Chapter 516: Chapter 516: Anger Toward Lucian

For a brief moment, Lana could not respond at all.

His eyes carried a sincerity that she had rarely seen in anyone before.

Meanwhile, Conard could not help but think that his little sister was truly adorable in a strange and complicated way.

She was a mystical cultivator. She was a talisman practitioner.

She carried countless hidden identities and abilities behind her calm appearance, yet despite possessing all of that power, she still lacked the one thing she desired most.

Love. Just unconditional love.

From their conversation, Conard had finally understood something clearly. Lana did not need protection. She did not need wealth. What she truly craved was someone who would choose her without hesitation.

And if that was the case, then he would become that person.

He would love her unconditionally. He would choose her unconditionally.

Hearing his words, Lana felt as though someone had suddenly handed her the candy she had secretly craved for years.

However, she did not dare show the joy blooming inside her heart. Instead, she merely let out another soft chuckle.

"Those are merely words. I do not even know whether you will back out in the future or not."

Conard nodded in agreement almost immediately.

"You are right. Mere words do not mean much."

After a brief pause, he seriously added, "I can even draw up a contract if you want."

The moment those words came out, Lana almost burst out laughing. "A contract?"

She stared at Conard with an utterly complicated expression before saying,

"If I did not know any better, I would think your EQ is so low that you might actually agree to a contract marriage."

The instant she finished speaking, Conard froze.

A strange stiffness appeared on his face. Seeing his reaction, Lana froze as well.

’Wait... he actually did a contract marriage before?’

That discovery stunned her more than she expected.

Meanwhile, Conard coughed awkwardly before speaking.

"About that... let us put it aside for now."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose before continuing in a serious tone.

"Anyway, I promise that our contract would not contain ridiculous clauses. If I ever change in the future, you can use the contract to protect yourself materially. At the very least, you would never end up heartbroken and crying because of me."

Hearing those words, Lana immediately became offended.

"My current network alone is enough to make you cry angrily if I truly wanted to."

Conard stared at her for a second before finally laughing out loud.

For the first time that evening, the atmosphere between them completely relaxed.

Lana could not help but notice that Conard was actually very handsome whenever he smiled genuinely.

Even she had to admit that he was extremely pleasing to look at.

During the rest of the meal, both of them casually chatted about many random things.

To their surprise, they discovered that they shared an uncanny resemblance in personality.

Their principles, perspectives, and even the way they handled certain situations aligned strangely well with each other.

Because of that, both of them gradually grew fond of one another.

By the end of dinner, Conard suggested that they exchange phone numbers.

Lana hesitated slightly.

Even though she had developed a fairly good impression of Conard, it could not be ignored that many people she once trusted had repeatedly betrayed her before.

It had taken her years to even become capable of trusting others again.

Noticing her hesitation, Conard did not pressure her at all. Instead, he smiled gently and said, "It is alright. You can take your time."

Soon afterward, he personally drove her back to Lucian’s mansion.

The moment Lana stepped out of the car, Axel immediately walked over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders possessively.

Lana glanced back toward Conard.

Conard simply smiled calmly before saying, "You can go inside now."

He only gave her a small wave. However, before leaving, he suddenly smiled again and added warmly, "Bye, little sister."

After Conard completely disappeared from sight, Axel immediately looked at Lana seriously.

"How did the meeting go? Did you like Conard or not?"

Lana crossed her arms before asking lazily, "If I said I did not like him, would you side with him or me?"

Hearing those words, Axel chuckled softly.

"Of course I would side with you. You are my precious niece."

Hearing his answer, Lana visibly relaxed. "Yes, I like him. He is a good brother."

Deep inside her heart, she honestly felt that Conard was already far better than all three Almond siblings combined.

Maybe it was because they shared a biological connection, but she naturally felt closer to him. Even Conard himself seemed to feel the same way.

However he felt that something wasn’t right... and it was Lucian

Lana was living in Lucian’s mansion even though she could stay anywhere else...

And for some reason, that thought alone made Conard extremely uncomfortable.

He was filled with a faint rage.

Meanwhile, Lucian, who was completely unaware of Conard’s intentions, suddenly received a message from Axel stating that the meeting had ended.

The moment he saw the message, Lucian finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Now his plan could proceed to the next stage.

Thinking about how he would soon be able to meet Lana again, excitement filled his chest.

Just like that, an entire month passed by in the blink of an eye.

During this past month, Lana had mainly focused on her studies.

Her efforts were not wasted at all, and she successfully managed to bridge a significant gap in her academic knowledge.

At the same time, her cultivation advanced rapidly once again.

She reached the pinnacle of her current rank with astonishing speed.

Everyone around her was utterly stunned. Some people even seriously suspected that Lana was some kind of fairy blessed by the heavens.

Otherwise, how could someone’s cultivation rise so absurdly fast?

While rumors about her spread everywhere, Lana herself had already visited the evaluation center long ago.

The moment she arrived there, she underwent countless examinations. Every single level of her cultivation was carefully recorded and verified multiple times.