Back in her room, Iris Dalton opened her package and took out a metallic clownfish.
It was the size of her palm, adorned with dazzling, golden scales. It could easily be used as a phone charm.
Connecting it to the network with practiced ease, she launched the clownfish's program. Five seconds later, the little fish wriggled vividly in the palm of her hand.
[Clownfish]: "Your Highness, the Pond Lord, I love this body! It looks way better than cuttlefish or electric eel. I'm obsessed!"
[Electric Eel]: "Don't step on me to hype yourself up!"
[Cuttlefish]: "Too ugly, rejected. I don't care for this little pipsqueak."
[Clownfish]: "Just say you're jealous. Who could resist a cutie like me?"
Clownfish spoke in a crisp, boyish voice. Shaking its head and wagging its tail, it was as lively as a little boy. It then puckered its fish lips to act cute, almost melting Iris's heart.
She attached the clownfish to her phone. This little thing was quite adorable. She decided to bring it along with her to school.
After settling Clownfish, Iris casually dialed a familiar number. It rang twice before the other party picked up.
"Ryan, let me give you my report. I'm staying in a big room now with a bay window and a balcony. I can see the small garden outside. Today, I had a bowl of eight-treasure porridge and drank some Yuan Ginseng Tea. I also received Clownfish—it's super shiny and pretty." Iris rattled off her update as if going through a routine check-in.
Secretly, however, she harbored a glimmer of expectation.
The person on the other end listened quietly. A relaxed and tranquil atmosphere seemed to linger in the air between them, intimate and lingering. When she finished, he simply replied, "Mhm," in a mesmerizing, deep voice.
Then, he slowly added, "Kyle Crawford's cooking isn't bad. Have him make whatever you want to eat. If you feel bored, get Rhys Crawford to keep you company. Make sure you eat well and stay happy every day."
Iris was speechless. Couldn't he say something else? Like how he missed her, liked her, was thinking about her, or wanted to come over and keep her company... anything like that?
"Got it," Iris nodded sullenly.
The man's voice paused. Clear and magnetic, he asked, "Are you unhappy?"
"I'm happy! Thrilled to death, even!" Iris chuckled, chatting with him enthusiastically for a little while longer.
After he hung up, she clutched her phone, lost in thought for a moment. Maybe she was just too bored, actually expecting Ryan to come over and keep her company. She was losing her mind!
Still, school would be starting soon. She was looking forward to it a bit, anticipating all the new classmates she would meet. Oh, and apparently, she had a fiancé waiting for her at school—a match arranged by the Sherwood family. Word was that he was the young master of a wealthy family in Valerium. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of person he was.
At The Sherwood Group.
Inside a spacious and brightly lit office, Tristan Sherwood answered a call from the butler. The air around him grew increasingly heavy, making it hard for his special assistant standing nearby to breathe.
"Figure it out yourself. Keep a close eye on her at home. From now on, unless it's something incredibly important, don't bother telling me about her. I don't have the energy to worry about her," he said, his tone freezing cold before he hung up. He wanted nothing to do with Iris.
His special assistant, Isaac Sutton, hesitated for a moment. Remembering the call from Vivian Morton, he began, "Mr. Sherwood, the young madam..."
Before he could finish, Tristan cut him off, waving his hand impatiently. "Don't bring up family matters at the company. Not a single one of them gives me peace of mind!"
Dark circles shadowed the bags under his eyes, and his lips were pressed into a tight, grim line. He hadn't slept well for two days. His mind was consumed by the warning he'd received from the UmbraNet administrator and the fact that his Star Level had been downgraded from two to one. It was a massive blow to him.
Frustrated and on edge, his patience was nearly depleted, his mounting hostility threatening to boil over. What did he have to do to get his two-star rating on UmbraNet back?!
He'd heard that Master Dalton was coming to Stellan. He had to seize this opportunity to leave a good impression. Even if it meant apologizing to that wealthy little brat, Wylie, he would do it willingly!
"Mr. Sherwood, the head producer from Elysian World sent an email. They're inviting you to participate in a variety show called Idol Brother and Sister. It's the same program the Second Miss is joining, and they want you as a male guest." Isaac opened the email and relayed the show's schedule and specific arrangements.
"Turn them down. I'm too busy lately, and idol variety shows aren't my thing anyway," Tristan replied, pinching the bridge of his nose, his voice laced with exhaustion.
In Stellan, the Sherwood family and the Grant family were both top-tier aristocratic families of equal standing, frequently collaborating in business. He and Vincent Thorne crossed paths constantly. Furthermore, Vincent was actively pursuing his sister, Claire Sherwood. If it weren't for everything that had been piling up recently, leaving him utterly frazzled, Tristan might have actually done Vincent a favor and appeared as a guest on the show.
"Understood. I'll reply to them now." Isaac immediately opened the inbox and drafted a response.
Everyone in their social circle knew that Tristan was a married man, perfectly in harmony with his wife. It really wasn't appropriate for him to act as an idol guest and interact with female contestants on a show. No one could fault him for refusing to participate.
After sending the reply, Isaac looked up to ask if there was anything else.
"Is there any result on that matter I had you look into last time?" Tristan pulled out his phone to log into UmbraNet. Seeing Wylie still flaunting her wealth in the forums gave him a splitting headache. Whose brat was this? She had truly screwed him over!
"I checked using my UmbraNet account. Wylie's backend information is locked and classified as top secret." Isaac was a hacker himself and held a one-star membership on UmbraNet.
Tristan slowly closed his eyes and massaged his temples. "Contact the great GoldenKoi on UmbraNet. Ask him to help track the movements of the Mercenary Group. We might find a clue there."
In the afternoon, rolling heatwaves washed over the city.
On a bustling street, an eye-catching, crimson Maserati waited at a red light, drawing stares from a crowd of pedestrians. Sitting inside the red sports car was none other than Iris.
She had gone out to inspect the Sherwood family's plot of land. Since the suburbs were too far away and she couldn't be bothered to hail a cab, she had simply picked a luxury car that caught her eye from the garage and drove it out. Little did she know, this vehicle was a globally limited, custom edition—the only one of its kind in Stellan.
As soon as she hit the road, the car caused an uproar among the onlookers. Oblivious, Iris drove with her earphones in, chatting on voice comms with the little fishes of Pike to kill time.
[Electric Eel]: "Your Highness, this car is gorgeous. It'd be even cooler if you modified it into an aircraft!"
[Clownfish]: "Hehe, I'm in the car with Her Highness right now. I'm brimming with happiness! Hope you all are seething with jealousy."
Everyone in Pike: "..."
[GoldenKoi]: "Interrupting with a notice. Your Highness, the Pond Lord, an UmbraNet user with the ID 'Promise You My Life' is offering a hefty sum for your background information and the whereabouts of the Mercenary Group."
Iris frowned. "Who is 'Promise You My Life', and why are they digging into my affairs?"
[GoldenKoi]: "Verification complete. 'Promise You My Life' is Isaac Sutton, a hacker currently serving as the special assistant to Tristan Sherwood, the Vice President of The Sherwood Group. Additionally, the system found that Tristan Sherwood's UmbraNet ID is Lochlan."
Lochlan, huh...
Iris recalled the guy who had attacked her on UmbraNet, constantly stirring up trouble and acting like a jerk for no reason. Everything instantly clicked into place. So that idiot was Tristan Sherwood. It seemed Isaac was operating under Tristan's orders to investigate her.
"GoldenKoi, wipe all information related to Wylie clean. Encrypt the backend and classify it as top secret," she commanded. She was using the Mercenary Group to farm—she had to keep her secret identity securely under wraps. She absolutely couldn't let her cover blow too early!
[GoldenKoi]: "Received! Initiating information shielding protocols..."
[Slick]: "Your Highness, the Pond Lord, the Mercenary Group has arrived at the designated location. You are twenty minutes away. Should I activate the AI real-time surveillance?"
"Activate it!"
Every member of the Mercenary Group had a Star Level; they were no ordinary people. Afraid that she might not be able to keep them in line and that unexpected complications might arise, Iris opted to turn on the AI surveillance for the entire trip to boost the safety factor.
[Slick]: "AI real-time surveillance activated. [YellowFish] Sky Eye is connecting to the system."
[YellowFish]: "[YellowFish] Sky Eye system online. Protecting Your Highness, the Pond Lord, to ensure a smooth and safe arrival."