Chapter 167: 167. Lucky Maximus

William stood beside Seraphine, who was now seated on a dining chair in the center of his living area.

The soft evening light filtered in through the window, casting a pale glow across the table. In front of her were three small glass bottles containing mysterious liquids.

One of them held a deep crimson solution that reflected faintly under the light, while the other two were green, their color dense and opaque.

“Willy, what are these?” she asked, leaning slightly forward as she examined them with curiosity.

“Just drink them. They will benefit your physique awakening,” William replied in a calm tone, keeping his explanation simple.

She looked at him for a second, searching his expression for doubt, but finding none.

“Okay,” she said with a trusting smile.

Without hesitation, she picked up the first bottle, pulled the cork free, and tilted it back. She swallowed the entire contents in one go.

The liquid slid down her throat, and her expression changed immediately.

The texture and taste clearly did not agree with her.

“Huergghh!” she made a small gagging sound, covering her mouth lightly while looking at William in complaint.

William simply smiled, unfazed by her expression, and gently pushed the second bottle toward her.

A stiff, twitchy smile appeared on her face. She gave him a look that silently accused him of being so cold, but she still reached for the second bottle. She opened it and drank again, forcing herself to swallow despite the bitterness.

Then came the third.

By the time she finished all three bottles, her brows were furrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line as she tried to digest the lingering aftertaste.

She breathed through her nose slowly, clearly fighting the urge to complain.

William reached forward and patted her head gently.

She had not demanded explanations, nor doubted him even once. She had simply complied.

She is so innocent, he thought quietly.

Seraphine stood up after a moment, brushing her hands lightly against her dress.

“I have to go now. It’s getting late,” she said.

William stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her from behind in a soft embrace. She smiled and turned slightly, cupping his face between her hands.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said gently.

“I know,” William replied.

Holding her hand, he walked her to the door.

With a click, he opened it.

Sera stepped backward into the corridor, still facing him.

“Take care,” she said lovingly.

“Yes, I will,” William replied.

Then, his smile shifted slightly. The change was subtle, but Seraphine noticed it. Her gaze followed his, and she turned her head.

Ethan and Maximus stood a few steps away.

Sera’s eyes widened. “Maximus? When did you return?”

“Just a few hours ago,” Maximus replied in a tired tone.

Her expression softened immediately. There was genuine empathy in her eyes.

“It’s good that you’re back. Don’t worry, Mom said that the whole Celestial Army is moving with full force to find the missing.”

Maximus only nodded. He did not speak further.

The silence that followed was slightly awkward. William stepped forward again and looked at Sera.

“Take care,” he repeated.

She moved closer, but because Ethan and Maximus were present, her usual warmth turned shy. The hug was side-angled and brief, not the familiar embrace they were used to.

William understood and did not mind.

Sera gave one final look at both Ethan and Maximus before turning and walking down the corridor.

William watched until she disappeared from sight.

Then he gestured to Ethan and Maximus.

“Come in.”

The moment Maximus stepped inside, a black shadow shot forward. The shadow cat leaped onto him without warning, startling him completely. Before he could react defensively, it settled comfortably on top of his head, curling its tail.

“Chill out,” William said casually. “She likes darkness element users.”

Maximus stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed and walked toward the sofa where William had gestured.

Ethan, meanwhile, stared at the cat with curiosity. It was his first time seeing such a creature, and he could sense that it was not ordinary.

William took a seat on the sofa opposite them.

“So,” he said lightly, “would you like some tea?”

Ethan gave a faint smile. “No, but thanks for asking.”

William chuckled. “Yeah, I was just doing formality. If you had said yes, I would’ve told you to make one for me too.”

He then laughed loudly at his own joke.

[lol]

The system chuckled as well.

Ethan and Maximus both stared at him with expressions that twitched in annoyance.

William leaned back slightly.

“So,” he said again, more serious now, “what are we here for?”

“Need to talk about something,” Ethan replied.

“I told you I was busy just a few hours ago, I think,” William said, tilting his head.

“Yes, I know,” Ethan said calmly. “But we are here for something else. We are here to talk about Maximus.”

William’s gaze shifted slowly from Ethan to Maximus.

“Go on. Tell me.”

Maximus and Ethan exchanged a nervous glance.

Then Maximus began.

He started from the beginning. The death of his mother. The poisoning. The cruelty of the Duchess.

The exploitation and humiliation he had endured. He spoke about Lia, about the false belief that she had died, about the possibility that she might still be alive.

He described his journey to the south searching for her, the letter from the Eternal Sovereign, and the revelation of conspiracy.

And then he came to the most critical part.

“The Kylark cult approached me before I joined the academy,” Maximus said steadily. “They offered me a demonic seed in exchange for revenge.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened as he listened.

“I was about to swallow the seed,” Maximus continued, his voice was unwavered, “if I had not received the letter claiming that Lia was stuck in the clutches of the cults, I would have joined the hands of cults who were colluding with the duchess.”

Throughout the entire explanation, William’s expression had changed gradually.

The relaxed demeanor had disappeared. His gaze had sharpened, and his posture had straightened slightly.

But the explosion of anger they had both anticipated from William never came.

William simply listened and nodded from time to time.

When Maximus finished, silence filled the room.

Ethan cleared his throat and asked quietly, “Are you not angry about Maximus accepting the Kylark cult’s offer initially?”

William looked at Ethan and exhaled slowly.

“For you, this might be a very big thing to know about,” he said calmly, “but the cults have secretly corrupted so many people that at this point, the addition of Maximus would not have made a huge difference on the scale of their treachery.”

“What do you mean?” Ethan asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I mean that people far more dangerous and far more vulnerable than Maximus have already been corrupted,” William said plainly.

“As a classmate, I should be furious. But I am not. Even though I hate demons and cultists, the addition of Maximus would just be another name on my hit list if I were to be honest with you.”

Maximus swallowed.

“Fortunately,” William continued, his lips curled slightly, “Maximus is lucky.”

Both Ethan and Maximus felt a chill run down their spines.

“In fact,” William added, “Maximus is fortunate not because he did not turn into a cultist. He is fortunate because he avoided death by my hands.”

He said it with a warm smile.

It was not warm at all.

Silence pressed heavily on Maximus and Ethan as they digested his words.

Then William leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on his knees.

“Anyway,”

“Why are you both telling me this?” he asked as if his previous sentence was insignificant.

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