Aww, my little…(21)
–
The first thing reflected on the water surface was Launelian’s face.
Seeing a familiar face, Aristine began to smile but her smile only lasted a second.
Because a black blade burst from the shadows, piercing Launelian’s body.
Bright red blood splattered, spreading like an iris leaf, and staining the white marble floor.
The sight of Launelian’s crumbling body made Aristine’s face turn pale.
‘A shadow curse!’
A horrid and forbidden sorcery had actually been used.
Letters that looked like they’d been carved out of pitch-black ink began to appear on Launelian’s collapsed body.
Like strings tightening around a body, the letters squeezed Launelian’s frame.
‘Elder brother…!’
Her heart felt like it was jumping out of her chest.
But despite her agitation, Aristine was anxiously searching the water surface.
Now was not the time to lose herself in a panic. At the very least, she had to find a clue.
To stop this from happening.
But before Aristine’s desperate eyes could even scour the surface, the water began to quiver.
The reflection on the surface became blurred, and the water began to settle down.
The manifestation of the Monarch’s Sight was coming to an end.
‘No!’
She hadn’t gotten a proper clue yet.
Aristine instinctively grabbed Tarkan’s hand and squeezed it tightly.
“Rineh?”
Tarkan, who was bickering with Nephther, turned to her in surprise.
However, Aristine’s gaze remained fixed to the water surface that was returning to a calm.
‘…What’s going on?’
Tarkan felt his aura pulsing through his veins, reverberating through his entire body.
Just before the golden aura exploded from his body, he moved towards Aristine, who was gripping his hand tightly.
Aristine’s energy tightened, and a green shadow began to flicker in her violet eyes. Her silver hair, which had a subtle violet glow took on a blonde hue, as dark as honey.
‘I won’t allow it!’
Her forceful cry was more like a command.
The shattering mirrored surface began to reform, forcibly, without the monarch’s sight’s permission.
Someone’s figure began to appear on the water surface again.
Aristine prayed that she would see something, something that would give her a clue, something that would lead her to save Launelian.
Aristine’s wish was granted, and the mirrored surface reflected the entity behind the curse.
And the person revealed there was…
‘Alpheus!’
It was none other than her father.
[Do you think I’d have let that raging wolf of a bastard loose in the North without any preparation?]
Alpheus smirked through his parched lips.
[So, you placed a shadow curse on brother Launelian before he left the empire?]
Letanasia asked her father with as much nonchalance as she could muster.
It was a shock even for her.
At the time, Launelian was still a child.
Although he was a prince and the heir apparent, he was a child with no power. Furthermore, when his power of telekinesis was revealed, she heard it would only be useful for pouring tea.
At present, Launelian’s telekinesis was extraordinary to say the least.
However, that was a power that he had honed to the limit while battling life and death. No one in history had ever been able to push telekinesis to the limit and use it like Launelian had.
‘Royal father clearly looks down on Brother Launelian. But if he placed a shadow curse on him despite that, then maybe he put one on me…’
If there was, how would she destroy it?
The reason Alpheus hadn’t activated the curse on Launelian yet was because the conditions to trigger were hard to meet.
She’d heard about the activating conditions from Alpheus earlier, because she was involved. Of course, he didn’t tell her how to break the shadow curse.
Even when she scoured through all her knowledge, she couldn’t think of anything.
Because it was forbidden magic, there wasn’t much information about it.
[Indeed, you should have seen the way that bastard glared at me just because I scolded his sister a little. Speaking of the shadow curse. They say the most painful part of it is when you get cursed. Apparently, it’s like sharp needles carving letters into your body. Even as you bleed, it pierces and pierces again until your flesh is ragged and torn.]
Alpheus snickered like he heard something funny.
[Well, since it’s not actually carving letters, there’s no real wound. So, it’s even neater. I wish you also got to see him foaming from the mouth in pain.]
Alpheus spoke like he was recalling a very pleasant memory.
Letanasia’s eyes sank.
‘So, he was just annoyed and retaliated with the shadow curse.’
Then again, Alpheus was never the type to make such preparations. He only chose the shadow curse as a way to inflict pain on his annoying child.
That, and the sense of superiority of being able to kill Launelian at any time, must have satisfied him.
‘Truly a reasoning that matches father perfectly.’
Letanasia remarked coldly.
[I thought he would calm down a bit after a thrashing, but he still continued to challenge me. And I was doing all that for his sister’s sake. In the end, isn’t it because of me that Aristine got the Monarch’s Sight? Such ungrateful little brats!]
Because his voice rose too high in his excitement, Alpheus began to cough and wheeze.
Letanasia gently supported him in her arms.
[Please calm down, Royal father. You have to get out of here and take back your imperial throne.]
‘Of course, the throne will be returning to me, not you, royal father.’
[Seriously, elder brother and sister are being too much. This is immoral and against everything we know. It breaks my heart to see you suffering like this, father.]
[I know, you’re the only one I can count on, Lea.]
Alpheus smiled as he looked at his beloved daughter.
[In any case, it seems the curse I made back then is now proving helpful. I thought I would never be able to use it because the conditions are so tricky.]
[I’m glad the Queen of Irugo is willing to cooperate.]
[Lea, you’ve brought me good news, you have always been my pride and joy.]
[It is my greatest joy to be your pride, royal father.]
Alpheus grinned with satisfaction at her words.
[…I would have loved to see that bastard Launelian die with my own eyes.]
[Right now, we need to wait for the right moment and lay low. But when this succeeds, I will surely deliver brother’s body to you, royal father.]
But it won’t be outside, it will be in this little cage.
Letanasia smiled sweetly, hiding her true thoughts.
After saying goodbye and promising to return, Letanasia put on her ragged cloak and left the compound where Alpheus was imprisoned.
Of course, she didn’t forget to hand a fistful of gold to the soldier standing guard at the front.
T/N: Next one coming in a few hours!
Thanks for the chapter, Ruby! I hope you finish recovering smoothly and speedily. 💜
This was a bit of a shocker to read, even though it was definitely coming. The fugly step sister was never going to stop after getting off so lightly. Looking forward to their future obliteration.
But, it is a little amusing, despite the situation, to see that Rineh really resembles her brother (and his telekinetic room destruction). Since the powers we have seen until now are mainly foresight, hindsight, and teleportation/manifestation, it’s also cool to see things blow up and for her to have some control over what she can see.