I loaded the Wizard panel.

Chapter 16 Unexpected Favor

"Kind ladies, would you mind if I accompanied you?"

Edwin smiled slightly at the two girls next to Clara.

"Of course, please don't misunderstand, I'm not going to borrow Clara."

"Brother Edwin, of course we don't mind." One of the girls covered her mouth and laughed, making room for Clara to the left.

He wasn't red-faced or out of breath, as if his ten-minute jog was just a stroll.

This is all thanks to the superhuman stamina recovery speed after the [Resilience] upgrade.

The four of them walked together toward the school auditorium. The first class was preceded by morning prayers, and Edwin had sacrificed some of that time for walking exercises in the previous few days.

However, consistently missing prayers is not a good habit.

Now we can get back on track.

Although Edwin walked along with them, he rarely interrupted the ladies' conversations.

Clara's conversation with her friend started out normally, but as the conversation went on, she began to feel that something was off.

Maeve Frost was a good friend Clara had known since she came to St. George Grammar School. Her family was similar to, or even better than, the original Gray family. Her father had a well-paid job at the post office, and her mother was a foreman at a textile factory.

Her grades were slightly worse than Clara's, but she was pretty and had a gentle personality. Clara Gray always thought that perhaps her good friend would marry a man from a well-off family in the future.

And now... it seems she's setting her sights on her own brother?

"Clara, how much older is your brother than you?"

"One year and two months, I guess." Clara felt Maeve's gaze drifting towards Edwin beside her.

"Oh...does he have a girlfriend?" Maeve's voice became soft, but it still reached Edwin's ears.

He felt like he hadn't heard anything clearly.

"I don't think so." Clara's feelings were a bit complicated at the moment.

Maeve isn't new to Edwin's existence, so why is she only starting to show affection now?

Actually, she has some clues.

Undeniably, her brother has changed a lot recently. Before, especially after their parents passed away, he was sickly, thin, and pale. He rarely left the classroom at school and was always shrouded in shadow.

What now?

He always stands tall, has a gentle and polite attitude, and his health is much better than before.

Edwin was already tall and good-looking, and now at home, when Clara looked up at his broad back, it would sometimes remind her of her father's reliable and dependable feeling.

Thinking about it this way, Maeve's goodwill didn't appear out of thin air.

At this age, it's not too early to talk about marriage. For children from ordinary families, getting married in another year or two is considered normal.

But... I wanted to be your best friend, but you want to be my sister-in-law?

Clara Gray was a little taken aback.

"Brother Edwin, may I ask you a question?" Maeve asked, taking the initiative to speak.

"I'm all ears, Miss Maeve."

"What type of girl do you like?"

Kids are so easy to understand—of course, Edwin's idea was not meant in a derogatory way.

"Me?" Edwin began to think about how to answer.

This question is a bit difficult.

The other party's intentions were so obvious that it was not easy for him to get away with it.

He definitely didn't agree to Maeve's idea.

Just then, Newt Osborn's cheerful voice called out from afar, "Edwin!"

Edwin's face broke into a smile.

Newt quite naturally put his arm around Edwin's shoulder.

"Good morning, Newt. Did you sleep well last night?"

"I must be asleep, but I don't know about my sister." The two whispered to each other, revealing smiles that only the two of them could understand, which surprised Clara and her group, as well as the students next to them.

"Ladies, may I borrow Edwin for a moment? Is that alright?"

Edwin felt somewhat helpless. Was he some kind of tool to be used at will?

However, it seems that Newt has done a great job.

It was inconvenient to refuse the noble young master's request, and Edwin, who was taken away by Newtla, thus missed his chance to deal with Maeve's problem.

The two girls left behind began to relentlessly interrogate Clara.

Now Newt and Edwin are together.

Surprisingly, he didn't continue talking about last night's events in this public setting, showing that the young master still knows how to keep secrets.

"By the way, Eileen... where's your sister? Didn't she come to school with you?"

Edwin glanced around symbolically, but did not spot Eileen's striking figure.

"My sister doesn't usually come to the school. Otherwise, you should have seen her a few times before. She said that the pace of regular classes at school can't keep up with her studies. She only comes when there are school events or competitions."

Aristocratic status can be quite convenient at times, but Eileen Osborne's approach was also reasonable.

If they've already learned everything they need to learn, what's the point of staying in school?

But the event or competition Newt just mentioned... could it be that when I saw her at the school gate earlier, she was also there for the Herefordshire Philosophy Competition?

"What, Edwin, you don't have a crush on my sister, do you?" Newt nudged Edwin with his shoulder, but surprisingly, Edwin's face didn't show any complicated expression.

Before Edwin could reply, he continued, "I have no objection, but personally, it would be wonderful if someone could subdue her!"

How should I put it? It sounds like something only Newt would say.

"However, dealing with my parents might be a bit difficult, and my sister... it's not like most people can have a very close relationship with her." He was actually considering the feasibility of this.

"Newt, what are you thinking? It's just a normal question, as a partner..." Edwin replied irritably.

"Oh, I see."

Newt's inexplicable regret left Edwin feeling rather helpless.

"Do you remember last night she said it was the second time I'd met her? We'd met once before at school. I wanted to ask, is Eileen also participating in that Herefordshire competition?"

Two students passing by suddenly greeted Newt; they were the same two "followers" from before, but they didn't come along.

"Of course, otherwise, Edwin, why do you think my family didn't ask me to spend a lot of time on this?"

"Isn't it because you're not old enough yet?"

"If this responsibility were on my shoulders, I'd probably be in the same grade as you, Newt, participating in the competition," Newt explained, shaking his head.

This makes sense for the Osborne family.

"By the way, my sister also participated last year in our grade. She came in first in Herefordshire and fourth in the Boyle Cup. She almost got the medal of honor." Newt said with a proud look on his face.

Edwin was filled with awe.

Isn't this a competitor?