Natalie sat on the couch, flipping through the first sketchbook page by page. By the time she reached thest page, she was almost certain that Marcus hadn''t lied-this sketchbook was indeed a replica of the one Federrick had given her.


    She wasn''t sure if her mentor had the others. If he did, he would have surely given them to her already.


    Natalie nced up at Marcus. He was leaningzily against the bookshelf, looking intently at her.


    When their gazes met, Marcus''s lips curved into a smile. "See? I didn''t lie to you." Natalie nodded. "I already have this one. Can I see the other four?"


    "Of course," Marcus said, hooking his finger at her. "Come here. I''ll carry you up to get them."


    "No," Natalie refused without hesitation. "I''ll get thedder myself."


    "Alright," Marcus didn''t push further. Thedders here were lightweight yet sturdy, so he wasn''t worried about Natalie struggling to move one or falling from it.


    However, the moment Natalie reached for thedder, a long, well-defined hand appeared and effortlessly took it from her.


    "I got it," Marcus said.


    "Thanks."


    With a casual smile, he carried thedder into the small room and positioned it in front of another bookshelf. "They''re on the top shelf," he added.


    "Thank you, Marcus," she replied.


    Natalie climbed up while Marcus stood below, holding thedder steady. When she nced down, she saw him looking up at her.


    "Don''t look at me like that," she muttered, pressing her lips together. "Is it four books up here or just one?"


    "All four are there," Marcus replied. "But I don''t know if they''re what you need. I''ve never seen the nts drawn inside, so I can''t be sure if their described uses are urate."


    "Alright."


    Natalie hopped down from thedder, and Marcus instinctively reached out to catch her. Before she could react, she was already in his arms.


    "Marcus-"


    Before Natalie could finish her protest, Marcus gently set her down on the ground. "Sorry, I was just worried you might fall."


    Natalie red at him fiercely.


    Marcus merely chuckled. When she was angry, her cheeks flushed red, her big, bright eyes burned with intensity, and even her hair seemed to bristle.


    She also had a habit of hitting him. If he wasn''t careful, her p wouldnd on his face before he knew it.


    But then again, this wasn''t the first time she had hit him.


    Natalie took a deep breath to steady herself. She felt like Marcus was making her overly sensitive.


    Perhaps he really just wanted to repay a debt of gratitude and help her.


    "The key?" she asked.


    "Here," Marcus said, handing her another golden key. "Go sit outside and take a look. I''ll have some snacks and tea brought in."


    "Alright. Thanks."


    Marcus turned and walked out. When he reached the entrance, he took out his phone and nced at a message from Charles with some book rmendations.


    "The Art of Winning Her Heart. The Ultimate Dating Handbook. 100 Ways to Show You Care."


    Marcus was speechless.


    Now that Charles had recovered, his meddling had only gotten worse.


    However, this time, Marcus didn''t feel annoyed.


    Natalie sat behind the desk, unlocked the small golden lock, and carefully took out the four sketchbooks. She nced toward the door, but Marcus was no longer in sight.


    Only then did she rx, pulling out her phone to snap pictures of the drawings inside before sending them to her mentor, Federrick Langton.


    Federrick was notoriously elusive-whether or not he


    responded depended entirely on his mood. If he was in a good mood, he


    would reply. If not, she could be


    waiting for days, months, or even years.


    After sending the images, Natalie nervously stared at her phone. Just five secondster, Federrick''s call came through.


    "Hello, sir."


    "You brat! Where did you take these pictures?"


    Federrick''s powerful voice echoed in her ears, and Natalie''s eyes instantly welled up with tears. Thest time she had heard his voice was over a year ago.


    "Sir, I took them in the Holdens'' library," she said. "Marcus showed them to me. They also have an identical copy of the sketchbook you gave me."


    "Of course they do! The one I gave you was a replica I secretly sketched from theirs!" Federrick said proudly, not the slightest bit ashamed of having copied it.


    Natalie was stunned. "What?"


    Before Natalie could express her surprise, Federrick continued, "I just didn''t expect the Holdens to have more of them. What a miscalction on my part!"


    He added, "My dear Natalie, since you have this opportunity, copy the rest and send them to me."


    Natalie chuckled. Just moments ago, he had called her a brat, and now she was his "dear Natalie". Federrick hadn''t changed a bit he was still the same mischievous old man.


    "Sir, I can just ask Marcus for them directly."


    After all, Marcus was set on repaying his debt. As his savior, she figured he wouldn''t refuse her request.


    "No, no, no," Federrick rejected the idea immediately. "These things are incredibly valuable. Just tell Marcus you''re interested, then copy them yourself. Once you''ve copied them, I''ll send you an address. Maitthem to me so I can take a look.


    "Alright, sir," Natalie replied.


    "Good, that''s settled! I''m off to a nightclub. Bye, my dear Natalie."


    Before Natalie could say another word, the call ended.


    Natalie held her phone, unable to suppress a softugh. Despite his age, Federrick had handed everything over to her and was now living more carefree and joyfully than anyone else.


    Natalie hadn''t expected that what Marcus had given her was actually the original.


    But then, how had Federrick managed to secretly sketch it from the Holdens'' library in the first ce?


    As Natalie pondered this, Marcus walked in, followed by several helpers. Each carried a tray, and as they approached, they carefully set down an array of exquisite pastries on the table.


    Thest two trays held tea and an assortment of sparkling beverages. By the time


    the helpers finished setting everything down, the table was fullyden.


    Natalie nced at Marcus, but before he could say a word, the helpers quietly and orderly exited the room.


    "Now that you''ve seen everything, how about having something to eat?" Marcus pulled out a chair and gestured to her. "Nat,e here."


    Natalie held up the sketchbook in her hand. "Marcus, can I make a copy of this?"


    "No need to go through all that trouble. I''ll just give it to you."


    "I can''t ept that. I''ll just copy it myself," Natalie insisted, recalling Federrick''s words. She couldn''t take the Holdens'' sketchbook, but making her own copy was


    fine.


    Marcus didn''t argue. "Alright, I''ll get you some paper and pencils."


    Marcus didn''t insist. If Natalie stayed to copy the sketches, it would give him more


    time to spend with her. After all, repaying a debt of gratitude was best done slowly.


    "Alright, thanks."


    "Nat, eat something while I''m gone. I won''t take long."


    As Marcus turned to leave, Natalie got up and moved to the table. She poured


    herself a cup of tea, gently blew on it, and took a small sip.


    The pastries were meticulously crafted, and the tes holding them were even more exquisite. The sparkling drinks in delicate sses came in different colors. A single whiff was enough for Natalie to recognize that they were all vors she liked.


    Each portion was just enough for her to enjoy without feeling overwhelmed or


    getting tired of any one vor.


    Marcus'' hospitality as a host was so meticulous and thoughtful that Natalie couldn''t find a single fault with it.