She slightly opened her mouth but didn't dare to refute, quietly letting go of the arms she had been holding in front of her chest, bowing her head like a guilty child, her eyes evasive as she muttered softly.
"I, I just... was worried that my brother might be entangled with strange people... You know, Enchanting Demons are not good... Uh-huh... I'm sorry, I won't dare again..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, almost turning into a mosquito's hum in the end, as if the arrogant little demon from earlier never existed.
Mia looked at her swiftly caving attitude, and though she felt relieved, there was a hint of alertness.
The Enchanting Demon's intuition told her that this little girl was suspicious, but she still maintained a facade of grace on her face.
Now was the ti to show her mature side; she couldn't show any timidity at a critical mont.
Just as Luo Yan was troubled about how these two problematic people ended up together, the sound of footsteps from outside the hall rescued him from the awkward atmosphere.
A middle-aged man with a tall and notable presence stepped into the hall. He wore an elegant black suit with the emblem of the Padric family on his chest, and his eyes were steady and keen.
"Lord Festin Padric," Luo Yan softly spoke, a hint of respect showing in his eyes.
This was a mber of the Upper House and the nominal Family Head of the Padric family.
Festin slightly nodded, a fitting smile appearing on his face: "Mr. Luo Yan, long ti no see... or perhaps, nice to et you."
Although they had crossed paths before, there hadn't been much direct communication between them.
As for subsequent cooperation, most of it was carried out through Mia; the Padric family was involved, but mostly superficially.
Luo Yan nodded slightly, responding with a polite greeting. Although the two were not close, they maintained the necessary etiquette.
Festin's gaze swept over Luo Yan, then glanced at Mia and Vivian standing by before speaking gentlemanly.
"I apologize for taking this gentleman away from the two ladies; we need to discuss sothing regarding Black Wind Castle. This is the Transmission Room of the Demon King Managent Departnt, not a place for conversation. If you don't mind, please follow to the carriage."
Facing Mr. Festin, Vivian behaved rather gracefully, as this gentleman was of the sa generation as her father.
She slightly lifted her skirt to curtsy, like a true noble.
"Thank you for your invitation, I happen to want to see how... um, Mr. Luo Yan's territory is developing."
That ambiguous wording brought a playful smile to the corner of Festin's mouth.
It was the first ti he'd seen a relationship between an illegitimate child and an heir so harmonious, not only not defeating each other but becoming friends instead.
It seems there truly was sothing unusual about Mr. Luo Yan.
Or should I say, Mr. Colin.
"Then let's move to a more suitable place to talk. This ti I return, I plan to stay over at Black Wind Castle."
Luo Yan nodded slightly, following Mr. Festin out of the Demon King Managent Departnt, and then stepped onto the Padric family's carriage.
Standing at the entrance of the carriage, Festin then looked at Mia and spoke gently.
"Mia, you take Vivian in another carriage; we'll et at Black Wind Castle."
Mia was slightly stunned, then gracefully nodded.
"Yes, Father."
Vivian was about to protest but swallowed her words under Luo Yan's calm gaze, pouting and begrudgingly following Mia to another carriage.
As the carriage with Luo Yan and Festin slowly set off, the atmosphere inside the compartnt fell into a brief silence.
Festin gently adjusted his cuffs, contemplated for a mont, then looked at the street scenes outside the carriage and spoke.
"The prosperity of Black Wind Castle has far exceeded expectations. In just a few years, it has beco an indispensable satellite town near Demon City. To be honest, I'm quite surprised. I didn't expect that barren land to undergo such a significant transformation in your hands."
Luo Yan nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Thanks to your continuous support in overseeing things."
In actuality, this developnt had little to do with the Padric family; it mainly stemd from the support of administrative forces from Hell, coupled with the influence of financial power.
Every single Kela he earned from front-line orders was almost entirely invested in developing that land, without a penny left.
As to why, the reason was simple.
Because it was land near Demon City and had reliable backbone industries.
There was no better place for investnt, not to ntion that he couldn't just take Kela to the Great Graveyard and spend it there.
Upon hearing Luo Yan's statent, Festin evidently had self-awareness too, smiling and waving it off.
"We rely did our best to cooperate with the War Departnt in urging local production, not playing a major role. The true drivers of Black Wind Castle's growth are the market and the demand from the front lines."
He paused, his tone subtly shifting: "However, such prosperity is not without its costs. Today's Black Wind Castle is like a garden of wild growth; although lush, it is similarly rife with weeds, with roots intricately intertwined beneath the soil... Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Luo Yan nodded slightly.
"That's a matter of course, I naturally understand."
Festin smiled approvingly, his tone gentle as he continued.
"Currently, the Padric family and the Colin family control the Magic Crystal Cannon Factory and oversee the upper order of Black Wind Castle. However, below that, the Black Wind Castle Comrce Alliance dictates the lower order. They determine the livelihood of ordinary people and, in a certain sense, the power balance. If you can harness this force, they will beco your aid in ruling Black Wind Castle. But if you cannot, they might turn against you."
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