Silas gave a faint smile. “You saw it yourself—Lawson is obsessed with magic, and I am the only free official mage in White Horse Town. Only I can fulfill his wishes.”

Lillian frowned. “So what? If he doesn’t learn magic, does that mean he can’t paint?”

Silas could already smell victory. He raised his hand and tapped the table lightly, making a ‘thud-thud’ sound, like war drums before a full assault.

“In painting, Lawson is a genius. But he’s also a child who’s never seen the world, extremely stubborn—once he sets his mind on something, he’ll throw himself into it completely.”

“Of course, you can stop him from learning magic, but that would also kill his passion for painting. In the end, your Nightingales would get nothing.”

“You think I’ll believe your nonsense?”

Though she said this, Lillian was already seventy or eighty percent convinced, because Lawson’s previous behavior had indeed been astonishingly foolish—he was clearly the type of stubborn, bull-headed kid.

Silas took a timely step back.

“I’ll only take forty percent of the painting income. I promise, I absolutely won’t poison or curse the kid, and I’ll occasionally give him some guidance in magic to satisfy his curiosity, so he can keep his passion for painting burning.”

Lillian fell silent.

She turned to glance at the boy waiting by the stairs. He looked nervous and uneasy, glancing over from time to time, his face showing obvious anxiety.

It was clear he was very worried about being abandoned by Silas.

Silas saw this too, and gave Lawson a slight smile as reassurance.

He whispered, “Don’t forget, I was the one who discovered his talent, and I am also the mentor he trusts and respects most. Every word I say has a huge influence on him.”

Lillian was convinced.

“You get forty percent of the painting sales, but my condition is that he can’t live with you. Other than teaching magic, you can’t have contact with him. And even when you teach magic, I must be present, to prevent you from doing anything shady!”

Seeing Silas remain silent, she gritted her teeth and threatened, “White Horse Town may have only one idle official mage, but there are thousands upon thousands of official mages in the entire North! Also, the 20 crowns I gave you earlier—give them back!”

Silas sighed lightly and agreed. “Alright, it’s settled then. But you’ll cover the expenses for the new place.”

Lillian shrugged, eyes full of disdain. “I’m not as stingy as you. You have a treasure trove, yet you make people sleep on the floor and drink poison. From now on, he’ll stay in the largest suite at the Green Nightingale Hotel, living with me!”

“Ha~ Then you’d better be careful not to let him discover your true identity.”

With that, he got up and walked toward Lawson, his face beaming with a smile. “Kid, I’m planning to set up a new studio for you, still at the Green Nightingale Inn, right next door to me.”

Hearing this, Lawson was overjoyed.

His original plan was to use Lillian to get away from Silas, make a name for himself with his art, and then look for a chance to study magic.

But now, it seemed Silas was even more helpful than he’d expected, so he was able to play both sides and achieve the best possible outcome.

He didn’t hide his joy, almost jumping up on the spot. “Really, Mentor? That’s wonderful!”

Lillian also walked over, smiling gently.

“Lawson, I’ve come to an agreement with your mentor. From now on, you’ll live with me. I’ll take care of your daily needs, and you can focus on studying magic and painting.”

Lawson’s face lit up even more. “Miss Lillian, I’m so glad you’ve cleared up the misunderstanding with my mentor, and I’m very grateful for your help. I’ll work hard at painting, and I promise learning magic won’t interfere with my art.”

Seeing his silly, naive look, Lillian barely resisted the urge to mock him, though she was rolling her eyes inwardly.

“Truly, ignorance is bliss. He’s being played for a fool and still so happy he’s practically blowing snot bubbles.”

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Chapter 11: The Fool from the Mountain Valley

Exquisite windproof crystal lamps, dark red luxurious silk drapes, soft cashmere carpets, and a faint fragrance in the air—compared to the filthy, stinking little town, this spacious hotel suite was like paradise.

This was Lawson’s new home.

He wasn’t unfamiliar with the place, since his previous room was right next door. Through a narrow crack in the wall, he’d already peeked into this little slice of heaven.

He didn’t feel much joy in his heart.

If yesterday, Silas had treated him like a slave, then now, thanks to competition, his treatment had improved—he’d become a caged canary.

Whether a slave or a canary, there was no real freedom. If he wanted to survive, he had to keep acting.

‘Click~’

The door behind him closed. Lillian looked at the ‘stunned’ boy with a beaming smile, a hint of pride in her voice. “Well, what do you think? Satisfied?”

Lawson put on an ‘excited’ face and nodded repeatedly. “I can’t believe I get to live in such a heavenly place. It’s incredible!”

To be honest, the room was indeed quite nice. Aside from lacking modern electrical appliances, its comfort level was hardly inferior to that of a modern person.