Chapter 135: Conflict Solved

Yerin nodded vigorously on her sister’s words, tapping her chest proudly. "Which is precisely why Hearts suits me best! My Astral Soul governs Sound, Vocal Resonance, and Ethereal Magic! I’m literally a high-tier Area-of-Effect Mage."

Yoona gave an approving nod. "That is correct. Your soul signature falls right into the Mage category."

As I listened to Yoona break down the mechanics, a thought suddenly struck me. I turned my head, looking directly into Yoona’s eyes.

"Wait a second, Yoona..." I said, tilting my head. "...you just mentioned earlier that you awakened your own Sovereign Deck, right?"

Yerin froze mid-bounce. She turned her head, looking at her twin sister with wide, bewildered dark eyes. "Wait... Unnie! If you already have your own Sovereign Deck... does that mean you aren’t going to join Seth’s deck?"

Yoona turned her head, crossing her arms as she leveled a sharp, unamused glare at her twin sister. "How in the world do you not know about my Sovereign Deck, Yerin? I awakened it two years ago."

Yerin’s eyes darted to the ceiling. She began whistling a catchy, tuneless melody, deliberately avoiding eye contact with her sister.

Yoona let out a long, quiet sigh, shaking her head. "Yes, Seth... I did awaken my own Sovereign Deck. As the designated heir to the main branch of the Rothschild family, it is a strict requirement. If our family ever needs to participate in Sovereign games to settle high-level territorial or political disputes, the future Head cannot simply rely on external mercenaries or ask other factions for assistance. Every major house leader cultivates their own Sovereign Deck from a young age."

My brow furrowed into a slight frown. "Wait... so if you already hold your own independent Sovereign Deck, does that mean you can’t be bound as a cardholder in mine?"

Yoona’s confident demeanor softened, a quiet trace of genuine sadness flickering across her eyes as she nodded. "Unfortunate as it is... yes. Conceptual laws dictate that an active Sovereign Deck holder cannot simultaneously exist as a bound cardholder within another person’s deck. It creates a structural conflict of authority."

I stood there in the dining room, looking at my crimson-haired fiancée. I didn’t like the idea of leaving her out of my deck while Yerin and Val were directly connected to my soul. I stroked my chin, thinking through the logic.

Then, an idea struck me.

"Wait a second..." I spoke up, looking straight at Yoona. "You need your Sovereign Deck primarily to represent the power and authority of the Rothschild family in official disputes, right?"

Yoona tilted her head, curious. "Yes. That is its primary political purpose."

"Then why can’t we just merge our standing?" I suggested, a confident smile spreading across my face. "We are officially engaged. In the future, we’re getting married. My Sovereign Deck possesses all four unlocked suits and the primordial authority of Origin. Instead of you maintaining a separate, smaller deck, couldn’t my deck simply act as the official representative force for the Rothschild family through our marriage?"

Yoona froze.

She stared at me, her eyes widening as her sharp mind rapidly calculated the political and strategic implications of my suggestion. "That... that could actually work. It would give the Rothschild family access to an executive deck backed by Origin while completely resolving the dual-deck conflict."

Without waiting even three seconds to deliberate, Mom whipped out her phone and dialed a private line. She pressed the speaker button as the call connected.

"Alice?" Grandfather Alistair’s booming voice echoed through the dining room speaker. "Is something wrong?"

"Father, I have something extremely important to discuss with you," Mom said, her voice bright and energetic. "Seth just came up with a brilliant proposal regarding Yoona’s Sovereign Deck."

Mom quickly and clearly laid out my idea, explaining how Yoona could unbind her personal deck, allow Seth’s Origin deck to act as the official Rothschild representative deck through their marriage, and be bound directly into Seth’s card slots instead.

Dad stepped up beside Mom, adding his firm, authoritative backing to the call. "The logic is sound, Father-in-law. Seth’s deck will undoubtedly become one of the most powerful executive decks in existence. Having our families bound to a single supreme deck yields far greater strategic leverage than maintaining two separate entities."

There was a brief, five-second pause on the other end of the line. Then, Alistair’s booming, hearty laughter erupted through the phone speaker. "AHAHAHA! Outstanding! That is a stroke of pure brilliance, Seth. Why maintain a smaller deck when my granddaughter can simply share the absolute authority of an Origin deck?! The High Council will have zero grounds to object once your engagement is finalized."

Alistair’s tone turned warm as he addressed Yoona directly. "You have my full green light, Yoona. To complete the transition, you will need to undergo a formal unbinding ritual to release your current deck. The next time you visit Uruk with Seth, I will personally assist you with the unbinding process."

Yoona let out a soft, relieved breath, a warm smile breaking across her face. "Thank you, Grandfather. I will prepare for it."

"Good! Give my best to everyone!" Alistair chuckled before hanging up the call.

The second the call disconnected, Yerin let out a happy squeal, lunging forward to throw her arms around Yoona’s neck in a tight hug. "Yay!! Unnie is joining our family deck too!!"

Yoona smiled, gently pushing her chaotic twin sister off her shoulders toward the glowing runic circles on the marble floor. "Go on, Yerin. Finish your binding first."

"Right!" Yerin skipped over to the silver circle, stepping right into the center with an energetic spin.

I stepped into my opposing circle, pulling out my glowing deck. "Alright, goblin. Ready for your Queen of Hearts card?"

"Nope!" Yerin grinned, shaking her head. "I want the Jack of Hearts!"

I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "The Jack? You don’t want the Queen position?"

Yerin looked over at Yoona, offering a sweet, surprisingly thoughtful smile.

"Unnie has Mage-type compatibility too, but her spellcasting and authority are way higher than mine. The Queen of Hearts position suits her much better than it suits me! Besides..." She turned her dark eyes back to me, shooting me a soft, deeply affectionate wink. "...you should save the King positions for someone truly special down the line."

Hearing her selfless logic, I smiled warmly. I didn’t care about the specific card titles, I just wanted my wives connected to my soul.

I raised my hand, channeling my golden-white mana into the glowing card between my fingers.

"By the authority of the Sovereign Soul..." I declared, my voice echoing with resonant power, "...I assign this vessel my sanctuary and my power."

Yerin held her hand over her heart, her voice bright and steady. "By the oath of my song and my soul... I receive your mark, my Sovereign, my husband!"

BOOM!

A brilliant surge of crimson and gold light erupted from the circles. The Jack of Hearts card dissolved into a flowing stream of warm mana, shooting straight into Yerin’s chest.

The glowing runic circles slowly faded into the marble floor, leaving behind a deep, permanent, and intoxicatingly sweet spiritual connection between Yerin’s soul and mine.

The moment the light cleared, Yerin didn’t wait for any formal speeches. She leapt straight out of her circle, flying into my arms, and captured my lips in a sweet, passionate, utterly joyful kiss.

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

Mom was right there with her smartphone, snapping dozens of photos with a delighted, gushing smile.

Standing beside her, Dad shook his head with a rare, amused smirk. "Well... now that the binding rituals are concluded, I shall go to my study and prepare the necessary administrative documents and credentials for your stay at Avalon Academy."

"Thank you, Dad," I called out as he stepped out of the room.

Mom tucked her phone away, stepping forward with an eager clap of her hands. "Alright, kids! I’ll help all of you pack your clothes and luggage for the academy trip."

I quickly raised my hands, shaking my head with a dry laugh. "Mom, you don’t need to do our heavy lifting. We can easily pack our own bags. But... there is actually one thing I really want from you before I leave."

Mom’s dark eyes instantly lit up with motherly excitement. She pressed her hands against her chest, looking at me eagerly. "Anything, sweetie! Just name it."

I offered her a soft smile, looking her straight in the eyes. "I’m really going to miss you while I’m at the academy, Mom. And I’m definitely going to miss your homemade cooking. If you could make some of your special dishes and pack them in sealed containers for me to take to Avalon... it would really remind me of home whenever I eat them."

Mom froze. Her breath caught in her throat, her dark eyes filling with a sudden wave of warmth. Hearing her son say he would miss her and her cooking touched her heart so deeply that tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.