Westheid mulled over the problem from breakfast until afternoon.
Just as he was about to leave for the banquet at the Holy Tree Palace, he stepped outside onto the staircase and saw Yolanda, who had changed into formal attire.
Yolanda was dignified and elegant in her maid uniform, but in her Knight's regalia, she was both beautiful and formidable. A sharp sword hung at her waist above a short skirt, below which white, gold-hemmed, over-the-knee socks clung to her long, well-formed legs.
The uniform of an Imperial noble Knight was a masterpiece of artistry. Its simple gold, white, and blue lines masterfully conveyed a sense of depth, splendor, and purity.
Westheid and Yolanda's eyes met. After a few seconds of silence, the young man with black hair and purple eyes spoke.
"Yolanda, do you love me?"
The fairy-like, platinum-blonde young woman sighed deeply, her magnificent purple eyes full of pity.
"Brother, my greatest fear has come true. Has your fragile mind finally snapped? You've started spouting utter nonsense."
"I thought as much."
Westheid chuckled. He was long immune to Yolanda's venomous tongue; she was just one to never pull her punches verbally.
He didn't doubt for a second that he was important to her—she would surely die for him—but her feelings weren't romantic. It was simply because he was the Patriarch of the Qinghui Clan.
'Yolanda's every thought is for the clan.'
Still, he was just testing the waters. Yolanda might have potential, but the current "Glowing Blade" probably wasn't strong enough to satisfy him. 'Her Talent would only ascend to the T1-rank after she was fused as upgrade material.'
Westheid already knew whose coattails he needed to ride.
"So, did something happen to upset you? Even if you are an utterly irredeemable degenerate, Brother, you are still the master of the Qinghui Clan. I cannot turn a blind eye to any insult directed at you."
Yolanda said with a frown.
Westheid shook his head. "I was just testing my own Charm, to see if it was enough to make someone fall in love at first sight."
"So, to add to laziness, incompetence, lechery, and frivolity, you're now showing signs of narcissism…?"
Yolanda pressed a hand to her forehead, vexed, but she stopped mid-sentence. She sized up Westheid carefully, a strange light flashing in her beautiful, pale purple eyes.
His exquisitely tailored formal suit accentuated his heroic and upright posture. His styled hair and light makeup further enhanced the handsome features of the Qinghui Clan's sole member of the Direct Lineage, making him look like a prince from a fairy tale.
"However… Brother, you have indeed charmed every young noble lady in the Imperial Capital."
Westheid smiled. "Good looks alone are useless. Can I really revive our clan with just this face?"
"Hmm… Considering your abilities are a lost cause, Brother, using your good looks to quickly entice a suitable young lady from a prestigious house into marriage would be a fine way to produce an heir and continue the family bloodline."
Upon hearing this, Yolanda actually lowered her gaze and considered it seriously for a moment before replying to Westheid.
"If that proves too difficult, you could always take more concubines. Siring several heirs would be for the best."
Westheid retorted, "Hey, don't look at me with that 'you're a lost cause so let's focus on raising the next generation' expression."
Yolanda turned her head away. "My apologies. I was out of line."
"So you were just joking, right?"
"..."
"Please, just deny it."
Yolanda presented her elegant profile to Westheid, her expression as serene as ice. "Brother, we should be going."
"So you're not denying it."
'Yolanda would never lie to me. Her evasion is a tacit admission.'
'Damn it, she really does look down on me… But I can't blame her for it.'
After the fall of the Qinghui Territory, the young Patriarch of the Qinghui Clan fled to the Imperial Capital like a beaten dog. The blow must have shattered his spirit, for he had completely given up on himself. His days were spent in endless debauchery and extravagant, unrestrained spending.
It wasn't until Yolanda came and took charge that things changed. Under her management, the Qinghui Clan was saved from bankruptcy, preventing the distinguished Duke Qinghui from ending up on the streets and becoming a laughingstock.
A car bearing the silver emblem of the Purity Forest was waiting for them outside the mansion.
Westheid and Yolanda were headed to the highest point of the Imperial Capital's Holy Root System—the very heart of the Radiant Holy Tree Empire, the Holy Tree Palace.
The Holy Tree Palace occupied nearly half of the inner Imperial Capital. It was an immense complex of palaces, its function far more than simply serving as the Royal Family's residence.
It was the Great Holy Hall where the Divine Ancestor, the Radiant Holy Tree, was worshiped; it was the administrative center where state affairs were handled; it was a public venue for high-society gatherings; and it was the gallery for the Secret Realm Trials…
Including its various retainers, over one hundred thousand people lived and worked year-round within the courts of the Holy Tree Palace, making it a veritable city within a city.
The grand, immaculate avenue leading to the Holy Tree Palace was divided into several lanes. Westheid's car entered an exclusive lane, proceeding without obstruction.
In the Empire, only a select few Autocratic Dukes were granted this privilege, and these dukes held another title.
The Branch of Prosperity.
The Celestial God revered by the Empire is the eternal and undying Radiant Holy Tree, whose roots spread throughout the land. Therefore, the Autocratic Dukes who guard the Empire are considered the very branches that ensure its prosperity.
A great deal of the family honor Yolanda so desperately cherished came from this title, Branch of Prosperity. It represented the highest echelon of the peerage, a status second only to the Royal Family in the entire Empire.
The car stopped before the main gates of the Holy Tree Palace. After handing the vehicle over to a court attendant, Westheid and Yolanda walked straight inside.
The Holy Tree Palace was a complex of buildings so luxurious it bordered on madness. Amidst splendid, exquisite gardens, courtyards, pavilions, and fountains grew exotic flowers and rare plants transplanted from all over the world. This abundance of flora made the court, which should have felt solemn and austere, seem instead to be bursting with life.
The outer grounds of the Holy Tree Palace were an unrestricted public area, bustling all day with socialites of every stripe.
"Hm, that young man… could that be Duke Qinghui?"
"Lady Yolanda is behind him, so it must be."
"Sigh… To think a great Branch of Prosperity has fallen to such a state. How tragic…"
"But Duke Qinghui… is just as handsome as the rumors say."
"..."
The moment they entered the courtyard and Westheid's family crest became visible, a wave of discussion followed.
Westheid remarked, "Not a very friendly crowd."
Yolanda's elegant brows furrowed slightly. She whispered to Westheid, "Brother, pay them no mind. Our purpose tonight is to find noble allies who will help fund our efforts to reclaim our homeland."
"You plan on asking *them*?"
Westheid glanced at the surrounding nobles and said,
"I don't want to discourage you, but these nobles living in the Imperial Capital have known peace for too long. They're content with their lives of pleasure and have no interest in the plight of an Autocratic Duke like me. My story is just amusing gossip to them. The Branches of Prosperity… we're not part of the same system as the Imperial Nobility."
Although the title "Branch of Prosperity" makes it sound like we're pillars of the Empire, a more accurate description would be vassal grand dukes with a great deal of independence.
Yolanda agreed with Westheid's assessment but wasn't nearly as pessimistic.
"Even if the nobles of the Imperial Capital refuse, someone will be willing to lend a hand. For example, the other Branches of Prosperity. I've heard that several others will be visiting the Imperial Capital for the Holy Tree Festival. We can try asking them then… It's our only option. We can't exactly rely on your abilities, can we, Brother?"