It had been a year since the siblings had last met.
âWeâve found Diabloâs location.â
Hearing Lyliaâs cold, business-like tone made Peran feel a tinge of bitterness.
His cute little sister, whoâd always liked going to tea parties and balls, had now become a stubborn negotiator with the ability to manipulate conversations as she pleased.
Naturally, Peran felt a bit of guilt and responsibility since it was his departure that caused this change.
Of course, he didnât show any of this on the outside.
They stood facing each other not as two siblings of the Jun family, but as negotiators who represented the Circle and the Alliance respectively.
âSo?â
âCanât it then be said that we have made the greatest contribution so far?â
âWell. Weâll have to verify the accuracy of the information first.â
âDo you really think weâd present false information at the meeting? Thatâs a bit disappointing. I canât believe thatâs the way the Alliance views our Circle.â
Ivan and Iris.
It gave the Alliance a bit of a headache when they shamelessly called themselves âthe Circleâ.
In the first place, they had long separated themselves into radicals and conservatives, realists and idealists, but those couldnât be considered as accurate designations.
Nevertheless, it was important for both sides to maintain the legitimacy of the Circle, so neither of them would be willing to give up the name.
âOf course, if Her Majesty was here, I wouldnât have had to mention such a thing. You should know just how meticulous I am.â
ââŚâ
She had already participated in several major negotiations.
Sheâd had many failures, but even more successes.
This gave her the chance to learn from the results of both sides and gain experience.
Thanks to this, she wouldnât be pushed around even when her opponents were politicians or merchants with great experience.
ââŚas expected, it wonât be easy.â
Nevertheless, Lylia had no choice but to acknowledge this older brother of hers. Even when she tried to misinterpret Peranâs personal opinions as the will of the entire Alliance, he naturally separated them.
He calmly stated that his words were his own opinion instead of Snowâs will, and clearly drew a line to distinguish the two.
After reviewing dozens of thoughts in his mind, he would then say the most effective response. For a man like Peran Jun, such a seemingly difficult process was as easy as breathing while exchanging words with his opponent.
âAfter the meeting, we sent a few of our people to Matuui. We should receive a report in a week at the latest.â
âAre you saying that we should have our conversation then?â
âThat is an option. It wouldnât be a problem to end this here.â
âHowever, if that was the case, then you wouldnât be able to take advantage of the merit of âfinding Diabloâs specific locationâ.
Lylia easily understood Peranâs unspoken words and sighed inwardly.
Although sheâd expected it, it really wasnât easy.
She recalled Irisâ instructions.
Sheâd told her that there was no need to overly apply pressure to them. It was fine to just maintain their relationship with the Alliance as it was now. After the events of that meeting, that thought must have grown much stronger.
Ivan and Snow were clearly not on good terms with each other.
What Iris wanted was to get Snow to help her drive Ivan out completely, but Snow was no fool. This was proven by the âcompletely neutralâ stance she had been prattling about. Breaking it would be impossible even for Iris.
ââŚI lost again.â
Lylia pouted slightly as she grumbled as if sheâd been wronged.
It was only then that Peran smiled slightly, his business-like expression fading.
âIt wasnât easy. Maybe there will be a different result next time.â
âThatâs what you said last time.â
âDid I?â
The two looked at each other before smiling.
Even those who didnât know them would be able to tell they were family from their smiles that were almost identical.
âI havenât seen you in such a long time, big brother.â
âIâm glad youâre well, Lylia.â
The order seemed to have been mixed up, but they finally started their reunion conversation.
âYou seem to have become even more beautiful. Iâm sure the line of suitors stretches on for miles.â
âIâve heard about marriage so much that Iâm starting to get tired of it.â
âIt seems to me that youâve become more popular than when you were a socialite.â
âThatâs true, but 90% of them are only after my background anyway.â
She was just being humble.
The true number was not 90%, it was probably closer to 60%.
The rest were young men who had truly fallen in love with Lylia.
âWhat about Father?â
âHeâs well. It would be nice if big brother could send a letter every now and then though.â
âRight. Iâll write one sooner or later.â
Lylia rolled her eyes inwardly. This was a conversation that they repeated every year.
And far from sending a letter, Peran hadnât even set foot on the family property since his departure. And just like before, he wouldnât send any letters either.
âBy the way, shouldnât big brother start a family soon?â
âHuh?â
âThe Rainstorm, Lady Sonia, is waiting for you.â
Peran made an embarrassed expression when he saw Lyliaâs mischievous smile.
The Rainstorm, who was waiting, was Peranâs former fiancee.
âOur relationship isnât like that.â
âThatâs an excuse that couples always use when theyâre now starting to connect.â
âNo. Iâm serious. Besides⌠now really isnât the time for that. I still have many things to do.â
Of course, Lylia knew that Peran was usually busy almost 24hrs a day. He didnât have the time to give someone his heart.
Her mischievous expression soon became clouded by worry.
âIâm worried about you, big brother. If you keep running around like that, you wonât even notice when your body canât take it anymore. Itâs only after you stop, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that youâll finally notice just how much youâre overworking yourself.â
ââŚâ
âSometimes itâs good to take a break. Any kind is fine. Whether itâs by making love to a lover or immersing yourself in a hobby. Or even spending time with close friends.â
Lylia looked deeply into Peranâs eyes for a moment before continuing.
ââŚwell, I donât think big brother has a single person you can call a close friend anyway.â
âI do.â
âHuh?â
âA friend.â
Peran smiled brightly.
âI have one.â
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