Volume 7, Chapter 44 – Morning Interrogation

Although [Blessing of the Mother Goddess] is an Eighth-tier magic, it does not fall under the category of forbidden spells. Strictly speaking, in the Holy Tree’s Forbidden Tome, [Blessing of the Mother Goddess] is described as “magic that is grand in scale but extremely poor in practicality; were it not for the massive mana consumption, it shouldn’t even be classified as Eighth-tier magic.”

Its specific function is to manipulate earth-attribute elements, causing them to condense or dissipate. Most of the time, this magic is used for dispersal, which can cause the ground to collapse over a vast range, achieving a lethal effect.

It sounds impressive, but the problem lies in the fact that since it has reached the realm of Eighth-tier magic, why use such a troublesome method to deal damage? Other attack magic of the same order is much more direct. Whether it is [Incinerating Fire Dragon] or [Undead Tribute], both are far more powerful than [Blessing of the Mother Goddess]—incidentally, since the former belongs to the category of fire elemental magic, Fia had memorized the incantation, though she hadn’t had the time to practice it yet.

“[Blessing of the Mother Goddess]? The name makes it sound amazing, but I’ve never heard of that magic. Did you find it in the Forbidden Library, Sister?”

“Mn. If you’re interested, Liti, you can go down into the abyss with me later to take a look.”

“Go down into the abyss? I… I think I’ll pass.”

Upon hearing the word “abyss,” Liti immediately pulled back her curious head.

“What’s wrong? Are you afraid your Sister won’t be able to protect you?”

“It’s not that. I just don’t want to see the chaos again…”

“It’s because of the psychological shadow left by the chaos back in the Holy Kingdom, right? Little Liti was locked in a prison back then, trapped by the chaos with no way out.”

“Mn… It’s just like Sister Claire said.”

Seeing Liti curled up into a ball on her chair, Fia couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Rather than the power of the chaos, what Liti feared more was the unknown.

“We will have to fight against the chaos in the future. You can’t become a qualified magic chanter if you’re afraid of it. The more you fear the chaos, the more you have to face it. As long as you know the chaos isn’t that scary, you slowly won’t be so frightened that your legs give out. But if you don’t want to face the chaos no matter what, that’s okay too. I respect your choice, Liti.”

“Sister’s tone sounds like you’re trying to be my mom. It’s so gentle that I’m a little unaccustomed to it…”

“Then would you prefer it if I wasn’t gentle?”

Actually, Fia wanted to jokingly say, “Do you prefer it rough?”, but Claire was right there. Not to mention, there were three maids standing in the dining room. If she said that and someone took it seriously, it would become quite the joke—judging by human moral standards, saying something like that to one’s own sister, even if one was the Crown Prince, would result in their father breaking their legs.

Sticking out her tongue in her mind, Fia pretended to be serious and continued explaining.

“I do have that intention, but I wouldn’t say ‘mom’—more like a guardian. I plan to take you over from your mother’s care, Liti. That way, your mother won’t come to my place to drag you back just out of spite.”

“Eh?”

As if hearing an inconceivable statement, Liti, who had been shrinking into her chair a moment ago, immediately looked dumbfounded.

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Fia repeated her plan from earlier: to have Yelido issue an order allowing Liti to live at the Twilight Palace permanently until she was married off.

Contrary to Fia’s expectations, Liti did not show any joy. She clamped her hands between her thighs and lowered her head, looking rather reluctant.

Fia first glanced at Claire beside her, then pressed for an answer.

“You don’t like it? I won’t interfere with your privacy, Liti. Things will stay exactly as they are now. Without the Second Consort interfering in your life, Liti, you should be happier.”

“That’s not the issue…”

“Let’s end this topic here; Little Fia hasn’t considered this thoroughly enough. No matter how terrible Liti’s mother is, she is still Liti’s mother. As long as it hasn’t reached the point of disowning her daughter, it’s hard for a daughter to cut ties. Coming to find Liti this morning was merely out of dissatisfaction with Little Fia. ‘Why does this person steal all of His Majesty’s favor while leaving me, a Consort, to the side?’ She transferred her hatred for Veronica onto Little Fia. Now that Little Fia is even abducting her daughter, she will naturally try every method to get her daughter back. Otherwise, her inner sense of inferiority will prevent her from finding peace.”

Claire speared a piece of steak with her fork, her breathtakingly beautiful face full of a bitter smile. In reality, there was one more thing she didn’t say: if Fia took Liti away too, the Second Consort would likely suffer a mental breakdown and be filled with hatred toward Fia. However, saying that would only make Liti feel more guilty, so she remained silent.

Fia frowned.

“But that kind of mother has no right to—”

“Mph.”

Before Fia could finish her harsh words, Claire pressed the fork holding the steak against Fia’s lips. Fia froze instantly. After reluctantly biting down on the steak, she looked across the table at Liti under Claire’s meaningful gaze. Liti’s head was lowered even further, trapped in a dilemma of not knowing what to choose.

「Little Fia can’t always do things as she pleases. Matters of the heart are hard for outsiders to judge clearly. The Second Consort has raised Liti for over seventy years, after all. Even if she is a woman who finds lovers outside, Liti cannot easily cut her off. It is better to maintain the status quo.」

The voice of [Message] magic resonated in Fia’s mind. Fia pouted, swallowed the steak, and let out a long sigh.

“Fine, I take back what I said earlier. I won’t have Father issue the order. Liti, you can go back whenever you want.”

Anyway, she had already found a way to mass-produce high-grade magic crystals. The small amount given to the Second Consort meant nothing. The current issue was no longer how to find high-grade magic crystals, but how to mine them.

“Your Highness, please enjoy.”

Just before the dining table could fall into a weird silence, Anastasia served a steaming cup of flower tea from behind Fia. The tea presented an appetizing golden-yellow hue. With the dried petals swaying in the cup and the sweet aroma it emitted, one could feel the fragrance melting on the tip of the tongue without even tasting it.

“Ah, you should sit down too, Anastasia. Don’t just stand there.”

“Yes.”

Obeying Fia’s command, Anastasia sat in the empty seat beside Fia. On the other side, Claire looked at the flower tea in front of Fia, her usually clear emerald eyes filled with deep meaning.

“Hmm~ I’ve never seen Anastasia brew this kind of tea before. It smells very sweet just from the scent. What is steeped in it?”

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“Uh.”

Like a child having their hidden stash of adult comics found by a parent, Anastasia’s gaze darted around, and her facial expression instantly tensed up.

“It is ordinary flower tea.”

“Ordinary?”

“Y-Yes. The reason I didn’t brew it before in this world is that flower tea is very cheap and unpopular among high-ranking nobles. I learned the essentials of brewing flower tea from a maid who had served lower-ranking nobles when I was fleeing with the refugees. I thought Your Highness had probably never tasted this flavor, so I brought it out to try these past two days.”

At this point, a blush inexplicably appeared on Anastasia’s cheeks, and she bowed her head slightly to Fia.

“I hope Your Highness does not find it distasteful.”

“Hmph~ Let me have a taste too.”

The mischievous look in her eyes growing heavier, Claire smilingly picked up the flower tea in front of Fia and slowly brought it to her lips.

“Ah, that is for Your Highness…”

Seeing this scene, Anastasia’s back straightened immediately. She wanted to reach out, but she couldn’t find a reason to stop Claire. She could only watch helplessly with eyes full of anxiety as the flower tea inched closer to Claire’s lips.

Does this cup of tea have a special meaning?

Claire was definitely just teasing Anastasia. Seeing Anastasia’s dazed look, Fia couldn’t help but want to reach out and wave her hand in front of Anastasia’s eyes. Ultimately, it was Anastasia’s fault for being too obvious. If she had brewed a cup for everyone, she wouldn’t have been teased by Claire. This was a mistake the “Anastasia of this world” would never have made.

However, contrary to Fia’s expectation, Claire actually took a sip.

“Mn, the taste is quite nice. At first sip, there is only a slight sweetness, but after swallowing, a stronger sweetness slowly wells up from the root of the tongue. To look down on it just because it’s cheap… the taste of high-ranking nobles is truly poor. So Little Fia has been drinking this deliciousness for the past few days? This is a private stash.”

“Uh…”

Fia really wanted to use [Message] to tell Claire, “Claire, why did you actually drink it?!” But saying that would be practically announcing her relationship with Anastasia to the public, so she had to keep her mouth shut.

However, just because Fia didn’t actively use [Message] didn’t mean Claire wouldn’t. The sound of [Message] rang in Fia’s mind. Perhaps it was Fia’s illusion, but she felt there was a hint of sulking in Claire’s voice.

「Even I get possessive, you know. Doing secret, unspeakable things together without telling me—you should at least report your progress to me.」

「P-Progress? It’s not what you think, Claire. Anastasia and I haven’t done anything.」

「Then why has Anna become so attentive these past few days, even brewing tea only for Little Fia? Don’t think I haven’t noticed; the flower inside is the one Anastasia wears on her head. I remember it’s called Forget-Me-Not?」

「Huuh? It’s Forget-Me-Not?」

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Fia opened her mouth slightly in shock. She had always thought it was dried chamomile or rosemary.

「My Little Fia is a total idiot. Both Nora and Anna are just too pitiful.」

Without continuing the [Message], Claire returned the flower tea she had taken a small sip of to Fia. A clear lip print and water stain remained on the rim of the cup—it was almost like she was declaring her ownership.

Although she felt sorry for Anastasia, if Fia had to give an evaluation without lying, she would say that this teacup was extremely tempting—to the extent that it made one want to pick it up and drink it all immediately.

“Ahem. Anastasia?”

Even when Claire called out, Anastasia just stared blankly at the cup that had been drunk from. Fia immediately added fuel to the fire in her mind.

「Anastasia is very sad, you know.」

「I know without you telling me, Little Fia. Just how much of a love potion did you pour down Anna’s throat to make her space out like this?」

「I don’t have that kind of thing.」

While communicating mentally, Claire waved her hand in front of Anastasia again. Only then did Anastasia recover from her trance. Knowing she had taken the joke too far, Claire wore an apologetic expression.

“Shall I brew a fresh cup for Little Fia in Anastasia’s stead? If it’s just brewing tea, the taste shouldn’t be too bad.”

「No, no, if Claire brews it, it loses its meaning, right?」

「Little Fia, you’re unusually active today. Do you like Anastasia that much? Even though I’m the future First Consort… if you prefer the new over the old, your Big Sister will hate you, okay?」

Although she said that, there was no anger in Claire’s voice.

「How can you call that preferring the new over the old? It was clearly you, Claire, who drank the flower tea Anastasia gave me on your own. What if this was a gift from an older sister to her younger sister?」

「Oh? But Little Fia’s things are my things.」

「Go say those sulky words to Anastasia.」

Although she said that, Fia actually helped Claire out of the situation. With a serious expression, she picked up the teacup and downed the remaining tea in one gulp—to avoid provoking Anastasia, she had to painfully choose the side Claire hadn’t used—then let out a long breath, putting on a relaxed and happy expression.

“Phew, it has that sweet taste today as well. Can you brew me another cup, Anastasia? Don’t forget Claire and everyone else too.”

Hearing that Fia wanted another cup, Anastasia blinked. Her dazed expression almost instantly regained vitality, and she sprang up from her chair in a flash.

“Y-Your Highness is satisfied? I will go brew a fresh pot right away!”

“No need to rush. Breakfast has just started; it won’t be too late to brew tea after you finish eating, Anastasia.”

“How can that be! This light sweetness is perfect for opening up the appetite in the morning. Drinking it after the meal would lose its meaning! Please wait a moment, Your Highness. Ah, Miss Claire, Princess Liti, and Euphimilu, please wait a moment as well.”

“I don’t mind. As long as you don’t show that expression from earlier again, Anastasia. It makes me feel like I’ve committed a crime.”

“Ah… I am very sorry. I lost my composure.”

Anastasia clasped her hands in front of her and bowed her head in apology, flustered just like an ordinary maid. On the other side, Liti looked up. Whether she was naturally optimistic or trying to cheer Anastasia up, Liti stretched out her arms forcefully like a stretching kitten, even straightening her white pantyhose-clad legs under the table.

“Ooh~ Yah~ It’s fine! I’ve wanted to drink the flower tea Big Sister Anna brews for a long time. Seeing Big Sister Anna only brew it for Sister these past few days, I was starting to think it was some kind of drink that perks you up.”

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“Perks you up? Daebak ? ¹ uh… The text used the characters 大发 (dàfā). In Chinese internet slang and ACG (Anime, Comic, Games) culture, this is the direct phonetic transliteration of the Korean word 대박 (Daebak). Meaning: It literally means “Jackpot” or “Big Success,” but in slang, it is used to say “Awesome!”, “Amazing!”, “Wow!”, or “Crazy good!” “

Hearing the words “perks you up,” Milu tilted her head.

No, no, Milu. Even without that drink, your master here would still make people think “daebak.”

Fia retorted in her mind. Although Claire was also strong, her stamina was still a bit lacking compared to hers—though since there hadn’t been enough time to practice, no winner had been decided yet.

As Anastasia left, Liti asked mysteriously.

“By the way, hasn’t Big Sister Anna been a bit strange lately? Did Sister do something? I feel like Big Sister Anna has suddenly become very girlish. When she sits down, she’s always staring blankly at Sister, like she can’t get enough of looking at you.”

After Liti finished speaking, Fia was surprised to find that the three maids standing behind Liti and Milu all pricked up their ears together, looking as if they were afraid of missing any details.

Although they disguised it well—keeping straight faces and staring directly at the opposite wall—they forgot that elves had long ears, and the change when they listened intently was very obvious.

Can these maids stop being such gossips…

Fia answered with feigned seriousness.

“Anastasia has always been a young girl. Occasionally looking at me must be because of the fourteen years of exile. After all, the ‘me’ of that world had died. Seeing me alive again now, it’s only natural to be amazed.”

“But that’s the look of love.”

Milu spoke astonishing words in a calm tone, not forgetting to slice her bread as she did so.

“I think the same as Little Milu. Big Sister Anna clearly looks like she’s in love. Although I feel sorry for the Anna of this world, as long as Sister accepts the current Big Sister Anna, then when the real Big Sister Anna returns, who will be the Second Consort? Ah, right. If you accept Big Sister Anna, then I’ll be the Fourth Consort, and Little Milu can be the Fifth. Then there’s Tilulu and that Fire Cat. Whoa, counting them all, isn’t that suddenly six extra Consorts? Sister’s love debts are truly terrifying.”

“What love debts? You’re not even of age yet; didn’t I say there was no chance from the start? And you’re dragging Milu into this on your own accord; that’s very offensive. Nola too—I haven’t even given an answer yet.”

However, even after being rejected by Fia, Liti didn’t sulk. On the contrary, she was full of enthusiasm. Placing her right hand under her lips, she revealed her neat, white teeth in a mischievous grin—a smile that, in Fia’s eyes, was begging for a beating, to the point where Fia wanted to pinch both her cheeks.

“Hehehe, Sister has absolutely no self-awareness. Once you start this, it’ll get out of hand, and you won’t even be able to control yourself. When that time comes, even if Little Milu and I have someone else in our hearts, Sister will definitely get jealous, thinking ‘This is mine, no one is allowed to take it away!’ Then you’ll domineeringly claim Little Milu and me for yourself, making us child wives who have to sleep with Sister and wake Sister up every day. Ehehehe… Look, Little Milu is happy too; she’s blushing.”

“No.”

“Don’t be shy! Your ears are flapping. Little Milu’s ears give off a nice scent when she’s shy; let me smell!”

Is this girl a pervert?

Aren’t elves supposed to have a noble image, holy and untouched by the dust of the world?

Of course, Liti was only saying this; she didn’t actually act on it. She gestured with a fork in one hand and a spoon in the other.

“Besides, regarding Tilulu or that Fire Cat—you gave them a month of waiting time. If you reject them at the end, isn’t that just getting their hopes up for nothing? In that case, Sister would become a worse villain than even the Despair Demon General. Just agree with the flow; that way, everyone will be happy, and everyone will be fine.”

“Hey, Claire is still here.”

“Hmph~ I wouldn’t say it if Sister Claire wasn’t here. Sister Claire also wants to sleep with Sister on her left and me on her right, doesn’t she? Holding beautiful girls in both arms is my dream.”

“That’s just you. Claire wouldn’t be as shameless as you.”

Although she said that, Fia still peeked cautiously at Claire. Her possessiveness wouldn’t allow Claire to be shared, not even with Liti. Otherwise, she would stay in her room all day and cry for Claire to see.

Seeing through Fia’s thoughts, Claire flicked Fia’s forehead forcefully, amused.

“Do I look like someone who would make a move on a child?”

Yes, because I am one.

Fia answered in her mind, though Claire didn’t hear her inner voice.

“Leaving Little Fia aside, anyone who has thoughts about a girl Liti’s age must have a mental illness.”

“That’s true, ahaha…”

Although her forehead hurt a little, Fia felt extremely happy.

Across the table, Liti puffed up her cheeks in annoyance.

“Umu, does Sister Claire not like me?”

“I like you, but the liking for a sister and the liking for a lover are two different feelings; they can’t be confused. But speaking of which, I bear a curse, so I don’t care much about these things. But suddenly adding six… Little Fia needs to exercise some restraint.”

Claire paused. Just when Fia thought the topic was over, Claire changed the subject, her clear emerald eyes filled with curiosity.

“So, what step have Little Fia and Anna reached? Remember to open the pendant I gave you before you go to sleep tonight.”

“Pfft—”

Hearing about the pendant, Fia, who was drinking water, sprayed a mouthful right onto Liti’s plate across from her.