"How desperate would I have to be to ask you for help?" Luo Wei leaned close to Vina's ear, her voice soft and gentle. "Tell me, besides eating, what else can you do?"

  The gentle voice in Vina's ear sounded like a death sentence. She shuddered, opened her eyes, and stammered, "I—I have money too. I'll give it all to you..."

  Luo Wei straightened up. "That little bit of money isn't even enough to fill your stomach. Get up. Come with me."

  Vina stared at her in terror. "G-go where?"

  Was she going to be buried already? She hadn't even finished her cake!

  Luo Wei glanced at her. "Your father sent someone to bring you something. Don't you want to go see?"

  Hearing it involved her father, Vina's expression instantly changed from grief to joy. She nodded eagerly. "Yes! Of course I want to see!"

  "Then let's go." Luo Wei turned and headed downstairs, lifting her skirt.

  Vina quickly stood up from her chair, first draining the fruit tea on the table in one gulp, then grabbing the unfinished little cake. Cheeks bulging, she hurried downstairs.

  Once outside, they both got into the carriage and slowly drove toward Star Luo Residence.

  When they arrived, Vina couldn't wait to jump out of the carriage. Seeing the gates of Star Luo Residence, she turned back. "Where is this?"

  Luo Wei elegantly stepped down from the carriage and walked up the steps. "A residence I bought in Siria. The academy cafeteria food is terrible, so I settled my servants here so they can cook for me."

  Following behind her, Vina's mouth fell open. Buy an entire residence just to have servants cook for her?

  Was this the privileged treatment a princess enjoyed? Luo Wei seemed so low-key, but she actually lived like this! Even the other princes and princesses at the academy didn't dare be this extravagant!

  Walking through the gate and seeing Star Luo Residence's spacious front courtyard and the vibrant, beautiful garden landscape, Vina's eyes widened even more in shock.

  She'd never seen such an exquisite garden. Yes, exquisite.

  The flowers in the garden weren't particularly rare, the lawn wasn't perfectly flat, but all kinds of plants were interspersed in perfect harmony—full of life and layers. One glance and you'd fall in love with this place.

  As Vina walked, the surrounding scenery was like fine flower arrangements in a vase. Even a painter would be amazed—frame any section here and you could paint a beautiful picture.

  "Oh my god, this garden, these plants—it's so beautiful!"

  She caught up to Luo Wei and asked excitedly, "Luo Wei, what style is this garden? I've never seen anything like it!"

  Similar to medieval Western European castle gardens, Western Continent gardens used formal geometric designs. The most common features were shrubs, flower beds, hedges, and lawns in neat geometric patterns. The plants were very practical—mostly fruit trees and fragrant flowers that could be eaten or used as decoration.

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  A garden like Star Luo Residence, where every view was picturesque and built purely for "beauty," didn't exist yet in the Western Continent.

  Vina desperately wanted to know this garden's style. She looked at Luo Wei eagerly. Luo Wei answered, "This is traditional Misty Plains landscape art. Of course you haven't seen it."

  More accurately, this was New Chinese-style garden design—combining traditional Chinese garden style with modern elements to create a rich, varied landscape where every step revealed a new view.

  The main building was a small Western-style stone castle. To keep the garden from clashing too much with the main structure, she'd only used Chinese garden design techniques.

  Even if it wasn't traditional Chinese style, this garden was enough to refresh Westerners tired of flower beds and shrubs.

  Vina absolutely loved it. She even praised the swaying grass blades along the path as "round and adorable."

  "Why is the grass here so bright and fresh? Oh! Why doesn't your gardenia tree have any bugs? The gardenias at my house always get aphids. Last year the gardener nearly pruned it bald!"

  "Maybe there aren't many insects here," Luo Wei said.

  She couldn't exactly tell Vina she'd hired an Infernal Arachne to catch bugs, doing a garden sweep every few days.

  When they reached the main hall entrance, Vina reluctantly pulled her gaze from the garden and asked Luo Wei expectantly, "Where's the person my father sent?"

  Luo Wei: "In the sky. Should be here soon."

  "In the sky?" Vina's eyebrows twisted into caterpillars. "How could they be in the sky!"

  Luo Wei stepped through the door. "They haven't arrived yet. I got your father's letter in advance. Come inside and wait."

  Vina looked at her back skeptically, hesitated two seconds, then followed into the living room.

  The living room environment surprised Vina again. How was the floor so clean, without a trace of oil or dirt!

  And there was no incense smell, but no bad odors either. Only then did she realize she hadn't smelled anything unpleasant in the garden either—she just hadn't noticed while absorbed in the scenery.

  In a daze, Vina sat in the chair beside Luo Wei. Two maids carrying trays walked over gracefully and gently placed two cups of fragrant hot tea beside them.

  "Master, miss, please enjoy your tea." Chris and Belial said softly.

  Vina snapped back to attention and was shocked by the scene.

  She wasn't surprised by the flower tea, but by these two exceptionally beautiful maids.

  One was as pure and gentle as a daffodil, the other as charming and alluring as a tulip. One had a voice as clear and melodious as a lyre, the other as soft and captivating as a thrush. Luo Wei's two maids were so beautiful, and their every movement was more elegant than many noble ladies she'd seen—more ladylike than them!

  Vina nervously curled her toes. She suddenly realized that if she went to Luo Wei's kingdom, her status might not even match these two maids.

  "What's wrong?" Seeing her dejectedly lowering her head, Luo Wei asked. "Don't like flower tea?"

  "Ah, no no," Vina quickly waved her hands. "I was just wondering when my father's people would arrive."

  Luo Wei looked out the window. The sunset was perfect. Troy and Count Wesley should be on their way back.

  "Wait until dark." She picked up her tea and took a small sip.

  Wait until dark!

  Vina sat on pins and needles, her eyes longingly watching the door, silently praying for darkness to come quickly.

  "If you're bored, you can walk around the garden," Luo Wei set down her tea. "You were very interested in my garden just now. Come on, I'll go with you."

  "Great!" Vina's eyes lit up and she immediately stood.

  An hour later, the sun sank below the horizon and the sky finally darkened.

  The two sat in the garden when suddenly the sound of rushing wind came from overhead.

  Luo Wei: "They're here."

  Vina looked up and saw a huge black shadow flying through the gray sky. She jumped up, her eyeballs nearly popping out.

  "Ahhh! What is that thing!"

  "Sit down." Luo Wei pulled her back. "That's my Griffin Knight. Don't be scared—it won't eat you."

  Listening to her calm tone and seeing her unsurprised expression, Vina opened her mouth, her jaw slowly dropping.

  "Screee—"

  Carrying a passenger today, the Griffin's cry was especially powerful and resonant. It flapped its enormous wings and landed with smooth, impressive movements.

  Seeing the Griffin land precisely, Luo Wei stood and pressed Vina's shoulder, saying quietly, "Don't forget your promise. Come on, let's go meet your father."

  "Huh? My... father? My father!"

  Vina's jaw, which had just recovered, dropped again.