Howard crossed his arms and looked at me coldly, his tone somewhat sarcastic. "Weren't you happy with your Matthew? I didn't expect you to still remember me."
Yesterday, my heart felt a brief warmth, so he must have been here. But he was sensible enough not to show up, which was already a good improvement; After all, he was the one who killed Sophia. In my heart, he was no different from a tyrant.
"Yesterday, we just happened to go back to school together. He left right after dropping me off. You can ask Amelia if you don't believe me." I explained.
He obviously knew. "It's a good thing he left right after dropping you off, otherwise..."
From his unfinished sentence, I sensed a hint of cold killing intent; Howard's possessiveness was strong, and this realization deepened in my mind once again.
He suddenly approached me, staring at my cheek. "Your face looks rosy. You must have slept soundly last night."
I couldn't agree with him. "Without you, I find it hard to sleep soundly."
My words clearly pleased him, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. "You know how to talk." Then he reached out and pulled me into his arms, his hand resting on my chest. "Let me check if the mark I left on you is still there."
However, Howard would find something hard. He took it out and saw it was a Novice Talisman. "Who drew this for you?"
If he hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about it.
Surprised, I took the Novice Talisman and deliberately held it up to him. "Aren't you afraid of this item?"
Howard looked at me with amusement. "Do you think I would be afraid of this item?"
"Indeed, it's useless." I mumbled, wanting to take off the Novice Talisman; it really was true that free stuff was usually worth every penny one paid.
Howard took the Novice Talisman and held it in his hand. "Don't throw it away. It may be useless to me, but it can still work on other ghosts."
That made sense; at least with its presence, I hadn't been bothered by strange things.
"I didn't get this Novice Talisman to intimidate you." To avoid any misunderstanding, I explained.
"I know." Howard said.
"You know?" I frowned.
Howard rubbed my hair and smiled. "I told you before, being with me will attract many things to you. If you're too weak, you'll be devoured. So, keeping this Novice Talisman around is good. At least it can protect you when I'm not around."
Howard could still laugh. No wonder I always felt a creepy sensation around me before. That was why I asked Amelia for the Novice Talisman, and it turned out to be useful.
I carefully patted the Novice Talisman on my chest, deepening my resolve.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Isabella's impatient voice came through. "Karena, are you done? I need to use the bathroom."
I quickly responded, "I'm done."
After tidying up, I stepped out, and Isabella hurriedly squeezed past me into the bathroom.
Amelia was all set to go. Seeing me still in my pajamas, she said leisurely, "I have an appointment with my grandpa at 10. If we don't leave now, we'll be late."
"I'll go change."
Returning to The Martinez Villa, I no longer felt the restraint I did last time. Looking at the beautifully decorated villa, I was full of envy. "It's so grant! When will I become rich too?"
"Little money-grubber." Amelia looked at me with amusement.
I glared at her, feeling indignant. "Rich people like you have no empathy for the common folk."
Amelia lowered her head. "I would rather trade places with you."
I was too busy admiring the beautiful garden to hear her. "What did you just say?"
She smiled at me and shook her head. "Nothing, let's go."
Aiden clearly knew we were coming and was waiting for us in the living room.
Seeing the imposing Aiden, I felt a bit nervous. Remembering the purpose of my visit, I mustered up the courage to look at him. "Mr. Martinez, I have a favor to ask of you." As I spoke, I knelt down in front of him. "I really want to learn how to catch ghosts. In my current situation, if I don't learn something to protect myself, I fear I won't survive. Please, Mr. Martinez, help me."
Amelia was also surprised by my request and looked at me in shock. Then she turned to Aiden and said, "Grandpa, please help Karena. She's really in trouble now. No one can't help her, besides you."
Aiden stroked his beard and pondered for a moment. "Although she lacks talent, there is something unique about her, and it is not entirely unacceptable."
Hearing this, I was overjoyed and immediately said, "Really? Thank you, Mr. Martinez."
Aiden waved his hand, signaling Amelia to help me up. "Being my student isn't easy. If you don't learn well, you'll tarnish my reputation."
"Mr. Martinez, I will work hard." As long as I can protect myself, and maybe even find a way to escape Howard, I'm willing to face any challenge.
"You don't need to do much. Just follow my instructions. If you can't learn, you can give up on your own." Aiden said.
I quickly nodded in agreement. Overjoyed, I left The Martinez Villa, bouncing and pulling Amelia along, my face beaming with joy. "Amelia, does this mean we're fellow disciples?"
Amelia looked at my happy expression with a complicated look. "Not really."
I thought about it and agreed. After all, I hadn't officially started yet and still need to pass Aiden's test. "I'll work hard to catch up to you."
"My grandpa never taught me how to exorcise ghosts." Amelia lowered her head in frustration, her voice tinged with bitterness. "I'm the least talented in my family, and grandpa doesn't let me get involved in these matters."
hearing this, I apologized with gulit, "I'm sorry, Amelia."
She smiled faintly and shrugged indifferently. "It's okay. Even though grandpa doesn't let me learn, I've been self-studying. I just don't have much talent."
I wanted to encourage her, so I patted her shoulder and smiled. "It's okay. Whatever I learn, I'll teach you. That way, it will be like Mr. Martinez is teaching you directly."