siblings. They wanted to hear the will as soon as possible. In the will, all of my grandfather’s assets were given to Mom, including his shares in the company.”

”Of course, my grandfather’s siblings refused to believe it. They thought that because Mom had defied her father, she wouldn’t receive much of the inheritance. Unfortunately for them, the will was legally protected.”

”Basically, Mom inherited everything, but everyone in the company, from the highest positions to the lowest, was still under the control of her uncles and aunts.

”Mom has been away from Lunarion for so long that she lacks any real backing. Even as the largest shareholder, she struggles to make a single decision.”

”To this day, they keep pressuring her to sell her shares. They’ve even shown up at our house multiple times, yelling at her and demanding she sell.”

Shani’s brow furrowed as she listened, though she eventually breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At least Mina wasn’t being mistreated, even if leaving her there still filled Shani with unease.

Shani knew better than anyone that disputes over wealth could easily turn deadly.

”Mina, if anything happens, you have to contact me, okay?” In the end, that was all Shani could say.

”Okay. I’ll keep you updated on what happens here,” Mina replied.

After a while, their call ended because Shani had to attend her afternoon class.

...

With Mina’s permission, Shani sent Aster a message about what was happening with Mina’s adoptive family.

But texting was all she could do. Whenever she called, Aster never answered. He seemed extremely busy. Shani could feel a helpless sorrow settling in her heart.

Shani: Tell me immediately if anything happens to Mina’s family, okay?

Aster: Don’t worry. I’ll check on Mina often.

Shani: Thank you, Aster. You also have to tell me if anything happens to you!

Aster: I’m fine here. I’ll be joining you soon. Wait for me!

Shani let out a heavy sigh, her heart aching with helpless anguish.

Nor could she confront Aster about his situation. If she pushed him, instead of opening up, he might retreat further and raise his guard against Mina as well.

And if that happened, what could Shani, all the way in Aurelis, possibly do?

If something happened to Mina’s adoptive family, Shani would have a reason to bring both Aster and Mina to Aurelis.

Of course, Aster would never let an eight-year-old girl travel to another kingdom alone.

At least once they reached Aurelis, Shani could talk to Aster face-to-face.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sound of knocking pulled Shani out of her thoughts about Aster and Mina.

She quickly opened the door and found Jeryon standing outside with a faint smile. It made his usually cold and unapproachable face seem a little warmer.

’Lately, Jeryon’s smile isn’t as stiff as it used to be,’ Shani thought.

She immediately invited Jeryon inside and closed the door. It was Friday, exactly two weeks since Nyx had hatched. It was time for their resonance session.

Jeryon sat on the chair beside Nyx’s bed, gently stroking the top of the little black furball’s head. Shani took the seat on the other side of the bed, facing Jeryon.

”Since it’s already nine, how about we start now?” Shani said. Jeryon nodded.

Shani placed her hand on Nyx’s head while Jeryon touched its tail.

Nyx meowed as it felt warm energy flowing through its body. It looked curiously at its father and mother, who both appeared completely focused.

It could not feel any difference in its body. Unlike Shani and Jeryon, who could both feel a foreign energy forcing its way into their bodies.

...