She arrived at the medical faculty as an exchange student.
She openly declared her deep admiration for Solenian medicine, and after generously handing out expensive gifts, she quickly became close friends with Sloane Sterling.
Upon discovering his daughter was spending so much time with the Sundaran exchange student, Lawrence Sterling explicitly warned her to keep her distance.
"She was sent here on short notice, which means her background is anything but ordinary."
"Who knows what her real agenda in Solenia is. You need to be extremely careful and absolutely never mention your grandfather's work."
Seeing her father so intensely serious, Sloane felt a flare of irritation but obediently nodded anyway.
She immediately jumped to her new friend's defense.
"Dad, I really think Meiko is a good person. She doesn't have an agenda. She just idolizes traditional Solenian medicine and desperately wants to learn acupuncture."
"She's especially fascinated by the Sterling's Thirteen Needles."
"How could a girl with such a pure passion for medicine possibly harbor any malicious intent?"
"Honestly, I think you're just being xenophobic!"
Xenophobic?
Lawrence had half a mind to smack some sense into his daughter.
He wondered if she had lost her mind.
"You think this is prejudice? Do you have any idea how ruthless Sundara has been over the years?"
"She wants to learn acupuncture? As if she could ever master it."
"The only reason she knows about the Sterling's Thirteen Needles is because she meticulously investigated our family before she even arrived."
"If you dare invite a snake into our home, your grandfather will kick you out of this family!"
Sloane genuinely believed Meiko was innocent.
"Dad, she just admires our legacy. You really don't need to blow things so wildly out of proportion."
Lawrence stared at his daughter, horrified by her absolute lack of logic. "What kind of spell did she cast on you to make you trust her so blindly?"
"Bottom line: you are not to reveal a single word about this family to her."
"If she asks, you play dumb."
"Furthermore, your grandfather never under any
the Sterling
Someone from Sundara
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"Even if she renounced her citizenship and became Solenian, the answer is still no!"
"This is a fundamental matter of principle!"
Sloane still refused to yield. "You guys are just incredibly narrow-minded."
"Dad, when you think about it,
Grandfather refuses to teach the et
Sterling's Thirteen Needles to his own flesh and blood, yet he's perfectly willing to teach Claire."
"What exactly is the relationship between him and Claire anyway?"
The unfairness had been eating away at Sloane, and she finally seized the chance to demand answers.
"There's no hidden agenda. That underclassman of yours is the final apprentice of your grandfather's oldest friend."
"Technically, according to the hierarchy, she and I are peers."
"But we prefer to keep things casual."
"I know you were upset when she rejected your birthday invitation."
"But
the ane
you are a member of
Sterling family. You are
to lack brilliance, but you are the
allowed to lack class."
"Nothing is more pathetic than petty jealousy."
"And as for that Levi boy, cut ties with him immediately."
"A man who is that petty and gossipy will never achieve anything of value."
"Don't tell me you actually have feelings for him?"
Sloane hurriedly shook her head. "Dad, you've got it all wrong. Even if I wanted to
date someone, it would never be him."
"He's the one who keeps pestering me."
"We share classes, so I couldn't be too harsh with him."
"But after what happened with Claire, I realized my mistake and I've already distanced myself from him."
"Good. Do not go looking for trouble with Claire. Your grandfather is very fond of her, and her talent is undeniable."
"If you feel envious, use that energy to work harder and earn your grandfather's approval, rather than targeting Claire."
Lawrence had spent a great deal of energy trying to guide her, capping it off with a stern warning.