"Ah..."
After quietly listening to his elder sister, Haruze was so startled that his mouth fell open, as if he could swallow a goose egg. Even his eyes had gone wide.
Although he had heard the rumors circulating outside, deep down, he also hoped that his teacher and his sister could remain together forever.
But hearing those words from his sister's own mouth still gave him quite a shock.
"Oneson said in his letter that this is the only way Eluin can have a bright future. He said that Mr. Brando is a man who values loyalty and affection, just like his grandfather. So only by choosing to stand with him can we avoid Eluin's division when we encounter conflicts of interest in the future..."
"But, Sister, does Eluin need such an outcome?"
She raised her head and looked through the arched window of Tree Palace. Countless silver sails drifted above the clouds, but she did not answer.
For a moment, the room fell utterly silent.
"No." Haruze suddenly broke the silence with absolute certainty.
He furrowed his handsome brows and shook his head vigorously. "Sister, Teacher isn't that kind of person. What Eluin needs is faith and a goal, not complicated interests. Doesn't what Mr. Macaro and Mr. Livuz did prove that?"
The Elf Maiden abruptly turned her head and stared at her younger brother, her silver eyes shining slightly. "Do you think so too, Haruze?"
"I..." Haruze's face reddened. "I, I, I can't really explain it, but I don't think we can do that, Sister. I... I'm not saying I don't support you and Teacher, but I feel that if we did that, it would hurt Teacher's feelings."
Griffine gave a soft snort through her nose.
She straightened up and looked down at her only younger brother. Then