269 Elaine Moonchester (1/2)
”BROTHER, am I finally going to enter the society on my upcoming 15th birthday?” Elaine asked Auro Moonchester, her older brother and the new ruler of their kingdom. Her brother ascended the throne when their father died. ”I want to be free from this tower.”
Even though she was a princess, only a few had seen her face yet.
Her brother was too protective of her that he didn't allow her to leave the tower. Still, he took good care of her. All her servants were capable and good to her, even her teachers. She learned the proper etiquette of a royal princess like her.
Yet, she felt sad that she couldn't show it to their people.
”I know that I'm born with a weak body, Brother,” she said with a pout. ”But attending social banquets won't kill me.”
Auro, who stood in front of her as she sat on the edge of her bed, smiled at her. Then, he got down on one knee and held her hands. ”Elaine, you are precious to me.”
She smiled and nodded. ”I know that, Brother.”
”There's a reason why I've kept you hidden in this tower for so long,” he said with a sad smile on his face. Then, he gently caressed her cheek. ”I'm sorry, Elaine.”
”You don't have to apologize, Brother,” she said while shaking her head. Then, she put her hand on top of his. ”I know that you're only doing this to protect me.”
”No, I'm sorry because in my heart, there's only one sibling that I acknowledge,” his brother said, confusing her. ”Elaine, do you remember our older brother? The one who used to be locked up in this tower before I set him free. You weren't born yet when he left the family. But I used to talk about him in the past, didn't I?”
Even though she was confused, she still responded to her brother. After all, she trusted him with all her life. He was the only person in the palace that she felt safe with the most. ”Yes, Brother,” she said. ”If I remember it correctly, our oldest brother is called Kalel Moonchester.”
”He goes by the name of Kalel Nystrom now.”
”Have you found him, Brother?”
”We never lost contact, Elaine,” he said. ”But right now, your big brothers are having a huge fight.”
”Why are you fighting with our oldest brother?”
”It doesn't matter, my poor little sister,” her brother said while caressing her cheek. ”You don't need to know.”
”You're saying strange things, Brother.”
He smiled at her the kind of smile that gave her a bad feeling. ”Elaine, do you love me?”
”I do, Brother.”
”Then, will you die for me?”
She was surprised by that question. And to be frank, her brother's tone also scared her. He was serious, and she knew that he wasn't really waiting for an answer.
After all, her Brother Auro just stabber her chest with his hand.
Not only did he stab her. He also ripped her heart out, his face cold and unapologetic. This was the first time her brother looked at her with such disdain.
He used to smile warmly at me
”You're still alive?” Auro asked in a disappointed voice. Then, he stood up and looked at her with empty eyes. ”I suppose it's the Moonchester blood in you.”
”Why?” she asked in disbelief. For some reason, she couldn't feel the physical pain that her brother inflicted on her. The only pain that she could feel was the one she got from getting betrayed by the person she trusted the most. ”Why are you doing this to me, Brother?”
”I found someone who deserves your position more,” he said coldly, her heart still literally in his hand. ”You have to die so I could bring her to my side.”
Was it because she was nave or her brother just didn't really make sense?
She couldn't understand why she had to die for him to bring a woman to the palace. Ah, he did say something about his woman taking her place as a princess. She had a lot of questions but judging by her fading life force, she knew that she wouldn't have enough time to listen to her brother's response.
Not that she was certain that he would give her the answers that she needed.
”Are you just going to silently accept your fate?” her brother asked her mockingly. ”This is why you bore me to death, Elaine.”
”Brother, I'm angry,” she admitted with clenched hands. ”But I know that being angry now wouldn't keep me alive.”
”Good,” he said, then he squeezed her heart in his hand until it became nothing but a pool of blood. ”Just die quietly like how you lived in this tower for fifteen years.”
”Brother, let me ask you one question before I die: what is it that you desire that you have to kill your own sister for it?”
”I want to rule an empire,” he said without missing a beat. ”And open the gates to the heavens to become a god. If I have to summarize it for you, then I'd say I want to be worshipped both by humans and the gods themselves.” He pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood off his hands. ”I didn't expect you to ask that instead of why I had to keep you alive for this long.”
”I have to know what you desire so that I'd be able to steal it from you once we meet again, Brother.”
He laughed at her. ”You? Steal my dream from me? You don't even know if you're going to get reborn into the same lifetime as me, my foolish sister.”
”You don't know why my physical body is weak, do you?”
Finally, the arrogant look on Auro's face vanished. ”What do you mean by that?”
”You must have underestimated me a lot because you didn't even bother to know what my Mana is,” Elaine said with a bitter smile. Then, her body finally gave in. Before she knew it, she was already lying on her back while staring at the ceiling. She was glad that even until that moment, she still couldn't feel any physical pain. Most of all, she was proud of herself for being able to hold back her tears. All she felt was exhaustion, so she closed her eyes and whispered her final words. ”See you later, Brother Auro.”
***
ELAINE, after a long time, was finally reborn as Stella a witch from hthe Colorless Coven.