After that man’s comment, everyone at the table fell into a contemplative mood.
Especially Li Pei!
He’d been racking his brains just to catch a trace of Ron’s luck—even that would be enough to turn his life around.
Let alone someone like Crasis, who was straight-up marrying into his family!
It was said that the young lady already had good talent.
Now, with Ron’s luck added to the mix, wouldn’t her future just take off like a rocket?
Just as everyone was sighing with admiration, Li Pei suddenly interrupted with a doubtful tone:
“Wait a second, didn’t I hear somewhere…”
“That young lady from the Phinip family—didn’t she really look down on Ron?”
The others at the table snapped to attention.
“Yeah!”
“I heard that too.”
“Supposedly she’s got someone she likes. The two of them were flirting non-stop at the academy!”
“What?”
“Wasn’t her engagement to Ron arranged right after they were born?”
“She’s got a fiancé and still dares to mess around with other guys at school?”
“Heh, well, her fiancé’s a magicless loser.”
“It’s kinda normal that she’d feel that way, right?”
“Normal, my ass!”
“If I remember correctly, the Phinip family owed the Castrellero family a massive favor— that’s why they proactively arranged that betrothal!”
“Exactly! Don’t talk if you don’t know the full story.”
“If it weren’t for the Castrellero patriarch dying young, and the legitimate heir turning out to be some magicless oddball, the family wouldn’t have fallen into such decline!”
“So basically, the Phinip family are the real backstabbers?”
“Ha! See? I told you—”
“You guys even know how the Phinip family got rich in the first place?”
“Let me tell you…”
The group kept chattering, gossiping about the dirty secrets of noble families.
Even though the lives of nobles were worlds apart from those of commoners like them, the rumors had spread so widely through the streets and alleys that everyone knew about them by now.
That alone showed just how arrogant and domineering Crasis usually acted—
to the point where her motives were obvious to everyone with eyes.
In the middle of the discussion, Li Pei sighed softly.
“Ron is no loser.”
“If she truly loved him with all her heart, that young lady from the Phinip family could’ve achieved so much more.”
“Leaving behind a real mountain of gold and silver, just to start from scratch and try to cling to a ‘bigger thigh’…”
“Heh!”
“If she ever finds out the truth, she’s gonna regret it like hell.”
Li Pei’s words made the group click their tongues in amazement.
“Hey, Li…”
“Why don’t you go give that young lady from the Phinip family a little heads-up?”
“Who knows, maybe she’ll thank you with a fat wad of cash!”
Upon hearing that—
Li Pei let out a snort.
“You guys don’t even believe what I’m saying.”
“Why would I go looking for trouble at the Phinip estate?”
“They’re not like the Castrellero family—reasonable and easy to talk to.”
“If they mistake me for a con artist and beat me to death in the street, that’d be the end of me!”
“Just a few days ago, one of their servants got their fingers chopped off and eyes gouged out just for talking back to their young lady.”
“I’m not trying to earn money that’ll cost me my life!”
Li Pei’s face was full of fear and loathing for the Phinip family.
As the saying goes, “Those with virtue receive support; those without, lose it.”
If Crasis weren’t so overbearing, Li Pei might’ve actually gone to warn her about this life-changing opportunity.
But perhaps this is what people call fate.
It was exactly because of Crasis’s arrogance and cruelty that she lost her chance to change her future for the better.
Every word and deed we perform today might already be shaping the path of our destiny tomorrow.
…
Phinip Estate — in front of Crasis’s bedroom door.
A maid stood there awkwardly, holding a tray of food that had clearly been reheated multiple times.
“Miss, please eat something at least…”
The moment she spoke, a sharp crash echoed from behind the door— the sound of a teacup being smashed.
“GET OUT!”
Crasis’s furious roar made the maid flinch from head to toe.
She was terrified of the person inside the room, but also scared of the masters of the house blaming her if Crasis starved herself sick.
Just as the maid stood there, torn and unsure whether to disturb Crasis again,
Jon appeared behind her without warning.
“She still won’t eat?”
Startled by his sudden voice, the maid dropped to her knees in panic, the tray in her hands trembling.
“Yes, sir. She locked herself in the room after returning yesterday. No matter what we say, she refuses to come out…”
But to her surprise, Jon—who usually spoiled Crasis—suddenly gave a cold snort.
“Won’t eat?”
“Then let her starve!”
“Don’t bring her any more food.”
“If she misses mealtime, then she can go hungry—serves her right!”
“Who let her grow up with such a spoiled attitude anyway?”
His face was full of irritation.
Especially after recalling Ron’s stunning display yesterday, Jon could hardly contain his frustration.
He almost wished he could invent a soul-swapping spell and force Crasis and Ron to trade places.
Hearing Jon’s completely unsympathetic remarks, the maid was stunned for a moment.
And right then— Crasis erupted again inside the bedroom!
She suddenly flung the door open, glaring at Ron with an expression filled with intense hatred.
“Are you really going to just stand by and watch me marry that useless loser Ron?!”
Faced with Crasis’s furious and resentful questioning, Jon adjusted his tie with gentlemanly calm.
“Like I said, that’s your problem.”
“I’m not helping you do anything to that kid Ron ever again.”
Seeing Jon so detached, Crasis dropped to her knees with a thud, breaking down in sobs.
Before she could spiral into full hysteria, Jon cut in with a warning:
“Let me remind you— You know exactly where the old man stands.”
“If he finds out you not only want to break off the engagement, but are also fooling around with another man while still engaged, he’ll break your legs himself!”
“It’s only because his old injuries have flared up lately that he hasn’t dealt with you yet.”
“Keep making a scene like this— and I’ll personally report everything to the old man.”
“Then we’ll see how he handles a disobedient disgrace of a daughter like you!”
Hearing that, Crasis instantly stopped crying mid-outburst.
She looked up at Jon, terrified.
“Y-you’re really not going to help me anymore?”
Jon replied with a face of complete indifference:
“What else did you expect?”
“If I helped you kill him, our whole family would risk being dragged into a scandal drenched in blood.”
“And what would we get out of it?”
“Your so-called purity and reputation?”
“Didn’t you say yourself that a noble’s dignity and name can’t be exchanged for money?”
“Where did all that boldness go?”
“Now you’re ready to live and die over a title?”
“Utterly ridiculous!”
Jon scolded angrily.
Ever since witnessing Ron’s boldness firsthand, Jon had found Crasis more and more intolerable.
So what if Ron was born without magic?
If he had Crasis’s talent, his future would absolutely eclipse hers— ten times over.
The more Jon thought about their family’s future falling into her hands, the more hopeless he felt.
Could this brat really carry the Phinip family forward with a personality like that?
Who spoiled her into becoming this mess of a noblewoman?
Jon felt himself nearly short of breath from rage.
To avoid exploding on the spot, he shot Crasis a death glare, then quickly stormed away.
As his figure disappeared down the hall, Crasis slumped to the ground like a soulless doll.
“Ron… you’re really something…”
“Couldn’t you just die quietly… for the sake of me and Renis’s happiness?”