Top Tier Perversion: Dual Cultivate Secretly

[Ding!]

[Your Fiancée Leona Voss has comprehended the Dao of Forge.]

[Your Fiancée Leona Voss has opened her fourth and fifth vein. Her cultivation has increased greatly.]

While Vincent did not know much about cultivation, the sudden notification made him think, ’Proud of my girl. I just hope she doesn’t leave me after becoming super overpowered.’

[Entanglement with Fiancée Leona Voss is quite high. Host doesn’t need to be so insecure.]

’...’

’Do I look insecure to you? And why is that every time you’re here—’

"Very well. I’ll state my intentions."

Agnes’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Vincent looked at her.

He was still in the midst of discussions with the Crown Princess in his manor’s main hall.

Vincent felt slightly off. ’Why is it that every time I try to make a solid comeback to this piece of code, something interrupts me? I sense a disturbance in the force...’

[Host, you can’t say that.]

’Why?’

[We have no copyright.]

’What?’

"...I wished to see if we could find a middle ground to work with."

Agnes finished explaining.

"..."

Vincent stared at her for a second.

’I missed it...’

"I see." He said in a serious tone and nodded.

Vincent turned to the side.

Vivienne was seated half a hand’s distance away.

He scooted closer to the point of their shoulders almost touching and leaned toward her ear while glancing down.

"Mom, listen..."

Vivienne blinked.

From the front, Agnes blinked as well.

What was Vincent trying to do? Both wondered in their minds.

"...don’t laugh when I say this and pretend I’m saying something serious so Agnes doesn’t give me weird looks."

Vivienne: "..."

She had to force herself from side-eyeing Vincent and keep a straight face.

What shenanigans was this child of hers suddenly up to? And what could he even say that would make her laugh? Not to mention why should she pretend to be serious? It was completely normal to whisper sensitive details during discussions.

Vivienne placed her hand on her lap and listened while glancing at Agnes.

Agnes had gotten herself a cup of tea and feigned ignorance over the whispering conversation happening opposite to her.

"Okay so... I actually zoned out and didn’t hear what she said. Don’t ask me what I was thinking of, just please repeat her exact words or it’ll be very awkward going forward..."

Vivienne: "..."

She actually couldn’t stop herself this time from turning and looking straight at her son.

Vincent was slightly startled.

"Look ahead, mom. Don’t make it sus..."

Vincent did a light coughing gesture and pulled away, pretending he just said something important.

Vivienne stared at him for a solid few seconds.

Agnes glanced in his direction too as she put her teacup down.

Vincent was sweating profusely.

Why hadn’t his mother said anything yet? Why was she just staring?

The corner of Vivienne’s lips lifted as she watched her son’s nervousness shoot up.

A second later, she felt it was enough and leaned towards his ear.

Agnes glanced down at her teacup and swirled it slightly by the handle on the saucer. It seemed like they weren’t done discussing yet...

"My dear..."

Vivienne’s soft voice rang like a morning bell in Vincent’s ear.

"...what were you thinking of?"

Vincent: "..."

He kept a straight face and thought of an excuse in exactly two seconds.

He turned to the side and accidentally bumped his nose against hers.

Accidents happen and Vincent didn’t mind.

He leaned closer to her ear and replied, "I’ll tell you afterwards. Not now, please."

Vivienne smiled.

"Okay."

She didn’t press further and repeated Agnes’s words.

"The kingdom is at a point where it isn’t operational without the trains. The biggest issue is that commoners don’t have work and cannot afford even two meals. Due to coal not reaching everywhere on time, many might end up dying in the coming winter."

"I am sure you know better than me what happens when the commoners reach such a low and have nothing to lose."

"Before these systems fully collapse, I wished to see if we could find a middle ground to work with."

Vincent nodded in understanding and wrote a few things down.

’Wait... she said so much?’

There was no time to brood over it too much.

"Ahem..."

Agnes glanced at Vincent.

He put the pen and paper aside, straightening his back and slightly relaxing his shoulder.

As if switching masks, the previous ignorance was replaced by a resolute expression.

"Agnes," Vincent said. "Whether the people of the kingdom die or riot, whether the kingdom collapses or thrives..."

He crossed his legs.

"...it’s not my house’s concern."

Agnes nodded and took a sip of tea.

Her gaze shifted to Vivienne but then turned back to her teacup, staring at her own reflection within.

Vincent assessed her response. It did not seem like she was about to attack his argument or defend the kingdom.

Her calmness was worthy of praise.

"However," Vincent wasn’t finished. "You defended my identity at the ball which I’ll never forget."

Vincent uncrossed his legs and leaned forward.

"Give me a bag of grains in my troubling times and I’ll ensure you never go hungry in your lifetime, such is my outlook toward life."

He leaned back and smiled lightly.

"Your judgment at the court session might not be in our favor but it didn’t cause us trouble either."

Vincent knew how his actions in court were. While he wouldn’t change a thing he did that day, he also knew they weren’t reasonable.

"Where I’m trying to get is... I’ll let the railways return to normalcy but not for the kingdom’s benefits or my house’s. I am doing it purely for you, to deepen our relationship."

Agnes stared at him for a good few seconds.

Vivienne, Anastasia, and the maids were looking at him too.

’He seems quite confident,’ Anastasia thought. ’Last night sure brought a qualitative change.’

A few seconds later, Agnes nodded in response.

"You have my gratitude."

[Ding!]

[Entanglement increased.]

[Subject: Agnes Falkner]

[Entanglement: Active Link(unstable) → Active Link(stable)]

’Looks like the relationship did deepen,’ Vincent felt good about his decision.

’But I wonder... was agreeing with her plans the only reason for the increase or did I solve some deeper, unknown issue resulting in this?’

"If it’s fine with you, can we discuss what needs to be done?" Agnes asked.

"Sure."

The two spoke about the problems and the potential solutions.

Vincent’s opinion mattered as he had the complete authority of House D’Arc.

Many decisions that would affect hundreds of thousands of people were made within an hour.

Agnes eventually bid farewell and left, leaving the members of House D’Arc to themselves.

Vincent slumped on the couch and exhaled sharply.

"What a tiring start to the day."

Vivienne was seated right beside.

Linda and Anastasia stood behind their masters.

"Aren’t you forgetting something?" Vivienne asked after a few seconds.

"No?" Vincent said with his eyes closed.

Vivienne raised her eyebrow.

Vincent abruptly opened his eyes.

Right, he remembered. He had to explain what he was thinking of when he zoned out.

He turned to his mother, she was staring at him seriously, looking like she won’t let him leave without an answer.

Vincent cleared his throat.

"I remember, my bad."

Vivienne’s eyebrows relaxed.

"What I was thinking when I zoned out was that..."

Vincent quickly tried to come up with an excuse.

He suddenly realized, there wasn’t a need to make an excuse.

He looked his mother in the eyes and continued, "What a beautiful mom I’ve got. She has not only put so much effort into raising me but also didn’t think twice before handing over the house’s authority. Truly, I’m very grateful to be your son."

A flicker of surprise ran through Vivienne’s eyes.

Vincent had no idea how much of an effect his words had on her.

Vivienne did not express her emotions on her face either to let him or anyone else know of it.

The maids, along with Linda and Anastasia, quickly dispersed from the scene.

Vincent had once again, accidentally spoken of a topic that was meant to be for a private conversation.

The maids might be punished for leaving their spots but giving their masters privacy was the only rightful thing to do.

Vivienne’s gaze softened.

She extended her hand out.

Vincent closed his eyes, thinking she was going to ruffle his hair as a show of affection.

Mothers usually did that, right?

’I’m sure my mom had never been told of these things. Expressing gratitude to parents was rare even on Earth as most children felt embarrassed or awkward.’

’Me though? I already died once and know life’s too short to bottle up emotions. Tell your loved ones you love them and spoil them before it’s too late!’

Vincent was glad he said it and awaited the hair ruffle.

A few seconds passed.

Nothing happened.

He opened his eyes.

Vivienne was staring at him with a neutral expression, her hand closer to his face.

As they made eye contact, Vivienne’s palm touched Vincent’s face.

Then.

"Owww..."

She pulled his cheek.

"I raised you to be a gentleman, but why does it look like you’re becoming a big conman with each passing day?"