Near Campbell's House.

Mirmis and Vivien hid behind the wall and crept out to check the security of the mansion.

There were no guards around the mansion, and from a distance, you could only see the gardener in the garden and the maids in the house, and the atmosphere of the whole mansion seemed to be peaceful.

But Vivien was a little apprehensive, and asked weakly, "Wouldn't it be a little strange for us to just walk in like this?"

Vivien had a hairy feeling in her heart, like a mouse that had consciously walked into the mouth of a hunting cat.

Mirmis was also a little suspicious, and asked rhetorically, "This is your house, and you have decided to have a good talk with your father, so there should be nothing to be afraid of, right?"

After all, it was Vivien's father, so he shouldn't do anything too out of the ordinary, Mirmis thought.

After listening to Mirmis's words, Vivien tilted her head suspiciously and said, "Maybe so......

Vivien, who had never spoken directly to her father before, was very nervous, and her heart was beating much faster than usual.

Suddenly, without warning, Mirmis asked, "Vivien, is your father a bearded man who likes to wear black robes?"

Vivien looked up, but she couldn't see where Mirmis's gaze was looking.

"You see him? Where?"

Mirmis replied calmly, "Behind you."

「？！」 Vivien was so stunned by this answer that she jerked back to see her father watching her.

Vivien took a step back in trepidation, the surprise so sudden that she couldn't say a word.

Mirmis rubbed her chin and guessed that Vivien's father had probably teleported by magic, as she hadn't heard any footsteps or felt someone approaching.

In fact, after Vivien returned to the vicinity of the mansion, her personal guards, who had been secretly protecting her on the road, also informed Vivian's father, Edith, of her location.

Etis's expression was very indifferent, and he didn't seem to have any intention of reproaching Vivien, but said faintly, "Go home."

With that, Etis walked straight to the mansion without hesitation.

Vivien looked at Milmis, who nodded, and the two of them followed in the footsteps of Etis.

Etis's steps were calm and steady, Vivien's steps were a little messy, and Mirmis walked as ordinary, as if she had nothing to do with it.

Several people walked through the hall and corridor to the door of the tea room.

With a flick of his finger, Etis opened the door in front of him.

The three of them entered the tearoom one by one, Etis in their separate seats, and Vivien and Mirmis sat across from him.

Soon after the three of them sat down, the maid brought tea and refreshments, but the moment she entered the door, she was stunned for a moment.

There were two women in the room, blonde and white-haired.

One was Miss Vivien, the other was a stranger she had never met.

Suddenly, the head maid thought of something.

Wait, the unknown person who broke into the mansion a few days ago should be the eldest lady and her friends, right? The hair color is right, it can't be so coincidental, right?

Although there were many doubts in her heart, the head maid still suppressed these doubts in her heart.

There are some things that it is better not to ask more, and the less you know, the safer.

The head maid arranged the drinks and food separately, and then hurriedly withdrew.

Editis took a sip of tea, and his gloomy face slowly lifted, and his sharp gaze went straight through Vivien, and asked in a dull voice, "Have you had enough of the [Present World]?" z.br>

Vivien didn't dare to look directly at Etis, turned her head slightly, and whispered, "Father......

Editis touched the teacup with the lid and sighed, "You should understand the rules of the Shadow Realm."

"But......" Vivien jerked her head up, trying to argue.

Suddenly, Etis's eyes became fierce,

"Technology is a forbidden dangerous thing, and you shouldn't have anything to do with it."

After being reprimanded and scolded, Vivien suddenly fell silent.

「......」

Vivien seemed to have lost the strength to resist and bowed her head silently.

Seeing that Vivien was separated, Etis also seemed to soften, and persuaded earnestly, "I don't care about the things you did before, it's too late to turn back now."

「......」

Vivien remained unanswered, responding to her father's advice in silence.

The atmosphere in the room was stiff, and Etis had no intention of speaking again until Vivien answered.

The tea in the cup slowly cooled, the hot mist gradually dissipated, and a few birds occasionally flew outside the window, leaving a few crisp fluttering sounds.

After a long silence, Vivien's small voice came out, "I like it."

Etis tilted his head slightly.

"I love life in the present world, and although sometimes I encounter sad things, the time I can laugh with my friends is irreplaceable for me." Vivien reveals her true thoughts and expresses the simplest thoughts in the most sincere manner.

But such an answer did not satisfy Etis, and he asked in a reproachful tone, "But after all, you are people of two worlds, and if your identity as a mage is revealed, have you ever thought about the consequences?"

Itis's tone suddenly became indignant: "You can only see their glamorous appearances, the people of the present world are sinister and mercenary inside, you just haven't been targeted by those people yet, but it's a matter of time!"

Suddenly, Etis's voice was much lower, "I don't want this to happen to you."

Hearing this, Vivien's voice became quieter, "I trust my friends, they will help me in times of trouble......

Vivien's voice grew weaker, and she seemed to feel like she would never be able to convince her father.

Etis shook his head and sighed, "Superficial friends are unreliable."

「......」

Vivien choked on the words and could no longer utter a word.

The controversy, as if about to end with the victory of Etis, came a third voice.

"There's no way to judge a single person without having personal contact."

It was Mirmis who spoke, and she didn't want to get too involved in Vivien's argument with her father, but as Vivian's friend, she wasn't prepared to sit idly by.

After hearing Mirmis's voice, Ithis seemed to have finally discovered her presence.

"Someone from the present world."

Etis wanted to ignore Mirmis, but now that she was in the conversation, she couldn't continue to ignore it.

Etis showed a subtle attitude, an undisguised hostility.

Undaunted by this fierce gaze, Mirmis retorted, "Ignoring individual differences because of one-sided hostility is a manifestation of arrogance."

This sentence angered Etis, and the teacup in his hand clenched even tighter.

Mirmys, on the other hand, seemed to think of something, and said with some sadness: "If you are willing to spend more time and slowly get to know each other, there will be a lot less unnecessary conflict."

Hearing this, Etis was silent.

"Do you really know Vivien? Even if you get along day and night, there will be things you don't want the other person to know."

"Don't you wonder why she wants to go back so much, even against her father?"

Faced with Mirmis like a barrage of questions, Etis did not reply, but only responded silently.

Similar images were repeated in the same place.

With that, Mirmys's gaze shifted to Vivien's, and she patted Vivien on the shoulder, trying to calm her down.

Vivien was startled by Mirmis at first, but soon her mood calmed down.

「....

..」

During this period of silence, Etis seemed to think a lot, he looked at Vivien, and said in a calm tone, "Let's talk about it."

After hearing this, Vivien's eyes flashed with a brief moment of surprise.

Vivien took a deep breath, then poured out all the words hidden in her heart, "Father, I don't like to stay at home. I'm tired of this kind of life every day, except for drawing magic circles and refining potions."

When talking about her former life, Vivien's expression was very low.

"When I left home, I was scared and overwhelmed at first. But my friends have been with me through that time, and I'm grateful to them." Speaking of friends, Vivien's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had found a lighthouse in the dark ocean.

"I love the world, I love technology, I want to live the life I love." Vivien's expression gradually relaxed, as if to paint a beautiful picture.

Edith, with a dark face, as if unable to accept such a statement, after a few seconds of silence, asked, "Won't you regret it, even if such a life will cost you dearly?"

This time, Vivien did not hesitate, looked directly into Etis's sharp eyes, and said with her head held high, "This is the life I have chosen, and I will not regret it."

After listening to Vivien's answer, Etis gestured with his right hand to a "three" and said sternly, "Three months."

Vivien's expression was a little confused, she didn't quite understand what her father meant.

Etis said coldly, "I'll only give you three months. If you can undo the curse on you, I will admit that you are independent enough not to interfere in your life. But if you can't, it's up to you."

After saying that, Etis turned his back, and the light outside the window stretched his shadow very long.

Behind him, Vivien smiled for the first time in a long time.

Duke Campbell's will cannot be easily changed and cannot be negotiated with anyone, even if it is his daughter.

But at the very least, it bought more time, which Vivien hadn't thought of.

After Mirmis and Vivien quietly left the tearoom, Editis looked at the sky red by the setting sun and remained silent.

No one knew what kind of scenery the old father saw.