Seeing that Harry didn't want to get too close to Lucius, Hermione stepped forward and positioned herself between the two, staring sternly at Lucius with a serious expression.
This left Lucius in an awkward position, neither able to advance nor retreat. Meanwhile, William, having achieved his goal for the day and settled his transaction with the Malfoy family, had no interest in being entangled with Lucius any further.
Seizing the opportunity to end the meeting, he stood up with a smile, adjusted his clothes, and shook hands with the four Aurors. "It's getting late; I won't disturb you any longer."
"Ah, yes, Mr. Devonshire," they replied.
At this point, the four Aurors had a much-improved attitude toward William. Though there had been some unpleasantness earlier, all William had done was restrict them.
Of course, this change in attitude was largely due to William's overwhelming strength, which made resisting him seem pointless, as well as his immense reputation in the real world.
Otherwise, if it had been anyone else, these Aurors would have at least attempted to fight back. Even if they couldn't win, they would have escaped to call for reinforcements.
Strong, wealthy, influential, yet polite, calm, and not the least bit stingy.
Just in the past hour, they had gone through three bottles of 1961 Château Latour. A perfect-score vintage like the '61 Latour was worth at least fifty thousand pounds per bottle, and even then, money alone couldn't always buy it.
If William weren't the owner of Latour and if Gordon's restaurant didn't have shares held by his mother, Lena, the restaurant wouldn't have been able to secure a steady supply of perfect-score wines from Latour and Château Margaux over the years.
Now that William was leaving, not only did the four Aurors not try to stop him, but they even shot meaningful glances at Hermione and Harry, urging them not to cause trouble and to let this human-shaped monster leave as soon as possible.
Noticing the subtle gestures behind him, William merely smiled and gave a small nod to the bearded Harry, which counted as a greeting.
Then his gaze shifted to Hermione, though the first thing he noticed was the light freckles on her face and the ring on her ring finger. This left him feeling a little disappointed.
Suddenly, he lost any interest in greeting or getting acquainted with her.
But just because he didn't want to cause trouble didn't mean others wouldn't seek trouble with him.
"Wait! You can't leave until things are cleared up," Hermione said, stepping forward.
"It's fine, Miss Granger. We've already investigated everything," the female Auror quickly interjected when she saw Hermione trying to stop William. She immediately pulled Hermione back, clearing the way. "We won't keep you from going home to rest, Lord Devonshire. We'll handle the rest."
"Thank you."
Nodding slightly at Hermione, who looked puzzled, William then turned his gaze to Lucius.
Lucius smiled and shook his head. "No worries, Mr. Devonshire. I have a few things to discuss with Harry."
Although William didn't want Lucius latching onto him so soon, ensuring Lucius's safety today was also his responsibility.
Otherwise, who would dare to meet him in person in the future? Who would dare to do business with the Devonshire family?
"Are you sure, Mr. Malfoy? If it's nothing important, I could have someone escort you back to Malfoy Manor."
Hearing this, Lucius felt a bit disappointed that he hadn't been able to establish a connection with William. However, he still appreciated that William wasn't someone who burned bridges after crossing them.
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. After speaking with Harry, I plan to visit some relatives in London."
"OK, then. Until next time, Mr. Malfoy."
After exchanging pleasantries, William, under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, left with his shadowy bodyguard, Raizo.
As soon as he reached the ground floor, the restaurant manager was already waiting by the staircase. William smiled and said, "I really enjoyed the lion's head dish today. Please pass my thanks to Chef Gordon."
With that, feeling quite pleased, he reached into his pocket and took out three Devonshire gold coins from his storage space. "These are extra tips for you and the two waiters. As for today's bill, just let Sunday handle it."
"Understood, Mr. Devonshire," the restaurant manager said excitedly, taking the three gold coins with both hands before bowing in gratitude.
He personally escorted William out of the restaurant and watched as he got into his car and left. On his way back inside, the manager couldn't help but glance at the gleaming gold coins in his palm with delight.
Meanwhile, upstairs, the seven wizards were now sitting in two distinct groups, facing each other.
Lucius held a glass of wine and glared at the seven people in front of him. Originally, he had intended to watch the drama unfold and perhaps help William resolve some issues.
But unexpectedly, the four Aurors had surrendered outright, failing to help him establish a connection with William and instead further elevating William's reputation.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly. But if you're planning to talk to me about the International Statute of Secrecy, save your breath. I don't have time for nonsense," Lucius said bluntly.
Seeing how confident Lucius was, Harry and Hermione, who were unaware of the details, could only look toward the Auror captain for answers.
"We should discuss this back at the Ministry," the Auror captain finally said, glancing at his three colleagues.
The three thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. At this point, holding onto Lucius was pointless.
The most critical task now was to report William's strength to the Ministry of Magic and let the higher-ups deal with the headache.
The shock, confusion, and unease within the English Ministry of Magic upon hearing the report were another matter entirely.
Back at his home, it was just past ten o'clock when William arrived. However, as soon as he stepped inside, he once again heard the sound of tiles clattering from the living room.
Exchanging a helpless glance with Raizo, William sighed and said, "Go get some rest. There's nothing pressing at the moment, so take some time off. No need to stay hidden in the estate all the time."
"No need, sir," Raizo shook his head. "I don't always stay in the estate. Sometimes, when I have free time, I spend it at the tea house I own."
"That's good to hear. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, sir," Raizo said respectfully before silently retreating.
Stepping into the living room, William walked over to his mother, Lena, and kissed her on the cheek before grinning.
"How's it going, Mom? Need me to help change your luck?"
"Get lost," Lena snapped playfully. She had been happy to see William come home so early but was now pointing at Jessie, who sat across from her.
"If you have that kind of concern, you should help Jessie. She's already lost over three hundred gold coins to us. If this keeps up, I wonder how she'll survive the month without pocket money."
"Hm?"
William looked at Jessie in surprise.
Of all people, she was the least likely to lose. This girl had grown up on the streets of New York and aspired to be a master thief. There was no way she hadn't encountered mahjong before—so how had she lost so badly?
When William turned his gaze toward Jessie, he quickly noticed her heart rate spike.
Was she feeling guilty? Or was she simply embarrassed at being caught losing so much?
"No need, Mom. Once she runs out of pocket money, there's still Selene to bail her out. I'll stay with you."
"Ha!" Lena laughed, pleased that William chose to stay by her side.
As the game continued for two more rounds, William soon spotted the issue—Abigail was a card counter, and Nissa could sense the heartbeats of others at the table.
Only Jessie played completely honestly, relying solely on her hands, which she wasn't even using properly.
As if casually going to pour himself a drink, William walked past Jessie and whispered in her ear, "Let's see if you've lost your touch."
(End of Chapter)
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