In the Rosa Conference Hall, the intense fight that was going on between Charlotte Sorofya and Nora Xeclyde finally calmed down a little as both sides took a short break. Due to the acrimony that had built up, the initial plan for both teams to luncheon together was canceled.

  However, Charlotte’s luncheon with Nora couldn’t be canceled out of consideration that the latter was a distinguished guest in Rosa.

  No matter how unpleasant their courtroom brawl was, there was still a need to observe basic noble etiquette, especially given that Nora was a national guest who had come to offer her blessings. Rosa must now play its part as a proper host.

  As a result, Charlotte had no choice but to scrunch up her nose and share a pleasant meal with Nora. Even if her heart wished fervently for the other party to disappear from the face of the world—the same went for Nora too—she still had to maintain a courteous and respectful front.

  With hypocritical smiles on their faces, the two of them began digging into their food. The lunch was still relatively peaceful up to this point. Both sides had intentionally restrained themselves to avoid souring the atmosphere, though some snarky remarks couldn’t be avoided.

  “Your Highness Nora, what do you think of the accompanying wine?”


  “It’s passable, though the sweetness is a little overpowering. The food in Rosa really doesn’t fit my palate, though it’s not all just about the food here.”


  “It’s called Pamela wine, a local specialty from the southern area of the Ascart Fiefdom.”


  “.……”


  Charlotte explained with a beaming smile on her face, causing Nora to freeze up right away. There was a moment of silence before Nora picked up the wine glass to take another sip.

  “On second thought, it’s actually not too bad. While the Ascart Fiefdom neighbors Rosa, it isn’t as extreme in terms of taste. It’s much more pleasing by comparison.”


  “.……”


  Faced with the double standards that Nora was openly displaying with her 180° change in attitude, Charlotte was rendered momentarily speechless. She closed her eyes briefly to adjust her state of mind before gesturing to the wine cup and said.

  “During our journey back to Rosa, my darling and I stopped by a village and tasted this wine with one another. I realized right away it’s a perfect fit for our Rosaians, sweet like a fated love, and I’d decided to promote this product as a key aspect in our partnership. I’ll be pushing it out using my connections in our upcoming summer catalog.”


  “Pardon me, Miss Charlotte, but what in the world are you talking about? It disturbs me to see your obsession with delusions.”


  Knowing that Charlotte was trying to flaunt her love, Nora burst into laughter.

  “Surely you can’t naively believe that something you happened to stumble upon and fancy would have to be yours? I should politely inform you that the number one business partner of the Ascart House are the Xeclydes, and this fact will never change. To date, we’ve already signed countless partnership contracts with one another. The Pamela wine is a product of the Ascart Fiefdom, a specialty of our Saint Mesit Theocracy. If anything, it represents a fruit of the labor between both our houses.

  “I don’t think that there’s any need to trouble the Sorofya Merchant Association for the marketing of our product. Our church has more than enough connections to push it out ourselves.”


  “Your Highness Nora, you might not be too familiar with the rules regarding businesses, but surely you should understand the basic concept of ‘first come, first served’? You ought to respect the order of priorities here, whether it be with regards to business partnerships or engagement contracts.”


  “Miss Charlotte, I believe that I’ve already made it clear enough. I do recognize the engagement contract between the Sorofyas and the Ascarts, but you, unfortunately, do not fulfill the criteria. This engagement is illegitimate right from the start, so it’s about time for you to stop identifying yourself as Roel’s fiancée.”


  The crisp clang of a fork piercing through a steak and striking the plate beneath rang out. That was a strike on Charlotte’s sore spot, and it infuriated her. However, she knew that she couldn’t lose her temper here, especially not on this occasion, or else she would be falling into the other party’s hands.

  “Speaking of which, Your Highness Nora, are you aware that my darling has a habit of hugging in his sleep?”


  Charlotte suddenly thought of something and launched her counterattack right away. Before the wide-eyed Nora, she began to elaborate in great detail while revealing a radiant smile that wouldn’t lose out to even the sharpest of daggers.

  “It might be because he lacks a sense of security. He does have a lot on his plate, and he says that he feels warm and at ease embracing me. Sometimes, he even falls asleep within moments in my arms. Ah, my apologies. I hope that I didn’t bore you with my story. I shouldn’t have raised a topic that you aren’t able to relate with.”


  “Charlotte!”


  Nora ground her teeth furiously in response to Charlotte’s overt boasting. It took several breaths for her to calm down and return a smile to her lips.

  “Since we’re on the topic, I do remember how Roel and I were officialized as protector-protectee under the witness of over a thousand people, blessed by the elders of our families.

  “For nobles like us, the blessing of both our houses is a key factor to a happy marriage. On that aspect, Miss Charlotte, the relationship you treasure so much doesn’t seem to be going too well. How regretful indeed.”


  “!”


  Charlotte’s complexion turned awful. With the two of them taking turns stabbing daggers into one another, the luncheon devolved into a war of sharp looks and glares, with neither side in the mood to speak or dine anymore.

  Interrupting this cold war, one of the maids suddenly walked over to Charlotte’s side, leaned over, and whispered some words into her ears. It was a message from Andrew.

  After giving some pointers to Alicia and Roel on how to proceed, he quickly shared the news regarding Roel’s impending recovery with Charlotte, knowing that she was counting on this to negotiate with the Ascarts.

  Hm? Alicia is actually a life force type bloodline possessor?

  This news shocked Charlotte, and she finally understood why Roel was so relaxed all this while.

  “I see. To think that it’s actually Alicia…… How do they intend to proceed with the treatment?”


  “Lord Andrew said that they would be doing it through the transference of bodily fluids.”


  “I see. Transference of fluids…… Huh?”


  The realization of what that term meant made Charlotte jerk backward in shock……

  Meanwhile, back over in Hundred Birds Gallery, the avians were currently chirping merrily while basking under the warm sunlight. In order to create a hospitable environment for these birds, the estate was filled with all sorts of plants, be it indoors or outdoors. Even the room Roel resided in had all kinds of potted plants lying around.

  Wu!

  Roel struggled instinctively in his wheelchair, only to notice that Alicia was transferring the sweet alcohol to him by mouth. He was stunned for a moment before reflexively swallowing the wine down.

  Several seconds later, they finally parted from one another. Alicia’s fair complexion had blushed red, and she seemed a little short on breath. Her ruby eyes were glazed with a thin layer of mist, glistening alluringly. On the other hand, Roel was taken aback by what had just happened.

  W-what is happening? What is Alicia doing? We could have just done it with teardrops, and that would have been sufficient……

  Recalling the sweet lingering taste on his tongue, Roel’s face began to redden too.

  “Alicia, y-you……”


  “What’s wrong, Lord Brother? Doesn’t saliva work perfectly well too?”


  Alicia was still a little short on breath, but before the flustered Roel, she was still able to speak with an earnest, composed tone. Hearing those words, Roel quickly inspected his own body.

  “It’s working…… But the degree of effectiveness is limited. It seems like the quantity of life force is insufficient. That’s why you shouldn’t use this sort of……”


  “I understand. Let’s continue then.”


  “Ah? No, wait a moment…… Wu!”


  Roel quickly put up his arms to stop Alicia’s inefficient treatment method, but he was simply too weak at the moment. Just a slight exertion of force and Roel’s defense crumbled right away.

  With eyes glistening with excitement, Alicia took another sip of alcohol and transferred it over with a kiss once more. When their lips finally parted, she decided not to even bother getting up anymore. She continued hugging him while stroking his hair.

  “Wait a moment, Alicia. W-what’s wrong with you today? Do you know what you’re doing?”


  Roel’s head was spinning after the two kisses from his sweet sister. He quickly stopped Alicia from drinking more wine and questioned her with a look of incomprehension.

  Alicia had kissed Roel before in the past, but most of those were kisses on the cheek during birthday celebrations. While Roel did need his daily dose of Aliciatonin, he always kept a clear line between the two of them because he viewed her as a sibling.

  He knew that Alicia adored him greatly at the moment, but he thought that it was a phase which she would eventually grow out of. He felt that there was a need for him to put some distance between them in order to avoid getting too attached. Otherwise, if he could do as he pleased, he would rather not allow her to get married to anyone and keep her by his side.

  Honestly, he was uncertain about his feelings toward Alicia, but it didn’t feel right for an older brother to hinder his younger sister’s happiness. So, he had never voiced his true thoughts aloud before others.

  Why do I feel this way?

  Roel would often ponder this question when he was together with Alicia, but he could never find an answer to it. It was understandable though, for the question he was asking had been wrong right from the start. What he should have asked himself was ‘How did I turn out this way?’.

  Roel had never thought of attributing the reason to Alicia before. In his view, Alicia was a little sister who needed to be doted upon and taken care of, so he never tried to think deeper about her actions before. But today, Alicia was giving him a very different vibe from before.

  “What’s wrong with me today? I wonder that too.”


  Faced with Roel’s question, Alicia began thinking about the conversation she had with Charlotte and began murmuring to herself. She slowly got up and gazed at Roel with her ruby eyes, asking softly.

  “Lord Brother, do you want me to stay by your side for life?”