MASKS TO UNVEIL! CHAPTER 3: FATHER'S NEWS
Sencha woke up rather late. She sat up and looked around, after some time, Kijhy appeared and smiled at her, feigning ignorance of what she wanted to ask Sencha. Right now, she isn't Lanlan but Sencha, the daughter of the general.
"Miss, let me help you dress up."
Sencha simply nodded and held onto Kijhy's arm to stand up properly. Because she had used so much mana last night, she felt unwell. If this was to be in her stepmother's information, she'd suffer for at least one week. She won't get to eat within that time, and she won't be able to practice controlling her newly found Lavender power.
It hasn't been long since she found out that she is also indeed an owner of the famous Lavender power. She thought that all along, she would be only a 'Blue' level, which is in the second lowest of all the powers in the continent.
Powers are labeled in each intensity, and Lavender is the second most frightening while white, solid color is the inevitable. She hasn't seen anyone who has a white solid power, and she was curious on whoever is that fortunate person to have such strong and omnipotent power at that?
Can that person be defeated if two Lavender people fight with him or her? She wants to know. And after the white solid power, it was said that the Black colored magic can devour all power unless five people with white solid power fights with him. If you think about it, those people who have Black power are really an almighty and invincible person. Who could it be?
No, she has seen a person that is a white solid power. It was the aloof, unfriendly, and cold Hero- Hero Min. He is famous around ladies and has their eyes for him only. It was said that no one had been successful in seeing or had a single glimpse to his face, like her who was also fully covered from head to toe.
She uses her Lavender power from time to time to generate it to her whole body, but it makes her sick and weak. Since Lavender is a very strong power, her body must have been shocked from all the energy she got by having a Lavender power.
Kijhy opened the door for her and her stepmother was the first person her eyes caught and she secretly sighed.
"You're late."
It was her stepmother. Where is her father? Didn't Xian say that father has something to say to her? Because it's rare for her father to ask them to have a meal together, it only means that he has something to say, whether to her, her stepmother, her sister, or to them. It can be because of war or something.
Sencha bowed politely and greeted her stepmother.
"Hello, stepmom."
Lucy Zyndellia, her stepmother, was mad when she greeted her like that and hit the table with a heavy thud. Sencha flinched and took a glimpse.
"I told you not to greet me like that!"
She yelled impatiently and was trembling. When Sencha calls her like that, Lucy always trembles because it only implies that whatever she does, she is only her stepmother not her real mother, since her real mother had died.
Sencha bowed again and Xian looked at her stepmom in terror. How can she be insensitive knowing that her older sister is feeling unwell?
"I apologize. I am late, I am sorry. I'll be sure to arrive early from tomorrow onwards."
She calmly spoke and Lucy rested her chin on her palm. She smiled cunningly and looked at Sencha.
"But of course, I know that a woman like you must be ashamed to be even the older sister when you have no power other than having the blue level and dare to provoke me every single day."
Sencha sighed and blinked. She's right, she hasn't fully controlled the Lavender power.
"I am sorry."
Lucy smiled widely when she saw how pitiful and sad Sencha looked and it gave her joy.
"Ohh~. That's why I love my Xian better, since she is already level two in Lavender power after 10 years of practicing. Do you know how powerful that is?"
Sencha narrowed her eyes and frowned. What does she mean to say? Xian looked at her older sister and spoke.
"Mom, I told you not to bring that topic up."
Xian sounded helpless and Lucy thought that Sencha was ordering Xian to stand up for her and pointed at Sencha with her fork.
"You even used Xianxian to irritate me. Why? Are you that helpless?"
Xian gripped her clothes and grinded her teeth. How dare a lowly stepmom insult her sister?
"Xian, stop. Mom, I don't understand why you are so mad? What is it that I did that made you upset?"
Sencha asked and Lucy bit her lips at her comprehensive skills.
"As expected, a fool like you won't be able to understand like me."
"Yes, because we're the same."
Sencha said and Lucy glared at her, standing up.
"What are you trying to say, you useless daughter?!"
Sencha breathed out and sat after Kijhy pulled the chair out.
"Mom, please stop. Your health will deteriorate if you keep being mad."
Sencha closed her eyes and Lucy shut up when the door was opened, and her husband was buttoning his cuffs while heading towards the chair that was reserved for him.
"You're all here."
He said, not giving Sencha a glance and Sencha bit her lips. She thought her father would finally take a look at her after accomplishing the Blue level, but his eyes still held contempt for her and she felt hapless.
"Father, how was your trip?"
The lively Xian asked with a big grin and her father also smiled back at her.
"My Xian, my trip was fine, and we defeated a lot of powerful monsters in the south. It was truly a victory."
Xian chuckled and said.
"That's good. If you have time father, can you tell me how you managed to defeat all the monsters?"
Xian was enthusiastic and was eager to know, while her father readily nodded and smiled.
Sencha smiled when she saw her father happy and asked.
"Father, what skill did you use to fully acquire the victory?"
She was also excited and Kijhy was expecting that her father would look at her and smile just like what he did to Xian.
However, her father's smile instantly vanished and as he turned his head to her, the contempt in his eyes were so clear that Sencha looked down and felt frightened.
His cold gaze, meeting her eyes were scary and there was no affection even just for a bit. All that was clear in his eyes were all cold and chilly. Unlike the sweet, affectionate, and lovely father to Xian, what he is to Sencha was a person who would never value her worth.
Her father menacingly looked at her and replied.
"You won't understand."
Sencha blinked and looked hurt. Kijhy sighed and wanted to punch the general for being so different to Sencha but to Xian, he was the father that every daughter would love.
"Thank you… for answering, father."
Sencha blurted out weakly. Her father looked at her face and closed his eyes, as if he had seen something gross that he had furrowed his brows and was disgusted.
"Eat, so that you won't be unnecessarily sick. Tsk."
"Father, but my health—"
"Are you ordering me now?"
Sencha felt that her mouth was bitten by a cat and gulped at the indifference her father showed her. Just why can't he love her equally like Xian? What's so different about them?
"N-no, father. I am… sorry."
"Ugh, don't make me repeat myself again and don't ask something you wouldn't be able to understand, you dumb daughter."
His gaze made her tremble and she breathed out. Xian was also frightened and gripped her clothes. Her stepmom slipped her hand to Xian's hand and held it.
"It's fine, Xian. Your father is only disciplining your older sister so that she won't make the same mistake. You don't need to feel bad."
Xian turned to her mother, who had a different intention and then looked at Sencha, who looked like she was about to cry.
"…"
Sencha was a loss of words.
"Sencha, you are to be wedded to the crown prince after three days, prepare yourself and Xian, you are to be wedded to someone worthy of you."
Her father suddenly announced and her mother stood up, exclaiming.
"Honey?! The crown prince? And after three days?"
She felt like Xian deserves the crown prince since he'd be ruling the empire and Sencha wasn't someone who can do that, as she was timid and annoying.
Her father looked at Sencha and said,
"Don't be surprised. The crown prince is a paralyzed person, you won't be able to have a peaceful and happy marriage life."
He frowned and Sencha was dumbfounded. Was this the reason why her father wanted them to have a meal together?
Sencha's hands began to tremble, and she spoke.
"Why, father?"