Evelor was slumped over the living room desk, flipping through a large pile of letters under the light of a desk lamp. She looked completely listless, and spirals swam in her emerald eyes.
(@﹏@)
Her long white hair was casually draped over her back. It was a little messy, giving it a fluffy appearance.
Her shapely calves dangled from the high-backed chair. Her bunny slippers had been kicked off at some point, revealing flawless feet that looked small, soft, and delicate.
Suddenly, the Dazed Hair on her forehead shot straight up. With a groggy expression, she quickly hopped off the chair and scurried to the front door.
"Sis, I'm home."
"Ooh... Yi, quick, give me a hug."
Evelor said in a cute, childish voice, then threw herself at him, hugging Lloyd's waist tightly.
"Huh? Did something upset you again?"
Lloyd asked quickly.
'Whenever my sister runs into some unhappy trouble, she hugs me just like this.'
'In her own words, it's called 'recharging'...'
After about two or three seconds, Evelor slowly let go of her younger brother. The clarity returned to her eyes, and her spirits seemed to recover.
Then, she broke into a sweet smile.
"Hee hee, as long as my Yi is by my side, I'm not afraid of anything!"
"You can't just say things like that!" Lloyd quickly advised, then changed the subject. "So, tell me what happened."
Evelor gave him a wry look and said,
"Well... let me go heat up dinner for you. We can talk while you eat."
"Okay. I actually have something to tell you about my day, too."
"Eh? Did another girl confess her love to my Yi?"
"What do you mean, 'another'? That's never happened before, okay?"
"Hee hee, it'll definitely happen a lot in the future. Once you meet a wonderful girl, get married, and have a cute little Yi, then I'll..."
"Ahem, sis, I'm hungry."
"Okay, okay, I'll go heat up dinner. Just a moment, Yi."
With that, Evelor picked up a small stool and ran to the kitchen.
Lloyd, meanwhile, walked over to the desk in the living room and looked at the large pile of letters. They were all addressed to the kind Miss Desda.
'Love letters? Or letters from readers demanding the next installment? No... my sister definitely wouldn't bring those home.'
As he mused, he noticed a few opened letters tossed casually on the desk and glanced at one:
"Dear Miss Desda:
This is my magnum opus, the culmination of three years of blood, sweat, and tears, a work born from countless bursts of inspiration and creativity. I humbly ask you to enjoy it—
*War God Reborn: I became the Veto Saint's son-in-law*
Chapter One: The War God is Wrongfully Accused
...
..."
Lloyd skimmed a few lines and made a face like an old man looking at his phone on the subway.
As for another letter next to it, the title read: *The Erotic Secret History of the Veto Saint*.
'What is all this stuff?'
Lloyd was dumbfounded. He couldn't help but wonder if the fickle Miss Desda had given up her career as a folklorist and was planning to pivot into the literary world.
'How weird! I'll take another look... yes, with a critical eye!'
He rationalized to himself, picking up the second letter and first glancing at the author's signature:
'The Wickedest Woman in the World'
He ended up reading for quite a while, until he heard his sister's voice from behind him:
"Yi, dinner's ready! Come and get it!"
Lloyd quickly put down the letter and went to help set the table.
Evelor had just clambered onto her high-backed chair, using both her hands and feet, when she suddenly asked:
"Yi, why is your face all red? Hee hee, so cute..."
"It's... it's nothing. It's just a little warm in here..."
Lloyd stammered, feeling the same embarrassment as if his sister had discovered his secret stash under the bed.
He quickly changed the subject, asking about the letters on the desk.
"Those are all submissions we solicited. Miss Desda thought collecting folklore and legends on our own was too slow, so she posted an ad asking for submissions from everyone in the city. We never expected to get so many letters..."
Evelor said, her brow slightly furrowed. She wore an expression of adult-like vexation and helplessness that, combined with her childish and cute appearance, created a unique and endearing contrast.
Then she continued,
"It's just that many of the submissions aren't folklore at all. There are poems, plays, all sorts of novels, and people who took the opportunity to send love letters to Miss Desda. There are even those... those kinds of things..."
As she spoke, a faint blush colored her cute cheeks, making her look like a sweet little apple.
"So Miss Desda left the job of screening the manuscripts to you?"
"Yep, so I have to get through them as fast as I can... How are things on your end, Yi? Did you make any new friends?"
"No, in fact, I almost lost the half-a-friend I had..."
Lloyd then told his sister about the day's events, concluding with a sigh:
"Thankfully, he pulled through."
"Mhm!"
Evelor nodded emphatically, also letting out a sigh of relief. She said,
"Even though I haven't met him, I feel like that Mr. Buster is a very good person. He's willing to teach you everything he knows without holding back. It might not be for the sake of pure friendship, but that's how most people are..."
"Anyway, I hope he gets better soon and makes it in time for his daughter's birthday... Oh, right, should we prepare a gift too? To thank him for taking care of you all this time, Yi? If they need anything, we could help out."
Lloyd nodded firmly as well.
"We should. I'll go and ask for his address tomorrow."
'My sister has always been like this, ever since we were little. She never forgets the kindness others show her.'
The next day at Tower Nine, Lloyd didn't rush to the notice board to grab a key. Instead, he first went to Weiya's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Lloyd pushed the door open and saw Weiya standing by the window, holding a cup of coffee. Her black uniform was impeccable, and the sunlight from outside traced her alluring curves, making her look like a cold yet gorgeous black rose.
Her long legs were perfectly straight, and the black stockings covering them revealed a hint of tantalizing skin under the light.
The desk beside her was, as always, neat and tidy, with not a single ornament on it.
"What is it?"
Weiya asked, taking a small sip of her coffee.
Lloyd stated his purpose:
"I wanted to ask about Executor Buster. He was sent to the mental hospital yesterday, but doesn't he have a daughter he needs to take care of?"
Weiya was silent for a moment. Then she set down her coffee, went to a nearby filing cabinet, pulled out a file, and looked through it for a bit before saying:
"His daughter and wife... they were tragically killed in an accident three years ago..."