Late at night, Wayne Manor.
Inside the spacious game room, soft lights illuminated the polished floor. Dick stood at the center, breathing steadily.
He slowly raised one hand.
Palm up.
Palm down.
Nothing was there.
Then—his wrist flicked.
A Spade Ace appeared instantly between his fingers.
Dick didn't stop.
He lifted his hand again, snapped it downward—
A Heart Ace materialized.
Once.
Twice.
With two crisp movements, a Club Ace and a Diamond Ace appeared as well.
Dick brought the four Aces together, clenching them tightly in both hands.
He paused.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then—his hands spread outward.
The four cards vanished.
In their place—
A vivid red rose bloomed in his palms.
"I did it!" Dick exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement. "How was that?"
For a moment, the room was silent.
Then—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Dean applauded calmly.
"Well done," he said evenly. "At this level, even an average professional magician would have trouble spotting your flaws. To a normal audience, it would look perfect."
Dick's mouth twitched slightly.
So… to you, my flaws are still obvious?
After dinner, Dean's magic lessons had officially begun. The two of them had practiced in this entertainment room for hours.
What Dick had just performed was the final trick Dean taught him today.
"That's enough for today," Dean continued. "Honestly, your progress exceeded my expectations. If you can keep this level of stability, your skills are already more than enough to impress people at a school dance."
Dean studied Dick carefully.
"Two hours ago, your technique was crude. Anyone with eyes could see the mistakes. But now, you're already comparable to many amateur magicians."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Your finger dexterity and body coordination are exceptional. Be honest—have you practiced magic before?"
Dick froze internally.
Too fast…
In truth, he had deliberately slowed himself down. For him, these movements felt effortless. He hadn't expected Dean to still find his progress abnormal.
At the same time, another thought pressed heavily on his mind.
Barbara still hasn't sent any message.
What if Dean really is Kaito Kid?
With his intelligence, he could already know I suspect him.
Dick forced himself to stay calm and quickly constructed an answer.
"Well," he said, scratching his head, "I grew up in a circus."
Dean's eyes flickered.
"My parents were aerial acrobats," Dick continued. "For acrobats, full control over the body is essential. So my hands have always been more flexible than most people's."
When he mentioned his parents, a shadow briefly passed through his eyes—but it vanished just as quickly.
"I've never formally studied magic," he added with a relaxed smile. "I only understand some basic principles."
"I see."
Dean nodded quietly.
His expression remained completely calm.
Too calm.
Dick's heart skipped a beat.
For a split second, the two stared at each other—testing, measuring.
Then Dean looked away.
"It's late," he said, turning toward the door. "I'll head home now."
"Wait!"
Dick called out instinctively.
If Dean left now and ran into Barbara at his house—
That would be disastrous.
Dean turned back, puzzled. "Yes?"
Before Dick could speak, Alfred's voice sounded from the hallway.
"It is indeed very late, Mr. Thurston," Alfred said as he approached, holding a tray with two cups of black tea. "Wayne Manor is far from the city. If you return now, it will be extremely late—and Gotham's streets are not safe at night."
He handed Dean a cup.
"I suggest you stay the night. We have many vacant guest rooms. Tomorrow morning, I can drive you and Young Master Richard to school together."
"This is pure Italian black tea," Alfred added politely. "Please enjoy."
Dick quickly grabbed the other cup and took a sip.
"That's exactly what I was going to say," he nodded. "You should stay, Dean."
Dean lowered his gaze to the tea.
Barbara still hasn't contacted Dick…
Either she hasn't left yet, or she left but didn't send the signal.
He hesitated deliberately, as if weighing the decision.
Then he smiled.
"Well," Dean said lightly, "staying one night at Wayne Manor sounds like something I can brag about for years."
"Please follow me," Alfred said with a satisfied smile.
Wayne Manor was not just large—it was maze-like. Without Alfred's guidance, a first-time visitor could easily get lost.
After being shown to the guest room, Dean thanked Alfred, took a quick shower, and went to bed.
He fell asleep peacefully.
As if nothing at all was wrong.
---
The next morning, Alfred drove Dean and Dick to school together.
Classes resumed.
Conversations continued.
Life appeared normal.
After school, Dean declined another visit to Wayne Manor.
"Your learning speed is fast," he said. "Once every few days is enough."
Dick agreed immediately.
That night, after returning home, Dean didn't enter right away.
Instead, he carefully scanned the surroundings.
No unfamiliar vehicles.
No shadows.
No trailing presence.
Only then did he unlock the door.
Inside, he repeated the process.
He checked corners.
Angles.
Ceilings.
Then Dean walked to the center of the house.
From somewhere, he took out a black device, no larger than a solid-state drive.
Without hesitation, he pressed the button.
Click.
This was a surveillance jammer—capable of scanning all cameras within a fifteen-meter radius and forcing them to loop footage from one minute earlier. The interference was undetectable by current Earth technology.
Less than a second later—
The green indicator light turned on.
Dean's eyes narrowed.
"So there is surveillance."
A red dot appeared on the radar display.
"Only one camera," Dean muttered calmly. "At least they showed some restraint."
Holding the jammer, he followed the signal.
Then he stopped.
Because the hidden camera was located—
In a place he hadn't expected at all.
--------------------------------------------------
150+ chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
----------------------------------------------------- .