No matter what Ethan says, the issue must be urgent if they wanted him to leave the country immediately. Li Yefeng is a good father. He has been lenient with Ethan too many times. But he's also a responsible man who has a large corporation to run.

And he assigned his son as the CEO because of his competence. Lillie hopes Ethan doesn't do anything stupid to break his father's trust in him.

​​

After lecturing him about it, he relented. Albeit, rather bitterly. Seeing him off, he stared sadly at her from the car's window as if he was a drenched puppy.

His wife just bullied him to go back to work instead of staying home and spend time with her and their baby. How could he not be sad?

Lillie watches his car drive away from the villa's premises. Honestly, she's feeling a bit upset that he has to leave. But she can't always be selfish.

Turning to her Senior Brother who was standing a few feet behind her to watch the dramatic spectacle—which he seems to find extremely funny—she said, "I asked Annie to whip up some dinner for you. Help yourself first before we discuss."

Death grinned. "You treat me so well, Junior Sis."

"It's more of an obligation, really." Lillie deadpanned. But Death was a master in reading her, and he can tell that she was teasing him.

Or was she?

***

"Phew, I'm stuffed." Death burger loudly, patting his content belly.

"What have you discovered?"

"Yaoyao is being difficult with me," He answered instead, whining childishly.

Lillie stared at him, unamused. "You've been annoying her all the time, I'm not surprised. And unless you accept the position of co-leader, you will be restricted from getting sensitive information from your own organization."

"You know I'm not leader material, Junior Sis. She deals with bureaucratic crap while I do the actions. If I sit down and do paperwork, I will lose my mind and turn into a potato!" He threw his hands up in exasperation.

Death's official position in the Reaper's Association is Commander-in-chief. His authority is second only to the Head Reaper, his supposed boss. But technically speaking, he's also the leader along with Sis Yaoyao if only he didn't turn it down.

Rephrasing what he said, he'd rather deal with blood than paper. He loves moving around constantly. So if he accepted the co-leader position, he wouldn't be as active in the field.

Shan Yaoyao and her Senior Brother are the perfect definition of opposite attracts. They've been friends for years—according to Death—and went through a lot thick and thin together.

Really, those two have the sharpest eyes and yet can't see each other's feelings for one another. It's almost sad if it wasn't facepalm-inducing.

"Going back, have you found something that supports Wei Fang's claim?" Lillie crossed her arms with a no-nonsense tone.

"The punk's not lying, sadly. I saw his file in the private archives. Hopefully, Yaoyao doesn't notice something amiss or she'll beat the sh*t out of me." He grumbled, gulping on the jar of plum wine Lillie promised to give him.

"How you didn't know he was right under your nose all this time baffles me."

"Hey, in my defense, Yaoyao loves bullying me. Keeping me from knowing everyone's identities. Hah, as if that would stop me."

"You're technically her subordinate, and it's her right as the boss to keep some things private."

Death ignored her comment. "Punk Fang is a Rank A Reaper now. It said in his file that he's the security department's captain. I don't stay long in the HQ, so I've never seen him. He was recruited before Yaoyao became the Head Reaper."

The time intervals matched. So, Wei Fang joined the Underworld earlier than Lillie, and he was already Sis Yaoyao's subordinate.

The year when Lillie was attacked was the same year Sis Yaoyao's reign as the Head Reaper started, but a few months before that fateful night.

Among the rest of the Underworld Leaders, Fifth White Bird was the only one who hasn't decided her successor. The White Bird seat was vacant until Sis Yaoyao passed it down to Phoenix Rage—Lillie's group.

The Five Underworld Leaders' titles are passed down to those who they regard as the strongest. But if they died before they could, the Head Reaper will choose from the Uncrowned Leaders.

Lillie is the Sixth White Bird. Her predecessor, the Fifth, was Shan Yaoyao.

Once the reigning Head Reaper wishes to retire or dies unexpectedly, a battle of death will commence between the Underworld Leaders.

Shan Yaoyao was the last one standing and the only survivor of the bloody war. The Reaper's Association was her prize and everything her opponents owned.

Lillie was the previous-White-Bird-now-Head-Reaper's successor, so it's pretty obvious that there's favoritism going on. Although people don't hold it against them, it's not an uncommon thing to do.

Besides, they're not someone who has high morals. They're Demons. They can do whatever the hell they want.

But if Lillie wanted to be the next Head Reaper, she would have to earn it by either killing the rest of the Leaders who want to fight for the position or if the Leaders votes who they want for the seat.

The Head Reaper has no jurisdiction on who'll succeed their seat. In rare cases, if none of the Leaders wants to be the next Head Reaper, that's when it's okay for the reigning Head Reaper to choose their successor—whether the successor likes it or not.

Only the name is passed down and nothing else. The new Head Reaper will have to work hard to consolidate the power they've gained by themselves and prove to everyone why they deserve the Reaper's Association.

The previous Head Reaper will then return to the name they introduced themselves as at the time they debuted in the Underworld. As the former ruler of the Reaper's Association, the group is still revered.

The same procedure applies to the Underworld Leaders.

So if Lillie passes down the title White Bird to someone else, she and her people return to the name Phoenix Rage. However, Lillie was planning to hand over the whole organization—be it White Bird or Phoenix Rage—to Elliot, her second-in-command, once she leaves the Underworld completely.

It would be Elliot's decision from then on out; if he wants to be the next Head Reaper, remain as the Seventh White Bird, or pass it down.

"That's all I need to hear. Thank you, Senior Brother." Lillie stood up and turned her back against him. "Sis Yaoyao is my predecessor. Even so, there's a limit to how far she can go for me."

"Well, we can't have everything we want. She can't afford to give you a mile." Death nodded, swirling the jar before downing the wine until the last drop. "She wouldn't be where she is now by being generous. I'm sure you would know. People who trust too much will end up dead."

"But you trust me." She glanced over her shoulder with a single cerulean eye peeking at him. "Don't you, Senior Brother?"

Death wiped his mouth with his sleeve. His carefree exterior was replaced with rare seriousness. "I gave my trust to you as you did yours to me. I am your Senior Brother. We are siblings in all but blood."

Wordlessly, she faces him entirely. "It's natural that I trust you more, Senior Brother. I don't think I would make it this far in life if it weren't for you. I owe you my life."

Death planted his hands firmly on her shoulders, gripping it gently. "Stubborn girl, ah. I told you many times already. You owe me nothing. Everything I do, I do it because I want to. I could've chosen not to carry out my mission that day and let you die. I was there by chance, and some nameless punk threw my phone before Master could tell me you were in that building."

"Nonetheless, you saved me." Lillie softly argues. "And I'm never gonna let you live that fact down."

Death pulled his sister in for a hug. "And thank whatever god there is that I got to you in time. I can't imagine a world without my cute and crazy, yet doting and rich, Junior Sister to spoil this poor me."

"You seem to know exactly what to say to ruin the mood, huh."

"Meh, it's a talent."

"It's not something to be proud of."

"But I already am~"

They stayed like that for a few more seconds before Death broke the silence. "Oh, looks like I ran out of wine. And you still owe me a cake, by the way."

Lillie laughed softly at his antics, the sound muffled by his shirt. "I owe you nothing, remember?"

"That's different and you know it!"