Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

Siegfried immediately puffed out his strong chest muscles under his suit. With a bra wrap and waist padding, he was not only handsome with a dashing appearance, but also had a very muscular physique.

Cecilia watched as she squeezed and bounced her pectoral muscles like a muscular man, and promptly showed a look of disgust.

There are cockroaches!

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Chapter 41 Muscular Man or Pretty Boy, Who Would You Choose?

Of course, the disdain for muscular men is only temporary, after all, Siegfried is a stunningly beautiful girl with an explosive figure even without his thick disguise.

Since there was only one bathroom in the room, out of respect for the elderly and care for the young, Brunhilde went in to take a shower first, while her two older sisters changed their clothes and waited outside, bored.

To appear tough outside, he was carrying around 20 kilograms of miscellaneous weights. Siegfried took off his coat, loosened his hair tie, and swung his high ponytail. Wearing only a thin tank top and jeans, he casually sat down on the sofa and turned the air conditioner to 19 degrees Celsius.

“24 degrees Celsius is a suitable temperature for normal human rest.” Cecilia glanced curiously at Siegfried’s impressive physique. As the disguised “young master” of the Kaslana family, there was a reason why Siegfried could pretend to be a man. Putting aside his personality, he was naturally tall and strong, standing at 1.8 meters even without shoes, with a straight and shapely figure and obvious muscle definition.

It wasn't the kind of large, bulging muscles, but rather the streamlined muscles that women develop through long-term exercise, exuding a vibrant and healthy sexiness. Cecilia somewhat envied her curvaceous figure, not that she didn't have one herself, but rather that the girls of the Shaniat family were mostly gentle and delicate, fair-skinned, fragrant, and soft, with skin so smooth and delicate it seemed like it could be broken with a touch. Aggressive and vibrant beauties like Siegfried were extremely rare.

After all, most girls are still just girls, and very few are willing to immerse themselves in sports and exercise. Siegfried wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it either, but since she was raised like a boy, she was naturally fit.

“I am from Scandinavia, dear Saintess, and the ideal temperature here is 15 degrees Celsius,” Siegfried reminded her. “You are German, after all.”

"Huh? Are there differences in the ideal temperature in different regions?"

"Of course there are. In the UK, 28 degrees Celsius is considered sweltering, and the ideal temperature is 20 degrees. But in China, the country with over a billion people across the sea, the ideal temperature they promote is 26 degrees Celsius... To be honest, is 26 degrees really cold enough? It's just a trick to reduce carbon emissions."

Cecilia paused, then asked, puzzled, "Saving electricity, energy conservation, emission reduction... does it require a scam?"

Siegfried was taken aback.

“It’s our country that doesn’t do these energy-saving and environmentally friendly things.” Cecilia was silent for a moment, then shrugged. “All the countries in Europe think that carbon emission quotas are just a weapon for international competition. Whoever has more carbon emission quotas can develop. It’s really a human society full of dog-eat-dog internal friction. But only that country across the sea called China is serious. They are really saving energy, reducing emissions, implementing peak-valley electricity, planting trees on wasteland, and cleaning up polluted rivers.”

Siegfried was enjoying the cool air conditioning with his hands raised, but he felt a little embarrassed. "It seems that... our country has never really been environmentally conscious."

“Maybe in another ten or twenty years, even a small county in China will have a wetland park with flowers, grass, and water. Meanwhile, our European politicians are still using environmental protection as a partisan issue, forever stuck in metaphysics. Sooner or later, a gap will appear.” Cecilia shook her head. “We are still a developed country.”

"Then... should I turn off the air conditioner?" Siegfried felt that setting the air conditioner to 19 degrees was a heinous crime, and subconsciously reached for the remote control.

"Oh? Never mind then. I was just using a German habit to belittle the current politicians. Waste doesn't matter, anyway, the Shaniat family has more than forty power plants." Cecilia sat down as if it were a matter of course, and then turned the air conditioner down to 16 degrees.

"The decadent and hateful bourgeoisie."

“I think our traditional family is feudalism, while capitalism is a more advanced concept in the extraordinary sense.”

The conversation was rather pointless. The two women leaned back on the sofa, enjoying the air conditioning, waiting for Brunhilde to come out so they could take a shower. The athletic one had already undressed almost completely, wearing only a tube top and jeans. The saintly one, on the other hand, had changed out of her Valkyrie uniform and into a comfortable, fitted knit dress, paired with cream-colored stockings and bunny slippers—looking adorable.

Cecilia knew she wouldn't be able to leave anytime soon after being left here. This marriage, heavily promoted by the two families, was an arranged marriage from birth; she needed to buy enough clothes for six months, both for lounging at home and for going out. Of course, Cecilia had already bought that alluring, form-fitting black and white racing suit, but she would absolutely never show it to anyone.

"Does Bubu need to take such a long bath?" Cecilia mimicked Siegfried, comfortably lounging on the sofa with a glass of red wine in her hand.

“He’s even more delicate than me. He can’t come out in less than an hour. After all, he’s not only a germaphobe, but he also has to take care of his long hair.” Siegfried put his legs up on the opposite sofa. She was indeed quite tall and had long legs. She turned her head to look at Cecilia and suddenly laughed, “Only you are here.”

What's wrong with me being here?

“It’s inconvenient for me to go in and help him with you here. He usually has someone to take care of him, and that person is either my mother or me,” Siegfried said with a smile. “Otherwise, given his constitution, he might faint from lack of oxygen if he stays in the bathroom for too long. Rather than keeping an eye on him all the time, it’s better for me to just go in and take care of him. It’s just that with you here, he wants to avoid suspicion from me.”

“He didn’t need to act so serious…” Cecilia’s expression turned awkward. She knew Brunhilde was trying her best to play wingman for her two older sisters. Ever since being caught in bed at noon, the little guy had been holding a grudge, afraid that some other coincidence might occur, afraid that she would misunderstand the relationship between her and her siblings. In short, she avoided any opportunity that might show any ambiguity.

This made Cecilia feel a little guilty. The two siblings were getting along so well and had such a sweet relationship. It was as if she had broken up their warm daily life. She was really the kind of villainous female protagonist who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and interfered... Wait a minute, how did I, the dignified Holy Maiden of Destiny, become a popular supporting female character in a novel!

"Bubu has always been a very well-behaved and sensible cat. Although he's a bit aloof, he still cares about people he's close to and won't deliberately ignore them. Many people say that Bubu is a beautiful but useless Ragdoll cat, but if you don't look at his extraordinary achievements, Bubu is already perfect just for his looks and intelligence... Actually, as long as he can live a little longer and live with us, what's wrong with having a cat? Isn't it enough that he's lovable and endearing?"

"You'll support him for the rest of his life?"

“Is that not allowed?” Siegfried retorted.

“It’s not that it’s impossible. Even if the Kaslana family has declined, at least our family would be willing to take Bubu in and raise him. I believe the family wouldn’t refuse such a lovely child.” Cecilia’s tone became thoughtful. “But Siegfried, he’s a boy. Can he tolerate being treated as a pet, as a Ragdoll cat?”

"Having a cat is just a metaphor; I will take good care of him," Siegfried said with a smile.

Cecilia fell silent, though she sensed something was amiss. Without an independent personality, no matter how much care was given or how much effort was put into avoiding any damage to dignity, this was still being kept as a pet.

But... Siegfried probably knew that there was no point in running away from this idea, but Brunhilde was born sickly and disabled, and he couldn't even survive without Cecilia's holy blood... He really could only be kept as a pet.

“Speaking of which,” Siegfried changed the subject promptly, “I’m a little jealous, Miss Saint. Look, we’ve played and talked for so long today, but I feel like we’re not as close as you and Bubu. I mean, Miss Saint, you’re not very enthusiastic about this marriage arrangement.”

She glanced at Cecilia with a flirtatious look in her beautiful eyes, and chuckled, "You don't actually have any feelings for her, do you? Or does Miss Saint prefer the quiet and aloof girl type?"

"What if I told you that I do prefer the cool, aloof girl type?" Cecilia pouted.

"Then I'll have to think of something. I'm almost 1.9 meters tall in ladylike high heels. Asking me to act like a cold, aloof, emotionless loli like Bubu is really asking too much. My style is more like a Western woman." Siegfried scratched his head, troubled. "Even if I do relaxation training for a year, I can only shrink my abs at most, and my height will decrease by at most five centimeters..."

"It can even reduce height?!"

"Hey, the bones in our Kaslana family can be dislocated, you don't understand? This is the strong physique passed down from our ancestors!" The white-haired foreign woman sneered, tossing her hair behind her back. "I often say that back in the day, our ancestor Kallen, at 1.7 meters tall, could carry the 300-kilogram Judah and was the number one muscle woman in Destiny. My 1.8-meter-tall physique can crush Honkai Beasts without a problem. The Kaslana bloodline values ​​fists and muscles as the real deal; Honkai energy level is just decoration. The big shots of the Shaniat family would never understand."

Cecilia's face darkened. "Luckily, Bubu wasn't influenced by you. Compared to muscular men with huge muscles, I still prefer classic pretty girls and boys."

"So you are weak and I am mighty," Siegfried said, arms crossed. "That's how I can make countless Valkyries fall at my feet. Saintess, you can only represent yourself. In Schicksal, I have a whole group..."

She suddenly fell silent, realizing that her wanton flaunting was definitely a turn-off in Cecilia's eyes. Mainly, she'd been so lost in the moment that she'd completely surrendered her playboy mentality. Damn it, she'd have to punish herself with two drinks.

Cecilia shook her head. She had gradually gotten used to this silly, mature woman's unfiltered remarks. Siegfried did indeed have a rather boyish air about him. Ultimately, she was undeniably attractive to women—handsome, dashing, and with a good personality. How could she not be a womanizer?

“But in essence, Siegfried, you are far from being a ‘muscle man.’ Even in men’s clothing, you are at most a handsome young man. Your physique is considered tall and strong among women, but it is only average among men.” Cecilia pointed out the flaw in his words seriously. “You are also a pretty boy. Your popularity cannot be attributed to your muscles.”

She suddenly leaned closer and pressed on Siegfried's slender waist and abdominal muscles. His energetic waist looked very strong. "It feels nice, but these muscles are far from being as 'powerful' as you describe. In fact, if you really get strong enough, you won't attract other girls."

"Huh?" Siegfried was taken aback. She was actually a little disappointed that being a girl meant she couldn't grow bigger, but she was too lazy to try.

"real or fake?"

“It’s an obvious conclusion,” Brunhilde said calmly as she opened the door, having finished showering and changed into a loose bathrobe, rubbing her hair. “Movie and TV stars, singers, male escorts—all professions that sell ‘beauty.’ Are they mostly handsome, delicate ‘young hunks’ or fierce, muscular strongmen? It’s self-evident.”

“Men and women have different aesthetic preferences. Women tend to prefer ‘beautiful boys,’ and this preference only increases as they get older. It’s quite normal,” Cecilia said with a smile. She took the towel to wipe the boy, but then realized she had never served anyone before. She hesitated for a moment and then tossed the towel to Siegfried.

"Brother, what did you hear us say just now?" Siegfried asked casually.

"Let's start with the muscle topic. Don't worry, I'm not interested in what you guys are saying about me." Brunhilde turned her back to Siegfried and jumped onto the sofa, kneeling and clinging to the back of the sofa as her sister wiped her long, loose hair.

The two older sisters froze for a moment.

“In fact, I’ve also thought about why girls would resist muscular, strong men. Well, there’s a logically plausible but lacking-evidence hypothesis—” Cecilia said, “I think it might simply be a self-protective mechanism that evolved from our human ancestors.”

"Self-protection in the genes?" Brunhilde asked curiously.

“Yes, because physiologically speaking, humans experience their first menstruation at the age of twelve, which means they are capable of reproduction. But what if a teenage girl didn’t have this self-protection mechanism and had an aesthetic preference for strong, muscular men?” Cecilia said with a smile.

Brunhilde was still thinking, but Siegfried reacted quickly: "Won't it get ruined?"

“Yes, for girls, before they reach full maturity after the age of twenty-five, they may be subjected to… well, too rude, that kind of word.” Cecilia blushed slightly. “Think about it, a posterior fornix tear with bleeding, a hip dislocation, a rectal fistula, scoliosis, or even just an unplanned pregnancy… all of these are quite cruel blows.”

"So many celebrities and idols are young and handsome, but what women really like is a 'youthful' look. Compared to young people in their twenties who rely on makeup and dressing up to look younger, genuinely handsome young men are easier to manage and have excellent genes to pass on." Siegfried nodded thoughtfully. "Of course, to some extent, the so-called 'young and handsome young men' may not be the most attractive, but at least they won't ruin the beauty of youth like a sunflower."

The two got more and more excited as they talked, while the little white Ragdoll cat next to them quietly hugged its knees and pretended not to hear.

Chapter 42 Ragdoll cats bite but don't break the skin

But the bedroom allocation was quickly decided.

First, Brunhilde considered herself a boy, and sleeping with either of her two sisters was absolutely out of the question. There was a strong sense of propriety between men and women, and the principle of maintaining proper boundaries. Even though Siegfried said helplessly, "Little brother, you can't even twist my arm with your hands and feet, what are we afraid of?" Brunhilde still insisted on avoiding any appearance of impropriety.

In his opinion, Siegfried already gave people the impression of being a brother-obsessed person. If they slept together, even if Cecilia was innocent, she wouldn't be able to help but have all sorts of wild thoughts, right?

But Siegfried and Cecilia were definitely out of the question. When two girls go on a blind date, their roles aren't defined by best friends, but by potential lesbian partners. Sleeping together would be great, of course—men and women kissing, touching, rolling around in bed, and the next day they could blush and announce they're gay—but Cecilia was, after all, a conservative young lady from the Shaniat family. How could she possibly accept such a rapid pace?

Of course, it's unlikely that Cecilia would sleep with the Ragdoll cat, and the reasons don't need much explanation.

Even though Cecilia had been quite affectionate towards Brunhilde, holding her hand and showering her with tenderness, a bad feeling still lingered in her heart. She knew she'd better not get too close to the little Ragdoll cat and end up in bed together. It wasn't that she was worried Brunhilde might do anything to her; the little guy's physical abilities weren't much different from a real cat's, but…

Cecilia always had a vague feeling that he was a little strange.

In the end, the two girls had to sleep in the room, while Brunhilde was thrown onto the sofa in the living room.

This was absurd to Brunhilde, who had always been treated like a sickly young lady, but as her sister's wingman, he endured it and accepted reality for the time being. After all, the world was indeed unfair to men and women; girls needed a private place to change clothes and couldn't have anyone barge into their rooms while they slept, while boys didn't have such privacy needs.

To be precise, Brunhilde does have a need for privacy. At home, she is treated like Kaslana's little princess by the maids, and every move and word she makes has to be disguised, making her need for privacy even more than a normal girl. But in front of her family who know her well, she is just an ordinary boy. Boys must give up their rooms to girls because boys' privacy is indeed worthless.

……

The night was uneventful.

The next morning, Siegfried yawned as he opened the door to find the sofa neatly arranged. Brunhilde was a germaphobe, and naturally, she had a need for tidiness; the blankets and pillows were folded and piled on one side of the sofa, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Looking up, Siegfried's beautiful eyes flashed with tenderness and guilt, because in the suite's open kitchen, the Ragdoll cat, barely taller than the stove, was busy making breakfast on a footstool.

Five-star hotels naturally stock their refrigerators with plenty of food, so Brunhilde wouldn't normally need to cook; she could simply order room service or go downstairs to the restaurant. But perhaps because there are currently three beautiful young women in the room who are always disheveled, making it inconvenient, and also because the Kaslana family isn't that wealthy anymore, cooking for herself is more cost-effective than spending hundreds of dollars on a so-called buffet.

Of course, Siegfried guessed that Brunhilde might be deliberately trying to show off her "virtuousness".

"Mmm? It smells so good! Bro, are you making fried eggs? I want five!"

Brunhilde was suddenly picked up. He frowned, swung his wooden shovel, and slapped his sister's hand. "Put me down!"

"I'll hold you while you flip the eggs, little brother, you can't reach them anyway." Siegfried chuckled, supporting his younger brother's waist with both hands, making him much higher than the stove, then leaned down and whispered, "Are you putting on a show for the Saintess?"

Brunhilde knew that once she started making a fuss, she definitely wouldn't put him down until she was done, so he could only helplessly continue flipping the eggs in the three pans while suspended in mid-air. "Isn't this all for you? I want Sister Leah to know that our family is also a harmonious, warm, and loving family. Her quality of life won't drop too much after she marries in. I'm not that kind of cold, arrogant, spoiled, and useless young lady. At least I know how to cook and I can be cute. Having me as a younger brother is pleasing to the eye."

"Even if you really are that kind of spoiled young lady, you're still pleasing to the eye. The Shaniat family has so many willful, lazy young ladies, they won't miss out on raising one more," Siegfried said, feeling a little guilty.

“We have to make them feel good, sister. The Shaniat family helped us, but we have nothing to repay them with. Our two families are no longer on the same level, so we can’t take it for granted that they have to marry you,” Brunhilde said calmly. “At least we should act like we’re sensible. We’re supposed to repay kindness, and even if we don’t repay it, we should at least acknowledge our gratitude.”