The red-haired girl hadn't even considered the possibility that her cover was blown. After all, her illusion magic was high-level enough to fool the Academy’s Deans; how could a mere student see through it?

  That night, after seeing off a lingering Joanie, Undine looked at Eros with curiosity. "So, how exactly are you going to 'inspect' me?"

  Eros’s eyes darted around. "Lay on the bed and take off all your clothes."

  Undine’s face turned crimson instantly. She raised a small fist threateningly. "Do you want me to send you flying through the wall?"

  "Cough! I mean, you can stay dressed. Just lie down," Eros corrected himself quickly, clearing his throat to hide his embarrassment.

  A second later, the playful look vanished from his face. He closed his eyes, covered his right eye with his hand, and snapped his left eye open. In an instant, his once-clear, gem-like pupil turned into a void of pure darkness, as if it were consuming the very light in the room.

  Eros scanned Undine with his left eye and asked mentally, Well? Did you see anything?

  Barbara did not disappoint. "I see. So that’s how it is!"

  What is it? What’s the problem?

  "She is an excellent sacrifice," Barbara replied after a brief silence.

  Eros froze. Sacrifice? What does that mean?

  "The Spirit-Favored Physique. She possesses a body favored by the Spirit Realm. Such individuals receive protection when their souls travel through that realm."

  Eros was confused. What does that have to do with being a sacrifice?

  Barbara organized her thoughts. "While being favored by the Spirit Realm, this physique is also highly 'alluring' to the supernatural. And of course, the Evil Gods of the Abyss absolutely adore the flesh and blood of such individuals."

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  A chilling realization dawned on Eros. So when you say sacrifice, you mean...

  "Exactly. If someone were to offer a person with this physique to those Evil Gods, they wouldn't just receive a divine gift—the Gods would grant them a small wish."

  Eros understood now. That "Blue-Hair" Saliba must have discovered Undine was a Spirit-Favored. He wanted to sacrifice her to an Evil God in exchange for power or a wish. To an Evil God, a "small wish" might be trivial, but to a mortal, it could be world-changing.

  What he hadn't expected was that the Imperial Family of Chris was actually in contact with Evil Gods. He just didn't know if this was Saliba’s personal madness or the entire Royal Family’s agenda. If it were the latter, Undine was in grave danger every second she lived.

  He felt a surge of relief that he had caught onto this early.

  Undine, sitting up on the bed, watched Eros’s shifting expressions with blinking, expectant eyes. Finally, Eros let out a heavy sigh. "Bratty sister, you’re in a very dangerous position right now."

  He recounted everything Barbara had told him—and his own deductions—to Undine. By the end of it, Undine was fuming. "I knew it! That Blue-Hair looked like a villain from the start!"

  Eros gave a mischievous grin. "Don't forget, you’re also 'alluring' to ghosts and wraiths. If I weren't by your side, or if we weren't inside the Academy, you’d have a horde of spirits trying to erode your soul every single night."

  Undine looked distressed. This "special physique" currently offered zero benefits and a mountain of terrifying drawbacks. Seeing her worry, Eros put on a profound, knowing smile. Undine’s eyes lit up. "You have a way to fix it?"

  Growing up together, she knew that look. It meant he had a solution.

  Actually, the fix wasn't complicated. Barbara had explained that the issue was simply that Undine’s [Servant of Secrecy] was too weak to fully hide her aura. Since her own power was insufficient, Eros would just do it for her.

  Since his [Servant of Secrecy] had upgraded to [Lord of Secrecy], it had shifted from a passive skill to an active one. Moreover, with the projection of the Book of Night in his mind, he didn't even have to worry about magical backlash.

  Without hesitation, he touched the miniature Book of Night in his consciousness and pressed a finger against the center of Undine’s brow. There was no grand explosion of light, only the surrounding shadows seemed to deepen and grow more profound.

  A small mark resembling a booklet appeared on her forehead before slowly sinking into her skin and vanishing. Eros clapped his hands, finished. "There. I’ve hidden your Spirit-Favored physique. Now, no one can detect it."

  Undine touched her forehead, her brow furrowed in deep thought. "It feels like... you left something inside my body."

  Eros’s eye twitched as he frantically waved his hands. "Hey! You really shouldn't say it like that! That sounds so wrong!"