Chapter 90

"Get out."

The first words she spoke.

Yet, they resonated with an icy chill unbefitting words directed at family.

Charlotte’s lips hesitated.

“Elise...”

“Get out. I don’t want to see that wretched face.”

“But—”

“Didn’t you hear me? All of you, leave.”

“...”

The harsh command struck like a blow.

Charlotte’s blue eyes trembled.

She seemed momentarily cowed by the fierce response, but soon clenched her fists tightly.

This time, she was determined not to yield.

“You need treatment. This opportunity won’t come again.”

“What does that have to do with you?”

“Because I’m your sister.”

“Ha... what nonsense.”

The Rose let out a hollow laugh.

Her thin fingers grabbed something and hurled it at the girl before her.

It was an empty vase that had been on the bedside table.

*Crash!*

It narrowly missed Charlotte and shattered on the floor.

The shards scattered near their feet, glittering ominously.

“...”

The violent action silenced her sister’s words.

Elise stared at her with eyes full of cold hostility.

Her pale lips moved as if in warning.

“I told you, didn’t I? Whether I die or not, it’s none of your concern.”

“...”

“I don’t need your pity.”

“You know it’s not pity.”

“I didn’t care to know. Not once did I ever want to stay alive by your side.”

“Why do you... always say such cruel things?”

The conversation moved forward like a suffocating stalemate.

I recalled what I knew of Elise’s character.

Her strained relationship with Charlotte, and her notoriously difficult personality.

There were many scenes like this in the original story.

*‘Was it this severe?’*

Seeing the tension between them, that thought naturally came to mind.

The atmosphere was icy beyond repair.

It was as if neither of them remembered my presence.

I stood by, unsure of what to do, when suddenly, Elise clutched her chest and began coughing violently.

Drops of blood mixed with her labored breaths.

*Cough, ack...!*

Her face contorted in pain.

The sudden bout of blood coughing stained her pale lips red.

Charlotte looked as if she would rush over but halted at Elise’s harsh words to stay away.

Frozen in place, she was clearly distressed.

It was unlike her to be so shaken.

She wanted to help stop the attack but didn’t know how.

She wanted to hold Elise’s hand, but doing so would only trigger a more severe reaction. It was a helpless situation.

I realized now was the perfect moment.

“Your Highness.”

I lightly placed my hand on Charlotte’s shoulder.

Her trembling eyes met mine as I smiled reassuringly and spoke with confidence.

“I will take care of this.”

“Can you...?”

“Of course. That’s why you called for me, isn’t it?”

Faith is a fickle thing.

In the most desperate moments, all it takes is saying what someone most wants to hear.

Though treatment was theoretically impossible, the story was different with me performing it.

I intended to twist the natural order and save her.

*‘But not too quickly.’*

Slowly, over time.

So I could fully consume everything left around me.

*Snap!*

I snapped my fingers lightly.

An invisible barrier enveloped the room, cutting off any noise from escaping.

The space was now perfectly sealed.

Charlotte would be guarding outside, and no sound would reach beyond these walls.

Even if Elise screamed, no one would hear.

“Heh.”

I stood before the Rose.

Was she planning to resist?

The red-haired girl sat up, pushing the blanket aside and clenching her fists.

She seemed ready to fight to avoid treatment.

But—

“It won’t work.”

*Clap!*

I clapped my hands, and thin tendrils of shadow extended out.

The dark cords wrapped around her limbs, binding her tightly and immobilizing her.

Elise flinched in shock.

“W-what... what’s going on...?!”

The first sign of panic since I’d entered the room.

I smirked ominously.

Had she realized something was wrong?

The Rose struggled desperately, but the tightly knotted shadows didn’t budge.

She could only lie there, bound.

“W-wait, what are you doing...?!”

“I’m fixing you. Both your painful illness and your bad habits.”

I reached out slowly.

Due to her condition, she wore only a thin nightgown, revealing her body’s contours.

*Slide.*

I grasped the fabric over her stomach and lifted it slightly.

The delicate movement exposed her pale abdomen.

Her skin was as pristine as untouched snow.

I traced her slender midsection gently with my fingertips.

*‘Time to focus.’*

The central area where her mana pathways converged needed meticulous work using lies.

I planned to heal her gradually, ensuring no lasting damage.

I pressed my palm against her abdomen, feeling her warmth seep into me.

“Huh...?!”

Elise let out an involuntary gasp at the unexpected contact.

Realizing what was happening, she shivered in shock, unable to hide her horror.

She stammered, barely holding back a scream.

“Y-you... you dare... do you know what you’re doing?!”

“I know better than anyone.”

“I’m treating you.”

“Let go! Cough! So this is why... you made everyone leave the room?!”

“Quick-witted, aren’t you? Yes, it was all for this.”

*‘It would have been too much to show others.’*

Her green eyes shook violently.

As her eyes met her reflection in mine, I gave her a warm, reassuring smile.

It was the smile of a doctor looking down at a patient.

“Don’t worry. I won’t make it painful.”

“I’ll treat you without causing pain.”

I pressed down on her dantian gently.

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TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

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