"Young Master…"
After a silence that ensued after the headmaster made his verdict, it was Claire's voice that came first.
She had not made a mistake.
She was right.
Her bet had paid off. He was officially a higher status disciple and she was his woman.
She reached him in no time and her eyes shone when she looked at him. Lyren scratched his head unsure how to respond.
"You're so cool." Claire said and Lyren was embarrassed. They wore matching outfits so it was obvious that the title young master was more of a formality. Everybody could tell they were lovers.
"Young Master really is cool," Sera finally spoke and Lyren was suddenly in the middle of something dangerous.
"Sera please, you of all people should understand. It's your fault," Lyren said as he suddenly felt shivers. Claire and Sera were both glaring at each other and again sparks were flying when their eyes met.
Well, Lyren did not seem to realize the glares he was receiving from the crowd that even Julia was shocked by the audacity he had.
The students were even more annoyed because calling Sera by her name was blatant disrespect. Everyone had to refer her by her title, even those who did not come from the academy.
Especially when they recalled the kid's earlier performance, it was obvious to them that he did not actually mean it at all.
His exaggerated prostration and praise… all these culminated to a rage when he casually addressed her casually and without a title.
It did not matter if they had ties but why wasn't Lady Sera doing anything?
"I need an explanation!" Sera said and Lyren's smile turned foolish.
Again, they were shocked that Sera was letting it slide. And was she asking to meet him? Was she for real?
They spent their time in the academy and barely saw her but here she was already booking an appointment. Where was justice here?
"About that… I am not yet an academy student. Why don't you come tomorrow and we shall talk more…" Lyren spoke hesitantly as he could feel daggers being stared at him.
"Okay. Tomorrow noon." Sera replied before turning back and the crowd splitting for her to pass.
Flabbergasted was understatement.
That was more of a date than an appointment and to ask her to visit him in front of them all was peak confidence. But for her to agree without hesitation was a huge blow to their ego.
Lyren was still on the spotlight with Claire besides him. Of course, she was shocked and it was time to put her act. After all, her man had asked another girl out in front of a crowd and her too.
"Young Master, are you going to discard me now? I have been with you through thick and thin and yet you do this to me? Am I not important to you anymore?"
Claire was probably the best actor out there and her act easily turned the crowd to her side. It was only rightful that she would feel discarded after What happened with Lady Sera.
The two appeared close after all.
Claire took his hands and her eyes seemed to want to shed tears as they shone. Lyren saw through it all and he realized he just might be walking on thin ice.
Had he known that he would meet Sera, he would not have brought Claire. And had he not been rash and called her his woman, she would not be this persistent.
Well, she was doing him a favor by focusing the crowd's attention from the scene they had just caused and he realized that it was actually her intention. She really thought fast. He pulled her closer to him and hugged her.
"Do not worry about her. She can't come between," Lyren said and stroked her back as she hid her face in his chest and it was just in time as Sera looked back their eyes met briefly.
Claire winked and Sera turned and left. Lyren did not notice this exchange though.
"Young Master let's head back," Claire said and Lyren nodded and the crowd made way for them as they headed back.
The stalls resumed with their businesses and easily let them go after the final display. It was funny how easy it was to shift the focus of the mob and Lyren was just learning about this.
They were easy to control especially if they shared the same goals and thought process. That was why they were easily mad as a group when Lyren attacked their psyche.
It was also for this reason that the headmaster had easily resolved this case. They were bitter and seeing him get punished was easy to feed their dying ego.
On the way, Lyren stopped a carriage and he still wanted to buy that 50% purity pill.
"Where do we get those pills?" Lyren asked and Claire smiled.
"It's not that easy to get them. I had to work myself to the bone to get that one. I have several with me if you want, I can sell them to you…"
Claire replied and Lyren realized that she was still playing her game. She really was a difficult one.
"Now that's interesting. How much are you selling?" Lyren asked and Sera showed him a folded fist.
"Five hundred copper? Five silvers? Fifty? Five hundred… silver…?"
Lyren watched as she shook her head several times and when he reached five hundred, she smiled and nodded slowly as his words slowed down.
Lyren knew that she was good at this but he realized that she was actually too good. He could not fathom that cost.
Five hundred silver would turn him bankrupt and his net worth did not reach five hundred silvers if he did not count the gold coins.
"What is the exchange rate of silver to gold?" Lyren asked and Claire quickly told him that it was a thousand copper making one silver coin and five thousand silver coins equaled one gold coin.
Now that was an interesting math.
He now understood the reaction from sera. If a pouch of silver could make them bring her as a maid, a gold pouch would make them give her as a permanent maid.
He did his math and realized there were ten pills from a single gold coin. That was enough for him to advance to the next stage.
The eighth stage.
The headmaster had done him a huge favor by revealing his cultivation level to everyone but that meant that if he could advance to the next stage, he was going to have a trump card which was the element of surprise.
Since they were going to expect him to stagnate in the seventh stage for a very long period, they would not expect him to be a stage higher.
He knew he already had enemies and they were not going to be prepared for an eighth stage expert. He was going to dedicate the remaining time to advancing.
After Sera left, he was going to try push his cultivation up. Lyren was not the type to hesitate and he quickly removed a gold coin and gave it to Claire.
"I will be waiting for the pills tomorrow." Lyren said and he gave directions to the driver to take them to the hotel.
He was tired and when he had his meal and forcing Claire to eat with him as she was also tired, he went to bed and he could not help but feel she was going to get worked in other places.
He quickly formulated a plan as his consciousness faded. He really was tired.