The princess's cold, noble, and yet disgusted gaze was truly an exquisite delicacy, worthy of being branded into the depths of one's soul for careful appreciation.
Thank you, that felt good.
Wait, no! You were the one who leaned in close, so why am I the one being treated like a rogue? Even for trap-baiting, this is a bit too blunt!
For some reason, my royal sister has a deep prejudice against me, always finding ways to attack and criticize the prince of Qingxi.
Fortunately, Faust’s mental fortitude was remarkably strong. Yusewood’s disparagement didn't bother him at all. One could only say the princess was still too refined; she couldn't bring herself to use truly vulgar profanities. In fact, her icy mockery felt more like a reward to Faust.
Refreshing. Truly refreshing.
Faust nodded gently and said with a smile, "I have something to discuss with you. Is now a convenient time, Royal Sister?"
"Wait a moment."
Yusewood’s sage-blue eyes sized Faust up before she closed the door.
After a short wait, the princess invited Faust inside.
It was Faust’s first time in his sister’s room. Yusewood’s chambers... how to put it? They perfectly matched her temperament. There was no extravagant or expensive furniture; the cool-toned décor of sky blue and pale gray created an atmosphere of restraint and mystery.
The space where a vanity should have been was occupied by a star-gazing platform. Outside the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows, there were no buildings to block the view, allowing for a direct gaze at the heavens.
Various bookshelves lined the corners, while scrolls and grimoires were piled on a small table, with alchemy tools placed nearby.
If Faust hadn't caught a whiff of a heart-soothing fragrance, he wouldn't have even thought this was the room of a young maiden.
Faust didn't look around excessively, as the gaze Yusewood directed at him was already turning cold.
The princess of Qingxi was naturally beautiful. Even without any magical potions or makeup, she was incredibly gorgeous. Wearing only simple loungewear with her silver-gray hair cascading down her shoulders, she possessed an ethereal, otherworldly air.
Yes, her figure was quite fairy-like as well.
For some reason, while Yusewood had clearly taken the time to tidy the room, she had forgotten to put on an extra coat. Her sleeveless shirt and short skirt were quite revealing.
Faust tried his best to look away. There was no doubt that if his gaze wandered, his royal sister would catch him and mock him ruthlessly.
Yusewood sat down by the table and raised her snowy, delicate chin. "So, what do you intend to say?"
"Royal Sister, I have a humble request..."
The Qingxi prince took a deep breath and explained his purpose.
He hoped Yusewood would act as co-regent with him.
Being rejected was only to be expected. Faust had long prepared himself for a harsh lecture and had mentally rehearsed how to persuade her.
Even if he couldn't convince her, it wouldn't matter; the point was to try.
"..."
The silver-haired princess scrutinized Faust for a long time. Just as in their previous meetings, after a period of silence, she spoke slowly.
"I am curious... Faust. Not long ago, you were celebrating your impending ascension to the throne with great joy. Your purpose all along was nothing more than to satisfy a greater lust for power."
"To that end, you would feign an image of wisdom and patience, showing concern and care for the citizens. To that end, you could overcome your nature of laziness and self-indulgence, working day and night. To that end, you categorized everyone into hierarchies, calculating their value."
"You craved prestige and glory so much, loathing and fearing mediocrity. Why have you abandoned everything you fought for in just a few short months?"
Faust: "..."
Stop it, stop it! I’m breaking into a cold sweat!
Yusewood’s words were like a sharp scalpel, precisely cutting open the prince’s chest, analyzing the purpose behind every action and pointing out the essence with piercing accuracy.
Faust had never felt so seen through before. Yusewood’s understanding of him far exceeded his imagination.
Now, the excuses he had prepared were completely useless. But that was fine; honesty was his final trump card.
The Qingxi prince pursed his lips and replied, "I simply realized how ridiculous my previous methods were. I used means I thought were clever and felt smug about them. Thinking back now, I didn't understand what was truly precious."
These words were absolutely true. If he hadn't learned about the existence of the wheel of destiny, Faust would likely have continued racing toward a bad ending.
Yusewood blinked and said, "Is it because of Viviana? Did that girl... change you?"
"It’s not entirely because of Viviana. More so, I realized it myself, with the help of the fairy."
"Is that so?"
A light shimmered in the silver-haired princess’s sage-blue eyes as she pondered something.
After a while, she suddenly looked at the Qingxi prince and asked, "Faust, do you love Viviana?"
"Love... I don't like to speak of love lightly. It’s a heavy word."
Faust frowned and said, "But to me, Viviana is worth more than the wealth and power of an entire nation."
A lover with the "witch" fate who could grow indefinitely—hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to such a top-tier fate!
"That sounds like something you would say. If you said she was worth more than everything, that would be truly surprising."
The corners of Yusewood’s mouth curled slightly, and she said, "Very well. You indeed have changed. Let it be so. Go and enjoy your youth like others your age."
The silver-haired princess gently toyed with her ponytail and said, "My governance of the kingdom won't be as meticulous as yours. I'll only put some effort into it when you are not around."
"Royal Sister!"
Hearing words that were equivalent to an agreement, Faust cried out in joy.
Unlike his usual polite greetings, this "sister" contained some genuine emotion.
Yusewood seemed taken aback as well. Her cold and reserved expression shifted instantly. Her slender fingers wound through her hair as she looked away.
"Well... I am your sister, after all."
Faust wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he saw a smile on Yusewood’s exquisite face.
It wasn't a cold smile or a mocking one, but a genuine, joyful smile.
Could his royal sister actually make such an expression?
Since the atmosphere was so good, he didn't feel like asking anything else and took his leave, satisfied.
After the Qingxi prince left, Yusewood took a grimoire from the shelf and slowly opened it. At the same time, she pulled a plush doll from a drawer.
The handmade doll looked quite cute. If Faust were still there, he would have recognized at a glance that it was made in his likeness.
Yusewood placed the doll that looked like her brother against her neck, tilting her head to hold it in place while she flipped through the grimoire. Seeing the text on the page blur and change, she murmured softly, 'The future... has changed.'
But soon, Yusewood saw something in the book that made her fair face flush slightly. Her brows knitted together, and she cursed softly, "Still a lecherous bastard!"
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