I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

The city walls of the capital city appeared as a bluish-gray outline in the twilight, tall and heavy. Long queues formed at the city gates, and the flow of people slowly moved forward to enter the city.

With Ji Tian's help, Elena dismounted and, holding the reins, joined the queue. She took out a letter bearing a noble coat of arms from her ring, which could be used as a pass.

The guards only glanced at the emblem before waving them through, their attitude being somewhat more polite than when they treated ordinary people.

The streets of the capital were wider than Ji Tian had expected, lined with shops on both sides, their signs extending from the second floor and swaying gently in the wind.

Bakery, blacksmith shop, magic materials shop, clothing shop... the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, haggling over prices, and children chasing and laughing all mingled together.

The Viscount Pompeii's mansion in the capital city was located on a quiet street in the noble district, with its gray stone walls covered in ivy and its wrought iron gates adorned with the family crest.

Ji Tian rode his horse behind Elena, his gaze sweeping over the iron gate as they passed by.

He noticed a line of small characters carved on a stone pillar by the door: "Built in Imperial Year 1327". The characters had been blurred by wind and rain, but were still legible.

Elena dismounted, handed the reins to the approaching groom, glanced at Ji Tian, ​​pursed her lips, and said, "My father... he's stubborn but soft-hearted, and sometimes his words might not be very pleasant. Don't take it to heart."

Ji Tian also dismounted and said, "Hmm."

"But don't just keep saying 'uh-huh.' Say a few more words," Elena instructed, patting non-existent dust off her skirt, taking a deep breath, and stepping onto the stairs.

The gatekeeper, a middle-aged man, widened his eyes upon recognizing the person and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Miss! You're back! I'll go inform her right away!"

Elena waved her hand: "Go ahead."

The gatekeeper jogged into the mansion.

A short while later, the manor's new steward—Grigory's apprentice—hurriedly arrived at the door. He was dressed in a well-pressed black tailcoat, his bow tie perfectly tied, and his steps were quick yet composed.

The butler's gaze lingered on Ji Tian for a moment before he bowed slightly to the two of them: "Miss, you're back. Master is in his study."

The study door was ajar, and warm yellow light shone from inside.

The butler knocked twice and gently pushed the door open: "Master, Miss has arrived with her guests."

Viscount Pompeii sat behind his desk, several opened letters laid out in front of him, and a quill pen in his hand.

He raised his head, his gaze first falling on his daughter, his expression softening slightly, before shifting to Ji Tian's face, his eyes now scrutinizing him.

Elena stepped forward and bowed to her father, whom she hadn't seen for many years. "Father, I'm back."

"It's good to be back." The Viscount put down his pen and stood up. He was of medium height and had a thin face. He wore a dark gray house robe with a silver family crest pinned to the collar.

The wrinkles around my eyes are more pronounced than they were six years ago, and I've also gained quite a bit of gray hair at my temples.

"You are Ji Tian?" His voice was deep and scrutinizing.

Ji Tian nodded slightly, recalling Elena's instructions on the way, and said, "Hello, Uncle."

The viscount nodded and pointed to the chair opposite the desk: "Sit down."

Elena sat next to Ji Tian, ​​arms crossed, her gaze darting back and forth between her father and Ji Tian.

The Viscount sat back down in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice.

He didn't rush to speak, but simply sized up the young man opposite him.

He was dressed in white, had black hair, a calm expression, and a slender but not particularly strong physique. There was nothing particularly special about him.

Yet this is the same person whom Gregor described in his letter as "unfathomable."

Gregor was the old steward, who had served his father for more than ten years and then for twenty years. In the end, he returned to his fiefdom in the countryside to serve as steward and retire. His judgment of people was never wrong.

The person whom he described as "unfathomable" must be either a great sage or a great villain.

The viscount's gaze then shifted to his daughter.

She was looking at Ji Tian, ​​a gentle smile on her lips.

He knows his daughter too well.

Back in the capital, she didn't even raise an eyebrow at the noblemen who came to propose marriage; when a cardinal praised her as having a "once-in-a-century talent," she simply said "thank you"; when the king's messenger hinted that "His Highness the Second Prince has a fondness for your daughter," she turned and went to read in the garden.

What about now?

She returned from that remote and impoverished fiefdom in the East, bringing a man with her. She looked at him as if he were guarding some precious treasure.

The viscount felt a mix of emotions.

Of course, he wanted his daughter to be happy.

Over the years, he has claimed to have a hidden illness and, provided that no branch of his family has objected, said that he "only hopes that the title of viscount will be inherited by his daughter in the future," which has deterred countless marriage proposals.

He would rather his daughter stay with the Pompeii family than be treated like a decorative vase on a high shelf.

With her magical talent, as long as she is not hindered, she may very well become the twenty-seventh countess or even a duke in the kingdom's history, bringing her family to the next level.

All these years of maneuvering, patience, and careful planning in the capital were all for the sake of paving a path for his daughter. If she were to marry out, all of this would have been for nothing.

Marrying into the family... that would be the best of both worlds.

As for how to get the daughter to stay—

The viscount's gaze fell on Ji Tian again. This lad didn't seem to have any noble airs, and he was dressed simply. Gregor said he was "the son of a tenant farmer in the Eastern Viscount's domain."

The tenant farmer's son.

No background, no family, no power.

He pondered to himself: if his daughter liked him, and this man had no family burdens, it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to marry into the family.

I just don't know what kind of person he is.

Ji Tian remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he had already turned the page: He had thought that he would follow the example of "OO's Personal Pastry Chef" or at the very least "O South Academy Chapter", but judging from the Viscount's scrutinizing and calculating eyes, he clearly wanted to start with "son-in-law".

He hadn't read many of these kinds of online novels. He only vaguely remembered the phrase "The three-year period has come to an end, welcome OO back to his position," followed by surprise, no further connection, regret, revenge, and the like, all of which were predictable at a glance.

But who is Ji Tian? How could he possibly allow such a situation to befall him?

This isn't a plot I like, so I'll skip it!

Ji Tian had already planned in his mind that if the other party really asked that question, he would directly show his strength and skip the painful part.

Seeing that the atmosphere had built up enough, the Viscount was about to ask something when Elena interrupted him, "Father, we're tired from the journey. Let us rest for a bit, have some tea and something to eat. We can talk about it at dinner."

The viscount opened his mouth and then closed it again.

He glanced at his daughter, then at Ji Tian.

At first glance, they seem quite well-matched, much better than those idle nobles in the capital.

Elena knew her father's temper; if she didn't interrupt, he might ask a question that would embarrass Ji Tian.

She walked to Ji Tian's side and gestured for him to follow. Although they didn't hold hands, the two stood side by side, their attitudes clear.

Ji Tian stood up, nodded slightly to the Viscount, and then followed Elena out of the study.

The study door closed gently.

The viscount's eyelids twitched as he watched his daughter protect that man.

"A daughter is like a bird that flies away when she grows up... Oh well, there's plenty of time in the future."