Entrustment

Setis, however, was extremely calm, appearing somewhat out of place in this scene.

She behaved as though she weren't the guest of honor for this expression of gratitude at all. After walking in, she found a familiar spot to sit, tapped her fingers lightly on the table, and looked naturally at Li Yuan.

Her meaning was perfectly clear.

Bring tea, and a book.

Seeing her like this actually made Li Yuan feel more at ease.

It seemed her body was indeed adapting quite well.

He turned and walked back behind the bar counter, starting to brew tea in his usual manner.

He took out several cups and selected the appropriate tea leaves for them from his tea jars.

Duchess Sebas was still quite emotional, so she shouldn't drink tea that was too strong.

The Duke and Reinhardt, on the other hand, could handle a slightly stronger brew.

As for Setis, she had always favored black tea, so Li Yuan brewed a separate cup for her as usual.

The fragrance of tea slowly drifted through the air, and the atmosphere in the teahouse softened considerably.

Li Yuan served the teacups to each of them one by one. His movements were unhurried and his demeanor was as professional as always, completely devoid of any discourtesy.

Duke Sebas raised his cup but did not drink immediately, instead staring intently at Li Yuan.

“Mr. Li, the Sebas family will always remember what you did for Setis.”

Li Yuan shook his head slightly and sighed.

“Your Grace, there is no need for this. Lady Setis is a regular guest of this teahouse, so we share a certain bond.”

“This is not something that can be dismissed as a mere bond.”

The Duke's expression was solemn, a look that even Setis rarely saw.

“She is my daughter. By saving her, you have saved the entire Sebas family.”

Li Yuan's hand holding the teapot paused slightly. Those words carried far too much weight.

He was about to speak when Duchess Sebas suddenly looked up. Her eyes were red, but she tried her best to keep her voice steady.

“Mr. Li, please do not decline. We know you are no ordinary person, and we know our gratitude might not mean much to you, but to us, this is something we must do.”

Reinhardt also stood up and bowed to Li Yuan.

“That night, Mother and I watched with our own eyes as you took my little sister away. We do not know what method you used to save her, nor do we dare to ask. But having her back is more than enough.”

Being thanked by the three of them in succession left Li Yuan feeling rather helpless.

He had no choice but to set down the teapot and speak in a warm tone:

“I have received your kind sentiments. However, Lady Setis has only just recovered. Why don't we let her enjoy her tea in peace first?”

Shifting the topic to Setis worked wonders.

Duchess Sebas immediately turned to Setis, her eyes filled with concern.

“An'an, how are you feeling now?”

Setis held her teacup, pursing her lips and replying indifferently,

“I'm fine. Everything is great.”

The Duchess was still uneasy, her brow furrowing slightly.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Setis took a sip of her black tea. Fearing her mother would continue to press her, she quickly added,

“Better than before, even.”

This was not mere consolation.

She indeed felt much lighter than before. Although she currently could not sense mana, her limbs and torso felt as if they possessed endless strength, and her breathing was smoother than ever.

However, she had not yet figured out how to explain these changes to her family.

Seeing that she did not seem to be lying, the Duchess's emotions finally stabilized a bit.

Peace gradually returned to the teahouse. After a long while, Setis set down her cup, looked at Li Yuan, and spoke helplessly,

“I originally planned to come alone, but they insisted on coming along.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Duke Sebas frowned and looked at her.

“Nonsense!”

The Duke's voice was not loud, yet it carried a father's unique authority.

“Mr. Li is your savior. As your parents, how could we possibly remain indifferent?”

Setis lowered her eyes; this was the one point she had absolutely no reason to argue against.

Reinhardt coughed softly from the side, reminding his father not to start lecturing again.

But the Duke clearly had no intention of stopping there. He turned back to Li Yuan, his attitude becoming solemn once more.

“Mr. Li, my daughter has been spoiled by us since she was a child, and she often doesn't know how to express her feelings properly. If she behaves discourteously in the future, please bear with her.”

Setis immediately looked up and cried out in dissatisfaction,

“Father.”

But the Duke paid no heed to her feelings now, continuing to speak to Li Yuan:

“She is stubborn, and once she sets her mind on something, it is hard for her to turn back. In the future, if she causes you any trouble, please do not hesitate to tell me.”

Hearing this, Li Yuan suddenly felt a slight sense of foreboding.

He looked at Setis, then at the Duke... feeling that the Duke's words carried some other implication.

Since the current occasion was not suitable for probing deeper, he could only maintain a polite smile.

“Your Grace speaks too harshly. Lady Setis is not someone who lacks manners.”

Hearing this, the corners of Setis's mouth curled up slightly.

Watching their interaction, the worry in the Duchess's eyes was replaced by another subtle emotion. She gently lifted her teacup, using the action of drinking to hide her expression.

Over the next while, the group drank tea and chatted about the state of the royal capital over the past few days.

The palace was recounting the losses of high-level professionals, and many noble estates were beginning to recruit guards. Although the Abyssal Rift had vanished, the gaps in the royal capital's defenses could not be filled overnight.

Then they brought up the academy, and Reinhardt said with some helplessness,

“Classes have temporarily resumed at the academy, but many courses have been suspended. The magic combat classes are short on teachers, and the instructor who was originally in charge of several second-year classes was severely injured.”

At this point, he glanced at Setis.

“The school administration is still debating whether to let some students go home early for a break.”

Setis kept her eyes lowered, gently stirring the tea in her cup, having absolutely no intention of joining the conversation.

Li Yuan noticed her silence, but he did not press her in front of her family.

“Fortunately, casualties among the common people were far fewer than expected,” Reinhardt continued. “But there have been many rumors lately. Some say the gods manifested, others say the royal family angered the Abyss—in short, people are saying all sorts of things... but the vast majority prefer to believe it was divine punishment.”

Li Yuan simply listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

He had no desire to offer unnecessary explanations. If they wanted to call it divine punishment, so be it... After all, those gods were nothing but cowards, hiding their heads and tails.

Nearly two hours passed, and the tea in their cups had been refilled twice.

Reinhardt suddenly looked up at his father and nodded gently. Duke Sebas understood, set down his cup, and stood up.

“It is getting late. We should take our leave.”

Although the Duchess was somewhat reluctant to leave, she also stood up and smoothed her dress.

Reinhardt retrieved a gold coin card from his coat pocket and placed it on the bar counter with both hands.

Li Yuan glanced at it, and knowing the amount was not small, he pushed it back with a hand.

“Your Grace, this is not necessary.”

Duke Sebas made no move to take it back.

“There are ten thousand gold coins inside.”

Li Yuan's fingers paused slightly.

Ten thousand gold coins. Even for him, this was not a sum of money that could be completely ignored.

Though it was a token of gratitude, it was ultimately because of his own actions. Taking such a large amount of money felt somewhat inappropriate.

He was about to decline again when Duke Sebas stepped forward and patted his shoulder.

Such a gesture was already considered extremely familiar for a duke.

“Mr. Li.”

The Duke looked into his eyes, his expression excessively earnest.

“From now on... I entrust Setis to you.”