"Yun... You..."

Muttering the little girl's name, Jack gently nodded, praising, "It's a very nice name."

"Of course it is."

Without any modesty, Yun You raised her head and replied, "It was a name my mom and dad thought up together, they took a long time to decide on it! Of course, it's nice."

Seeing the little girl's rather proud expression, Jack fell silent.

He noticed that whenever the topic involved her parents, Yun You would immediately become proactive, unhesitatingly defending and praising her parents' image.

The girl was someone who adapted her behavior to the situation, and over a year of living in Nest City had honed her skill in "speaking to whomever as needed."

Getting her to speak honestly wasn't easy.

But when it came to her parents, she never said anything derogatory, only total acceptance and defense.

For some reason, a trace of envy unexpectedly rose in Jack's heart, envy for the warm and harmonious family Yun You described... a family that was also incredibly united.

A family willing to sacrifice everything for one another, wasn't that exactly the familial atmosphere the Carlos Clan dreamed of?

The Carlos Clan constantly preached unity, almost wanting to brand "family harmony" on themselves...

But they couldn't achieve even the bare minimum, and they couldn't even maintain a façade of unity. The different factions struggled for profit and territory, sometimes even resorting to attacking their juniors.

And yet Yun You's family managed it, so Jack was truly envious...

Perhaps it was the barley tea he drank too much of, allowing the alcohol to cloud his judgment, so in a whimsical moment, Jack suddenly sat up, grabbing a drink, and made a toasting gesture towards Yun You.

"No... To be honest with you, Chica..."

Seeing Yun You's confused gaze, Jack lowered his head and quietly began, "Since I guessed that you were about the same age as my little sister, I've had a thought, a rather forward request..."

"I know this might be a bit out of line and doesn't quite follow the mercenaries' code, but I can't help but ask...!"

"It's okay."

Seeing Jack speak so earnestly, Yun You shrugged and didn't reject him outright.

"Go ahead, what's the request."

"Um..."

Jack nodded and then asked cautiously, "Uh... if you don't mind, could you call me... 'Big Brother'?"

"Huh?"

Yun You widened her eyes, scratching her head in confusion and asked, "Why come up with such a strange request all of a sudden?"

"Even though it's not a big deal, it feels a bit weird... Do you have some special hobby, Jack?"

"Oh no..."

Jack quickly shook his head, explaining, "It's just that... uh... it's been a long time since I heard it..."

"There's really no other meaning... I just want to hear it..."

"My little sister... doesn't like to talk much now... But I still miss hearing it..."

After speaking so much, Jack ended up not explaining clearly, instead making it more convoluted.

"Oh, I get it."

Yun You pursed her lips, feigning anger as she teased, "You're using me as a 'substitute' for your sister Soya, right?"

"Jack, you're so awful!"

"Uh... no!"

The mercenary panicked a bit and hurriedly shook his head to explain, "Chica and Soya are different... Chica is Chica, Soya is Soya... I... I can tell the difference!"

"I just purely wanted to hear the word 'Big Brother'..."

"Lies."

Yun You gave a small snort.

The little girl's observation skills were already sharp, and they had further improved after becoming an Apprentice Death God.

Of course, she knew that Jack must have seen the shadow of his sister Soya in her.

That was why the mercenary would go all out for her.

Because helping her... was essentially not helping the girl named "Yun You," but aiding the illusion of "Soya."

To save his sister, Jack would obviously do whatever it takes.

Perhaps his most beautiful picture in his mind would be going on missions with a healthy Soya, fighting side by side, relying on each other in desperate times, and entrusting their backs to one another...

Yun You's presence was like helping Jack realize this ideal on another level.

To be honest, Yun You felt a little displeased about this matter.

After all, no one likes to be seen as someone else's "substitute," and Yun You was no exception.

When her parents were still alive, she was the only cherished little one in the family, and even the slightest bump or fall would make her parents sweat in worry.

She had never faced the injustice of being regarded as a "substitute."

If it were the old her, she might have already started tearing up after discovering the situation.

But now, this was only a minor issue for her, and she could even empathize with Jack's feelings.

So, after a brief moment of anger, the little girl chose to be understanding.

"Alright, alright, I'm not teasing you anymore."

Yun You shook her head with a smile, "Calling you 'Big Brother' or 'Brother' isn't exactly too much to ask."

"However..."

Originally, hearing Yun You say this, Jack was already full of anticipation.

But midway through her words, the little girl suddenly changed direction, sending a shiver of anxiety through the mercenary's heart as if he were a criminal awaiting a verdict.

"However, apart from my parents, I never had the habit of calling others 'elders.'"

"Whether it's uncles, aunts, older brothers, or sisters, I always prefer calling them by their names."

"Maybe the only exception is my master—I sometimes call him that... but more often than not, I just call his real name rather than 'master.'"

This was true.

Beside the occasional time when she teased Old Jin about money, Yun You mostly just called him "Old Jin" directly.

In her subconscious, you could make a lot of friends, partners, or even find many masters.

But the family you could affectionately call by such terms were only those two deceased people, and it certainly would not increase anymore.

"So, sorry, I can't agree to this request."

In the end, Yun You chose to decline.

"..."

Jack's expression instantly stiffened, followed by his eyes slowly growing dim, indicating he was obviously quite hurt.

He had anticipated that Yun You might reject this request and had mentally prepared himself for it.

But when the result truly unfolded, he still felt an enormous sense of loss, to the point his entire persona deflated.

"On second thought, this request was indeed too much. Chica's misunderstanding... her rejection was normal."

"Got to understand."

The mercenary quietly consoled himself, searching for various excuses, but his face grew increasingly dim, any remaining hope in his heart thoroughly crushed.

Not sure why... his perfectly stable mind suddenly experienced a noticeable blur at this moment, his vision completely obscured, unable to see anything.

Unable to see anything...

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