When he left Copper Rose Street, it was already sunset.
The bare landscape trees by the roadside, the white snow on the eaves of buildings, and the orange-red sunset on the distant horizon together created a uniquely cold atmosphere of winter.
Under the dim sky, exhaled breaths appeared hazy.
The broad street was chilly and deserted, with few pedestrians, as it was now time to return home.
A gust of cold wind carrying the scent of food made Colin unconsciously smack his lips.
A warm fireplace, a delicious dinner, a warm and relaxing bath... all these comforts awaited him at home.
But he took a deep breath and turned towards the True Knowledge Society Castle instead.
It was because every time he thought of Shelley, that wealthy lady who was probably still in the laboratory at this moment, he no longer felt any laxity in his spirit, only a desire to keep striving.
To rank among the best, one must strive!
However, when he removed his disguise and reverted to his usual appearance, returning to True Knowledge Society headquarters outside the gate,
he discovered a striking witch waiting by the door, who, upon seeing him, brightened up and hurriedly greeted him with a smile.
"Good evening, Sir Colin!" the witch greeted cheerfully, her tone somewhat melancholic, "At last, I see you again. I visited your home several times but never saw you, and the maids always said you were busy…"
She raised an eyebrow at Colin and continued with a sense of grievance, "Sir, you truly are a busy man."
"Indeed, I am," Colin took a subtle half step back, and responded imperceptibly.
His bluntness caught the witch off guard.
Colin smiled perfunctorily and asked, "Good evening, Lady Yulaya. What do you need from me?"
Yulaya was the witch dispatched by the Hidosh Family to congratulate him when he had officially received the Golden Feather Token.
He remembered that a week or a few days later, this witch had visited again, expressing her desire to learn some knowledge about witchcraft.
But since receiving the Golden Feather Token, Colin had been mostly spending his days in the True Knowledge Society laboratory, so naturally Yulaya had not managed to see him.
It was only when he returned home late at night that he learned about it from Renee.
After that, Yulaya had come to visit Colin a few more times, but obviously, he was not at home, and even if there were invitations, he had instructed Renee to manage by saying he was too busy.
Actually, aside from Yulaya, there were several other Pureblood Family witches who visited him, but they all ended up the same way as Yulaya.
Colin had never really concerned himself with this since time, such an invaluable commodity, obviously needed to be applied where it was most needed.
These witches from Yulaya and others were merely trying to persuade him to join the Pureblood Family.
But he had already made his decision, and he was not inclined to change it easily.
Hesitancy and indecision only weakened one's courage!
But he hadn't expected that this time Yulaya would come looking for him at the True Knowledge Society Castle.
Moreover, coincidentally, he had left the True Knowledge Society at noon to go to Copper Rose Street... he didn't know how long Yulaya had been waiting here.
Yulaya caught on and managed a flirtatious roll of her eyes, continuing sweetly, "Can't I see you, this busy person, if there's nothing important?"
"If there really is nothing, then indeed so," he replied.
Yulaya's expression faltered again, her smile freezing as she involuntarily began to doubt her own charm.
But indeed, as a witch chosen by the Hidosh Family to interact with Colin, a Golden Feather prodigy, she was first-rate in appearance.
Especially her curvy figure, which not even the loose Wizard Robes could entirely conceal.
However, Colin was not one to consider appearances; moreover, for a wizard, acquiring a good appearance was all too easy.
Besides, although Yulaya was beautiful, there was still a significant gap between her and the ethereal beauty of seniors like Lillian and Shelley.
"Lady Yulaya, if there isn't something you need from me, I must be going, I have some urgent matters to attend to," Colin said politely, preparing to leave.
The custom witchcraft commission he had just accepted today still hadn't been thoroughly reviewed, and he did not have free time to indulge in empty pleasantries with a witch from the Hidosh Family.
"Wait!" Yulaya stopped him, "This time I came to invite you to a dance."
"A dance?" Colin paused, "Sorry, I cannot dance and I do not enjoy socializing."
"A dance does not necessarily require dancing, and with your capabilities, such simple dances can be learned at a glance," Yulaya moved closer,
"Dancing is just a formality, the essence is networking. This dance's threshold is very high, attended by powerful wizards, even including Second Rank seniors…"
"Sorry," Colin shook his head, interrupting her.
Yulaya gave him a serious look, paused for a moment, and continued, "Sir Colin, as long as we live, we always need to network. Meeting other wizards is only beneficial for you, not harmful."
Colin still shook his head.
Yulaya's words seemed rational, but she was from the Hidosh Family, and her motives were not as pure as she stated.
Even if he wanted to network and expand his connections, it would not be in this manner led by others.
Moreover, many times he did not need to spend time on socializing.
Great warriors walk alone, and he had that confidence!
Yulaya watched Colin shaking his head, paused again, and spoke somewhat imploringly, "I've come to visit you several times recently only to return empty-handed; could you tell me when you will be resting at home during the day?"