Westheid tilted his head. "You seem to have misunderstood something. I don't feel the slightest bit of pity for Reiya. If I did, I wouldn't have been able to speak with her at all."
To someone as resilient as Reiya, so-called pity is the ultimate form of discrimination and insult. She would never accept any condescending charity.
The man pressed a hand to his chest and spoke in a tone that was almost reverent:
"I feel only pure adoration and respect."
This was the attitude Westheid had always taken toward Reiya. It was the only way to open the Silver-haired Princess's heart.
Rozana studied Duke Qinghui for a few moments, then frowned and said:
"Your taste... When did it become so peculiar?"
Westheid replied, "If we're talking about my kinks, they've never changed. They're perfectly healthy and normal, as you of all people should know. But my feelings for Reiya... they're an admiration that transcends affection."
Rozana could clearly see a sincere and brilliant glint emerge in the man's indigo eyes, as if his gaze reflected not a mixed-blood cripple loathed by the Divine Ancestor with no future,
but a fire of the spirit, a light of hope.
The dazzling light in his eyes made the Half-Elf Maid's chest burn.
"Duke Qinghui... You feel things so deeply."
Paying no mind to the Silver-haired Princess standing not far away, she walked up to Westheid, bit his earlobe, and then began planting soft kisses all over Duke Qinghui's cheek.
"And you said you weren't jealous... Do you have too much time on your hands?"
"Yuanxi Palace ordered me to handle the terms of your bet for the next few days, and to take note of what you do... Yuanxi Palace finds you very interesting. Hmph, you truly are a sinful man."
Rozana's voice was filled with disgust, a stark contrast to her actions.
Westheid, in turn, patted the Half-Elf Maid's smooth, delicate back.
"Not here. I'll have time later."
"What, has Duke Qinghui not told the Princess about your... lifestyle? I thought that while you may be debauched, you were at least an honest man."
Westheid looked at Reiya, who was staring blankly in their direction from a short distance away, and said slowly:
"I still am. I haven't hidden anything from Reiya. Not now, and not ever."
"Then she has even less reason to have an opinion. Otherwise, even an outsider like me, who cares little for tainted Dragon Blood, would have to look down on her."
Growing bolder, Rozana wrapped her arms around Westheid's neck. The concern and care he showed for another truly made her jealous, and she deliberately acted out.
There were hundreds of noble ladies and young misses who had been intimate with Westheid, yet Rozana had never felt anything like this before.
Faced with the Half-Elf Maid's forceful demand for a kiss, Westheid did not refuse.
Only after a long, deep kiss was Rozana satisfied.
"Alright, I won't disturb you two any longer... Until next time, Duke Qinghui."
Miss Half-Elf Maid swaggered away as if in triumph.
"Childish."
Westheid shook his head. While Rozana's behavior was indeed improper, he also felt it was just right.
In fact, he had brought Rozana here with the express intention of provoking Reiya.
'It's time to turn up the heat on Reiya.'
After a moment, Westheid walked over to the Silver-haired Princess, who was pretending that nothing was amiss, and asked:
"How does it feel? Are you used to it yet?"
"Mm, I don't feel anything strange. This kind of prosthetic... it must be very valuable, right?"
Reiya said this pointedly. She knew of Westheid's financial difficulties; hiring a Light Casting Technician... that kind of wealth was definitely beyond his means.
Westheid shrugged. "It is very expensive, but I'm not the one who paid for it."
"Was it that... Miss Rozana? What is her relationship with... West?"
Reiya asked tentatively, then immediately shook her head. "If you don't want to answer, West, then I'm sorry. After all, you have your own life."
Seeing the Silver-haired Princess's hesitant expression, Westheid chuckled.
"It's nothing, really. Rozana... is a friend of mine in the Imperial Capital, you could say."
'What kind of "friend" are you talking about?'
The Silver-haired Princess fiddled with the stray lock of hair on her forehead and bit her lip, lost in thought as she fell silent.
Westheid's eyelids lowered slightly. He suddenly said, "Is Your Highness thinking about something indecent?"
"Ah... I-I-I wasn't! I wasn't thinking about... that!"
Reiya leaned back, shaking her head repeatedly, but her words of denial were a dead giveaway.
The Silver-haired Princess was instantly overcome with embarrassment, the tips of her ears turning fiery hot.
Westheid found this reaction rather amusing. Even though she might one day become a Supreme Ruler of the Mortal World, the Reiya of today still retained a bit of a young girl's temperament.
"But I get the feeling you're thinking something very disrespectful. Let me guess... are you thinking I got this prosthetic through my performance in bed?"
Reiya couldn't meet Westheid's gaze. "I didn't say that..."
"But that's what you were thinking. I could tell... Hah, you really underestimate me. Not that you're entirely wrong, but I haven't fallen that low yet. This gift was something I won, fair and square."
Westheid tilted his head. "[Endless War Chess]. Are you familiar with it, Your Highness?"
"...That tabletop game? I've heard of it, but I've never tried it."
Reiya said, shaking her head.
Though she held the title of Princess, her treatment was likely worse than that of a servant in the Holy Tree Palace. Reiya had no power and no right to make any demands. Her only forms of entertainment were browsing the library and the Magic Net.
[Endless War Chess] was a luxury game that required money to buy cards. While not expensive—even ordinary citizens could scrape together a few decks—it was clearly out of reach for Reiya, who didn't have a single silver leaf to her name.
"I won this gift by defeating Yuanxi Palace in [Endless War Chess]."
Reiya asked, "Yuanxi Palace? Is the [Branch of Prosperity] in the Imperial Capital?"
"Mm. She approached me about aiding in the reconstruction of the Qinghui Territory. As we are both fans of the game, we naturally had a match."
"Aiding in the reconstruction of the Qinghui Territory?"
Reiya keenly caught the key point in Westheid's words, her delicate brows knitting slightly.
"West, what's this all about?"
'I was waiting for you to ask that!'
"Oh, it's nothing."
Westheid immediately adopted a nonchalant tone.
"Just some talk about providing money, supplies, and manpower to retake the Qinghui Territory. A flight of fancy, really. Retaking the Qinghui Territory is hardly that easy. The deal's off now, anyway."
Hearing this, Reiya's eyes lowered slightly. Although Westheid spoke of it lightly, she instinctively felt the full story wasn't so simple.
"West... this wasn't just a flight of fancy, was it? Someone really did want to help you retake the Qinghui Territory, but the plan was shelved for some reason."
"..."
"Was it because of me?"
"No. It was my decision."
The little bit of joy the Silver-haired Princess had managed to muster vanished into thin air. She lowered her head and said nothing for a long time.
After a long while, she finally spoke.
"An Autocratic Duke with no territory—what's the difference between that and being wiped out? West, you shouldn't be... so willful."
Even though she was imprisoned within high palace walls, Reiya was still a typical Imperial Citizen. She naturally understood just how important a family's power and prosperity were to the Imperial Nobility.
It was no exaggeration to say that if most people had a similar opportunity, they would choose to secure that aid at any cost, even if it meant sacrificing their lives and dignity.