"Oh?"
Luyetan hadn’t expected Westheid to agree so readily, but knowing Duke Qinghui, it wasn’t all that surprising.
No matter the situation, Westheid always managed to react in a way she found interesting.
’I admit, Your Grace, you are nearly flawless. But what will you do when you’re under the Fourth Princess’s gaze?’
Luyetan smiled charmingly, glancing at Reiya out of the corner of her eye. She said,
"Is Duke Qinghui unwilling to even give it a second thought? My, my, don’t tell you have feelings for as well? In that case, the feeling would be mutual. The Yuanshi and Qinghui are both of the Holy Spirit’s domain—a union of powerhouses. I just wonder if Duke Qinghui is as formidable as the rumors say, and what kind of outstanding heir we could produce?"
As Luyetan continued to press her foot down, she observed the Silver-haired Dragon Lady’s reaction. However, the other woman remained silent, her eyes fixed on Westheid, without a single trace of annoyance.
’Tsk. Your beloved is being teased like this, and you can just sit there so calmly.’
’Get worked up, will you? Otherwise, how am I supposed to enjoy the show?’
Reiya still showed no reaction, but Yolanda was starting to lose her patience.
"Brother?! Please, reconsider."
If the Qinghui Patriarch himself married into another family, even if they could later adopt an heir to continue the line, the Qinghui Clan would never be able to hold its head high before the Yuanshi Territory again.
This concerned the family’s honor, and that was her bottom line.
"You have quite a vivid imagination for your little fantasies, Lady Luyetan."
Westheid stated calmly, "My reason for agreeing is simple. If I can reclaim the Qinghui Territory, I can certainly repay the debt. And if I fail to take back my ho, then I won’t have to fulfill the obligation of marrying into your family."
The man let out a long sigh. His dark violet eyes were full of ease, yet his tone was firm and resolute.
"I will either reclaim the Qinghui Territory or die on the battlefield. Once I set out to restore my ho, there will be no possibility of a disgraceful retreat or a life lived in sha."
"..."
He wasn’t joking. He was absolutely serious.
"Duke Qinghui... are you planning to bet everything on this?"
Luyetan pulled back her shapely foot. The mischievous smile vanished from her delicate, pretty face as she leaned forward and spoke.
Even Reiya’s usually placid face showed a rare expression of surprise as she looked at Westheid beside her.
"When have I ever not been gambling? Without the courage to press forward relentlessly, I can achieve nothing... Besides, I have reasons why I must do this. Lady Luyetan, if your conditions still stand, we can sign the contract right now."
Westheid took a sip of tea and said nonchalantly.
The brown-haired Branch of Prosperity t Westheid’s gaze in silence for a mont, then smiled.
"If I don’t agree, will Duke Qinghui burst into tears?"
Westheid: "Then I’ll have no choice but to go to His Royal Highness the Regent King, although repaying that debt would be quite troubleso later on."
"No, no, no, I was just kidding."
Seeing that Westheid was about to end the conversation at the first sign of disagreent, Luyetan knew she couldn’t keep teasing him and hurriedly said,
"Your journey is sure to create even more interesting things to excite , Duke Qinghui. I’ll fund you for that reason alone... However, as wealthy as the Yuanshi Territory is, I can’t dispatch an army to assist you. I can only move most of my savings and surplus to lend to you. Is that acceptable?"
Westheid nodded. "Can you give a ballpark figure?"
Luyetan’s sleeve twitched slightly, and a quill pen appeared between her fingers. She elegantly wrote a number on the tablecloth.
Westheid glanced at it and was imdiately filled with awe.
He had long heard that the Yuanshi Territory’s wealth could rival a nation’s, but he never thought it was a literal statent. Even if the Yuanshi Territory was located at the crossroads of the Thousand Laws Royal Court and the Imperial domain, allowing it to rake in profits as a middleman, this level of affluence was still excessive.
’It seems the Holy Spirit of Yuanshi Territory really does have an ambiguous relationship with Emperor Qianlu...’
"Well? Is it enough?"
Westheid sighed. "There are many problems in this world that silver can’t solve. But with this much, I think any problem that *can* be solved with silver is no longer a concern."
"Then it’s happily decided."
Luyetan snapped her fingers briskly and said,
"I would truly love to go with you, Duke Qinghui, but unfortunately, I don’t even have enough ti to stay in the Imperial Capital and must return to the Yuanshi Territory. However, I don’t want to miss your story, so... Rozana!"
Luyetan called out for her confidante, and the green-haired Half-Elf Maid entered the courtyard with her head bowed.
"Lady Luyetan, what are your orders?"
"When it’s ti to return to the Yuanshi Territory, you won’t be coming with . You will stay by Duke Qinghui’s side, in charge of coordinating the financial aid. Anything Duke Qinghui needs can be brought directly to Rozana."
The voluptuously built woman was about to raise her head, but she imdiately lowered it again the mont she caught sight of Westheid.
"Why so surprised? Isn’t this what you’ve been dreaming of?"
Luyetan’s fingertip traced the side of her cherry-pink lips as she gave a aningful smile.
"Or did you think I was completely unaware of the relationship between you two?"
Rozana said hurriedly, "I would never dare hide anything from you, Lady Luyetan."
"But you never told proactively, did you? Heh heh. Relax, I don’t intend to punish you. I just want you to stay by Duke Qinghui’s side and continue sharing interesting things with ."
Luyetan spoke words that made the Half-Elf Maid break out in a cold sweat. She let out a pair of delicate laughs, then stood up, walked straight over to Westheid, and sat down on his lap, falling into his embrace.
Plump and supple, Luyetan’s figure, though modestly dressed, was not to be underestimated.
’Wait, could she possibly rival Rozana? So *she’s* the real master!’
Westheid took a quick ntal asurent, inwardly astonished.
But Duke Qinghui remained perfectly composed, his gaze fixed forward as he said nonchalantly,
"Lady Luyetan, please conduct yourself with dignity."
"Tsk, tsk. We’ve just finalized the aid, and you’re already acting so distant. Duke Qinghui... you truly are a heartless man. Are you this good at breaking the hearts of infatuated girls?"
Luyetan’s slender fingers drew circles on Westheid’s chest as she spoke in a plaintive, fragrant whisper.
’What a damn hussy!’
As a virile young man, how could Westheid stand this? ’I’d love to land a punch right in her gut and make this little brat cry.’
But he couldn’t. Luyetan’s goal was crystal clear: she wanted to stir up a chaotic scene, then stand aside and enjoy watching him and Reiya tear each other apart.
"Lady Luyetan, if you’re determined to make lose my composure, I’m afraid you won’t get your wish."
The White-haired Dragon Lady, who had been watching silently all this ti, finally spoke. She fixed her magnificent Cang Tong eyes on Luyetan and said slowly,
"Your provocations, if I may be blunt, are clumsy and uninteresting. Nothing has ever happened between you and West. anwhile, every ti I go out, I run into won who *have* been intimate with him. Their standards are much lower than yours."
"Tsk... Her Imperial Highness the Princess is truly magnanimous."
Hearing this, Luyetan knew her little sche had failed. She sighed and said,
"In that case, just let sit in Duke Qinghui’s lap for a little while. After all, I’m his benefactor, am I not? You wouldn’t go so far as to kick out, would you?"
One can’t be rude to one’s benefactor. Since the Yuanshi Territory had provided such a massive loan, Westheid didn’t have the heart to refuse her outright.
He exchanged a look with Reiya and sighed.
"Well... suit yourself."
"!!!"
The next second, Luyetan threw her arms around Westheid’s neck, leaned in, and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.
Then, she touched her own lips with her fingertips, an elegant and sweet smile playing on her face.
"By the way, I wasn’t just teasing. That kiss was a genuine impulse."
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