Chapter 177 : Guests (2)
Guests (2)
"Uuugh..."
Yuria rubbed her sleep-filled eyes as she came down to the dining room.
There were vivid red marks on her neck, and her walk was slightly awkward compared to usual.
It was thanks to the lingering effects from last night, making the area below her navel feel numb.
"Did you sleep well?"
Ian, who was already up and drinking tea, greeted her.
The moment she saw Ian, Yuria's face turned bright red, but she quickly coughed, pretending to be fine.
"H-hmph! Y-yeah. Well, thanks to you."
"I'll quickly bring something for the young lady to eat!"
Sophia rushed out from the kitchen, carrying freshly baked bread and soup.
She too was covered in red marks all over her body.
"Please, have a seat, young lady. You should eat before it gets cold."
Ian naturally pulled out her chair and escorted her.
It was a peaceful brunch.
Warm sunlight poured through the window, and on the table, steam wafted from the bread and fragrant soup.
If only this tranquility could last forever.
― Knock knock.
The butler respectfully knocked on the dining room door.
"Excuse me, young lady. Sirs. Sorry to interrupt your meal, but an urgent message has arrived."
"What is it?"
When Ian asked, the butler replied with a troubled expression.
"Lady Veronica Hisperion has arrived at the castle gate."
"... What? Who?"
Yuria's eyes widened, stopping mid-bite.
"Veronica? You mean my second big sis is here?"
"Yes. She arrived with her guard knights. There was no prior notice, but she said it was an urgent matter."
Yuria put down her fork and furrowed her brow.
"Urgent matter...? Did she say anything else?"
"I've heard nothing else. However... she seemed quite unwell. She was being supported by her guards, and her complexion was very poor."
Hearing the butler's words, Ian thought inwardly.
'She's come because of the injuries she sustained at the Frozen Sea.'
Veronica had her dantian shattered by the Archbishop of Pride in the northern empire's Frozen Sea.
Even for a direct descendant of the Hisperion with a blessed body, it would take an extremely long time to recover a shattered dantian.
Yuria possessed the light aura "Heavenly Energy", which could drastically shorten that recovery period, which was why Veronica had come to her.
However, Ian did not show any of this on his face as he asked,
"Young lady, what would you like to do?"
Yuria propped her chin on her palm at Ian's question.
"Hmmm..."
Yuria's expression became complicated.
To her, Veronica was an uncomfortable person.
As a child, there was an incident during sparring where Yuria broke her arm.
Veronica looked coldly at young Yuria, who was crying out of fear and pain, and laughed icily.
[So weak. You still can't protect yourself? Don't whine in front of me. You're noisy.]
She was always a thorough meritocrat and as cold-hearted as their eldest big brother, Theo.
"She's someone who always lived basking in her own greatness, coming to see me looking half-dead..."
Yuria's lips twisted wryly.
"Now I'm curious about her business. Let her in."
* * *
A short time later, the drawing room.
― Thud. Thud.
Veronica walked into the drawing room.
By her side, guard knights Jochen and Eilie hovered closely.
As if they might need to support their liege lord at any moment, their hands lingered near Veronica's arms.
With an annoyed look, Veronica pushed their hands away.
"Move."
She clenched her jaw and straightened her back.
Her face was pale, with a sheen of cold sweat across her forehead.
Anyone could see she was in no condition, but she wanted to hide just how weak she was before Yuria.
"It's been a while, Yuria."
Veronica spoke as she saw Yuria sprawled lazily on the sofa.
"You've certainly grown up and found yourself a nice nest here."
"... No need for greetings that don't suit you. What's your business?"
Yuria didn't even pour tea for Veronica, resting her chin indifferently.
Veronica's eyebrow twitched.
'How insolent to her big sis...'
Normally, she would have scolded her on the spot, but times were different now.
She had come from a position of need, and it was Yuria who held the blade now.
Veronica suppressed her rising pride as she sat down.
"I'm here to make you an offer."
"An offer?"
"Yeah."
Veronica pretended to be confident.
"You know well how deep my ties with the imperial household are. I'll share my faction's information and connections with you. The imperial trading rights, intelligence networks, even sponsorship funds—everything."
It was quite a generous offer.
The Roderun Empire was the continent's greatest power.
Connections there could be a tremendous weapon in the competition to become head of the Hisperion family.
"Hoh... That's everything you've built up over your life. There's no way you'd give that for free. What do you want from me?"
Yuria asked indifferently. After a pause, Veronica cautiously revealed her true motive.
"Use your Heavenly Energy to untangle the energy swirling inside me. I overdid it on the campaign, and my mana circuit is in a mess. The priests' holy power isn't enough."
She hid the fact that her dantian was destroyed.
Without exposing her weakness, she tried to frame it as though she was offering her little sister a great benefit in exchange.
But Yuria's response was cold.
"No."
"... What?"
"Imperial connections? Intelligence networks? What do I care about that stuff?"
Yuria waved her hand as if she were annoyed.
"I'm nothing like you. I've no interest in power, and not even a speck of desire to become family head. So all your grand connections mean nothing to me."
"... What?"
Veronica was speechless.
In the Hisperion jungle, lack of ambition was not a virtue—it was a weakness.
Those who did not rise to the top would inevitably become prey or tools for their siblings.
And when one should be fighting for survival and gathering strength, she could afford to relax like this?
No. She must be lying. For sure.
"Don't lie. Someone with no ambition settles in a castle like this? You even have Ian Greysel and the Sword Fiend in your knight order. Only ambitious people attract followers like that."
"I only want to protect my people and live comfortably. To not be swayed by anyone, and stay with people I care about for a long time."
Yuria looked Veronica straight in the eye.
"And to be honest, I don't think much of your faction would help me anyway. Just look at you right now. You look half dead. You think you can manage a faction? Looks like it'll dissolve any moment now."
"You, you...!"
Veronica started to rise in anger, but slumped back down from the stabbing pain.
"Ku...!"
Just then—
― Clatter.
The drawing room door opened, and Ian entered, pushing a tea cart.
"Excuse me."
At Ian's entrance, Veronica's attention naturally turned toward him.
And then—
"...?"
Her eyes grew wide.
'Ian Greysel...?'
Veronica knew of Ian.
She saw him at the Sword Dragon Hall entrance exam.
However—
'Why is he so... huge...?'
Her last memory of Ian was as a 14-year-old boy.
But the man standing before her now was completely different.
He was so tall he looked well over two meters, and his shoulders were so broad that muscles showed through his shirt.
'... That's a well-trained body.'
In that instant, the silhouette of a man flickered through her mind.
'Just like... Khan.'
The mercenary who saved her at the Frozen Sea in the north.
'Khan's build was just that big. I didn't see much because of the robe, but the glimpsed arm muscles were amazing.'
But then—
'Hmmm...'
The more she looked—
'Something's strange...'
Why did he give off the same vibe?
Lost in thought, Veronica unintentionally stared at Ian.
"Big Sis, what are you doing?"
"Huh, what?"
"Why are you staring holes through my Ian? Don't tell me—"
Yuria's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Are you coveting him?"
"W-what? No! I was just..."
Flustered by the killing intent from her little sister, Veronica hurriedly changed the subject.
"It's just that it's my first time seeing him since the entrance exam! I was just surprised at how much he's changed. Y-Young master Ian? It's nice to meet you for the first time."
"Yes, it's an honor to meet you, lady Veronica."
"...?"
Again.
'It's similar.'
Even his voice and tone reminded her of Khan.
"Big Sis...?"
"Ah."
When Yuria gave her a fierce look, Veronica quickly averted her gaze.
"Ugh..."
She then shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts.
'Focus on the negotiation. Stop thinking nonsense.'
Suppressing her confusion, Veronica tried to get back to the negotiation.
"Yuria. Won't you reconsider?"
Veronica tried to persuade Yuria again, swallowing her pride.
"If you don't like the imperial faction, I can offer something else. What about the support from my mother's family?"
The first wife of the Heavenly Sword Lord.
Estella Hisperion's sponsorship.
"You'll need a strong backer now..."
"No need."
Yuria cut her off.
"I'm already getting support from second mother. Didn't you see when you came? The Rubenstein family knights?"
"... What?"
"Technically, the support isn't for me but for Ian. This castle was also a gift from second mother. For Ian."
Yuria gestured to Ian.
Veronica looked at Ian in disbelief.
That notoriously strict and cold-hearted aunt Marceline was supporting this man?
Giving away knights of the family and a giant castle?
Even as a direct descendant, Veronica herself couldn't get proper support and had to endure all sorts of hardships in the empire!
"L-lies..."
"If you don't believe me, ask her yourself. She's staying here. Right now."
"W-what... Aunt is here? Now?"
"Yep."
Yuria finished her point.
Veronica's lips parted.
"Ah..."
At this point, she had no more negotiating chips.
None of her hands could attract Yuria.
'No way...'
The pain was growing worse.
But she couldn't back down like this.
She had to do whatever it took.
If she just left now, she'd miss her chance to recover.
But there was nothing left she could offer...
'D-do I have to beg?'
Me? To the youngest?
To kneel and look up to the kid I'd always looked down on my whole life?
She hated that enough to want to die.
But dying like this was worse.
"..."
Veronica's eyes trembled.
Yuria quietly spoke up.
"If you have nothing more to say, you can leave. I'm busy too."
It was a clear dismissal.
Veronica called out desperately.
"W-wait! There's still something—!"
"I don't. There's nothing more to say."
Yuria replied coldly.
"And why not be honest? Your dantian is broken, right?"
"...!"
Veronica froze.
"It's obvious. There's no way you'd come to see me over a little mana circuit issue. We've spent more than five years with a wall between us."
Yuria looked down at her.
"You came because your dantian's broken and you can't recover on your own. You came to me, clinging to any hope you could find."
"..."
"And yet, you still tried to keep your pride and pretend it was a fair deal... Frankly, it was kind of funny, big sis."
"Ugh...!"
Veronica's face flushed bright red at Yuria's words.
The shame of having her vulnerable point revealed when she'd tried so hard to hide it.
The reality of facing pity-tinged scorn from the youngest she'd looked down on all her life.
And the fact that, with her body shattered, she couldn't say anything in response.
Her pride was shredded and she was humiliated to a nearly unbearable extent.
Veronica closed her eyes and muttered.
"... Yeah. You're right. There was no way to hide it."
Veronica bowed her head.
"My dantian is broken. My aura is all scattered... If it goes on like this, it's over for me."
Her voice quivered.
"I need your help... Yuria."
At last, Veronica swallowed her pride.
"The imperial faction, all that was just an excuse. Please... Just help me once, Yuria... I'll find any way to repay you..."
Once-so-proud Veronica was now bowing her head and barely begging in front of the youngest.
Yuria's face twisted slightly as she looked down at her.
She thought breaking her arrogant big sis would be satisfying.
But all she felt was bitterness.
"... Haa."
She got up and approached Veronica.
"Stop it, big sis."
"... Please."
"That's not like you. Stand up."
Yuria grabbed Veronica's arm and helped her up.
"I'll treat you."
"... Huh?"
"I said I'll treat you."
"W-what? R-really? Truly?"
Surprised by the abrupt change, Veronica's eyes widened in disbelief.
"C-conditions? Name your price. I'll find a way..."
"There's no need. For anything."
"... What?"
"I'll just do it."
"..."
Yuria grinned.
"I'm not greedy like you, big sis. If someone needs help, I help them."