HP: She married Malfoy after becoming an exchange student.

[Berlin, a private bar]

The fine snow fell silently onto the windowsill, creating a gradually thickening velvet edge.

Elias sat by the window, his fingertips lightly tracing the rim of his glass. The hot cocoa brought by the waiter spun slowly in front of him, the rising steam briefly blurring his plain features.

The door hinges creaked open, and the person pushed the door open and entered.

Leopold Strauss entered, bringing with him a chill. His icy-flame eyes swept across the store with the precision of a calibrator, but the snowflakes still clinging to his coat made him look more like he had just emerged from a snowball fight.

He took off his coat, and the top button of his shirt was fastened tightly inside.

"No one came." Leopold's statement was calm and even, only his tone was slightly faster than usual. As he sat down, a section of pale wrist was revealed from the dark gray cuff.

Elias picked up his cocoa cup and ran his fingertips along the handle. "Mrs. Narcissa urgently summoned him back to England."

As he spoke, Draco's apologetic face seemed to reappear before his eyes.

It all started this morning.

The little elf received a letter from Malfoy Manor early in the morning, catching Draco completely off guard.

Narcissa's handwriting was elegant yet hurried:

"My dear Xiaolong—"

Your father insists you attend the dinner party; the Notts will be bringing their eldest son, and you know what that means. Be sure to return before noon this morning.

The edges of the letter still carried the scent of perfume, like fingerprints left by a mother in a hurry.

When Draco looked up, Elias was sitting at the breakfast table, holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, the front page of which was an announcement of the Malfoy family's upcoming banquet.

The coffee in front of him had gone cold, and a thin layer of grease had formed on the surface of the plate.

"It seems your schedule will have to be moved up." The German boy's voice was calm, his knuckles making fine creases on the newspaper.

"Sparkling will give it to you." He didn't look up, but simply pushed an envelope filled with the scent of cedarwood across the table. "A return gift for Mrs. Narcissa."

Draco folded the letter, the paper rustling softly. He opened his mouth, as if to say "sorry" or "next time."

Elias spoke first, "Next time." He only said this much in the end, his voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the crackling of the burning firewood.

……

The flames in the indoor fireplace suddenly jumped an inch higher.

Elias snapped out of his daze.

Leopold across from him gave a soft "hmm," his gaze sweeping over the almost untouched beer in front of Elias.

"What a pity. I thought I'd get to see what kind of person he is that you would use the word 'bright' in your letter." The words were spoken quickly and softly, with a hint of friendly banter.

"Ding ding"

As the wind chimes rang, Casper's figure leaned against the door frame.

Kasper von Eisenberg leaned against the door frame, his long, light-gold curly hair neatly tied back, and his dark green velvet coat was perfectly smooth without a single wrinkle.

His violet eyes slowly swept across the store, finally settling on Elias, a half-smile curving his lips.

"Elias," a deep, reproachful voice tinged with amusement, "made your guests wait in vain?" He straightened up, gracefully unbuttoning his dark green velvet coat, every movement seemingly meticulously planned.

"You missed Leo's 'high praise' for my social standing," Elias replied.

"That's good. Whether we listen to Leopold's opinion or not is irrelevant now," Casper said gracefully, settling into his seat and ignoring Leopold's threatening gaze. "So, we got stood up?"

"Family orders are hard to disobey."

Casper nodded, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table. "A good bird is worth the wait." His smile was charming, but his words carried a barb: "But make sure it's worth it, Elias. Malfoy's feathers... are they just pretty?"

Leopold put down his coffee cup with a soft click, drawing their attention: "The Malfoys have always had a keen business sense, although occasionally they might be... a little too eager to chase after glittering things."

His tone was calm, yet incisive: "I heard that Lucius has recently become very interested in a gold mining project in Peru."

"And that mine," Elias interjected, his gaze briefly meeting Leopold's in the air, a tacit understanding forming between them, "doesn't seem as alluring as it appears."

"Need a little 'friendly' advice?" Kasper's lips curled into a charming yet sharp smile. "There are a few gentlemen in the FlooNet administration who owe the Eisenberg family a small favor."

"No need," Elias shook his head. "The Malfoys have their own methods for growing to their current scale."

The door was pushed open again, interrupting the conversation.

Isabella Bach stood in the doorway, her blonde hair neatly styled, the earrings on her earlobes swaying gently with her steps. "Looks like I missed an important conversation?" Her gaze swept over the three people present.

Leopold was slightly surprised, raised an eyebrow, turned his head and saw Elias's displeased expression, and immediately understood what was going on.

After a brief silence, Casper smiled again and leaned back lazily in his chair. "Perfect timing, Isa. Let's be the judge—someone invited us to meet his British friend, but the main character is nowhere to be found."

Isabella gracefully took her seat. "The white tulips in the greenhouse are in full bloom. I was thinking of bringing a few with me."

She placed her gloves on her lap. "After all, as Elias's fiancée, I should meet such an important friend of his."

Leopold scoffed, "The Bach family's information network is still as good as ever."

"Not as good as the Strauss family," Isabella smiled, "they know everything about other people's investment moves."

Elias finally spoke: "Draco was called back to England for a family dinner." His gaze swept over his two friends and "fiancée." "I'll formally introduce you to her next time."

Hearing this, Leopold stood up, the hem of his coat slicing through the air with a clean arc. "Since the protagonist is absent, I'll take my leave." He looked at Elias with his icy-flame eyes. "Remember to relay the suggestion about the gold mine."

"I'm off too, I have two more dates to go," Pascal said, standing up and patting Elias on the shoulder. "Next time, remember to check your cat's schedule in advance."

After taking a few steps, he turned back as if still worried and whispered, "I've reserved access to the ley line network for you. You can pick up your kitten anytime."

The wind chimes on the door tinkled one last time, bidding farewell to the two friends. The once bustling café suddenly fell silent, with only the faint clinking of cups and saucers coming from the bar in the distance.

Isabella did not get up, her gaze fixed on Elias, who remained silent across from her.

"They're all gone," she said softly, her voice unusually clear in the empty room.

Elias finally looked up, his silver eyes devoid of any emotion, like a frozen lake. "The White Tulip," he began, his voice steady yet carrying an unmistakable chill, "don't try such a petty trick on Draco."

Isabella maintained a perfect smile: "Is there anything wrong with a fiancée caring about your important guest? It's just normal etiquette."

"The 'etiquette' of the Bach family controlling the market with evening primroses," Elias leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the table, fingertips lightly touching, "I've seen it many times." His tone remained calm, yet it was like a thin blade slicing through the air. "Don't use it on people I care about."

Isabella's smile remained unchanged, but the fingers gripping the cup's handle tightened slightly. "I don't understand what you're implying, Elias."

Elias took in her subtle movements and stared into her eyes.

"You understand." His voice was low, but each word was clear. "If he were to come into contact with pollen he shouldn't have due to any 'accident,' or accidentally take some 'miracle' tranquilizer..."

Elias paused slightly, letting the weight of his words settle, "Then the Bach family will probably encounter unexpected 'technical difficulties' when renewing their loan in Gringotts next year."

Isabella took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice steady when she spoke again: "I just want to ensure the...stability of our future relationship."

“Stability,” Elias murmured, a faint, sarcastic smile playing on his lips. “It’s possible, but only within clear boundaries.” He leaned back in his chair, returning to his previous distance. “Remember this boundary, Miss Bach.”

After saying that, he stopped looking at her and turned his gaze to the increasingly dense snow curtain outside the window.

Isabella sat silently for a moment, then slowly stood up, the hem of her coat brushing silently against the chair leg, and left without saying another word.

Elias remained standing there until a waiter came and quietly asked if he would like a refill, at which point he shook his head almost imperceptibly.