The Windsor Family's Preparations and Elder Brother's Melancholy

The Imperial Capital, Windsor family mansion. Unlike the fortress-like style of the Hohenzollern family in the Northern Territory, the Windsor residence was far more luxurious, exquisite, and opulent. Instead of rigid, militaristic lines, the mansion was filled with artistic curves, dotted with priceless artworks, silk tapestries from the East, and magic lamps cleverly embedded in the walls and ceilings, providing constant illumination. The air was filled with the subtle scent of noble spices, and the servants were impeccably dressed and moved silently, everywhere showcasing the family's status as the "Imperial Capital's financiers."

However, the Windsor mansion had recently been replaced from its usual tranquility by a tense yet orderly busyness. The servants' footsteps quickened considerably, and the butler's voice could be heard intermittently in the corridors, confirming various arrangements. The grand banquet hall was being redecorated, silver cutlery was polished to a mirror shine, and the freshest flowers, ordered from the royal gardens, were being delivered by the cartload. Everything was being prepared for an upcoming significant event—the eighteenth Coming-of-Age Ceremony for one of the family's most outstanding daughters, Elisa von Windsor.

In the private study in the west wing of the mansion, belonging to the heir of the family, Victor von Windsor had just concluded a lengthy meeting with the family's chief steward. He removed his crisp military officer's uniform jacket, clad only in a well-fitting white silk shirt, the collar slightly unbuttoned, revealing his strong neck. He rubbed his temples, a hint of unconcealed fatigue on his face, but his light brown eyes remained sharp as they scanned the banquet schedule, guest seating chart, menu, and gift registry spread across the desk.

"The guest list has been finalized and confirmed. Invitations to the Royal Family, the Three Great Dukes, the Eight Great Marquises, and other important families have all been sent via magic communication or personal courier. We are currently tallying the replies, and no key figures are expected to be absent," reported the chief steward, an elderly man with impeccably combed hair and dressed in a black formal suit, respectfully.

"Regarding security, we have coordinated with the Imperial Capital guards and the Ministry of Internal Affairs under Duke Soros to deploy additional plainclothes personnel. I have personally adjusted the patrol shifts for the mansion's guards to ensure foolproof safety," added Victor's deputy, a steady middle-aged Knight.

"All necessary ingredients, beverages, and flowers for the banquet have been procured. Ice crystal grapes from the south and deep-sea bluefin tuna will be delivered early that morning via magical cold chain to ensure freshness," the steward in charge of procurement followed up.

Victor listened carefully to each report, occasionally posing detailed questions: "In which area are the Metternich family members being seated? The distance between their seats and the Hohenzollern family's must be sufficient... Review the band's playlist again, and remove any pieces that might cause controversy or be misconstrued... Miss Elisa's attire and jewelry for the day are personally overseen by the head lady-in-waiting, ensuring perfection..."

His thinking was meticulous and thorough, displaying a composure and control that belied his age. This was not just a Coming-of-Age Ceremony, but a crucial political and social event, a key moment for the Windsor family to display its strength and solidify its network of relationships, allowing no room for error. As the future heir of the family, he had to ensure everything was perfect.

However, when all the administrative discussions concluded and he was alone in the study, Victor walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window and gazed out at the meticulously manicured garden. The calm mask of an heir gradually faded from his face, replaced by a complex, ineffable melancholy.

His sister Elisa was about to come of age.

The little girl who always followed him, who, despite her perpetually serious expression, would secretly slip him healing salves when he was injured during sword practice; the sister with astonishing magical talent that amazed all the elders of the family; the girl with a cool and stubborn personality, yet whose eyes would sparkle when listening to his knightly tales under the starry sky... In the blink of an eye, she was about to reach a turning point in her life.

For noblewomen, a Coming-of-Age Ceremony was not merely a marker of age, but a clear signal: she was now eligible for marriage, about to leave her original family, join another, and begin a new life.

And it was to the Hohenzollern family that Elisa would join. The man she would marry was Leon von Hohenzollern.

The thought of Leon made Victor's brow furrow. A wave of oppression washed over his chest. That rake, incompetent, infamous good-for-nothing! How dare he? How dare he marry his sister, as radiant as a pearl? Victor's mind flashed with images of Leon frequenting casinos and taverns, his low abilities yet arrogant demeanor, and even more so, the absurd scene at the Knight Academy entrance not long ago, where that idiot had a nosebleed looking at his sister Eleanor!

Anger, unwillingness, and a deep sense of powerlessness swept over Victor. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. As a brother, how he wished his sister could marry a hero truly worthy of her, a young talent like Karl Hohenzollern (though from an opposing family, Victor inwardly acknowledged his excellence), or at least an upright, ambitious man who could protect and respect her! Not Leon, that good-for-nothing!

This engagement was arranged years ago by his grandfather and the Old Hohenzollern Marquis, involving the stability of the Northern Territory and the marriage alliance of two major military-financial powers. It was a matter that affected everything, and pulling one thread could unravel the whole tapestry. Even though the Windsor family was richer than the state, and even though Victor was a High Knight with a promising future, he could not easily shake this engagement based on family interests. He could only watch as his sister jumped into a "fire pit." This powerlessness made him feel worse than facing the most powerful enemy.

"Sigh..." A barely audible sigh escaped Victor's lips. He remembered when Elisa was injured by a magic backlash as a child, and he carried her halfway across the mansion to find a healing mage; he remembered the first time she successfully cast a spell, and though her expression remained unchanged, the light in her purple eyes flickered; he remembered his father stroking his head and saying, "Victor, you are the elder brother, you must protect your sister."

But now, how could he protect her? All he could do seemed to be to prepare the most glorious and grand Coming-of-Age Ceremony for her within the family's wings and rules, so that everyone would see how much the Windsor family valued their daughter, and so that the Hohenzollern family, and that Leon, would not dare to slight her too much; to prepare the most generous dowry for her when she married, giving her enough confidence in her in-laws; and in the future, to use the Windsor family's influence to secretly support her, and have the ability to intervene if she was wronged...

But this was, after all, an external force. His sister's future happiness largely depended on that unreliable Leon! The thought sent a pang through Victor's heart.

"Brother?" a cool voice sounded from the study doorway.

Victor snapped back to attention, quickly suppressing the emotions on his face, and turned around. His expression had already returned to its usual composure. Elisa was standing at the door, dressed in a simple light blue casual dress, her silver hair tied back as usual, her purple eyes calmly looking at him.

"Elisa, why are you here? The ladies-in-waiting are handling the preparations, you just need to get ready," Victor tried to make his voice sound light and natural.

"Just came to see," Elisa entered the study, her gaze sweeping over the piles of documents on the desk. "Is it very troublesome?"

"It's alright, everything is going smoothly." Victor walked to her side, looking at his sister's still calm and placid face, his heart filled with mixed emotions. She always seemed like this, calm as if she were not a girl facing a major turning point in her life. Was it true calmness, or was she deeply suppressing her emotions? He would prefer the latter, at least it would mean she cared.

"The gift... from the Hohenzollern family, is there any news?" Victor hesitated for a moment before asking. He had actually learned through his channels that Leon had purchased an expensive "Starlight Sapphire" brooch from the Star Radiance Merchant Guild, but he wanted to hear his sister's opinion.

Elisa's eyelashes fluttered slightly, her tone still flat, "Young Master Leon seems to have prepared a brooch."

"Oh?" Victor raised an eyebrow. "He's quite willing to spend money." There was a hint of undisguised sarcasm in his tone. Spending money to save face was indeed that good-for-nothing's usual tactic.

Elisa didn't reply. She walked to the window and stood beside Victor, gazing at the garden outside. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said softly, "Brother, don't worry."

Victor froze and turned to look at his sister's perfect profile. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting dappled light on her silver eyelashes.

"The path of magic is long and endless. Marriage is merely an interlude," Elisa's voice was soft but carried an undeniable firmness. "I will continue on my path."

Victor was stunned. He looked at his sister and suddenly understood. His sister was never a delicate flower that needed to be kept in a greenhouse. She was a phoenix about to soar into the heavens, her world far vaster than marriage and family. Perhaps, the one who truly couldn't let go was him, her brother.

A complex emotion surged in his heart, a mix of relief, heartache, and an ineffable pride. He reached out his hand, intending to ruffle his sister's hair as he did when they were children, but stopped halfway. His sister had grown up.

In the end, he simply patted Elisa's shoulder lightly, his voice deep and firm: "Yes. No matter what, the Windsor family will always be your backing. I will always be your brother."

Elisa tilted her head slightly and glanced at Victor. A faint, almost warm emotion seemed to flicker in her purple eyes, but it vanished in an instant. She nodded gently: "I know."

With that, she turned and left the study, her back still cool and upright.

Victor watched in the direction his sister had left, silent for a long time. The melancholy in his heart had not completely dissipated, but it seemed to have been infused with a new strength. Yes, his sister was Elisa von Windsor, a genius destined to become a Grand Archmage. A Coming-of-Age Ceremony, a marriage engagement, might just be a footnote in her legendary life.

What he needed to do now was to ensure that this footnote was written as perfectly as possible. Then, he would continue to stand behind her, being her most steadfast support.

The sunlight outside was just right, and the roses in the garden were in full bloom. The hustle and bustle of the Windsor mansion continued, laying the most magnificent stage for the pearl who was about to experience her most important moment. But the protagonist at the center of the stage, her gaze, had already turned towards the more distant starry sky belonging to magic.