686 A Compromise

I always thought of myself as a weird girl.

Unlike my peers, I didn't feel any superiority from being born into a wealthy or powerful family.

Since childhood, I felt a sense of weight on my shoulders.

Expectations.

It was an invisible weight that most people failed to see.

But the better off your family, the higher expectations on you typically became.

My father was indeed the Mayor of Eos City. He's the one that brought this city to life.

As his daughter, I was expected to lead the city into greater glory. To take decisions that'd flourish the city even more.

This expectation—this burden wasn't mine.

It was my brother's.

But openly going against our father's wishes, he joined the military.

I was only ten back then. But life was never the same after that day.

My playtimes were cut. I was forced to take more and more study classes.

Business. Economy. Negotiations. Geoeconomics.

The list was endless.

My happy and joyful life came crashing down as I lived like a machine.

I remember I didn't smile much after that.

I was miserable.

But then I saw my brother when he returned a year later.

He had trouble walking due to a leg injury. He couldn't even sleep properly. At night, he'd often wake up in the middle and scream the names—apparently, his dead comrades.

I thought I had it much better than him.

After all, I didn't have those injuries nor would anyone let me have them. I could sleep comfortably. My friends weren't dying.

I was wrong.

Despite everything he went through, he could do one thing I couldn't.

He could smile.

A genuine smile from the bottom of his heart.

He could hug me and say "Vin, I love you."

He could pat me and say. "Vin, I missed you."

He could pinch my cheeks and say. "Vin, let's play together and have fun."

…Why?

Why was he so happy?

Despite everything he suffered, why was he able to smile?

And more importantly…

Why didn't I hate him?

I mean, he is the reason my life was miserable.

I couldn't play, had to take extra classes, and suffered due to a lot of work.

All because of him.

Then…why?

"Brother! Wait for me!"

"Hehehe! This is so sweet~ Where did you buy this chocolate?"

"Brother, I miss you too~ Come back soon, okay?"

Why didn't I hate him?

Why did I cherish him?

Was it because I was a gullible little girl?

Or…

"Father, why are you pushing Vin through so much? She's just a kid! Let her have fun!"

"You betrayed my expectations. You went your way. She needs to inherit the legacy."

"Her age is—"

"Shut up."

Was it because I saw my brother earnestly fight for me with our father?

Perhaps I understood this back then.

Father was hurt because my brother didn't follow his wishes. Brother was hurt because following his own dreams meant abandoning father's wishes.

The only bridge between them was me.

So, I did what I could to stop our family from falling apart.

I changed myself.

I stopped playing. I studied hard. I spent all my time honing my skills.

I became a model student. I gained respect—not for my background but for my achievements.

Yet deep inside, I didn't change.

I still craved my brother's affection. I still wanted my father to be happy. I still yearned for a loving family.

But with each passing year, the gap between my father and my brother kept growing.

They don't even talk anymore.

The only reason brother even visits Eos is to see me.

"And he's coming home in a few days…after this, he'll be appointed to hunting teams, you know the situation of Earth planetoids is very chaotic now. Before he leaves for something so dangerous, I want him to at least give him a proper gift." The young lady, Vin, lowered her head and answered.

Varian leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply. His mind automatically filtered out the Earth planetoids part. He was hearing this here and there, even in the news when they went out. Varian didn't want to involve himself in it.

Sarah filled the tea cup in front of Vin and with an awkward smile, the girl thanked her before gulping it down.

"D-Did you not eat anything for the past week?" Varian slapped his forehead.

"Hm…" the girl nodded with an embarrassed face. "P-Purple Sky is my brother's favorite piece. I…I kept imagining how much he'll love it once I gift him…I feared if I went to eat and you left the city, then…"

Varian covered his face and rubbed his forehead.

Looking at the girl again, he realized that due to his own reasons, he had been a bit overly harsh towards her.

From the beginning, she was earnestly trying to get a gift for her brother.

It was him who 'grabbed' the item with more money, he who didn't even relent to give it to her for a single day, and he who didn't even try to understand why she was so desperate.

Varian grabbed the 'Purple Sky' from his pocket and fiddled with it.

To him, this was a memory of his late father.

To her, it was a gift to her living brother.

Varian looked at Vin's desperate eyes and sighed deeply.

If she tried anything else. Coercion, Violence, Slander—anything, he'd have paid her back in full.

But…

She was begging him.

Sia and Sarah also noticed Varian's dilemma. However, they didn't intervene in the issue.

Even though they too felt pity for the girl, it was just that. Their experiences caused them to become extreme in relationships—they were cold towards outsiders and very caring towards loved ones.

To them, Vin was an outsider.

"…I can't give away this memory." Varian finally said and Vin's eyes welled up in tears.

"But I can give it for one day, provided I stay with your brother the whole day," Varian stated his compromise.

One day.

Just a single day.

According to Vin, her brother was a level 7.

Even if he did try anything, Varian was confident he could take care of him.

"Un! Thank you very much!" Vin stood up to bow, but her shaky legs caused her to collapse back into her seat.

Varian shook his head and snapped his fingers. A small ball of glowing light shot into the girl's body and removed her fatigue.

"Y-You're strong," Vin exclaimed as she stood up.

Varian merely nodded.

"Well, then, please come to my home tomorrow! My brother is coming sharp at 10 in the morning! Share the purple sky with him one day and I'll surely repay you later!" She gave him a deep bow and handed each of them an invitation letter.

"Ouch! I still have a lot of work!" The girl smacked her forehead in shock. Then, she gave them an embarrassed smile. "H-Haha, see you tomorrow."

Saying so, she ran off.

"That guy got a good sister," Varian muttered lightly.

Something soft enveloped him as Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and blew into his ear. "You also have a sister. I'm your senior sister, little brother~"

Varian's body stiffened at the sudden flirting.

"Pfft~"

"Hahaha~"

Looking at the two girls bursting into laughter, his eyebrows twitched.

'Revenge.'

He grabbed Sarah's arms and pulled her over.

In a quick but extremely smooth motion, she landed in his arms.

Sia was taken aback by the sudden action while Sarah wriggled in his body.

"W-Wait, what are you—Mfff."

Varian pressed his lips against her soft lips as his tongue invaded her mouth. Sarah resisted a bit at first out of shyness, but soon, she too went along.

Only after five minutes did he let her go as a saliva bridge formed between their mouths.

"Haa~ Haa~" Sarah panted heavily as she buried her face in his chest.

Sia watched on with wide eyes as if she couldn't believe what was happening.

It was her idea to tease him. She did this sometimes when they were young. She wanted Sarah to do it and play a prank on him. But he…

"I know it's your idea." Varian licked his lips and winked at her.

Sia's face blushed but she stubbornly crossed her arms and said. "So what? You can't kiss me, right?"

Varian's lips curled up and he said. "I'll see if you can say the same once the repulsion is gone."

"W-What are you going to do?" Sia asked with half-fear and half-expectation.

Varian laughed out loud. "You won't sleep that night."

At his words, both Sarah and Sia looked at each other and then turned to Varian.

"Hmm? What?"

"…"