"The moment I stepped out, I saw you bullying my student."

  A voice rang out.

  Leaning against the doorframe with arms crossed, Holan smiled. His elegant demeanor was completely out of place in the modest room.

  Caius smirked and said, "Then you've misunderstood. I'm doing this for her own good."

  Of course, Holan knew what was going on—she had heard everything. Caius simply didn’t want Belle wasting money on him.

  Though his actions were well-intended, the way he spoke made it seem like he was picking on Belle.

  For some reason, whenever Caius talked to her, he was always witty and humorous, but with Belle, he came across as stern—almost fatherly in his strictness.

  Maybe this was just his way of caring for others.

  Why didn’t he treat her like that?

  Because she didn’t need Caius to take care of her.

  Holan thought to herself.

  The group entered the house. Caius was about to find a wall to lean against—the chairs here were too small and uncomfortable. Given his large build, he feared breaking one of those tiny wooden chairs. He might as well stand.

  But as soon as he stepped into the living room, he spotted a sturdy wooden armchair. The seat alone was nearly a meter wide—spacious enough. The backrest, armrests, and legs were all as thick as a person’s wrist. It was clearly built to last.

  Caius widened his eyes and turned to Belle.

  Belle shrank back under his gaze and cautiously said, "I... I didn’t waste money. I made it myself."

  "You can make chairs?" Caius asked, intrigued.

  Belle nodded slightly. "The academy offers an elective in carpentry. I took it."

  Beside her, Granny Lunla chuckled. "Most of the furniture here was made by Belle. She's quite skilled."

  "Really? Let me see?" Caius extended his hand toward Belle.

  Belle looked confused. "Hm?"

  "What 'hm'? Give me your hand," Caius said.

  "Oh…" Belle slowly stretched out her hand.

  Seeing how hesitant she was, Caius simply stepped forward and took her hand himself.

  Holan raised an eyebrow.

  She felt it was inappropriate for him to grab a young girl’s hand so assertively. But she also knew Caius wasn’t that kind of person, so she remained silent and observed his expression.

  His face showed no joy from holding Belle’s hand—on the contrary, he frowned slightly.

  Belle’s hand was small—especially when compared to his own, it was like a baby’s hand against an adult’s.

  He examined her palm, then flipped it over to look at the back of her hand.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Belle seemed uncomfortable. A hint of red crept up her ears from under her short hair, but she didn’t dare pull her hand away. Instead, she shrank her neck, rubbing her free hand nervously.

  Holan, seeing Belle’s reaction, was about to intervene.

  But before she could, Caius released Belle’s hand and turned to Kiki. "Kiki, later, head to the furniture store in the east district and place an order for a full set of wooden furniture."

  "Got it, Meow!" Kiki nodded. Caius handled the big decisions, and she took care of the small ones.

  Belle quickly waved her hands. "No… no need. These pieces aren’t broken yet. I can also make new ones…"

  "Make what?" Caius waved dismissively. "Look at your hands. Other girls your age have such soft, delicate hands they seem like they could drip water. And yours?"

  "They look fair and soft, but they’re rough, covered in calluses."

  "As a magical research scholar, you must protect your hands. Only then can you conduct precise research."

  "Look at Instructor Holan’s hands. That’s what an outstanding magical researcher’s hands should be like, right, Instructor Holan?"

  "Huh?" Holan was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on. She nodded seriously. "Indeed. In the future, we’ll need to operate intricate magical devices, which require even more hand precision than a pianist."

  "So you really shouldn’t be doing carpentry anymore."

  After speaking, she glanced at Caius with mild exasperation.

  Though it was true that magical researchers should protect their hands, he was clearly exaggerating.

  He just didn’t want Belle doing rough labor and roped her into his lie.

  Still, she knew he meant well, so she felt more warmth than irritation.

  She was glad Caius looked out for Belle, and glad Belle had someone like him.

  He might seem overbearing at times, but Holan could sense the gentleness behind his assertiveness.

  And his 'bossy' attitude was just right—enough for Belle to listen without feeling oppressed.

  Belle lowered her head, looking at her hands, then nodded.

  "Okay."

  "That’s more like it." Caius grinned widely, throwing a triumphant glance at Holan.

  Holan found it amusing.

  Caius then sat comfortably in the large wooden chair, contemplating how to refurbish the orphanage when a rustling sound caught his attention.

  He raised an eyebrow and looked over.

  Belle extended a single finger, gently pushing a small plate toward him.

  It was the same fruit plate he had seen earlier, filled with a variety of fruits. Though much smaller than the main fruit platter, it was just as diverse, with an even neater arrangement.

  Caius nearly laughed out loud.

  So that’s why Belle had prepared a small fruit platter—it was for him.

  How could he not be pleased?

  With a smug smile, he grabbed a piece of fruit and shot Holan a proud look, as if showing off his exclusive treat.

  Holan rolled her eyes, feeling a little envious.

  Even she, Belle’s instructor, hadn’t received such special treatment.

  But she knew this meant Caius had truly helped Belle, and that Belle recognized and appreciated it.

  "Why are you just sitting there? Eat. You bought the fruit, didn’t you?" Caius noticed that Belle hadn’t eaten any. The other platter was mostly gone, likely devoured by Kiki and the other girls, but Belle herself probably hadn’t touched it.

  Though they hadn’t known each other long, Caius already understood Belle’s personality. She tended to set aside what she considered the best things for those she cared about.

  Belle softly replied, "You eat."

  Caius pursed his lips, picked up an apple slice, took a bite—and immediately winced, his entire face scrunching up before swallowing it down.

  "So sour… This apple isn’t ripe at all…"

  Holan: "..."

  Oh, come on. She had just eaten an apple—it was perfectly sweet.

  Belle looked surprised and a little worried. "It… it should be ripe…"

  "Not at all. It’s terribly sour. Try it yourself if you don’t believe me," Caius said.

  Holan suppressed her laughter.

  This big guy was just…

  But Belle believed him. She picked up an apple slice and pulled down her high-neck sweater, revealing a small mouth.

  Caius’s eyes lit up.

  As he suspected, Belle had beautiful facial features—delicate cherry lips. No way she could be unattractive!

  +5 points!

  90 points now, girl!

  Keep going, surpass 93 and beat Instructor Holan!

  A crisp crunch sounded as Belle took a bite and chewed. Then she turned to look at Caius.

  Caius smirked mischievously. "Just kidding. Hurry up and eat, or it really will turn sour after a while."

  Belle paused before nodding. "Okay."

  At last, under Caius’s coaxing, Belle began eating in small bites.

  Caius: "This orange is so sour."

  Belle: "Mm."

  Caius: "This banana is sour too."

  Belle: "Mm."

  Caius: "This pear has a worm."

  Belle: "Mm."

  Caius: "No, seriously, don’t eat it! There’s actually a worm wriggling here! But hey, at least it proves the pear is organic."

  Holan: "Half a worm... Then where’s the other half?"

  Caius: "In my mouth, chewing my tongue."