đ.đ: The brothers
"Isn't the weather today simply lovely, Your Highness?" Liliette's bubbly voice chimed from behind.
Elysia walked a few steps ahead of her ladies-in-waiting, the soft click of their shoes echoing through the stone corridor.
At Liliette's remark, Elysia's icy blue eyes swept across the surroundings.
They were walking through one of the palace's open-air corridors connecting to the East Wingâtheir destination. The wing that housed the grand library, an observatory, and the alchemy lab where scholars tirelessly deciphered ancient texts.
Save for the elegant roofing overhead, the corridor was mostly open to the elements, flanked on either side by lush gardens bursting with exotic flowers and elusive woodland fauna.
Vivid blooms nodded in the breeze, their fragrance mingling with the scent of damp earth.
Elysia smiled as the cool breeze tousled her silver hair. "Indeed, Liliette. It's the perfect weather to be outdoors."
"Speaking of that, Your Highness," Mira's crisp voice broke through the air. "His Majesty has requested afternoon tea with you once you're through with your morning activities."
'Two days in a row? Now that's quite the development,' Elysia mused, her brow arching slightly.
"I'll keep that in mind, Mira. Thank you for letting me know," she replied, glancing over her shoulder with a soft smile.
She caught the subtle reactionâMira's posture stiffened ever so slightly.
The woman bowed. "It's my pleasure, Your Highness," she said, her tone as brisk as always.
â
Mira â 27 â 29
â
Elysia masked her pleasant surprise behind another polite smile.
'So she's weak to tenderness, hmm? How cute.'
Still savoring that small victory, she noticed movement ahead. Two figures emerged from the far end of the corridor, walking in their direction.
Her steps faltered. A pulse of unease shot through her chest the moment she recognized them.
It wasn't her reaction.
It was the original Elysia'sâechoes of pain and dread clinging to memories that weren't fully hers. But the body remembered.
She inhaled quietly, steeling herself.
'Don't be afraid. Don't give them what they want.' Her jaw clenched. 'I had hoped I wouldn't run into them today. That, for once, the stars would grant me a reprieve. But I suppose the higher powers had other plans.'
Lifting her chin, she smoothed her expression and walked forward with a grace that shimmered with defiance.
She wouldn't let them see her cower ever again.
The twinsâLuke and Lucasâwere only a few feet away now.
Her plan was simple: pass by without acknowledging them, act unbothered, and keep walking.
Just once, she wanted to be the neglected princess. The invisible one.
But as she made to stroll past, a hand lashed out and clamped around her arm. The grip was harshâvindictive.
Her breath caught following Liliette's sharp gasp behind her.
She looked down at the pale hand digging into her sleeve, then upâright into the chilling ruby eyes of Luke Aerelion.
Hatred poured from his gaze like poison, burning and wild. It nearly made her dizzy. Still, she refused to look away.
She wasn't that girl anymore.
Luke's lips twisted into a cruel smirk, his sharp canines gleaming like a vicious predator on the prowl.
"So," he sneered, "you get a bit of Father's attention and suddenly you're too good to greet your older brothers?"
His grip tightened. She wincedâhe'd definitely leave a bruise.
To Luke's surprise, she met his glare with equal venom. Her hatred radiated from her like heat, raw and unfiltered.
If his distaste for her was a pond, hers for him was a bloody sea.
'Rotten bastard. Let me guessâobliterating him and Lucas is my next mission? I wanted nothing to do with them before, but after this⊠yeah, I'm done playing nice. They need a serious reality check.'
She braced herself to snatch her arm back, ready to scorch him with a verbal lashingâbut Winfred's chime echoed through her mind like a cruel joke.
[Ding! Host, your next mission has arrived: Increase Luke and Lucas' affection levels to 70+]
[Difficulty: â â â ]
[Allotted time: 7:00:00:00]
[Reward Class: B]
"You filthyâ" Her insult died in her throat as the words registered fully.
'What?'
[Host, your ultimate goal is to live the best life that Elysia couldn't have. Gaining their favor will be beneficial to that future.]
Elysia's fists trembled at her sides, her rage barely contained.
'They bullied her. They isolated her. They blamed her for something she had no control over. And now I'm supposed to cozy up to them?'
She clenched her jaw even tighter, fury swirling inside her like a storm.
'Why should I waste a single ounce of my will trying to gain their favor when I should be making them pay?'
[Because you're a strategist now. You can't afford to waste an opportunity.]
As much as she hated to admit it, Winfred had a solid point. She felt her rage slowly begin to simmer down.
'Fine. Only because this is what must be done...'
She mentally pulled up their affection levels.
â
Luke â -9
Lucas â 15
â
'Son of a... Minus nine? You're basically asking me to perform a miracle.' A headache was already creeping in.
Still, if there was one thing she was good at, it was thisâthe subtle art of persuasion, of baiting a mind just enough to stir interest or confusion. She could play the long game if it meant holding the reins.
Elysia released a soft, exaggerated sigh, her voice calm but laced with a bite of feigned innocence. "If we really think about it... do either of you even know why you hate me so much?"
Her words caught them both off guard. Luke and Lucas visibly stiffened, blinking at her in confusion, like it had never occurred to them that the one they scorned might actually question their cruelty.
Taking advantage of Luke's temporary lapse, she yanked her arm free from his bruising grip and took a step back, subtly massaging the aching spot though she kept her face composed.
Tilting her chin up, she studied themâtwo tall, sharp-boned men radiating the kind of cold hostility that could freeze the blood.
"If there's something about me that's lacking," she continued smoothly, "then tell me. I'll work on it. I'd like to be someone my older brothers can be proud of."
Luke scoffed, his expression contorting with rage. The veins in his neck throbbed dangerously.
"Ha," he spat. "So this is the real you. Hiding behind that pathetic act all this time. Pretending like you belong here."
'Pretentious littleâ' He bit the thought off, too furious to articulate it.
Lucas, who until now had spoken only with his narrowed eyes and a clenched jaw, finally voiced the venom he'd been holding back. "If it wasn't already obvious, little sister, you are the problem. Your very existence is a stain on this family. You should have done us all a favor and died in the womb, instead of bringing an innocent woman to her death. You deserve nothing but a lifetime of penance."
The words were sharp enough to cut glass.
Elysia should have flinched. Should have felt rage. Or even grief. But instead, all she felt was an unsettling calm.
'These two are supposed to be grown adultsâcapable of empathy, logic, and emotional depth. And yet⊠this is all they've got?' Her expectations were once again betrayed.
She regarded Lucas coolly, pressing her lips together before replying. "Is that so? Then I suppose we should talk more about it. Over tea, perhaps? I'd be delighted if either of you joined me sometime."
The reaction was instantaneous. The twins blinked at her, dumbfoundedâas if she'd just confessed she was a goblin sent to steal their royal underwear collection.
"This girl..." Lucas began, eyes narrowing.
"...is absolutely insane," Luke finished, jaw clenched in disbelief.
Before any more insults could be thrown, a royal attendant rushed up, bowing hastily. "Your Highnesses," he addressed the brothers, "His Majesty requests your presence at once."
Luke clicked his tongue in irritation, casting one last venomous look at Elysia. "This isn't over," he hissed before storming off, his cloak whipping behind him like an angry flame.
Lucas lingered a second longer.
His voice, low and sharp, sliced through the silence. "You might be under the delusion that things will begin to favor you now that Father has shown some interest. But hear thisâfavor is far easier to lose than it is to gain."
"Being greedy and desiring more than what you deserve will only prove detrimental." He gave her one final glare, then turned and followed after his twin, leaving a void in their wake.
The silence that followed was heavy, until Liliette's voice cracked through it.
"Y-Your Highness!" she gasped, hurrying to her side. "Are you alright? Your arm! He hurt you!"
Elysia glanced down. Sure enough, a bruise was beginning to bloom on her forearm, angry and violet.
Still, she smiled gently, trying to calm the frantic lady-in-waiting.
"You don't need to worry about me, Liliette," she said softly, reaching out to pat her hand. "It's nothing."
But inwardly, her thoughts were far less serene.
'Yeah, this is nothing compared to what I've been through.'