"If it's going to be chaos everywhere anyway," Eva continued, "and there's always a risk of running into another group from another world… then how about we raise the scale we're operating on?"
She let her words settle, watching Christian closely. And when she saw an amused smile form on his lips, rather than rejection, Annabelle, sitting nearby, decided to add her Read the latest chapters on NovelHub - completely free!
"Actually, I agree," she said calmly. "I don't think there's any need to keep hiding our presence anymore."
It's not like we're hiding, Christian thought to himself.
We're just living a little more remotely — outside the center of all the chaos. We never really tried to stay hidden to begin with.
Still, he kept listening as Annabelle continued.
"I mean, there's been no move from the Infinitel Company about pursuing the case of Damian."
"And the Ashvale family? They dropped their ambitions to control Olivia the moment they saw how strong she became — just one year after entering the Academy."
"And even if they do come up with something later, they're not enough on their own. Not anymore."
"Especially with your current strength, the Androids, Sophia who's already reached the first stage, Nina, and of course — us."
She paused briefly, then added with a calm edge, "Until now, you've ignored Vincent's proposal. But we can settle that too. Settle everything, really."
By settling, Christian knew exactly what she meant.
Everyone involved in their parents' case.
Eva's not-so-small feud with her family.
The unresolved business with the Infinitel Company.
Against this decorated speech, where both Annabelle and Eva kept laying out the pros of moving on from this quiet place in Minnesota, Christian suddenly let out a loud, genuine laugh.
In truth, his thoughts on this particular topic had already been solidified a long time ago. He was simply waiting — waiting for the day they would finally express their own desires, without holding back.
After all, despite choosing to stay here and go along with the life he preferred… one quiet and undisturbed, shared only with his sister and lover, a few maids, and the freedom to do as he pleased—
Even that kind of life could still feel lonely at times.
Not for him, of course. But for his sister, who had spent nearly all her life in the bustling Pennsylvania. And for Eva, who still had subordinates and a few close people back in Harrisburg.
And it wasn't just about that.
Christian knew that too.
He knew there were deeper reasons behind their words.
That's why, when the room fell into silence after his laughter faded, he finally spoke, voice relaxed yet thoughtful.
"Alright," he said, leaning back slightly. "All that talk aside — what exactly do you have in mind? What is it you want to do?"
Eva, while briefly avoiding his gaze, answered without hesitation.
"My… no, our thoughts are simple."
"The strong people out there — we don't have any grudge against them. And those who do qualify as our enemies? They're weak. So, there's nothing for us to fear."
"And that means… we can do what we want."
Christian echoed those words silently in his mind, letting them settle.
He shifted his gaze slowly — from his sister, to Eva, and then back again.
The topic of going out...
It wasn't something he hadn't considered.
In fact, quite the opposite — just a few days ago, the same thoughts had been lingering in his mind.
But back then, he thought they could take everything slowly.
Because even if he was already confident in his ability to protect himself, Eva, and his sister, he still preferred moving forward in a more stable, deliberate way.
Annabelle spoke about staying hidden. But were they ever really serious about that?
Christian didn't think so.
After all, just five months ago, he had gone out and met Olivia, fully aware that doing so might allow someone like Vincent to pick up his trail.
To Christian, it had never truly felt like hiding.
Again, they were just living more remotely.
It wasn't that they were running from anything — he simply didn't go around announcing where he lived. And over time, that quiet, low-profile life had become the norm.
He had stopped erasing every little trace of his existence like he used to.
Especially now — when even governments and major powers barely had a grip on their own situations. And while powerful groups from other worlds saw the chaos as a grand opportunity, navigating it wasn't exactly easy for them either.
And so, as his thoughts reached that point, Christian looked at Eva and his sister again, this time with a small, amused smile.
"Okay," he said. "I understand — you want to do what you want."
"But… can you be more specific? As in, what exactly are you planning to do?"
Eva met his gaze, and for a moment, seeing that smile, she felt as if he'd already seen through her thoughts.
Still, she answered without hesitation.
"As in… absorbing and controlling the Infinitel and Ashvale families under Olivia."
She paused for a moment, then added with a sharp glint in her eye:
"Doesn't Vincent want peace?"
"Well, we want peace too."
"A peace where everything he and the Ashvale family have… becomes ours."
Olivia blinked, clearly confused as to why her name had suddenly been dragged into this. Where as, Christian, couldn't help but grin.
"So," he said, amusement coloring his voice, "this whole conversation was just because you two have your sights set on the Infinitel company, huh?"
Eva coughed, eyes darting away from his. Meanwhile, Annabelle kept her gaze fixed on the holographic map, staring intently as if she were trying to count something abstract — something that clearly wasn't countable at all.
Christian watched them both for a moment, then let out a chuckle.
"There really was no need for all this roundabout talk," he said, shaking his head.
"If your grand proposal is just about the Infinitel company, then go ahead. You can interfere, make your moves from here. There's no need for us to relocate or get directly involved in person."
"I mean, if there's something specific you need to do over there, sure — we can go for a few days. That's not a problem. But I'm still not in favor of us living there permanently."
"Anything else, though? I'm fine with that."
And with that small go-ahead, the atmosphere in the room shifted completely.
A long, spirited conversation followed, where both Eva and Annabelle became just a little too excited.