'System, are you serious right now?' Lathel cursed inwardly.
[Are you scared?!]
Lathel: '...'
'Fine! I choose option number three.'
[Ding! Choice confirmed. Please immediately carry out the action you have selected.]
Lathel gritted his teeth, gaze locking onto Arina, who was staring at him in stunned disbelief.
Catrina, on the other hand, didn't rush to speak. Her eyes were fixed on Lathel, as if waiting to see what he would do next.
Lathel took a deep breath and pulled Catrina tightly into his bare chest, pressing their bodies together.
Arina's jaw dropped, eyes blazing with fury as she shouted, "Get your filthy hands off my mother!"
Lathel smirked. "Huh! Arina, this is the price you pay for rejecting my affection. If I can't have you, then I'll simply use your mother as a substitute."
"You..." Arina's teeth ground so hard it sounded like she might crush them to dust.
At that moment, Lathel felt like the phrase 'Fuck your mother' had suddenly turned into a literal curse come true.
"Mother! How can you let him hold you like that?!" Arina shouted, trembling.
Catrina bit her lip, face filled with a blissful expression—as if she'd just tasted a candy so sweet she never wanted it to melt away.
She let out a soft sigh and gently said, "Arina, since you refused Young Master Lathel's affection, I have no choice but to take your place."
Lathel: "..."
'Holy hell! It's the first time I've met a woman who can read my mind without me saying a word!' he screamed internally.
He honestly hadn't expected Catrina to cooperate so well. Just moments ago, he'd been ready for her to shove him away in outrage.
But instead, Catrina clung to him tightly, teary eyes making her look pitiful—like a bullied maiden trapped in his arms.
Catrina continued, "You know that Lathel is the son of the Duchess. I'm just an ordinary merchant—how could I ever go against someone like his mother?"
"Besides, he lent us one million gold coins. I... I can only use this old body of mine to repay his kindness."
Arina's mouth hung open so wide her jaw looked like it might fall off. Lathel could even see her white teeth and pink tongue trembling inside.
"No way! Mother... you're lying, right? How... how could you fall into the hands of such a bastard?!"
Catrina sighed softly. She didn't answer Arina, instead resting her head gently on Lathel's chest, voice trembling with sorrow.
"Young Master Lathel, I'm sorry for what my daughter has done. If you're angry, take it out on me. I... I won't complain. I won't make you angry like Arina does."
"Just... please, don't hurt my daughter. She's still young and doesn't understand how cruel this world can be..."
Catrina's voice cracked as though she were about to cry. Lathel nearly turned to stone, screaming inwardly, 'Dear God! Are all women born actresses or what?!'
"Mother! You're lying, right?! He... he... you..." Arina stammered, body shaking violently, eyes reddening with tears. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Catrina exhaled again and said, "Arina, you're still too young. You don't understand how terrifyingly powerful a Duke can be. Lathel likes you—he only indulged you because he wanted to win your heart for real."
"If he wanted to, not even the Carol Magic Academy would dare protect you. Have you ever wondered why you're still safe after everything you've done?"
"That's because Young Master Lathel is very forgiving, and he loves you greatly. And you? Time and again you trample on his love—you... truly disappoint me."
Arina, hearing this, seemed to realize something for a moment, but then she shook her head. "Mother, don't lie to me. The Duchess? So what? I am a prodigy Mage, and my teacher is even the Vice Dean of the Magic Academy."
"He's just useless—don't trust him. If he dares threaten you, I'll break every limb of his. If I can't beat him, my teacher can. My teacher is a Rank 5 Mage."
At the mention of the Vice Dean, pride flooded Arina's face, as if a powerful sedative had injected confidence straight into her veins.
Catrina shook her head and sighed, about to say something.
But Lathel spoke up: "Ah! You're really confident in that trash Vice Dean, are you?"
Hearing Lathel call the Vice Dean trash, Arina's anger flared. Her face went crimson and the air around them chilled.
"Angry? Am I wrong?" Lathel smiled, face now a textbook picture of a villain. "A mere Rank 5 Mage. My mother is one of the Empire's strongest—what's wrong with calling your Vice Dean trash?"
"You..." Arina seethed. If looks could kill, Lathel would've been dead dozens of times over.
Before Arina could retort, Lathel wrapped an arm around Catrina's waist and said with a grin, "If there's nothing else, I must be going. I'd like to see how tasty your mother really is."
He squeezed Catrina's waist as he spoke, and she let out a soft moan.
"Um... Young Master..." Catrina looked up at Lathel, wet eyes full of longing like a desert wanderer spotting an oasis.
"You bastard!" Arina lost control and lunged at Lathel.
Lathel flinched. By instinct his body stepped back. After all, he was only human—facing a Mage, he was no more than an ant.
Arina charged, hand flashing. A magic circle bloomed, emitting blinding light and a terrifying surge of heat.
Just as Lathel knew he couldn't dodge, a gale tore through.
BAM!
A pressure blast exploded, sending Arina hurtling backward.
THUD!
She hit the ground hard. Though the pressure blast looked fierce, it carried no real killing force.
So when Arina fell, she only felt a sting in her backside.
Gritting her teeth, she snarled, "Bastard! Coward! If you're so capable, fight me—don't threaten my mother."
"Lathel! I never thought you'd be so petty and mean. You claim to love me, yet you're so stingy you turn what you did for me into a threat against my mother."
"I'm glad I refused your love. Otherwise, I'd probably vomit every time I saw you."
"Are you even human? Are you a man?"
Lathel frowned. 'Were there really people like this?'
He wanted to say something, but Catrina quickly stepped forward, then—
SLAP!
A sharp slap landed squarely on Arina's cheek, making her freeze in shock.
Catrina's voice turned cold. "Arina, you should understand your place. A Duke is not someone you can toy with."
"Lathel has already been far too lenient with you, and it's made you believe the whole world should revolve around you, hasn't it?"
"Arina, there's no such thing as a free meal in this world. You... have truly disappointed me."
Even after being slapped, Arina's furious gaze wasn't directed at Catrina—it was aimed squarely at Lathel.
Lathel: "..."
He almost cursed out loud. 'What the hell? I didn't even hit her! Why is she glaring at me like I'm the villain here?!'
Arina clenched her fists and said angrily, "Mother! Don't worry. I'll return to the Academy and ask the Vice Dean for help. I don't believe some petty Duke can threaten you."
"Lathel! Just you wait. I'll show you what a real man looks like. And you'd better abandon those filthy thoughts of yours."
"When I come back—if I find out you're still threatening my mother—I won't hold back."
With that, Arina turned on her heel and stormed off.
Only after she was completely gone did Lathel finally speak. "Catrina, you... went a little too far."
Catrina pouted and said sulkily, "Oh? Worried about her, are you? Makes sense. I'm just an old woman after all—who'd care for a withered flower like me?"
Lathel: "..."
He forced a dry laugh and quickly tried to comfort her. "No, that's not what I meant... I just think, if you treat her like that, she'll start hating you."
Catrina sighed, shaking her head. "Lathel, you're too kind. In the past, I was always busy running my business, so I wasn't by her side much—and I couldn't teach her properly."
"Later, when she entered the Magic Academy and became a 'Genius Mage,' her arrogance only grew worse. Her personality has already solidified—and if she keeps going like that, I fear..."
"I just want her to understand one truth—no one will love and forgive her unconditionally the way you do."
Lathel nodded quietly at her words.
Suddenly, the System's voice echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations, Master. You're about to complete Catrina's scenario.]
'Heh?!' Lathel froze, baffled. 'What do you mean? Wasn't Catrina supposed to become Alex's woman later?'
[Host, you're mistaken. "Completing a scenario" isn't the same as "following the scenario."]
[Look at Catrina—does she show any sign of falling for Alex?]
Lathel glanced at Catrina and noticed she was already looking at him, eyes filled with joy—and just a hint of madness.
'You're right,' Lathel admitted silently.
[This is your chance to fully complete her storyline. She only has a few more events left.]
[I've sent you the next scenario.]
Lathel received the new information, brows furrowing—then relaxing, as if he'd made a firm decision he wouldn't regret.
He turned toward Catrina and smiled. "Catrina, take me to meet your Grand Elder."
"Huh?!"