Chapter 323: Nineteen is such an easy-to-understand woman
“To be honest, Miss Hevnia,” Phinis looked at the Hevnia sitting before him, revealing an elegant smile, “I was really surprised when I received your message. I had truly given up hope, after all, considering what my sister had done to you, I didn’t even know how to begin to apologize.”
In response to Phinis’s words, Hevnia returned the sentiment with a sweet smile of her own, “Because I believe that Orenna is not that kind of person.”
“It’s really good of you to think so,” Phinis glanced at Orenna beside him and spoke indifferently, “but even if that wasn’t her intention, it was her taking matters into her own hands that led to such consequences. Please offer a proper apology, Orenna.”
At this moment, Hevnia and Phinis were sitting across from each other, while Orenna could only stand beside them.
Her one cheek was abnormally red and swollen, and upon hearing Phinis’s words, she slightly lifted her head to look at Hevnia, her eyes filled with anger and humiliation.
But under Phinis’s oppressive gaze, she had to lower her head again and then, in as low a voice as possible, said, “I’m sorry, Hevnia.”
“It’s okay, Orenna. It’s not a big deal,” Hevnia replied with a smile full of goodwill, “but I am willing to accept your apology.”
Orenna pursed her lips tightly, but Phinis gave her no chance to continue speaking and said lightly, “All right, you can leave now, Hevnia and I have important matters to discuss.”
Orenna turned to leave, and at the moment she was exiting the door, she heard Phinis saying,
“Miss Hevnia, I’ve always thought, how nice it would be if I had a sister like you.”
Orenna’s body trembled slightly, but she said nothing and quickly left.
As Hevnia watched Orenna leave, she slowly and leisurely lifted the hot chocolate in front of her, sipped it lightly, “accidentally” smearing a bit of chocolate on her upper lip, then “unintentionally” licked it away with her tongue before smilingly saying, “If that were the case, then I would be very lucky indeed. I’ve always hoped for a brother like you.”
After saying this, Hevnia felt Phinis’s smile became even more cordial.
After some brief pleasantries, their conversation finally got back on track, with Phinis initiating the topic.
“Miss Hevnia, are you inclined to join our orchestra now that you have honored my invitation?”
“Um… if I say no, would you still let me finish this cup of hot chocolate?”
“Of course, even if you’re here just as a casual meet-up, that would be satisfying enough for me,” Phinis said with a smile, “you can drink as much as you like, but I still have to remind you… be careful not to get fat.”
“Ah.” Hevnia immediately set down her hot chocolate, “Then I won’t drink it.”
The two exchanged a smile, their rapport as warm as if they were lovers or siblings.
It would be hard to tell that this was only their second meeting.
However, Hevnia could still see the almost emotionless rationality in Phinis’s smiling eyes.
He was also putting on an act.
The eldest son of the Lawrence family, indeed not a simple character, it wasn’t likely to deal with him with an everyday green tea persona.
Fortunately, Hevnia was not here to deal with him.
So after a simple probing, Hevnia finally asked the question, “Mr. Phinis, what I really wanted to know in coming to see you today is, how much preparation have you made for the grand ceremony, and, after joining you, what can I expect to gain?”
Upon hearing Hevnia’s question, Phinis’s smile gradually faded, and he became a bit more serious.
After all, this was the real issue at hand.
“Miss Hevnia, I’m glad you asked these questions,” Phinis said with a smile, “It shows that you take the ceremony very seriously, and my family, or I should say our family, feel the same.”
“The Lawrence family, huh,” Hevnia said with a smile, “My father always says, compared to the Lawrence family, our Hailuo family is practically at the bottom.”
“Your father is being too modest,” Phinis replied with a mild smile, “Miss Hevnia, as long as you are here, I believe the Hailuo family will rise eventually, and as for our family…”
Phinis paused, then smilingly pointed to his head.
“There are others above us, aren’t there?” he said. “After all, the Lawrence family is just a newcomer that has recently achieved success, still quite far behind the Taichu Two Families that have existed since the founding of Holy Sound… at least that’s the case for now.”
Hevnia caught the thinly veiled depth of meaning in Phinis’s words.
At least for now, which meant… it wouldn’t be the same in the future.
Facing Phinis’s undisguised ambition, Hevnia wasn’t surprised.
After all, what the Lawrence family wanted, the whole academy knew, so Hevnia didn’t need to put on any pretense there. She just calmly looked at Phinis, waiting for him to continue.
And Phinis clearly understood Hevnia’s intention.
What the Lawrence family wanted wasn’t her concern, she was more interested in what she could gain for herself.
So Phinis leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice even as his words grew heavier with significance.