Reborn as the Failed Lord with my Resource Gathering System.

Watching with adoring eyes as her brother continued to slam his hammer on the rocks, turning them to powder, Yelena reached a point where she felt she couldn't control herself any longer.

She curled her legs up, taking a deep breath to try and calm the frantic beating of her heart.

It worked for a moment. The urges she felt faded as the rhythmic sound of the hammer hitting the iron slab echoed around her.

Or so she thought.

Upon turning her gaze back to Dorian, she found herself staring at his chest, her eyes fixed, unblinking. Since when was Dorian this jacked? Yelena couldn't help but wonder.

If her mother were to catch her here, no excuse she could make would save her. As Dorian's sister, she wasn't supposed to feel this way towards her own sibling.

At least, that was what she had thought while growing up.

However, with time, the truth had revealed itself, and she soon understood that not everything was as it seemed.

Along with that understanding came the undeniable fact that she had always loved her brother. Always.

Slowly, her hands slipped between her thighs as she continued to watch him work.

"Bro–ther~" she whispered under her heated breath.

Then came the unexpected. Dorian suddenly turned his gaze towards her, and with a labored breath, he asked,

"Uhn? Yelena? What are you doing in my room?"

Yelena froze, her eyes widening before she quickly hid her face. At the same time, she slowly removed her hands from the questionable places she had kept them, just to make sure Dorian wouldn't get suspicious. Only after this did she finally respond.

"S-sorry, I did knock, but you didn't answer, so I just let myself in."

Hearing her response, Dorian sighed.

"I can't even say I'm surprised. So? Why are you here? Do you need something, or are you just here to be a nuisance like always?" He focused back on his task, grabbing a handful of the fine powder and pouring it into the small metal bowl Diggy was holding out for him.

Now, Yelena had sat upright on the bed, her hands held tightly between her thighs, her cheeks puffed out rather cutely.

"Nuisance? How could you? Don't you love your beloved sister anymore?"

Still packing the powdered volcanic ash, Dorian spoke back without looking.

"Have you told Mother and Father you can use magic?"

His question hung in the air. It didn't seem like she wanted to give a decent reply, judging from the seriousness that washed over her features.

With his hands now empty, Dorian looked at Yelena, his gaze steady, waiting. A sigh escaped his mouth, knowing he would now have to switch into his big brother persona.

"How about this? If you tell me why you are refusing to attend the royal academy, I'll grant you any wish. You can buy whatever you want or even travel anywhere you want to go."

Yelena slowly raised her head.

"No, I don't want any of that."

Dorian was surprised. Most girls would jump on an offer like this.

"You're that adamant about not telling me?"

"I already told you. It's because I don't want to attend the academy without you. Is that so hard to believe?"

Silence settled for a while.

"Were you bullied?"

As soon as Dorian asked this, he caught the shocked expression that flashed across Yelena's face, though she quickly hid it with a strained smile.

"Big brother, you can be so funny at times. I don't even go out, so how could I be bullied?"

The stoic expression didn't leave Dorian's face.

"I thought about it for a while. Solitude. While many people choose it because of their underlying nature, most are forced into it by experience." He looked to the ground. "I don't think I have seen you with any friends, nor have I seen you attempt to leave the mansion. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes."

Yelena glanced to the side, unable to maintain her fake smile.

"W-hat are you even saying…"

"Then there is the fact that your brother is a drunk and a gambler. I should have known my bad reputation would affect you the most, since at the end of the day, you are my little sister. So, is the reason you are avoiding the academy because you don't want to get bullied? That's to assume they haven't bullied you already."

Yelena gripped the side of her arm, her eyes slightly open.

"I don't care about them. If I have you, then I don't need anyone else. They can all die for all I care."

Dorian poured the ground volcanic rocks into a metal flask and dusted his hands to get rid of the rest. After that, he stretched out his legs and then tapped on his lap.

"Come." He uttered a single word.

That was all he needed to say for Yelena's face to brighten up, as she quickly understood what he was asking of her.

She immediately made her way down from the bed and rested her head on Dorian's lap, her legs folded as though she were a cat.

Her black hair was scattered on the ground, her head melting into his thighs, refusing to be lifted even an inch.

Seeing how relaxed she was, Dorian moved his hand to her hair and slowly stroked it.

"I probably should have apologized to you first. Sorry you had to go through any of that because of me. Painfully so, I don't remember much of the past, but my ignoring you probably didn't make things better, did it?"

Yelena had a stupid, blissful smile on her face, completely different from the sad look she had earlier.

"Don't worry about it, heheh, I forgive you…~" she scooted closer to him, hugging his waist while her face was buried close to his stomach.

Dorian smiled a bit at the sight.

"I plan on building an academy soon. I would like to expand the knowledge of this world and introduce magic technology. That said, I need someone to oversee it and make sure the academy becomes a success. I want that person to be you."

Yelena opened her eyes, though only slightly. She tightened her arms around Dorian, further pushing her face in.

"For that, I need you to attend the academy and make a name for yourself. Yelena Aurelian, my own sister, First Mage of the Kingdom. You know, something like that." Dorian raised a finger.

"Haha~" Yelena giggled, moving her face back so she could look at Dorian. "That's not how it goes, big brother, haha; it's First-Grade Mage of the Kingdom."

"Is it?"

"Of course it is. Your sister is quite smart, you know."

Dorian smiled with warmth. "Is she now?"

Seeing where he was going with it, she buried her face in his thighs again.

"I don't like people. I don't want to be bullied either."

"You won't be. You have my word. I'll make sure of that."

"Promise?"

"Promise. I'll come visit you every month just to make sure of it."

"Every week."

"Eh?"

"I want you to come every week. A month is too far."

Dorian wore a deadpan look that slowly twisted into a forced smile.

"As you wish. Every week it is."

...

[A/N]

GittyChan gave 3 gt before the new week, lol, so basically, we did reach the 15 gt goal.As such, this is an extra chapter.