Vance blinked, his bruised face twisting in confusion as the tension snapped tight around him. He looked from Sevette to Cornelia, then to Cain, his voice breaking the heavy silence.
"Why?" he asked hoarsely. "What are you even talking about?"
Sevette did not even spare him a glance.
"Quiet," she said, dismissive, almost bored. "This does not concern you."
Vance stiffened, humiliation flaring again, but before he could protest, Sevette took a step forward, her eyes fixed on Cornelia. There was no pretense left in her expression now. Whatever mask she had worn earlier had slipped away.
"I think I like your husband," Sevette said plainly, and winked seductively at Cain.
Cain was stunned.
Sister, too straightforward?
The words rang out like a slap.
Cornelia’s breath hitched for a fraction of a second, then her eyes burned. "You what?"
Sevette t her gaze head-on. "I said I like him. I want him to be my man, my other half and my husband..."
Vance’s mouth fell open. "Sevette, what are you saying—"
She cut him off without turning. "I said be quiet."
Suddenly, Cornelia took a slow step forward. The air around her seed to tighten, causing her presence sharp enough to cut skin.
"You dare," Cornelia said, her voice low, trembling with restrained fury. "You dare say such things in front of , are you hearing yourself, SEVETTE!?"
However, Sevette did not retreat. Instead, she lifted her chin slightly, her tone steady. "I’m only saying what I see."
"And what exactly do you see?" Cornelia demanded.
"I see a man who has not been treated well," Sevette replied. "I see a man who is constantly underestimated, constantly pushed aside, constantly expected to endure without complaint. A man who was devoted to his wives but was neglected from ti to ti..."
Cornelia’s fists clenched. "You know nothing."
"I know enough," Sevette shot back. "Everyone treats him like a re fledgling, like soone who should be grateful just to exist in your shadow. But he’s not ordinary."
Her gaze flicked briefly to Cain, lingering longer than it should have. "He’s special. Stronger than he should be. Smarter than he lets on. And," she added without hesitation, "very handso that I likey-likey."
Hearing this, Cain almost spit his saliva. Holy shit! Did my awakened Overgod Body make handso and charming this fast?
Cornelia’s anger flared like a fla fed by oil. "Watch your words."
Cain stood there in silence, his head slightly lowered, his expression calm.
Inside, he was laughing.
Hahaha. This is it. Isn’t this perfect?
He could barely keep his excitent contained. Another way out to get out of this blood pact marriage. A clean way out. If Sevette pushed hard enough, if this turned ugly enough, the sisters would have no choice. Divorce. Separation. Freedom.
I don’t know what this vixen is planning, Cain thought gleefully, but I like it. Keep going. Don’t stop.
Sevette, unaware of the storm of thoughts inside him, took Cornelia’s silence as resistance and hardened her tone.
"You should divorce him," she said bluntly. "Let him marry instead."
Cain almost laughed out loud.
Oh yeah.
Vance reeled as if struck again. "Divorce?" he shouted. "Sevette, are you insane?"
"Stay out of this," she snapped.
Cornelia’s eyes widened, disbelief mixing with rage. "You think you can demand sothing like that?"
"Everyone knows his status," Sevette said sharply. "Everyone knows how little attention he receives. You parade your strength, your duties, your importance, while he is left behind like an afterthought."
Cornelia’s voice rose. "I am busy! I have responsibilities. The Academy. The border. I carry the weight of this family. Just because I don’t cling to him every hour doesn’t an I neglect him."
"Busy?" Sevette scoffed. "That’s your excuse?"
"Yes," Cornelia shot back. "Because soone has to protect this territory. Soone has to ensure we survive."
"And while you’re doing that," Sevette replied coldly, "he is alone. Watching. Waiting. Enduring."
"You presu too much," Cornelia said, her words sharp. "You see fragnts and think you understand the whole."
"I see enough to know he deserves better," Sevette said loudly.
Cornelia stepped closer, their faces now only a breath apart. "Better than us?"
"Yes," Sevette answered without hesitation. She looked at Cain and continued, "far better than you three..."
The words hit like a hamr.
"You dare insult my sisters?" Cornelia hissed.
"I dare state the truth," Sevette replied. "You may be powerful, but you are not kind to him. You may protect borders, but you ignore what’s right beside you."
"That’s a lie," Cornelia snapped. "You think affection is asured by idle words and clinging arms? He knows his place. He understands duty."
"Or maybe he’s just too used to being overlooked," Sevette countered.
Their voices echoed down the corridor, sharp and loud, servants and guards freezing in place, too afraid to move, too curious to leave.
Cain remained silent, his eyes lowered, the picture of ek patience.
Inside, he was cheering.
Yes. Yes. Fight. Tear into each other.
Cornelia’s chest rose and fell as she struggled to contain herself. "You know nothing about my marriage."
"And you know nothing about what it’s like to be desired," Sevette shot back. "I see how he looks when soone finally notices him."
Cornelia’s eyes flicked to Cain.
For just a mont.
Enough for her to catch the faint tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers curled slightly, the way he refused to look at either of them.
That hesitation burned.
"You’re projecting," Cornelia said tightly. "You want what isn’t yours."
"And you take for granted what you already have," Sevette replied.
The argunt escalated, words clashing, voices rising, accusations flying back and forth. Each sentence was sharper than the last, each pause heavy with unsaid truths and wounded pride.
Finally, Sevette raised a hand.
"Enough," she said.
The corridor fell silent.
"If words won’t settle this," she continued, her voice steady but dangerous, "then let’s do it properly."
Cornelia frowned. "What are you implying?"
"A duel," Sevette said. "You and ."
Cain’s heart skipped.
He paused.
Wait. A duel?
Sevette’s eyes glead. "We’ve always been compared. Always competing in whispers and glances. Why not be straightforward for once? Let strength decide."
Cornelia laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You think brute force decides marriage?"
"No," Sevette replied. "But it decides who has the right to speak."
Before Cornelia could respond, Sevette took a step forward and released her mana.
It exploded outward.
The pressure slamd into the corridor like a crashing wave, invisible yet crushing. The air grew heavy, dense, pressing down on chests and shoulders. Servants on the side gasped, guards staggered, so dropping to one knee as their breathing turned labored.
The torches lining the walls flickered violently, flas bending away from her as if afraid.
Sevette stood at the center of it all, her hair lifting slightly, her eyes cold and focused.
Cain felt it too.
Peak twelve stage Blood Infusion.
Vance’s eyes widened in horror. "That level... Peak twelve stage?"
His legs trembled.
Cornelia did not move.
Her eyes narrowed, her expression darkening, but she stood firm, unyielding, eting the pressure head-on.
Cain, standing just behind them, lowered his head further, hiding the dangerous glint in his eyes.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
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