"No. I’ve already established contact with most of the Witches who were interested in . It’s ti I dealt with the official business that’s been piling up."
Westheid shook his head, gesturing for Yolanda to sit down.
"Is sothing the matter?"
Yolanda paced back and forth in the study, looking this way and that, and said in a drawn-out tone:
"I just wanted to chat with you, if you have the ti to waste on ."
Westheid didn’t catch the hidden aning in Yolanda’s words and replied:
"Of course we can chat, but I’m busy right now. It would be even better if you could give a hand."
The platinum-blonde young woman leaned closer to the desk, looking at the cluttered official docunts and blueprints on Westheid’s desk, and said in surprise:
"Brother, are you still looking at the deploynt maps for the border defenses? I thought, sitting here in the rear and indulging in a world of pleasure, you’d stopped caring about the lukewarm war on the frontier."
"That’s how it is when you’re in the rear. Soldiers on the front lines just have to follow orders and fight bravely, but as the Lord, I have so much more to consider."
Westheid rubbed his temples and said lightly.
Yolanda imdiately sat at Westheid’s side, quietly helping the Patriarch shoulder his burdens. With the two of them working at superhuman efficiency, they drafted the next developnt plan for the Qinghui Territory in no ti at all.
Only then did Westheid stretch and say to his sister:
"Alright, I’m free now. What did you want to talk about?"
Yolanda didn’t reply imdiately. She thought for a mont, then straightened her back and sat with a serious, formal posture before speaking.
"Brother, if you want to subdue the Ring of Clear Skies, your Demon Path is actually more than enough, isn’t it?"
The young woman’s noble, elegant, navy-blue eyes stared directly at Westheid.
"You’re trying a bit too hard."
Although Yolanda usually scornfully called her brother a Star Universe Monster who was constantly in heat, she knew that in reality, Westheid wasn’t that depraved.
Most of the ti, Westheid’s philandering was less an act of lust and more a diligent effort to "cultivate" his collection, as if completing so kind of quest.
His purpose was so intense that even Yolanda found it hard to watch.
Hearing his sister’s question, Westheid tapped his fingertips on the desk and said:
"Binding people through pure self-interest is the simplest, most direct, and easiest way to understand. But connections built on benefits alone are far too fragile. Do you know what kind of shackles people will willingly place upon themselves?"
"It’s love."
Westheid raised one finger and said slowly:
"Since I possess Charm and resources at the Extraordinary to Saint level, and since I can use them to deepen my connections, then I don’t mind leveraging that to make myself even stronger."
’Besides, I don’t even find it that difficult. Compared to roping people in with threats and enticents, winning their adoration with pure Charm is lower-cost and a better demonstration of what true strength is.’
’In any case, it did wonders for my vanity and sense of accomplishnt.’
Yolanda’s gaze fell. "So, you deepen your connections this way with anyone you deem important?"
"....Only beautiful young won, of course."
Westheid stressed this point. Being designated as a target by Heart and Soul’s Gift was the most basic prerequisite; otherwise, he wouldn’t have any motivation to pursue them.
"Guh..."
The young woman, whose beauty was as dreamy as a Fairy’s, pressed her lips together. She closed her eyes and fidgeted for a mont before speaking in a voice that was barely a whisper:
"Do I not count?"
Huh?
Westheid heard Yolanda’s words, but for a mont he couldn’t process their aning.
Yolanda took a deep breath, then opened her beautiful eyes to face him, her brow furrowed slightly as she spoke:
"Am I not an important person to you?"
Duke Qinghui replied without hesitation, "Of course you’re one of the most important people to ."
"But today is my birthday, and you forgot."
"What?"
Westheid froze. He really had forgotten.
Yolanda bit her lip and said resentfully:
"If it were Her Highness Reiya or Miss Mivana, I would understand. They’re truly strong and can beco pillars of the Qinghui Clan’s great ambition. It makes perfect sense for you to forge a bond of deepest love with them, Brother."
"But as for those other won... I don’t believe I’m inferior to them in any way."
"I wait by the door every ti, listening to you and the others... being intimate. Yet you won’t even spare a single greeting, or a single hug."
Duke Qinghui was stunned as he watched the platinum-haired young woman pour out her grievances.
It was as if Yolanda was trying to pour out all her pent-up frustration at once. Her navy-blue eyes, so similar to Westheid’s, shimred with resentnt and hurt.
"I’m your only family, I’m the one who’s been by your side the longest, and yet... Brother... aren’t you showing a little too much favoritism?"
To put it simply, she was not happy. Not happy at all.
"......."
’Why have I been so indifferent to Yolanda? Because she has no strategic value!’
’Whether I treat Yolanda well or poorly, she’ll carry out my orders without fail. So, naturally, I forgot all about grinding her affection level and just treated her like a multi-purpose tool.’
’Seriously, if you want to be close, you should just tell instead of making guess. Your brother has a little EQ, but not enough to read the minds of everyone around .’
’You’re so prim and proper all the ti, how was I supposed to know what you were hiding inside?!’
But Westheid certainly wouldn’t say that out loud. He paused for a mont, then lowered his head and said:
"...I’m sorry. I thought you only cared about the developnt of our clan, so I figured that giving you more responsibilities and tasks was what would make you happiest."
Hearing this explanation, the look on Yolanda’s face softened considerably. She nodded repeatedly and said:
"I am very happy about that, so your misunderstanding isn’t without reason. On reflection, I was the one who never made myself clear. The fault is mine."
"So, I should be open with my feelings, just as you’ve always been."
Then, Yolanda’s slender, pale fingers rested lightly on her full bosom as she knelt on one knee before Westheid. She spoke with the utmost solemnity:
"I, Yolanda of the Qinghui Clan, hereby swear..."
"Absolute loyalty to the clan. But even greater loyalty to my brother."
Her shoulder-length, platinum-blonde hair reflected the orange glow of the dim lamplight. Her upturned face was as severe as ice, as lovely as a Fairy’s, and her gaze was resolute.
Placing an individual above the clan, rather than the clan above the individual—the difference between the two was imnse.
’So, despite her sharp tongue, it seems Yolanda has always fit the "loyal puppy" sister archetype.’
Westheid was deeply gratified. Just as he was about to help his sister up and play out a touching scene of brotherly love and sisterly respect, he heard her hesitate for a long mont before speaking again:
"Brother... may I have a hug?"
[The web of love you have woven has borne fruit.]
[You have shared "Yolanda Qinghui’s" Specialty: [River of Qinghui]]
[River of Qinghui]
[Combat Techniques created and continuously developed by the Purity People over a millennium. A Secret Technique that incorporates nurous effects and styles.]
[O, light that flows through the Land of Clear Radiance, like a thousand rushing torrents, eternally cycling. For that which is clear and pure must ceaselessly pass away.]
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