V2: Chapter 41: Everything, All for My Beloved Sister

"Put it on properly, Miss Natalie," Liang Di said with a smile, inwardly cursing, "Don't be so careless next time. My sister is right, precious things shouldn't be given to children."

After saying this, Liang Di turned her head and was startled. She discovered that her sister Liang Lin's hair was on fire, almost bursting into flames.

Liang Di was so frightened that she shrank back like a quail.

Although she didn't know what she had done wrong, since her sister was angry, then she must have done something wrong! Correct it! Correct it thoroughly!

"What were you thinking just now?" Liang Lin's eyes were blazing with anger.

Liang Di, feeling guilty, looked away and scratched her head. "Uh... I was afraid Carol would break the necklace, so I... panicked."

"But I already had the necklace in my hand! Why did you slide tackle me?" Liang Lin was still thinking about that slide tackle; this was no longer an option.

She didn't know how to continue the story. Even if Liang Di was clever, she didn't know how to explain that sudden slide tackle.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong. I won't do it again next time, Sister, I know I was wrong."

Liang Di lowered her head, meek and submissive, completely henpecked. Apologizing was easier than eating or drinking soup for her. This straightforward apology silenced Liang Lin, who had been planning to scold Liang Di.

"...Fine," Liang Lin said, her face flushed, finally managing to stammer, "I'll let you off this time. But if there's a next time, I'll show you why my fists are so hard."

Hardened, her fist hardened.

Natalie listened to the two sisters' playful banter, momentarily stunned. As Liang Lin and Liang Di sat down, Natalie smiled and said, "You two sisters have such a good relationship."

"Of course~"

"Huh—? Me and her? Don't be silly."

It wasn't even necessary to say which was Liang Lin and which was Liang Di; just by their tone, it was clear who was speaking.

Natalie looked somewhat forlorn. "I only have a younger brother, and he's like a stranger to me. If only I could have an older sister or younger sister like you."

"Just sisters without blood ties," Liang Di suddenly emphasized.

What she meant was that without blood ties, they could hold hands, talk about feelings, and have all sorts of intimate moments. But Liang Lin misunderstood.

"What do you mean?" Liang Lin snapped.

Liang Di: "?"

Innocent face, completely bewildered + "Did I do/say something wrong again?"

Liang Lin felt the other person meant they weren't close, that there was no affection between them. However, Liang Lin, who had just slammed her hand on the table and stood up, sat back down.

Wait a minute, what was there to be angry about? We aren't blood-related sisters, and what she said wasn't wrong. My overreaction was the problem.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about something from the past, uh, well, something that made me angry." Liang Lin said dejectedly, crossing her arms and hugging her shoulders tightly.

Liang Lin felt that Liang Di acted strangely around Natalie, staring intently at her with an unspeakable emotion in her eyes.

Could she really have fallen for Natalie?

Liang Lin frowned, her discomfort growing stronger.

Good heavens, these two sisters were each angry with themselves, while poor Natalie was still completely oblivious, diligently playing the role of a clownish woman in unrequited love.

Natalie stayed at the Langwendi residence until just before dinner. Before leaving, still somewhat reluctant to part, she said to Liang Lin, "Miss Liang Lin, the celebration is in a few days. May I invite you to go out and have some fun?"

Before Liang Lin could agree, Liang Di flatly refused, "We're going to be with our family. It wouldn't be appropriate to bring an outsider to such a celebration, would it?"

"Uh..." Natalie frowned slightly.

This time, she was certain that Liang Di harbored a great deal of hostility and hatred towards her. Every word she uttered was directed at her, a direct attack.

"It's alright," Natalie smiled, putting on her white top hat. "Perhaps we'll even bump into each other, Miss Liang Lin~"

As she spoke, she winked at Liang Lin, "Then, see you at the celebration~"

Before Liang Di could react again, Natalie left with her personal maid.

Seeing Natalie leave, Liang Lin dropped her act, her face immediately falling. She rolled her eyes at Liang Di, turned around, and walked upstairs without looking back, intending to return to her room.

This girl, her mind was still preoccupied with that fatal slide tackle.

Liang Di had successfully misunderstood.

"Why did Sister Liang Lin look at me like that just now?" she asked fearfully, biting her thumb, her eyes wide and trembling. "Could it be... could it be because she wants to go to the festival with that woman Natalie? Because I refused to her invitation, she's unhappy? No, no, it can't be...!"

"Pfft~"

Her thumb was bitten, and blood flowed into Liang Di's mouth. She swallowed, trying hard to control herself and calm down.

She truly couldn't imagine how crazy she would become if Liang Lin fell in love with someone else, what terrible things she might do. Even the thought of Liang Lin falling in love with someone else and breaking up with her made her tremble with fear, her body convulse.

If, if that really happened, then, then…! I would break Liang Lin's legs, yes, make myself her own savior, her own golden throne.

“I don’t want this either…”

Liang Di continued biting her thumb, as if oblivious to the pain.

“If that day ever comes, then, Liang Lin, you forced me to do this.”

“I can’t let you leave me, no matter what method I use. If I really can’t win your heart, then in the end, I’ll just have to have you.”

No matter how much she wanted to change, her nature couldn’t be changed. Liang Di’s terrifying possessiveness and all sorts of twisted thoughts could never be completely eliminated. She changed for Liang Lin, and she could change back for Liang Lin too.

“Everything, it’s all for Liang Lin…”

Earl Clyde and Earl Cumberland got into a fight over chess tokens.

It started when Earl Clyde wanted to buy the tokens from Earl Cumberland. Earl Cumberland initially agreed, but then Duke Greg entered the fray, offering a higher price. The greedy Earl Cumberland, especially since Greg was a duke—far superior to his minor earldom—was tempted. He planned to inflate the price and extort a hefty sum from either of them, so he told Earl Clyde about it.

At first, Earl Clyde reluctantly complied, adding some silver coins. Earl Cumberland happily informed Duke Greg, who, being wealthy, readily added several gold coins.

However, when Earl Cumberland relayed the news to Earl Clyde, Clyde was displeased.

"Are you trying to extort me, Lord Cumberland? Do you think I'm a sucker? We agreed on a price from the beginning, and you agreed, then suddenly went back on your word. I even kindly added more silver coins for you, but you're going too far, trying to raise the price even higher."

Lord Cumberland was also displeased upon hearing this.

“Duke Greg offered a much higher price than you. Who would turn down money? You may not have the funds, but you can't stop me from selling my tokens, can you? I've been holding back my gambling impulses for so long, saving them up!”

“Earl Cumberland, you should at least have some integrity! You're just like me, an earl, but seeing that Greg is a duke, you turn into a dog, wagging your tail at him?”

“Clyde! You're calling me a dog?”

“Yes, look at you now, aren't you just a dog for the dukes?”

“*** (vulgar language)!”

“***** (friendly insults to the other party's family)!”

“********* (a series of curse)!!!”

“******* (insults to ancestors for eighteen generations)!!!”

“***** (attacks on the other party's physiology)!!!”

Clyde didn't dare to insult Duke Greg, who was of higher status than him. He was seething with anger, so he could only vent it on Cumberland, who was of similar status.  

The servants didn't dare utter a single word.

The more they argued, the louder they became, the dirtier the words, the closer they got. Finally, the two earls started rolling up their sleeves, ready for a big fight.

Very well, Earl Clyde made the first move! He threw a beautiful left hook! Hard…missing Cumberland's face, the punch missed completely, Cumberland didn't even flinch. It wasn't that he didn't want to dodge, he simply didn't react, just stood there dumbfounded.

Only after Clyde's fist missed did he realize what was happening, yelling and staggering back a few steps, trying to dodge.

The surrounding servants: “…”

They didn't understand.

The other guy's punch clearly missed, so why did you dodge?!

Cumberland, as if his reaction was slow, his brain not fully developed, suddenly, tumbled backward. Then, he tripped over the edge of the carpet, fell on his backside, and started yelling and screaming loudly.

The servants, as if waking from a dream, rushed over and each protected their master.

And so it went.

The news that "Earl Clyde attacked Earl Cumberland, beating him so badly he couldn't get up from the ground" spread like wildfire.

When Bellica finished telling Liang Di and Liang Lin this, Liang Lin couldn't hold back anymore. She collapsed onto the sofa, laughing like a fool, clutching her stomach, unable to get up.

"A hook punch... Hahaha!"

Liang Di couldn't help but chuckle at the incident, feigning seriousness.

"That's good. There's more and more conflict in the noble circles now. My Chess Arena is just a catalyst, exacerbating and intensifying their contradictions. They already have many conflicts."

Bellica pulled out several large bags of gold coins.

"Miss, this is the money from selling tokens recently."

Tokens are priceless.

“Hmm.”

Liang Di gripped her quill pen tightly. “The royal family has their eyes on our chess arena. But a chess arena isn't a long-term solution. Once we've made enough money and the conflicts have escalated enough, we can withdraw. Right now, we don't have the power to really contend with the royal family.”

Bellica adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses. “Hmm, recently there have been more and more conflicts among the nobles, although most are below the rank of marquis, but…”

“That’s enough. I heard that some families have stopped having any financial dealings. They’re not interacting with each other, so we’re the ones who benefit.”

Liang Di looked at the papers in front of her and pointed to them for Bellica.

“We can cooperate with these families, lower their prices. But you probably don’t need to do that; these families aren’t doing too well lately, hehe~”

Liang Lin looked at Liang Di’s sinister smile, and only one thought crossed her mind:

A profiteer!

Definitely a profiteer!

A profiteer who exploits others!  

"There's a royal ball in a few days. Let's go over and find out if anything's been going on. Then we'll immediately sell all the tokens at a high price."

Liang Lin, with her limited intelligence, didn't quite understand. She gave Liang Di a questioning look.

Liang Di patiently explained, "It's like this, the ones I've had Bellica sell lately are all counterfeit; a careful inspection will reveal them."

"If there's any trouble within the royal family, it'll be directed at the chess arena—no, more accurately, the casino, hehe~"

Liang Di let out another sinister laugh.

"They're going to target the casino, and it's very likely not just our family. Lately, the conflicts among the nobles have been increasing; how could that useless old king not have noticed? Sooner or later, he'll settle accounts with us, so before this happens again..."

"We can just withdraw ourselves."

"As for how to withdraw, it'll be bankruptcy; we can just ruin our own business."

"Once there are more tokens, they'll become cheaper. Once the balance is disrupted... I can have some insignificant rumors spread, and I can play the 'loser,' smoothly bringing down our casino."

Having finished explaining all this in one breath, Liang Di looked at Liang Lin expectantly, her eyes sparkling, hoping for praise.

However, Liang Lin said: "I didn't understand, but it sounded pretty impressive."

"Uh, impressive."

She even gave a thumbs up.

Liang Lin was always good at praising people.

"I've earned enough money, so I can leave now. It's time to study other things."

Liang Di asked Liang Ling, "Sister Liang Lin, there's a ball at the palace in a few days. Will you come with me?"

To be honest, Liang Lin didn't really like attending those kinds of places. They were boring, and you had to force yourself to flatter them. The conversations were dull and tasteless.

"No," Liang Lin refused, using Carol as an excuse, "I have to stay home to take care of Carol."

"Oh..."

Liang Di looked disappointed, her back slumped.

Liang Di muttered softly, "I don't want to have anything to do with Gael. He's really annoying."

Hearing that familiar name, Liang Lin became interested.

"Him? What happened to him?"

Liang Di didn't hide anything. "The king seems to have taken a liking to me. He's been sending Gael to harass me."

The king... he's taken a liking to her...?!

Liang Lin was shocked.

She had successfully misunderstood again.

"Then, what about Doris?" Liang Lin's voice changed, trembling.

This is terrifying! How perverted is this king?

He's so old, almost old enough to be Liang Di's grandfather, and he's still interested in an eighteen-year-old girl?!

Liang Di gave Liang Lin a strange look, not expecting the other to misunderstand.

"Doris? What can Doris do? Of course, she won't agree."

Liang Lin nodded vigorously. "Yes, that's right. It would be a miracle if she agreed."

Her husband liked a girl younger and prettier than her, so she definitely couldn't agree! How infuriating!

This time, Liang Lin declared she was on Doris's side.

"Then, doesn't that old king have a conscience?" Liang Lin was indignant for Liang Di.

"What conscience does he have to feel? He's only after the Langwendi family's wealth. I've never seen him value me much before."

Liang Di sighed.

Liang Lin thought for a moment, her sense of justice growing stronger. She slammed her hand on the table, startling the tentacle-like girl beside her.

"I'll go with you!"

Of course, one should help those in need in this situation!

"Okay~"

Liang Di was puzzled by Liang Lin's change, but happy that Liang Lin would go with her, so she didn't think too much about it and happily went to prepare a dress for Liang Lin.

Two days later.

Liang Lin, wearing the burgundy dress Liang Di had prepared for her, twirled twice in front of the mirror.

The girl was almost eighteen.

Liang Lin looked at herself in the mirror, somewhat dazed.

She had been a girl for almost two years. The events of those two years were more exciting and unforgettable than her eighteen years as a boy.

The girl in the mirror had her shoulders exposed, made even more fair and delicate by the burgundy dress. Liang Lin stared blankly at herself, only then realizing that her once waist-length black hair had grown below her hips.

She slowly walked to the mirror, raised her hand, and gently touched her face in the mirror with her fingertips. The girl's naiveté had faded considerably, replaced by a mature and composed air.

Since she became Liang Lin, the girl's appearance had changed. What was once soft and gentle now had increasingly upturned eyes, a more prominent nose, and Liang Lin even liked to wear bright red lipstick. She was becoming increasingly fierce, increasingly resembling a villainous heiress.

Only someone with Liang Lin's looks could pull off such a deathly bright red. Luckily, she preferred bright red to that garish Barbie pink, otherwise… it's unimaginable.

"Sister Liang Lin, are you ready?"

Liang Di peeked in.

The moment she saw Liang Lin, she couldn't help but smile.

Sure enough, I knew it. My Sister Liang Lin was perfectly suited to a burgundy dress; her entire aura is… wow! 

Liang Di nodded involuntarily.

"Ready? Let's go."

Today, a tough battle was brewing.

Liang Lin wanted to see what the old, perverted king, who had tried to kill her and then "set his sights" on Liang Di, was like now.

Liang Lin was also quite afraid; what if she couldn't control herself and killed the old king?

Even if it was the monarch she was supposed to protect, after attempting to kill her, she would seek revenge.