"Should we tell mother?" Liliana asked.
Lily's lips twitched slightly, then she exhaled.
"No way, she'll try to kill him or worse she'll keep him for herself."
"But what about the mission?" Liliana inquired further.
"I don't care about that, I'm here to have fun not to play spies for those infuriating demons, if they want information that bad then mother should send one of our siblings."
Liliana purred.
"You're becoming a lot like me lily, it won't be long till we become whole again."
Lily smiled.
"I wonder… which one of us will stay."
Liliana's voice echoed within lily's head once again this time it sounded distant and a bit strained.
"Don't you already know the answer?"
Sunlight filled the hallway, casting warm glows and shadows which danced with a peculiar grace every time the sun moved.
Lily stared at it, far longer than she'd intended to, a faint smile appeared on her lips but it disappeared as soon as it came.
"We'll see…"
****
Si-eun headed for the living room as soon as he left the grand hall.
There was a half open door with decorative iron hinges, and from within he could hear faint noises, not rowdy ones but excited sounds.
He frowned.
'Illusion? Perception alteration? Must be father's doing.'
Since he left his room, Si-eun hadn't encountered a single maid, or butler or even guards but he noticed how spotless the mansion was, no doubt the maids had been busy while he was unconscious.
He took a deep breath then exhaled softly.
"Maybe I should just turn back." He mumbled to no one in particular.
As excited as he was to meet his family, he didn't exactly share the same enthusiasm when he thought of meeting his sister.
It was understandable, anyone in his shoes would feel the same.
I mean escaping from one death flag just for another to knock at your doorstep and oh by the way the new death flag just so happened to be your dearest sister who loathes your very existence for reasons you absolutely cannot explain. No one would look forward to that kind of meeting.
Si-eun was the same.
Yes, he loved his family but a sister he knew was going to be his undoing? even he knew where to draw the line.
Still, he couldn't help but worry.
His mother would've been worried sick thinking about his health while he was unconscious so it didn't sit right with him, he had to let them know that he was ok.
"I at least owe them this much."
Making a decision, he pushed the door open then walked in.
As soon as entered the living room, the first thing he noticed was his mother. She had bags under her eyes like she hadn't slept in days, but it was just a day… Si-eun had only been unconscious for a whole day yet her eyes told a different tale, she'd been crying.
Seeing her expression like that caused Si-eun's heart to throb.
He wanted to speak but he had no words, he just stood there like an idiot, watching.
Though It didn't take long for them to sense his presence.
His father was the first person to notice him, then his mother.
They didn't notice earlier, likely because of the small dome around them cancelling the surrounding noise.
But as expected of an Ascended tier human, their senses far surpassed what a mundane human could ever hope to achieve.
His mother blinked, then her eyes widened like she wasn't sure what she was seeing was real.
Her hands covered her mouth as she stifled a cry.
Si-eun hesitated but then walked towards them, or at least he tried to before something slammed him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.
"Argh! Oh for the love of Go… ahhh—"
A fist connected to his abdomen causing his vision to go white.
By the time his senses returned, he was sweating profusely.
"My life… I just saw my life flash before my eyes." He muttered in disbelief.
His vision cleared slightly… just enough to see another fist heading towards his solar plexus.
He spun out of the way, somehow feeling like he would die if he ever allowed that fist to reach him, and his guess wasn't far off because at that moment a translucent screen popped up in front of him.
ΩWarning…
[Hp: 400/1000]
"How dare you… you bastard, how dare you…"
A voice sounded from somewhere, its tone more like a growl than actual words.
Si-eun felt a hand grab his tunic then without warning he was slammed to the ground once again.
This time he saw his attacker's face.
Icy blue eyes with flowing black hair which cascaded down in wavy curls, a flawless white skin and a feminine appeal.
[Hp:372/1000]
'M-My god… I'm–I'm going to die…'
"Why is mother in that state huh? Speak up you bastard."
"Leona… Leona, stop hitting him." Their mother urged but Leona was far from done.
Si-eun grabbed her hand with his but it held no strength as it fell limply to the ground.
He winced, gasping for air.
From the side, Duke Astavore watched the scene with an expressionless face, next to him Alvina was shielding Nathan from seeing Leona pummel Azazel.
His mother however was approaching them trying to stop her daughter from destroying her son.
[Hp: 312/1000]
[Activating blessing???]
[Blessing: sleight of hand has been activated.]
[Adjusting stats according to danger.]
A rush of essence flowed through Si-eun, renewing his depleted energy.
Five green cards manifested within his soul mirror, each one containing a piece of items, but Si-eun paid no heed to it.
With his energy restored, his mind became crystal clear and with it, so did his thoughts.
A growl escaped his lips as he grabbed Leona by the hand then hurled her across the room.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face for a brief moment, then she suddenly readjusted herself mid air and landed gracefully.
Annoyance was clearly written on her face but beneath it there was a hint of surprise.
Si-eun staggered slightly.
His gaze was focused on Leona, calm yet there was an undeniable storm of fury underneath the restrained façade.
"You've had your fun right? Then… may I have a turn."
"Azazel!"
By the time his mother reached him, he was gone.
Reappearing right in front of Leona with his arm outstretched into a fist, he snarled.
"Clench your jaw sis, this is gonna hurt."