36 Chapter(34)

Episode(34): A sisters strange behavior 

SOVEREIGN OF DEATH~(34)

After a while, the nobles had finished greeting and admiring the princesses to their hearts content and their attention once again focused keenly on the heroes.

At this, Maria wasn't upset in the slightest nor did she feel disrespected that the heroes overshadowed her presence.

On the contrary, even as royalty of an empire her status was far below the heroes. It was completely normal for her to be overshadowed in fact.

Rather, now that she was paranoid about everyone knowing Elaine's secret, seeing no one pay too much attention to them was like taking a supreme heart soothing pill calming her wary soul instantly.

Placing a hand over her beating heart, Maria released a short breath as her tender pink lips quivered releasing all the pent up anxiety in her heart.

Although she couldn't say her worry had vanished completely, now at the very least she was less concerned and her gaze became clear and unfiltered.

The relief of knowing no one had dirt to dig up against her or her sister was like surviving a fall off a towering cliff where you were almost certain to be smashed to meat paste.

'If these greasy nobles really were to know about this, god knows what they might do with the information'

Maria didn't want to imagine it at all.

With a war against humanity literally around the corner she was too busy with war preparations to worry about internal strife and such a situation would simply put the empire in a vulnerable state defenseless against all sorts of outside attacks.

And the worst part was no one knew when that day of reckoning would arrive. The demons could literally attack them at any day of the week. One might even be on the toilet when the trumpets of war began to sound.

Who would want to deal with insurgents while the unknown threat was breathing down their necks.

It was enough that she had to be on her tip toes against other nations and fixing the nations problems every single day. If she really had to deal with traitors she would probably think the heavens had cursed her.

Any more stress and she would just go bald. No one wanted to see a beautiful princess go bald and Maria was keen on the idea either.

Well, now wasn't the time to focus on that matter.

It was better to show a smile so no one knew that she was troubled than to be obvious and tell the enemies hiding in the dark that they have a chance to make a move.

Maria continued to link arms with Elaine as she walked around greeting the nobles with her template fake smile.

This sight made Renji, who expected all his women to be by his side to frown.

He looked straight at Maria with obvious dissatisfaction meanwhile Maria also glared back at him unhappily.

The invisible sparks that set off were like fireworks as the two had different thoughts in their minds while glaring at each other.

In her head, Maria imagined tying Renji up and kicking him into the hottest volcano in the region while watching him slowly melt with a satisfied smirk.

Indeed, a fitting end for scum!

On the other hand Renji just couldn't believe that his charm wasn't working on princess Maria, not to mention she even c*ckblocked him as well.

Maybe the princess wasn't a woman to begin with. Otherwise, how could his exquisite charm not capture the heart of a maiden?

If the princess knew his narcissistic thoughts she might have spewed blood before cursing all his ancestors and descendants to eternal damnation!

Maria looked away while shaking her head in disappointment. To think that this was the man that stole her pure sister's innocence. Her heart as an older sister lamented solemnly inside.

She would have preferred if it was anyone else, even the weakest hero out of the bunch but why this one? Maria felt both disheartened and anger brew from the depths of her soul.

So much so she wanted to waltz up to him and kick his b*lls into the void.

However her rationality kept her back from doing that.

If she did it she would definitely be satisfied with herself, but wouldn't she just become a heretic that attacked the hero brought by the Gods?

Lamenting at how they over evaluated this guy was all she could do. Really, without the power to defend herself there was no way she would make those church bastards get one up on her.

At the moment, the most she could do was wish that her glares might cause some mysterious curse to activate. Ho knew, maybe the hero would lose all his hair and go bald or even better. Go impotent!

Maria snickered inside just thinking about the black magic in her head.

'If only glares could kill'

Elaine looked over and saw her sister's strange behaviour and raised an eyebrow while looking at her curiously.

[Sister?]

Although she had been focusing on the crowd, Elaine also kept a close eye on Maria so naturally seeing her like this she was concerned.

Ever since she entered the venue she had been acting strangely.

On the outside Maria was smiling in a cheerful mood, however Elaine saw through her sister easily.

'Even this morning'

Elaine recalled her sister cursing at a punching bag with a picture of someone's face on it. Each time she gave a hearty punch she was also curse that person to die in an endless limbo unable to truly end their suffering.

Elaine was terrified and shocked. When did her sister begin to lose her marbles?

Although Maria claimed she was just working out because she didn't want to slack off, with how crazed she was while punching and cursing who would believe her?

Curious, she had went back to look at the picture but it was smudged and ruined by the violent punches Maria struck out. In the end she didn't even get to see who it was.

'But why was it so familiar?'

Elaine thought that it was all too strange but she couldn't put the pieces of the puzzle together at all!

Seeing her cute little sister worry over her, Maria smiled. Elaine was a cute girl and it warmed her heart to have such an adorable sister concerned about her.

'Indeed, my Elaine is too cute!'

To have such a cute sister, Maria felt like she used up all the luck for an entire lifetime. It was no wonder she was born with such a father not to mention all the trouble that she had to deal with.

Thinking about how her father put Elaine in this mess made her frown.

The rage that had almost died down erupted again like a burst of energy and she felt like powering up to go super s*iyan!

However, before she could charge up properly she saw Elaine looking at her strangely. Maria recalled that she was currently at the banquet and immediately cough like she was caught stealing from the cookie jar.

'Calm down…there is no need to get so worked up!'

She was getting too worked up. But it couldn't be helped as the anger in her had yet to be quelled by even the slightest.

She wanted desperately to know the truth of the situation.

Maria wanted to think she misunderstood the situation and that Elaine truly fell in love with the hero before offering her chastity to him.

Somewhere in her heart she hoped this but her sanity and reasoning said otherwise.

After all, one wouldn't know high the heavens were without experiencing it themselves.

Having sensed the weird sensation whenever she came close to Renji, she knew that just a short look in his eyes had caused her chest to feel stuffy. However maybe she had gained a sort of tolerance by now, it didn't affect her at all.

Rather, this more or less confirmed her suspicions and she gritted her teeth seeing Elaine look so lovingly at the bastard hero.

Maria suddenly reached out to her waist ready to draw her sword, unfortunately when she grabbed there was nothing but air.

Maria silently heaved in frustration while Renji sneezed slightly. All the girls surrounding him looked at him with worry while he didn't even know that he survived nearly dying.

Maria let out a breath.

Fuu!

'Whether this relationship is just a sham or genuine love'

It would help to know where she could stand.

Maria figured she would just take her mind off the matter for now. At the very least she had a solution for the short term which was better than being in the dark while making up assumptions. 

Elaine worriedly asked if she was okay but Maria merely gave a smile.

In her mind however, Maria vowed to protect her little sister with all her might.

Who cared if he was some hero? He would bleed nonetheless!

Hmph!

Soon, greetings were over and the banquet began in full bloom. Nobles began to mingle and so did the heroes.

Some nobles even directly went to speak with certain heroes while all the young noblemen crowded around Maria and Elaine.

They were all young men after all. How could they not want to speak with the two most beautiful women of the empire?

But as these people only kept tutting their own horns and indirectly proposing marriage with themselves, Maria ever so politely and with eloquent wording shooed away the flies.

The pest had no choice but to buzz off at that point. If they kept chatting while the princesses had no interest, forget having a chance with them it might very well cause her anger.

If they caused the princesses anger in public then every noble house would definitely ostracize them no matter what status or circle that were in. After all, one was royalty was the other was just a noble.

It was like comparing gold to cow dung. What comparison was there?

For Maria she didn't mind the marriage talks even if she never planned on accepting them since this 'hope' would build better relations with others.

But when it came to discussing marriage partners for her sister?

Are you tired of living?

Even considering Elaine's current plights, even if she were to accept a marriage proposal, she was just 15 now. 

Maria wouldn't allow these lolicon bastards to touch her pure gem of an angel sister!

She looked at her sister with a protective glance. Elaine had just finished speaking with a noble and sighed as she did.

Her look was...tired.

She looked like she was forcing it with every ounce of her being to talk with these people while keeping up the poise of a princess.

'I noticed before as well but, Elaine must be tired of living as a princess'

To everyone who knew her, Elaine was a genius.

With an immense amount of talent and foresight Elaine was already capable of ruling the nation and completing numerous tasks even at her young age.

Her beauty and allure even surpassed Maria and because of this many suitors saw her as a flower bud they couldn't wait to see bloom.

Sometimes even Maria felt like handing her the succession rights to the throne right into Elaine's capable hands. She was sure that if Elaine were in her position, many things that she was struggling on would have already been completed by now.

Yet even while possessing all the traits of an empress destined for greatness, Elaine's countenance was lonely and exhausted. 

It was as if this life of royalty had exhausted every ounce of passion inside her bones and she just wanted to be free.

Maria could understand because she lived the same life as Elaine. They couldn't hang out with certain people, they couldn't eat certain foods, they always had to show the 'perfect' side of royalty and they must never be a disgrace.

It was no wonder that even with the talent she had, even a genius like Elaine gave up.

The main reason Maria could even become the acting ruler was because Elaine didn't even want the position and instead gave it to Maria.

At first, Maria was confused because she believed wholeheartedly that Elaine was more suited to the role, but she could see it now.

'She was tired'

For her sister, Maria would subdue the entire world no matter what it took to do so.

Maria couldn't comprehend the massive amount of pressure and expectation that were placed on a genius like Elaine for her to become so exhausted. 

'Even so-!'

She highly doubted that this was enough for her sister to resort to carnal pleasures to relieve her stress!

Elaine wasn't just some jezebel that would throw her goods around every corner every time she ran into a roadblock!

'Definitely not my Elaine!'

She absolutely refused to believe it was possible.

Maria was also stressed now.

Elaine was pregnant so what should she do with the baby? There were two choices but which was the right one?

If Elaine wanted the baby then Maria had no opposition towards her decision. Rather she would gladly accept the decision as is.

'All I can do right now is prevent stress from getting to her'

The father of the child might be no good trash scum that knew nothing but spreading his genes everywhere he went. None the less the baby was completely innocent.

There was no reason to hate the baby because of the father.

So Maria needed to make sure no stress would come to Elaine and the fetus.

Right now the best Maria could do to prevent stress from getting to Elaine and the baby was to be with her throughout the night.

She wouldn't let any predators or pest get close to her sister no matter what! That included the worst pest of all, Renji!

Maria inched closer to Elaine and linked their arms tighter with a smile.

[What's up sister?]

Elaine was surprised. Why was her sister being so strange today?

Was today that time of the month? She had a strange expression on her face. However Maria merely laughed.

[It's nothing, just stay by my side for the rest of the night!]