They are all characters I control.

Leah was completely bewildered; she didn't recall ever having any contact with Earl Orlando.

Why would someone so famous want to have dinner with me? What kind of deeper communication do they want to have?

The maid Anna remained silent, simply leading Leah around the coat that Count Orlando had prepared to use as a stepping stone for the two of them.

"Of course I'm looking for you, Miss Liya. Miss Liya, you're so funny. Are you pretending not to know me at a time like this?"

Earl Orlando looked at the innocent-looking Lia with a bright smile.

He seemed completely oblivious to the difference between the Lia before him and the Lia he had met in the cemetery, and paid no attention to the confusion on Lia's face.

"This is really hurtful, considering we got along so well before. Oh~ this must be your new way of rejecting me, right?"

"It seems Miss Lia doesn't really like the flowers and gifts I send you every day."

"In that case, I won't send flowers anymore. How about sending Miss Liya perfume or something else? Or a beautiful evening gown? Anything Miss Liya likes is fine with me!"

Before Lia could react, Elena and Prince Alvin on the other side cried out.

"Were the flowers and gifts from Earl Orlando for my sister?" Elena was somewhat taken aback.

At His Majesty's dinner party, Earl Orlando did indeed mention his interest in Leah.

Elena thought it was just a whim of Earl Orlando, or perhaps just a polite remark.

As it turns out, Earl Orlando was not only serious, but he also put on a passionate pursuit of Leah, sending her flowers and gifts?!

“Count, you should watch your behavior and avoid causing such a disturbance at the academy.”

Prince Alvin's face darkened.

When her nominal fiancée, Lia, was being pursued so openly by Earl Orlando, even Elena, who was closer to her, blushed and became shy in front of Earl Orlando.

Is this Earl Orlando trying to cuckold himself?

Chapter 48 A One-for-One Test

The lavishly decorated carriage smoothly departed from the gates of the Royal Academy.

The maid Anna sat close to Lia, carefully observing Count Orlando across from them.

Recalling the envious, jealous, and hateful expression on Second Miss Elena's face when she and Lia boarded Earl Orlando's carriage.

And seeing Prince Alvin's almost uncontrollable dark expression, Anna felt genuinely relieved.

When has Lia ever had the opportunity to flaunt her success and humiliate Elena like this before?

At the Royal Academy, the second young lady, Elena, has always been much more popular than the eldest young lady, Lia.

Of course, this is largely due to the fact that the second young lady, Elena, is good at acting and pretending.

Today, Earl Orlando, who is very popular among the women of the capital, has come to this royal academy specifically for Lia.

Regardless of whether Lia's status at the Royal Academy will improve in the future, she certainly dealt a heavy blow to Elena, who thought she was very popular.

However, Anna was also very clear about one thing.

Compared to the evil 'Lia', Count Orlando is not reliable.

Despite their previous encounter in the cemetery, the evil 'Lia' and Count Orlando were still testing each other.

Thinking of this, Anna couldn't help but tense up as she looked at the handsome, almost demonic man opposite her. It was clear that Earl Orlando's trip to the Rost family to invite Leah to dinner at this time was not for such a simple purpose.

"Speaking of which, Miss Leah seems a little different from when we last met," Earl Orlando said casually, taking a sip of tea.

It's here! Anna's heart leaped into her throat.

Although Count Orlando didn't mention Lia's differences in front of Elena just now, it's clear he wasn't completely oblivious.

Lia was taken aback, blinking in confusion: "The last time we met? Earl, we..."

“Your Excellency!” the maid Anna interrupted Lia.

She forced a slightly tense but polite smile: "You're too kind. Today, in the courtyard, is the first time you've officially met our young lady."

As she spoke, she gently squeezed Leah's hand under the table, signaling her not to say anything more.

Although Lia found Anna's reaction a bit strange, she nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, yes, Anna is right. This is our first formal meeting."

Count Orlando's gaze lingered for a moment on Leah's somewhat confused face, then swept over Anna's seemingly calm but somewhat tense eyes.

The playful smile on his lips deepened slightly.

Leaning back in his soft chair, Earl Orlando smiled and didn't press the matter: "Oh yes, this is only our first formal meeting."

"The previous chance encounters couldn't really be called meetings, and the location and time were also inappropriate."

"I am truly sorry, as a count, I have forgotten such aristocratic etiquette."

He raised his teacup, his gesture of apologizing quite elegant.

“No, it’s okay.” Lia quickly shook her head.

The maid Anna breathed a sigh of relief. Although she didn't know if she had really gotten away with it, she didn't ask any further questions.

"Miss Liya, when you're at the Royal Academy, besides attending classes, where do you like to spend your time?"

Earl Orlando asked casually, then said meaningfully, "Of course, I wouldn't recommend going to the fountain area, Miss Leah. Is there anywhere else you'd like to go?"

This slightly joking and relaxed remark was perfectly timed.

Lia glanced at the maid Anna and answered cautiously, "I like quiet places. Sometimes I go to the small garden behind the academy, or the library."

“The library?” Earl Orlando tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest of his chair, a smile spreading across his face as he caught the key word. “So, Miss Leah, what kind of books do you usually like to read? Magic theory? Historical biographies? Or poetry and novels?”

"I... read a wide variety of things." Lia said a little embarrassedly, "Sometimes I look at basic magic theory, and sometimes I read travelogues or ancient legends."

“Back in my student days, I quite enjoyed browsing there for interesting but obscure items,” Earl Orlando said with apparent interest and a nostalgic look on his face. “The bookshelves in the innermost corner on the east side of the library have many excellent books and art books. Miss Leah, have you seen them?”

The innermost corner on the east side? After thinking for a moment, Lia gave a strange look.

She remembered that bookshelf; the three magical skills that suited her, this good-for-nothing, were all obtained from that bookshelf.

However, most of the books on that shelf were strange books about hundreds of positions.

"Miss Morpheus has seen that bookshelf?" Count Orlando smiled knowingly.

He said with a relaxed, slightly teasing smile, "It seems Miss Liya has been there too? That place is indeed quite secluded, and it contains mostly... well, things that aren't really suitable for a lady to read in public."

"I didn't expect that Miss Lia would also be interested in that."

"I thought Miss Lia would be the kind of person who is very averse to the opposite sex and has no interest in this kind of content."

As he spoke, Count Orlando looked at Leah with a teasing expression.

His gloved fingers rubbed together slightly, as if he were thinking.

"No, no! I didn't see those!" Leah's face flushed red, and she quickly waved her hands in denial.

Upon seeing Lia's reaction, Count Orlando stopped stroking his fingers.

He chuckled softly, as if he had confirmed something interesting.

"Miss Naria saw it..."

Before Count Orlando could finish speaking, his question was interrupted.

“Your Excellency, please don’t tease our young lady like this.” Anna once again intervened at the right time: “The young lady goes to the library to study, and she reads only serious books.”

“My apologies, Miss Anna.”

Earl Orlando's lips curled slightly, and he looked at Leah and Anna opposite him with a bright smile.

He has obtained the answer he wanted to know.

The carriage stopped at this point.

Earl Orlando lifted the curtain of the car window and glanced at the gate of the Rost family. He was somewhat regretful, but he still got out of the car first.

Maintaining his perfect gentlemanly demeanor, he gracefully reached out his hand to Liya in the car.

"We've arrived at Miss Leah's place. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming dinner and hope we can get to know each other better."

Lia forced a smile as she looked at Earl Orlando, who was being so obsequious.

The maid Anna glanced at the time and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Tonight's dinner is sure to be quite spectacular.

"Ah~" However, at this moment, Lia stumbled and fell towards Count Orlando.

At this moment, Earl Orlando's first reaction was not to catch Leah as a gentleman as ever, but to try to avoid her.

But seeing the panicked Lia, Count Orlando still opened his arms and caught her.

Lia's first reaction was that she felt a little weak, and then she immediately smelled a different scent, a special body fragrance that could awaken certain memories in her.

Chapter 49 The Rost Family's Schemes

In front of the gates of the Rost family mansion.

When Earl Orlando caught Leah, who was about to fall off the carriage, and just as he gently put her down...

The gates of the Rost family mansion slowly opened behind them, and the Marquis Rost and the Marquis Marla, along with their maids, rushed out to greet them.

"Earl Orlando! Welcome, welcome. Leah, you're so clumsy. Hurry up and thank Earl Orlando!" Marquis Rost greeted Earl Orlando with a smile, but when he turned to Leah, his expression turned stern and reprimanding.

Upon hearing this, Lia obediently thanked Earl Orlando.

“Thank you, Earl Orlando.” Lia looked at Earl Orlando again, her heart filled with more doubt and confusion.

Why was there something in Count Orlando's arms just now...?

"You're welcome. Helping a lady is something every gentleman would do; it's just a small favor."

Count Orlando gazed at Leah, who was deep in thought, his smile still bright, but his eyes never left her.

"Then, Earl Orlando, should we invite any other guests to tonight's banquet?" Marquis Rost rubbed his hands together, cautiously probing Earl Orlando's attitude.

"Look, the Earl just said he was coming today, and I haven't even invited the other guests yet."

The Earl of Orlando's next answer was very important to the Marquess of Rost.

Regardless of why the marquis addresses the earl as "Your Excellency," the reason is that the other earl truly possesses territory and real power, while the marquis's territory has been almost entirely divided up by others, and he has no real power.

Therefore, if the Earl of Orlando agrees to invite other nobles to participate, it means that he approves of the Marquis of Rost joining his circle.

As a Marquis of Rost, who was already a marginal nobleman, he dreamed of joining the noble circle of the Earl of Orlando, who could be with His Majesty every day.

That not only means face, but also signifies a completely different social status.

Unfortunately, Earl Orlando refused.

“This is my first visit to the Rost family, and I would like to experience more of their warm family atmosphere.” Earl Orlando politely declined Marquis Rost’s invitation to sit.

However, to avoid embarrassing the Marquis of Rost, he added, "I haven't had dinner with my family for many years; they've all been very busy."

"If there is an opportunity, I would be happy to bring my friends to the next dinner."

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Rost naturally understood what the Earl of Orlando meant.

“Then we’ll do as Earl Orlando says. This dinner will be a family dinner, and I’ll make sure to arrange it properly.”

Although his request to join the group was rejected, Earl Orlando said there would be another time.

Although they didn't agree to let me join the group this time, I wasn't blacklisted either, and I'll have another chance to apply.

For the Marquis of Rost, who had been marginalized for over a decade, this was a rather ideal outcome.

"Oh dear? Why are you two still standing at the door talking? Please come in. Earl Orlando welcomes you to the Rost family." Marquise Mara appeared at the right time, easing the awkwardness of the previous conversation.

“Madame Mara, you look even more beautiful and charming than at His Majesty’s banquet.”

Upon seeing a woman, Count Orlando immediately activated his gentlemanly skills.

He bent down and kissed the back of Marquise Mara's hand, his captivating eyes gazing at her blushing cheeks.

"Is that so? Earl Orlando really knows how to make people happy." Marquise Marla stammered, a rare occurrence for her.

She gazed at the handsome young count before her, who possessed considerable status. If she were ten years younger, she would definitely pursue him relentlessly.

Although the Marquis of Rost was not bad in his youth, his edges have long been worn down by the declining family.

In contrast, although the Earl of Orlando's family does not hold a high title, they have always developed steadily, and it is believed that they will not have the same troubles as the Rost family in the future.