"Make sure Ava Carter is well taken care of," Leo instructed firmly before heading off.
Zhulan stood by the door, her face etched with concern. She looked at Leo with a weary sigh and said softly, "Miss Ava must be overly exhausted lately... she's been fainting again and again."
"When I returned to Ava's family, I asked the master and madam for the family's properties in Riverdale."
"As long as the assets are managed properly, Ava will gradually inherit and control all of the Carter family holdings."
"Maybe it's this heavy burden that's putting such intense pressure on her."
Her voice was filled with both distress and guilt.
Ava was clearly carrying too much on her shoulders. Yet even before all this, she never had it easy...
Leo nodded, though he wasn't truly focused on what Zhulan was saying. He was too eager to review the new rewards given by the system. "Alright, that's enough for now," he said casually.
"Zhulan, stay here with Miss Ava. I'm going to clean up and get some sleep."
Zhulan blinked in disbelief.
Before she could ask anything further, Leo had already turned and was walking downstairs.
Wait—what?
Where had his usual loyal attitude gone?
Miss Ava had just fainted! How could he think of sleeping at a time like this?!
Zhulan stood frozen for a moment, her brows furrowed in confusion. Could Leo truly be loyal to the young lady... or not?
---
Leo chose a room on the first floor—personal attendants were given the freedom to select their own quarters to avoid unnecessary commotion.
As he lay down, he mumbled to himself, "Is this villainess really suffering from hypoglycemia? Wasn't she defeated in her past life because she fainted mid-battle?"
"But ever since I learned the Taixuan Thirteen Injections, I haven't seen her show any symptoms of low blood sugar."
"Could it be some other incurable illness? Whatever. I'll just prepare some candy for her, just in case."
With that, he opened the system panel.
It was time to check the rewards for his most recent mission.
[Attribute Point +1]
[Heart Sutra of the Loyal Hound x1]
The attribute point, while minimal, was the most direct and rare form of power enhancement.
Leo thought for a moment, then allocated the point to Defense. His defense stat jumped to 8.
"Even late-stage Dengtang realm warriors won't be able to pierce my defense now!"
"Combined with my auto-rebound ability, I'll be like an invincible tank!"
Next, he tapped on the "Heart Sutra of the Loyal Hound."
Suddenly, glowing characters appeared on the screen:
[Heart Sutra of the Loyal Hound]
Description: Practitioners of this sutra become fiercely loyal and fearless in battle when obeying their master's orders. Combat power doubles under command.
Abilities:
Loyalty of a Hound: The host gains loyalty points through daily acts of obedience. These points can be exchanged for immense combat power during battle.
Ghost Body of the Hound: Enhances evasion and unpredictability in battle. The user becomes elusive, striking in ways that catch the enemy off guard.
Hound's Phantom Palm (Merged with Divine Palm): Regardless of rank or status, if it's for your master, you can even strike down a god!
Leo stared in stunned silence.
"What... what kind of ridiculous technique is this?!"
"A lackey? Who the hell is supposed to be my master?!"
"Don't tell me the system thinks Ava Carter is my master! Are you serious?! I'm just here doing a job!"
But despite his outrage, Leo knew better than to ignore a useful technique. As absurd as the Heart Sutra seemed, its potential was undeniable.
So, he muttered under his breath, "Fine. Practice it is."
---
The next morning.
Sunlight poured through the windows, spilling across the bed like liquid gold.
Ava Carter slowly opened her eyes, disoriented.
Familiar ceiling... familiar bed.
"Am I back here again?"
A moment later...
Knock knock!
"Miss Ava, are you awake?"
"Lin Wanrong has come with tons of gifts to apologize for what happened at last night's dance."
"Also, I've prepared breakfast and toiletries for you."
It was Leo's voice outside the door.
Ava's eyes snapped open.
"Damn it! Still in this life?!"
Her face instantly dropped. She sat up, pressing a hand to her aching forehead. "Come in," she called out.
Last night, Leo had gone out and somehow offended two main protagonists and a future heir to a major family.
For the sake of her own survival, Ava had considered just giving Leo a severance allowance and sending him away.
Would 50 million be enough?
It wasn't much, considering her budget was tight—most of her liquid assets were tied up in the company.
But even so, she owed it to him. After all, he'd gotten into this mess for her.
Still thinking, she reached for the vase on the bedside table. Her fingers trembled slightly as she touched it.
"Leo... you really gave me a headache yesterday..."
Click—
The door opened.
"Miss Ava, I'm coming in."
Leo's voice was calm and respectful, like a soft morning breeze.
He entered, pushing a dining cart. The warm aroma of breakfast spread through the room, filling the air with comfort.
Ava looked up, dazed, at the man in the black trench coat—elegant, poised, and completely devoted.
She blinked in disbelief.
"Where did he find such elite servants in my past life?"
"Miss, please wash up first," Leo said, handing her a silver tray with organized toiletries.
On the dining cart, a lavish breakfast was arranged beautifully. Every item looked delicious and carefully crafted.
Ava snapped out of her daze and reached for the tray.
But Leo beat her to it.
Smiling gently, he said, "How could a noble lady do such things herself? Allow me."
"Wait, no—there's really no need..."
She half-protested, but Leo had already started.
He gently wiped her face with a hot towel, then passed her a cup of water.
"Come, Miss. Spit."
"Pfft."
"Time to dry your face."
"Mm..."
"Let's begin breakfast."
"╰(°▽°)╯ Wow, this is amazing!"
"This meal was made from ingredients flown in directly from the supplier. Cold-chain delivery in under eight hours—ensuring absolute freshness."
Ava stared at him. "Leo, how do you even manage all this?"
"For the young lady, I am willing to do anything."
---
By the end of the morning routine, Ava was glowing.
She had never received such royal treatment before.
Everything had been perfect—attentive, efficient, and even affectionate.
A wide smile curved her lips.
The thought of giving Leo 50 million to send him away? Completely forgotten.
"Such a rare talent... as long as he stays away from the protagonists, he's the perfect follower."
Just then, Leo bent down and picked up a pair of socks.
With absolute sincerity, he said, "Come now, Miss. Please allow me to help you change into your clothes."
"...Huh?!"
Ava blinked.
Then she stared at Leo with an expression of complete disbelief.
"You... you even want to help me change clothes?!"