In the shadows, Rothgar raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then he smiled; she was indeed radical enough. Attempting to close the distance through the bond of master and apprentice was a very clever idea. But it was too radical.

He heard Ulysses Russell say, "I do not take students." It was a simple, blunt rejection.

Anna had expected this answer, but she remained standing there, looking at Ulysses with a sincere expression. "My Lord, you would not lose out by taking me in. I am a very fast learner. Even if you do not need a student, having an assistant to help you would bring nothing but benefits. I am proficient in laundry, cooking, and bargaining. I am not afraid of hardship or exhaustion; you can treat me entirely as a servant to be ordered around."

No matter how sincere Anna's words were, to Ulysses, they were merely noise. He closed his eyes and gave a light wave of his hand. A gentle breeze rose out of nowhere, lifting Anna and carrying her a full fifteen feet away.

Anna: "…!"

Is this magic?

When the wind first lifted her, Anna was startled. A cry of surprise nearly escaped her lips, but she suppressed it. She was suspended a meter off the ground, yet she didn't have to struggle to stabilize herself; the wind supported her soles and elbows, holding her steady before setting her down very gently. It was a tenderness completely at odds with Ulysses's cold and aloof demeanor.

"Do not disturb me," Ulysses said. His voice, clear and resonant, was a sharp contrast to the gentle wind—cold and impatient.

Seeing magic for the first time made Anna's heart pound with excitement; she wanted to learn it even more now! Fearing that further persistence would lead the mage to complain to the Head Butler and cause her to lose her job, she curtsied from a distance and turned to leave. Her steps were light. Tomorrow, she planned to inquire about this mage's preferences—she would cater to his tastes and make sure he accepted her as a disciple!

Rothgar watched Anna's failed retreat without surprise. However, he was very satisfied with what he had seen today. Anna had suffered quite a setback, but that was fine; tomorrow, he would give her a surprise she surely wouldn't refuse. He looked toward Ulysses Russell, who was completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Ulysses had been injured by a demon beast, and while his physical wounds were mostly healed, his mental energy was not so easily restored, which made "Host Possession" quite convenient for Rothgar.

Anna returned to the kitchen limping with her food box and received a scolding from Rebecca. She accepted it humbly, then helped Rebecca prepare fresh food and asked her to deliver it to Lord Patrick.

Seeing that Anna was "injured" and remembering her hard work over the past few days, Rebecca didn't make things difficult; she took the food box herself and allowed Anna to go home early.

The sun didn't set until 8:00 PM. Over the past few days, Anna had always made it home before dark. Although she was later today, the main roads had kerosene streetlights and night markets, so she wasn't afraid of walking at night. Once she was a safe distance from Wilson Manor, Anna, who had been faking her limp, immediately resumed a normal gait and hurried home.

When she returned to Pomegranate Lane, she saw Butcher Bobby's child squatting outside the door crying again. She sighed and mentioned it to her mother, Grace Virelle, only to learn that Bobby's bedridden wife hadn't made it through the day. Bobby had taken her out of the city on a cart to find a place to bury her. There was no funeral, no mourning; a poor soul had simply departed, leaving nothing behind.

Anna remained silent for a long time after hearing this. Everyone had their own tribulations. Her job at the manor seemed prestigious, but she was being hunted by a demon who wanted to harvest her soul—a burden she could tell no one and had to carry alone.

Aside from the threat of the demon, her job in the kitchen was indeed very good. Since she spent the whole day at the manor, she ate her meals there. While it wasn't white bread every single meal as Lily Hawke had claimed, the food was a significant improvement. It was a pity the manor had rules against taking leftovers home, or she could have improved her family's diet as well. Still, once she completed her first month and received her ten silver coins, the pressure on her household would ease.

Not long after Anna arrived home, she heard a knock. When she opened the door, no one was there, but a bouquet of lavender lay on the ground. Anna picked it up and spoke into the empty lane: "Thank you, but there's no need for this anymore."

Grace saw her bring in the flowers and smiled. "Is it Mark again?"

Anna nodded. "Probably him." Flowers had been delivered every day recently. She suspected it was Mark, the blacksmith's son who had given her flowers the day she was hired, but since he always dropped them and ran, she couldn't even refuse him.

"Mark is a good lad," Grace teased. "His family isn't as well-off as Timothy Hargrove's, but he's strong and can protect you."

Anna just smiled. Between the "little wolf dog" and the "little milk dog," she had her answer: "Only gold coins can truly protect me."

Adeline Virelle ran out of the room rubbing her eyes. Seeing Anna, she lunged into her arms and whispered, "Anna, I missed you today!"

"I missed you too, Adeline." Anna bent down and strained to lift the seven-year-old girl. Adeline's reliant hug made Anna feel incredibly happy; she would endure any hardship for this.

"Come, let's go to sleep!"

"Anna, I want you to sing to me. I haven't heard you in so long!"

"Alright, but only one song. What do you want to hear?"

Adeline sounded distressed. "Only one? But I want to hear three!"

Grace watched with a smile as the sisters entered the room. She took the lavender Anna had set down and placed it in an old clay pot, replacing yesterday's wilted bunch. Anna held Adeline and sang her to sleep while Eddie Virelle lay nearby, drooling in his slumber.

Internally, Anna looked forward to her plan for tomorrow. It would be her first step in dealing with the demon. Only by solving that threat could she safely earn money and care for her family.

The next morning, Anna encountered Lily Hawke on her way out. Since being chased away by the crowd, Lily and her mother, Renee, hadn't caused any more trouble, but they still gave her the evil eye whenever they crossed paths.

Anna ignored Lily and walked right past her. Having lost the job at the manor, Lily now spent her days doing grueling odd jobs for a few copper coins; her face, already less beautiful than Anna's, looked haggard. Anna felt no sympathy or guilt. Lily had tried to kill her by pushing her in front of that carriage; she felt she was being generous enough by not seeking revenge in kind.

Anna had escaped delivering food to the demon the previous day using her "injury" as an excuse, but she couldn't avoid it today. She resignedly carried the food box to the demon's quarters.

The demon wasn't sitting at the balcony table today; he was lying in bed. Waldo said, "Lord Patrick said he will eat in bed today."

The change of location put Anna on guard. She walked in slowly. As Waldo set up the small bed tray, Anna instinctively looked at the demon.

…Wait. Where is the demon?

At first, Anna thought she was seeing things. But as she blinked and looked closer, the demon that had been hidden inside Lord Patrick was truly gone! Anna froze, remembering yesterday's events. Had the young mage scared the demon away?

No, the demon had known about the mage all along and hadn't fled before. Could it be that after she left last night, the mage discovered the demon and finished it off? That would explain why Patrick, who had been well enough to sit up, was back in bed—he must have been injured during the exorcism!

Anna was almost beaming with joy. She suppressed her excitement and set out the food. Patrick seemed listless and didn't even look at Anna; after a few bites, he told her to clear everything away. Anna didn't dare ask questions and left quietly.

Shortly after leaving, Anna spotted Ulysses in his usual spot in the garden. Her eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace toward him. He had solved her biggest problem, and she had to thank him! Now that the demon was gone, the urge to become a mage wasn't so desperate; if he didn't want her as a student, she wouldn't force it.

Hearing her footsteps, Ulysses turned around, revealing his full silhouette from behind the vines. Anna's cheerful steps came to a dead halt. She stared at "Ulysses" in absolute horror.

Hidden inside his body... was that demon!

Anna, who usually disliked profanity, couldn't help but scream from the depths of her soul:

"F*ck!"