Dionysius’s words nded with a resounding weight, once again plunging Seranthalia into a state of shock.

  She paused for a long while before asking in confusion, “If Miss Xanthia is really the legitimate young dy of the Papadopoulos familia, why is she so inconspicuous? There’s no gossip about her, and if you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have even known that besides Miss Susan La Papadopoulos, there’s another young dy in the Papadopoulos familia named Xanthia.”

  Dionysius lowered his voice and said, “Considering our retionship and your character, I can tell you the reason. This means I trust you as a true friend. Do you want to hear it?”

  Seranthalia nodded decisively, her tone earnest as she promised, “My lips are sealed, and you can trust me on that. I’d be honored if you’d share a secret with me that only the two of us know.”

  With those words, her gossip-loving heart stirred. In this day and age, who didn’t love a good piece of juicy gossip?

  Dionysius thought to himself that it wasn’t just the two of them who would know. He had already decided to gradually introduce Xanthia to all the friends he trusted in the future. He wouldn’t hide her away or be afraid of his own reputation being damaged by more people learning about her existence.

  His father, Demetrios El Papadopoulos, would undoubtedly suffer a blow in reputation, but Dionysius, the dutiful son, didn’t see this as a big deal. After all, his father’s reputation was already in tatters, so what harm would a little more tarnishing do? It was clear that his father owed Xanthia.

  However, he definitely wouldn’t express these feelings aloud. Dionysius knew how to manage his subordinates and handle the retionships he built with them.

  Clearly, sharing his secrets with trusted friends would only strengthen the bond between them.

  Dionysius began to speak freely.

  He believed that Xanthia’s information was being deliberately suppressed both offline and online.

  The main reason for this was that if news about her being mistreated as the daughter of El La Fielso, Demetrios’s first wife, was exposed, it would seriously damage the reputation of the Papadopoulos familia.

  This issue could be traced back to either his grandfather, Nikos El Papadopoulos, or his grandmother, Nias. After El La Fielso passed away due to illness, the Papadopoulos familia had been deliberately downpying her existence, and by extension, had also “harmonized” the existence of Xanthia.

  Demetrios likely welcomed this. In a way, he had even benefited from El La Fielso’s “childless” death.

  Meanwhile, his current wife, Eleanor La Liam now a member of the Papadopoulos familia, was extremely high-profile, bringing with her a whirlwind of gossip and scandals. Over time, people only remembered his new wife.

  Furthermore, Xanthia had fallen into a state of social anxiety and isotion, refusing to attend any of the Papadopoulos familia’s social events and avoiding public appearances altogether. Gradually, her presence became more and more negligible.

  Dionysius, apart from withholding the fact that Xanthia was essentially his sister and had been diagnosed with “depression,” shared everything else.

  He painted a picture of Xanthia as a pitiful figure—her mental state was unstable, and she needed to be pampered and kept happy.

  Seranthalia was different from Santos El Zanthos. As a well-bred young dy with excellent empathy, she was deeply affected by the story about Xanthia. She was overwhelmed by a sense of sorrow for Xanthia’s plight.

  Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought, How could my little sister-in-w be this miserable?

  Despite sharing the same title of “young dy,” their fates were worlds apart, and Seranthalia truly felt a deep sympathy for Xanthia.

  She thought to herself, Dionysius did the right thing. He’s such a kind and responsible older brother. A man like him, so full of integrity, is rare. I must hold on to him!

  “Dionysius! Don’t worry! Since Xanthia is your real sister, I’ll treat her like my own sister too. Just watch my actions from now on,” Seranthalia said, her eyes reddened, her tone firm.

  Dionysius nodded in satisfaction, then asked, “Seranthalia, I know you’re very well-connected in the high circle among young dies, and you have quite a bit of influence. Could you invite Xanthia to meet more friends, take her out, and show her more of what you girls enjoy? Girls always have more common topics to talk about.”

  “No problem, but are you sure she’s no longer socially anxious? I wouldn’t want to go up to her and get rejected,” Seranthalia readily agreed, though she expressed her concern.

  “You can rest assured. If you approach her sincerely, she won’t turn you away,” Dionysius reassured her, expressing his confidence in Xanthia.

  Dionysius couldn’t be sure if Xanthia’s mental condition had truly healed, but he was certain she no longer suffered from social anxiety.

  In fact, she had moved from one extreme to the other. Now, she loved making friends, as long as it brought her joy.

  This transformation was something Dionysius welcomed. Being social meant she was capable of communication and interaction, fulfilling his protective and compensatory instincts. The guilt and remorse he had carried from his childhood were slightly alleviated.

  But of course, this wasn’t enough. Some mistakes made in youth would take a lifetime to atone for.

  Under the gentle reminder of that one who 'reborn', Dionysius didn’t take things lightly. The shift from social anxiety to social boldness didn’t necessarily mean that Xanthia’s diagnosed depression had been cured; it might just be a different manifestation of the same illness.

  After all, Xanthia’s personality had been quite normal at first. She wasn’t socially anxious, nor socially bold, but now she had become so extreme. With the “future” of Xanthia’s early death still fresh in his mind, Dionysius couldn’t help but feel a sense of worry and unease.

  Despite this, he believed that introducing Xanthia to more reliable friends was still a good move.

  “By the way, the girl you brought today, Andrea Tan, right? Her cousin, Matthew Tan, is truly a disgrace!”

  Dionysius had learned everything from Dematero by now, and his anger surged, naturally extending to Andrea Tan.

  “I know Matthew Tan. Back when he was in our foreign nguage high school, he caused a lot of trouble. Now he’s transferred to your school, and I heard he even defecated in the cssroom and threw the feces around?”

  Seranthalia ughed quietly, covering her mouth to suppress her ughter, but the thought of Matthew Tan’s absurd behavior was enough to make anyone cringe.

  Dionysius made a face of disgust. “Not only that, but this guy is so clueless he actually conspired against Xanthia to please some other girls.”

  He shared the entire story of Matthew Tan’s antics with Seranthalia, which naturally made her angry as well.

  Then he added, “I want you to befriend Xanthia and help her integrate into the circle to increase her security. As I’ve expined before, Xanthia harbors a deep resentment toward the Papadopoulos familia and subconsciously rejects the identity of ‘Papadopoulos familia’s young dy.’ But if she gains the identity of being ‘Seranthalia’s close friend,’ the likes of Matthew Tan won’t dare to make a move against her.”

  Seranthalia felt greatly satisfied upon hearing Dionysius’s words. Not only did they elevate her status, but they also confirmed that her connections were valuable.

  However, let’s be clear: Seranthalia, though a well-bred dy with impeccable manners, wasn’t a naive sweet girl easily duped by others. Her ability to gain Dionysius’s trust proved her talents.

  Dionysius didn’t care about looks or background when recruiting subordinates—he only valued “stats,” preferring those who were strong in every way.

  It was like pying a strategy game—he picked only the best generals with high stats in strength, intelligence, politics, and leadership, never settling for anything less.

  And for someone like Seranthalia, who was both beautiful and capable, he was more than happy to “level her up.”

  After their private conversation, the two finally returned to the living room.

  Many guests were observing the beautiful couple, secretly taking note of the details. One keen observer quickly spotted the faint redness around Seranthalia’s eyes and immediately began to imagine a dramatic backstory.

  They clearly didn’t know that Seranthalia’s slightly puffy eyes were the result of being emotionally affected by Xanthia’s circumstances. Instead, they assumed she was upset due to jealousy, thinking she had been “suppressed” by Dionysius, who had coldly put her in her pce, making her drop a few teardrops in her sorrow.

  Many of them secretly began to hold Dionysius in awe. After all, this was none other than Miss Seranthalia La Magenta! For him to act so decisively, with no regard for face, was impressive. Only someone like Dionysius could have done that!

  Dionysius, however, didn’t offer any expnations. After confirming that all his invited guests had arrived, he began the official proceedings for his birthday party.

  He gave an impromptu, sincere speech—thanking everyone for attending. His charm and eloquence were undeniable, and it wasn’t long before guests were genuinely captivated by him.

  After the traditional birthday rituals—singing the birthday song, making a wish, blowing out the candles, and a symbolic cake-cutting—the guests moved into the outdoor space where everything for the party had already been prepared, ready for everyone to indulge and enjoy.

  Sadly, the time avaible was only an afternoon. It was likely that not everyone would feel fully satisfied, but this carefree, private birthday party had definitely brought genuine joy to all involved.

  At that moment, Andrea Tan seized the opportunity to approach Seranthalia and casually asked, “So, how did things go when you talked to Dionysius? Did he say he would give up on that ‘adopted sister’ for you?”

  Seranthalia’s face remained as still as a calm ke. She had already considered Xanthia’s identity to be a secret shared between herself and Dionysius, so there was no way she would reveal it to an outsider like Andrea Tan.

  She simply shook her head and replied coolly, “Don’t mention it.”

  Andrea Tan quickly deduced that Miss Seranthalia had likely been rebuffed by Dionysius. It made sense—if Dionysius treated his “adopted sister” with such importance, there was no way he would easily let her go.

  It was clear that after Seranthalia’s limelight was stolen and she had been privately “suppressed” by Dionysius, her mood must be extremely sour!

  But for Andrea Tan, this was good news.

  Self-assured, she stood by Seranthalia’s side and began criticizing Dionysius.

  Seranthalia’s inner thoughts curled into a cold smile, but her expression remained unchanged. She casually responded, “This is Dionysius’s turf. If he’s determined to favor Xanthia, there’s nothing I can do about it. But perhaps you could go do something to cheer me up?”

  Andrea Tan’s face lit up in joy, and a thought fshed across her mind: “A token of loyalty!”

  If she could make Miss Seranthalia happy today, it would be her ticket into the upper echelons of elite society.

  Seranthalia’s connections were incredibly deep. She had been the undisputed school beauty back in middle school, and unlike Susan La Papadopoulos, who was so cold and distant, Seranthalia was approachable, warm, and gracious. She always wore a smile and carried herself with perfect manners—truly the image of a well-bred young dy. Girls admired her more than even the most devoted admirers.

  When she entered the Foreign Language High School, she quickly became part of the “Le Cercle éctant,” a group formed by the daughters of the wealthiest familias. With her social standing and excellent reputation, she was soon at the top of the group, and by her second year, she was probably going to become its president.

  The president of the “Le Cercle éctant” had considerable influence at the Foreign Language High School, a true testament to Seranthalia’s prowess.

  If Susan had cared about joining organizations, the presidency of the “Le Cercle éctant” would have certainly been hers. But Susan had no interest, preferring to focus on her own path.

  The Foreign Language High School had a very different social environment from Thessaloniki First High. It was more akin to the elite private schools seen in manga and novels, with a social scene where wealthy students formed their own cliques. Even the “Student Council” wielded real power.

  Unlike the president of the “Le Cercle éctant,” who was always the daughter of a conglomerate familia, the president of the “Student Council” was elected through a competitive process. The candidates didn’t have to come from prestigious familias. Often, it was a student from a humble background with exceptional abilities and strong reputation who would win.

  While the Foreign Language High School had a higher proportion of wealthy students, there were still plenty of regur students who preferred to see someone without a noble background take the position of president, believing that an ordinary student would be more fair. Of course, this was often wishful thinking.

  Seranthalia didn’t just join the “Le Cercle éctant”; she also joined the “Student Council” and was very interested in the position of president.

  If Dionysius had attended the Foreign Language High School, she would have been happy to work as his vice president, perhaps even engaging in a battle of wits with him, using every strategy to get him to confess his feelings.

  But if Dionysius wasn’t around, she considered it beneath her to compete with the other students for the position. As soon as she reached her second year, the presidency was as good as hers.

  The complex social dynamics at the Foreign Language High School were quite alluring to those from distinguished familias who weren’t too focused on academics. For them, the environment felt like something straight out of a manga, a youthful experience filled with cliques and power struggles.

  In contrast, Thessaloniki First High’s rigorous academic atmosphere and focus on results deterred many from elite familias.

  Overall, it was Seranthalia’s numerous accodes and glowing reputation that prompted the ambitious Andrea Tan to take a risk, hoping to secure her pce in Seranthalia’s circle.

  Meanwhile, Xanthia and the others were enjoying the self-serve barbecue to their hearts’ content. Xanthia even took the time to grill for everyone, showing off her Level 1 culinary skills. The main reason was that she had just received some system tasks: as long as she made sure everyone was having a good time, she would earn plenty of experience points to boost her skill progress.

  Yet, just as they were enjoying themselves, an uninvited guest, Andrea Tan, came over to provoke Xanthia.

  “I can’t stand watching you just eat and drink without a care! It’s so rude! Xanthia, you came to this birthday party, didn’t you bring a gift? Please tell me you didn’t come empty-handed?”

  Andrea Tan’s loud question instantly drew the attention of everyone around them!