Chapter 306: Thirteen Rent
“I was rejected.”
In the grand hall, Phinis stood by the window, gazing out at the snow-white world. He recalled Hewinia’s frightened bunny-like retreating figure, constantly shaking her head and muttering, “No, no, no, this is a big matter. I need to ask my teacher,” before she clumsily fled the scene. He couldn’t help but slightly lift the corners of his mouth.
“He really is an interesting fellow.”
Seeing Phinis care so much about Hewinia, Orenna, who was standing behind him, clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her flesh.
“Did Elder Brother co here for that woman?”
“Hmm?” Phinis turned around, looking at his sister, then smiled. “What else would it be? For you?”
Those words instantly made Orenna’s face turn pale. Her body involuntarily shook, as if she could fall over at any mont.
Still, she managed to steady herself and lifted her head, stubbornly staring at her brother. “I can do it too. I am of the sa note as her. I am only a bit… worse than her.”
Hearing Orenna’s words, Phinis’s smile grew even wider.
He did not imdiately contradict his sister, but instead slowly walked toward Orenna, speaking deliberately, with each syllable falling precisely as if on piano keys.
“You know I went to the Second Institute before coming to your Third Institute, right?”
Orenna tightly pursed her lips and then nodded, “I know, otherwise you wouldn’t have traveled by ship.”
“And do you know why I went to the Second Institute first?”
Orenna shook her head.
“I had already convinced Tupac to join my orchestra.”
Orenna’s eyes gradually widened. “Tupac is…”
“Golden Rank Fifth Note.”
Orenna involuntarily gasped: “That ans…”
“Yes, we already have two Golden Rank notes.” Phinis spoke calmly, “And according to Tupac, he can also contact another Golden Rank, possibly convincing that individual to join us, bringing us to… three notes.”
Orenna was completely surprised by the speed of Phinis’s actions.
The news of the festival had not even been formally announced, and yet he had already found three Golden Rank notes.
In that case…
“Then I…” Orenna was about to speak.
But Phinis lightly interrupted her again: “In that case, why could you, only a Silver Rank, join my team? You wouldn’t be unaware of how important this festival is to the Lawrence Family.”
Orenna fell silent again.
But Phinis continued slowly speaking.
“This ti is different from twenty years ago; there is no figure like the principal. It’s impossible to perform the Seven Notes·Divine Song. Thus, the more Golden Notes one can gather, the more likely they are to receive the grace of the Holy Sound Master. At this mont, the Lawrence Family has been waiting for twenty years.” He paused, then looked again into Orenna’s eyes, his tone gradually cooling, “And we two are the hope of the family… at least we were supposed to be. We are the ones nurtured secretly by the family, exhausting all their efforts. You should have been a Golden Rank too; then before the festival starts, the Lawrence Family could hold two Golden Ranks, and everything would develop in our favor.”
“But you fell behind, my sister.”
“It’s because of your incompetence that we’ve reached this point. If it weren’t for finding Tupac, the Lawrence Family’s ambitions of twenty years might have turned to dust. Aren’t you ashad at all?”
Orenna was almost burying her head into her chest, yet she still tried to defend herself: “Elder Brother, the Seventh Note has always been the hardest to achieve Golden Rank. I’ve tried hard, and even if I never beca a Golden Rank, I am still the first choice among the Silver Ranks… If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have…”
Before she could finish, the sound of a crisp slap resounded.
Orenna’s eyes widened, her face a picture of disbelief as she stared at Phinis.
“You’ve greatly disappointed , Orenna.” Phinis withdrew his hand, speaking in a calm tone, “This is why you could never beco a Golden Rank… You lack the temperant.”
Orenna, covering her cheek, looked at her brother—familiar yet strange—and unconsciously took a couple of steps back.
This was the first ti Phinis had hit her.
… How could this have happened? When did it all start?
In her mory, Phinis had always been as warm and friendly as the sun, which is why she liked him so much.
But then, one day, everything changed.
The sun, like the early spring morning sun turning into the scorching sun of sumr, beca a fla that could burn and hurt people.
When exactly was it? Ah, she rembered.
It was when she lit up the note and confird she could not be a Golden Rank. That’s when her brother’s attitude changed and worsened after learning of Hewinia’s existence.
Today, her brother’s attitude towards Hewinia was the sa as his previous attitude towards her.
Orenna bit her lip hard, wanting to say sothing, but Phinis had already lost his patience.
“I don’t have much ti for your nonsense.” Phinis spoke coldly, “The ceremony has not officially started, and I can’t stay here too long.”
Orenna lowered her head: “Understood, I won’t disturb you.”
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