As time passed, the young man’s smile gradually faded.
His self-assured attempt at flirting was like a stone thrown into the sea—no response whatsoever.
Afroditi maintained her original posture, sipping her drink quietly.
She had seen plenty of fools like this—those who, relying solely on their family background, thought the whole world should revolve around them.
But this kind of outright ignoring was even more humiliating to the man than a clear rejection.
His face darkened instantly, and his tone grew harsh: “Hey! Are you deaf or mute? Didn’t you hear me, young master, talking to you?”
Afroditi’s fingers unconsciously toyed with the straw, the ice cubes in the glass gently clinking together with a faint sound.
She wasn’t deaf; she simply didn’t want to engage.
If this had been before, she would have wiped this reckless fool off the face of the earth already.
But things were different now.
Her strength hadn’t fully returned yet, and more importantly, the current situation forced her to endure for the time being. She was no longer the Demon Lord Executive “Bahros.”
Now that she had to live here as a “human,” she had to follow the rules here.
And she knew this type of man’s nature all too well—if she responded at all, he would only grow bolder and become more persistent.
She couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t lose her temper if that happened.
So Afroditi chose to ignore him for the moment, silently praying that his rusty brain would take the hint and leave on his own. If not, she would wait for Bella to handle it.
Some things were better left to professionals.
After all, Bella had been here longer than Afroditi and understood the local situation far better. When it came to dealing with people like this, Bella’s judgment was naturally superior.
Afroditi just wanted to live a peaceful life now, avoiding unnecessary trouble.
If she acted now, it would only invite more complications.
How could she then live her “retired” days peacefully with Bella?
Of course, all this hinged on him not crossing her bottom line. Once that happened, Afroditi wouldn’t care about rules or consequences.
However, the man’s rusty brain showed no sign of taking a hint. He mistook Afroditi’s indifference for disrespect.
Suddenly, the man stood up abruptly, trying to grab attention, his voice raised a few decibels, laced with obvious annoyance and superiority:
“Hmph, seems you really don’t know the rules! Who in Central District doesn’t know the Howard family? I’m speaking to you out of kindness because you’re alone and somewhat pretty. Don’t be so ungrateful and impudent!”
At that moment, just as Afroditi had anticipated, Bella returned silently to the resting area.
She didn’t speak immediately but calmly approached Afroditi from behind, adopting a perfect and respectful bow. Her voice was clear yet even, without so much as a glance at the man shouting, the so-called “Young Master Howard.”
“My lady, the matter has been settled.”
The man faltered slightly when Bella appeared.
He quickly assessed her—strikingly beautiful, impeccable demeanor. Though dressed as a maid, the quality of the fabric and details revealed her mistress was no ordinary wealthy family.
And with her clear use of “my lady”…
Ha, probably a young miss from some fallen noble family or a merchant’s daughter with some background from out of town. No wonder she had such an arrogant attitude.
He immediately made his own presumptuous judgment, never considering that this might be someone he absolutely couldn’t afford to offend. A sly smile curled on his lips.
This kind of seemingly high-status but actually rootless “young lady” was exactly the kind of prey he liked to hunt.
The sense of accomplishment from conquering them was far beyond ordinary women.
With this thought, his tone grew even more flirtatious as he deliberately raised his voice: “No wonder you dared to ignore me—you’re also a young lady.”
“But anyway, have your maid step aside. I, Young Master of the Howard family, still hold some prestige in Central District. It’s your honor to have me personally come and invite you for a drink.”
His greedy eyes swept over Afroditi’s silhouette hidden under the hood.
Afroditi naturally felt his covetous gaze and bit down on her straw in irritation.
This subtle action did not escape Bella’s notice.
She knew her lady was nearing the limits of her patience.
After reporting, Bella slowly straightened up. She didn’t lash out immediately but instead gave Young Master Howard a standard yet distant professional smile, as if just noticing him.
“My lord,” Bella’s voice remained polite, “I’m very sorry, but my lady needs quiet rest and is unable to entertain.”
A courteous but firm hint to leave.
However, the man clearly mistook this politeness for weakness and further encouragement to push.
He didn’t leave but instead grew even more annoyed at being “brushed off” by a mere maid.
“Unable to entertain?” Theodore sneered, raising his voice again. “Do you know who I am? Theodore Howard! In Central District, when I want to speak to someone, there is no such thing as ‘unable to entertain’! Have your mistress respond to me personally!”
The professional smile instantly vanished from Bella’s face.
His arrogance and unreasonable behavior made her realize gentle reminders were useless.
From his clothing, Bella had recognized his family from the start, but his overly unfamiliar face told her he was just a minor figure within the family.
Because of Afroditi’s status as a “Candidate Saintess,” Bella often interacted with local nobles, becoming familiar with the appearances of the important figures.
Though this man claimed to be the young master, Bella had seen the Howard family’s true eldest son and knew of several influential family members.
All told, this man was just a clueless fool without any real say in the family, probably not even knowing which son he was.
The initial politeness was merely out of respect for the “Howard” name. Ignoring the family entirely would make their side the unreasonable party.
Now, the courtesy had been exhausted.
Bella’s gaze turned ice-cold—not the usual detachment towards strangers, but the disdain one reserves for garbage in need of disposal.
She dropped the false civility, her voice lowering a few degrees:
“Howard family?” she repeated the surname softly, her tone even yet carrying an inexplicably chilling scrutiny.
“I see. Then, Theodore Howard, do you truly believe your behavior aligns with the dignity expected of a noble? To openly harass a lady who clearly wishes to be left alone in the VIP Area of the Chamber of Commerce?”
Without outright denying his family’s status, she cleverly linked his personal conduct to “noble decorum” and “Chamber of Commerce rules,” throwing the question back at him and hinting at the special nature of the place.
“Or,” Bella leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp and unwavering, “would you prefer that I report your today’s ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘persistence’ verbatim to the Chamber’s management, or perhaps… to someone who can speak for the Howard main family?”
Her tone remained calm, but the threat within her words was naked and clear—Bella knew exactly who he was and how to handle him.
This was completely unexpected by Theodore.
He never imagined that after announcing his name, the other party wouldn’t fear him, but instead would clearly know how to make him uncomfortable.