—Seeking recommendation votes, we've dropped to fourth place.
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Lucian deliberately glanced around, and upon seeing Phyllis's family carriage pulling through the villa gates while the surroundings remained quiet and deserted, he gestured for the two to enter the three-story villa and the garden in front.
"Phyllis, I have a favor to ask of you." Lucian's expression was earnest and solemn.
Phyllis's attractive brows furrowed slightly. "What is it? I can't promise I can help — my father is only a clerk at City Hall, and Uncle and Cousin Harrington have never been fond of our family."
Had it been before the concert, Lucian asking for a favor would have earned an immediate refusal from Phyllis. But after working together to prepare for the concert and experiencing its tremendous success, their relationship had shifted from cold classmates to something that could be called friendship. Moreover, Lucian's musical talent was plain for all to see, and his future development in music was easy to imagine. As someone pursuing the same musical path, Phyllis instinctively wanted to maintain a good friendship with Lucian.
As a normal person, Phyllis couldn't deny the jealousy she harbored toward Lucian. But the simple weighing of pros and cons, judging good from bad, and considering the future — these were the modes of thinking she had been educated in since childhood, courtesy of her upbringing. And the fact that Phyllis's father had ultimately failed to inherit the title shielded her from being blinded by overwhelming power and the flattery of companions, which might otherwise have led to blind arrogance and reckless impulsiveness.
Lucian chose his words carefully. "I have a good friend named John — he's Sir Vein's knight attendant, and already at the high rank, capable of awakening his bloodline power. Ever since my father passed away by the Lord's grace, I've been cared for by their family. In the past, when I lacked both ability and money, I could comfortably go about my own affairs and enjoy it all. But yesterday's concert success earned me a generous reward of thirty-three Gold Thalers. I couldn't sleep a wink last night — after thinking it over for a long time, I decided I must repay them first. Otherwise, I couldn't face the merciful Lord, nor could I face myself."
Phyllis caught the implication in Lucian's words and harbored no suspicion of his reasoning. "You want to get Moonlight Rose from me to help your friend increase his chances of awakening his bloodline power?"
Seeing Phyllis's expression, Lucian quietly let out half a sigh of relief. "Yes. It's the best repayment I can manage."
"Lucian, your character commands my admiration and fondness. Being around someone as kind-hearted as you, someone who never forgets others' kindness, would be reassuring and pleasant." Phyllis was clearly rather taken with this quality Lucian had displayed.
This single matter alone wouldn't have been enough for Phyllis to be certain of Lucian's character. But combined with the help he'd given Mr. Victor, there was no longer any doubt.
However, after praising Lucian, Phyllis added seriously, "Moonlight Rose is only an aid for awakening bloodlines. The most important factors are one's own willpower and strength. You should know — for every noble who uses fifty grams of Moonlight Rose along with other materials and then fails three times in succession, there are dozens more than the number of knights. If your friend has the ability to awaken his bloodline power, Sir Vein wouldn't fail to notice. He would certainly grant him some amount of Moonlight Rose. You could use this money to give them a better life instead. Lucian, are you truly set on buying Moonlight Rose for him?"
Speaking of this, she felt a twinge of bitterness — she was one of those failed nobles herself.
Although Phyllis was posing the question back at him, Lucian could hear that she harbored no strong resistance to helping him purchase the Moonlight Rose. So with a note of gratitude, he said solemnly, "I've made inquiries — normally such a grant is only ten grams. Having more Moonlight Rose on hand would give John a slightly higher chance of successfully awakening his bloodline power. Even if it's only a little more, I want to do everything in my power to get it."
Phyllis suddenly broke into a smile. Perhaps it was a trick of the moment, but Lucian thought she looked more radiant and beautiful than he had ever seen her. "No wonder you can write the never-give-up Fate Symphony. Very well — how many grams do you want to buy?"
"Fifty grams." Lucian weighed his finances and answered without hesitation. Being able to run a few more experiments would significantly increase the odds of successfully brewing the "Weeping Soul" potion. At the same time, he felt deeply grateful — Phyllis was being remarkably easy to deal with, not attaching any demands whatsoever.
Phyllis's full lips parted wide. "That much? With my standing in the family, the most I can buy is ten grams!"
Although their branch shared the closest blood and legal ties to Count Hain, their emotional bond and status within the family were the worst. If not for the late Count's generous inheritance and the position he had arranged, Phyllis's father might well have gone bankrupt.
"Could you try to get as much as possible? I've heard Moonlight Rose can help enhance coordination, which would allow my piano skills to improve more quickly. Phyllis, I will absolutely remember your help." Lucian offered this additional excuse he had fabricated, trying to make his gaze appear as sincere and earnest as possible. Moonlight Rose did indeed have effects on strengthening constitution and power, but the improvement of coordination had yet to gain any official recognition — there were only rumors and isolated cases to speak of.
Phyllis clasped her hands together, unconsciously performing her habitual wringing gesture as many thoughts flickered through her mind. If the previous ten grams of Moonlight Rose had been granted primarily on the strength of their now-decent friendship, then the extra Moonlight Rose Lucian wanted would require Phyllis to weigh his future prospects and the potential benefits he could bring her far more carefully — because the investment required was vastly different, much like a noble patronizing or investing in a musician. She needed to weigh the returns.
Lucian didn't press her, allowing Phyllis time to think it over. Then Phyllis looked at Lucian with a serious expression. "I can ask my father to purchase another ten grams of Moonlight Rose. I can also have Yvette and Lafati's Melissa each help buy ten grams from their respective families' internal channels. That makes forty grams total — no more than that. And Lucian, you'll need to pay a price."
Even without a title and without a prominent position in the family, as a member of a noble house — and one of the three great families at that — when Phyllis truly wanted something done, she could mobilize considerable influence. Such was the advantage of social circles!
"Forty grams… Fine, forty grams it is. Phyllis, what do you need from me?" Lucian considered — this was already far better than his minimum of thirty grams.
Phyllis smiled brightly. "The requirements are simple, especially for a musical genius like you. First, the money for purchasing the Moonlight Rose cannot come from my pocket. Second, I hope you'll master and be able to play several pieces proficiently in time — next month is my birthday party, and I'd like to invite you, this musical genius, to perform at the celebration. Third, I hope you'll guide me in piano playing and composition, share your experience, and if in the future I manage to write a decent piece, I'd hope it could be performed at one of your concerts, or you could introduce my work to Her Highness the Princess and other musicians, and write reviews of it."