The heavy scent of lilies and lavender hit Evelina before she even reached the landing of the second floor.
The doors to the morning room opened with a hush.
Selene Snow entered, draped in a gown of translucent white chiffon that made her look like a angel fading into the sunlight.
She didn’t walk so much as drift, her weight supported almost entirely by a sturdy-looking maid. One hand was pressed dramatically to her chest, while the other held a lace-trimd handkerchief to her lips.
A soft, wet cough echoed through the room.
"Sister..." Selene whispered, her voice was like a fragile reed in the wind. She looked at Evelina with wide eyes radiating an innocence, "You’ve co ho. I... I tried to co down to the courtyard to greet you, but the palpitations... the physician says my heart is simply too delicate for excitent."
In her first life, Evelina would have rushed forward, feeling a crushing guilt for upsetting her sickly younger sister with her presence. She would have apologized for her own health, for her own existence, and even for breathing too loudly.
Alas, tis had changed.
Evelina stood perfectly still, her hands clasped over her own obsidian-silk skirts. She watched Selene with the detached interest as if she was a biologist observing so ager insects.
She could see the healthy flush beneath the white powder on Selene’s cheeks. She noticed that the hand clutching the handkerchief wasn’t trembling at all; it was steady.
"The physician says you’re delicate, Selene?" Evelina asked, her voice dry, "That’s strange because I recall seeing in the ledger that you were healthy enough to receive luxury mansions and private accounts."
Selene flinched as if slapped.
Then in the next mont, her watery eyes welled over, a single tear tracking down her cheek.
She let go of the maid and took two staggering steps toward Evelina, her arms outstretched.
"Sis, how can you say such things?" Selene sobbed, the sound muffled by her lace handkerchief, "I have spent every night praying for your safety in that... that barbarian’s house! I was so worried that the Duke would mistreat you, or that the cold would take your breath. Whatever I do, I always keep you in mind."
She moved to throw her arms around Evelina, a tactic she had used since childhood to end any argunt she was losing.
A hug from Selene was a trap because it forced the other person to comfort her even if they were the victim of Selene’s doing.
Evelina took a single step back. Selene stumbled, nearly losing her balance as her arms t nothing but empty air.
"Don’t," Evelina said.
Selene froze, her face contorting for a split second into an expression shock before she forced the pitiful mask back into place, "Evelina? You... you’ve changed. Is it the North? You were never this heartless and cold."
"Living in the North has made practical," Evelina corrected.
She reached into her embroidered silk bag and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box. It was covered in gold foil and tied with a velvet ribbon; the kind of gift that usually contained expensive chocolates or a sapphire brooch.
Selene’s eyes darted to the box. She couldn’t hide the greed in her eyes. She assud it was a peace offering, a way for Evelina to apologize for her earlier harshness.
"I didn’t co empty-handed,," Evelina said, her voice dropping into a sweet lilt, "Since you are so frail, and since your heart and throat seem to fail you at random tis, I brought you a gift. A special tonic, imported from the harshest mountain peaks. It is designed specifically for those who suffer from... mysterious ailnts that doctors cannot na."
Selene took the box, her fingers trembling with genuine excitent now, failing to hear the mockery in Evelina’s words as she was so carried away by her greed, "Oh, Evelina... you still care. I knew you wouldn’t let a few gold coins co between us."
’This must be sothing precious and really good for that she bought to win my heart,’ Selene thought.
Selene tore into the gold foil with a hunger that betrayed her supposed weakness.
Instead, a pungent and borderline foul odor filled the morning room.
Inside the box sat a single, dark brown glass bottle. The label was written in a cramped script: [PURE EXTRACT OF CROW-ROOT]
Selene’s face fell, "Crow-Root? But... this is a peasant’s herb."
"It’s more than that," Evelina said, stepping closer until she was looming over her sister, "Crow-Root is an ancient redy, Selene. It is famous for two things. First, it is the most bitter substance known to man. And second, it is the traditional cure for malingerers."
Evelina leaned in, her eyes boring into Selene’s, "In the old days, if a soldier claid to be too sick to fight but had no fever, the dics would force him to drink an entire bottle of Crow-Root.
If he was truly sick, he stayed quiet. If he was lying, the sheer disgust would make him miraculously jump to his feet and admit his health."
Selene backed away, the bottle clutched in her hand, "I... I don’t need this. I have my own tinctures."
"I insist," Evelina said, her smile not reaching her eyes, "In fact, I’ve instructed your maid to ensure you take a double dose every hour until your ’palpitations’ stop. And you might not know this... But Father is broke. I’ll be paying the household staff with the money I’m reclaiming from Father, so they will listen to ."
Evelina reached out and tapped the glass bottle.
Selene’s face paled at the realization.
"It’s very effective for clearing the throat, Selene. You seem to lose your voice when I ask about my fifty thousand gold pieces, I think you should drink it all."
Selene’s body trembled as she realized that Evelina had been mocking her since earlier.
Her intentions, were never to coddle her with so expensive tonic at all! Her face turned into a bright shade of red.
[Notification: ’White Lotus’ petals have been plucked]
[In the current scenario, target ’Selene Snow’ is 70% Infuriated, 30% Humiliated]
[Reward: 900 Heart-Wrecker Points awarded!]
[Current Balance: 2550 Heart-Wrecker Points]
Evelina’s lips curved upwards as she turned toward the door.
As Evelina walked out, she heard the sound of Selene throwing the bottle against the wall, but it didn’t matter. The ssage was sent.
Since they had raised a kind daughter, their daughter would definitely show ’kindness’ by bringing enough bitter dicine to cure the entire family.
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