"So? Why did you do it?"
Vivian coldly asked while cornering her sister who is getting nervous right now.
"H-He j-just annoyed me. C-Calling me a witch"
Estelle stuttered as she answered. Vivian heavily sighed while massaging her temples.
"At least, you being righteous did not changed at all but you should have used it in the right place, right person, and right time. You almost lose your head! You already know that that man is the most cruel Emperor among the Emperors"
She said while fiercely looking at Estelle.
"I k-know!"
She replied while gently touching her neck.
"Even so, he is not allowed to mock us like that. We are also struggling to survive against 'the evils', especially now that they keep on increasing each day that comes for an unknown reason"
She added with her eyes full of worry.
"Yeah... I am also afraid that the Ancient Evils are also increasing in number..."
Her sister replied.
"Let's retire for today but mend your relationship with that filthy Chili-Pepper royal because we need him"
Vivian added and went to the bathroom to take a bath. Estelle heavily sighed and flopped her whole body in the soft mattress.
"This is harder than I thought. I'd rather be hated"
She whispered as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The next day, Estelle carefully walk in the hallway because she knows that anytime, Nicolaus might assign someone skilled to kill her.
"Just as I expected"
She whispered and sighed before a black-haired guy who is just casually walking in the empty hallway suddenly stopped and unsheathed his sword.
"You have a keen sense"
He said with a smirk and speedily aimed for her head. Estelle was able to dodged it.
"Oh... you're good at escaping"
He coldly said.
"Then, how about this?!"
He added as he swung his sword non-stop while Estelle keeps on dodging it. Because of this, the black-haired guy has used up his energy and started to pant.
"I guess it is already time"
Estelle happily said and a hundred golden cards started to float in the air. She manipulated it and aimed at the man. He skillfully sliced the cards but another set of cards with dark blue color attacked him but this time when he sliced it, it doubles and attacks him faster.
"Shit!"
He said when two cards almost sliced his neck, but he was able to dodged it on time.
"You're also good at escaping, Mister!"
She excitedly said and set out another deck of cards with bloody red color.
"That's what you call defense, my Lady"
He replied and was about to slice the red card but as soon as his sword landed the card, a big explosion came from the card. The hallway and even the windows were extremely damaged.
The black-haired guy was able to escape before the explosion by destroying the window in the hallway while Estelle guarded herself with her silver cards.
"This is fun"
She said and followed the black-haired guy in the certain vast open area of the Eastern Empire.
"You sure are enjoying this"
The guy said and smirked.
"Of course!"
She replied with madness in her emerald eye and launched an attack while the guy keeps on slicing her cards without getting close to her until he stopped while heavily panting. Estelle's card also stopped because she noticed it.
"Why did you stop?"
She coldly asked.
"..."
He did not reply and the clouds suddenly turned gloomy.
"You are spoiling my fun, you damn royal!"
She angrily said as she looked up at the veranda where Nicolaus is looking at her with no emotions and next to him is Camilla holding their sleeping son, William.
"Annoying royals"
Estelle said and started to take out the black cards but before she can use it, a heavy rain started to pour. Her cards are in no match when it comes to rain, so they started to slowly disappear.
She looked again at Nicolaus who was about to silently leavs with Camilla and William.
"Hey! Watch how I will beautfully kill your loyal dog and close friend, Sir Dwayne... ah, no, he is now the Emperor of the North, right?"
She said as she took out two daggers from her thighs. Nicolaus turned around and looked at her. She smirked and speedily attacked Dwayne in full madness and speed.
"What's with this monster?!"
Dwayne thought as he tried to do offense and defense as fast as he could. When he was cornered in a large tree and was able to dodged it, the tree was swiftly cut into half.
"Don't run away from me, Your Majesty!"
Estelle maniacally said as she attacked Dwayne endlessly, without tiredness. When Dwayne stumbled on the ground, Nicolaus protected him by striking a lightning to Estelle who was about to stab his head. Fortunately, she was able to sense it and escaped from it.
"Playing dirty, huh?"
She mumbled while emotionlessly looking at Nicolaus.
"I will kill you next"
She coldly said and turned her head to Dwayne who is now in a defense stance. Before they could launch an attack with each other, a calming bell sound was heard.
"AHHHHH!"
Estelle screamed in pain while holding her head. The bell sound is continuously heard. It was Chief Priest Giovanni who is ringing the bell and beside him is Vivian.
"STOP IT! IT HURTS!"
She screamed again and was about to attack Giovanni but Vivian let out the Viscious Shackles and it aimed to lock her sister's arms and limbs.
"LET ME GO!"
She roared but Vivian just closed her eyes.
"Your Majesties, I will not ask for us to stay in the Imperial Palace but at least let us stay in the Capital, outside the Imperial Palace"
Vivian calmly said.
"No, you cannot! That sister of yours is a monster!"
Camilla hysterically replied while Nicolaus immediately tried to calm her down.
"You heard my Empress. Leave!"
He coldly answered.
"Just so you know, my sister is no monster. She just exceeded the strength of a human and discarded human feelings when she is extremely distressed. In the last war, she saw her comrades fell in the hands of the former Northern Emperor. On top of that, she saw her two trusted person killed in front of her during the heavy rain, just like today. On that day, we are a bit late to save everyone but the only person standing on that harsh battlefield was none other than Estelle who is filled with the blood of more than three thousand northern men. Her back is full of emptiness and loneliness as she tried to look for the body of her most trusted comrades. When she found their bodies, her consciousness faded away and on the next day, she cannot remember what happened. All she knew is that her most trusted comrades died in front of her and she keeps on blaming herself ever since that day to the point that she lost her real self. My sister is a ray of sunshine whenever she goes. She is bright, cheerful, kind, and virtuous. Now, she just does not give a damn as if life is just a burden to her. She just became an empty shell because of that incident"
She replied trying to hide her anger.
"The O' So Great Priestess and the favored lover of the Eastern Emperor sure knows how to humiliate such a despicable being"
She added sarcastically that made Camilla embarrassed because she was just humiliated in front of the close friend of Nicolaus by being called a lover and not Empress.
"Estelle, my dear sister. It's time to come back now. Your older sister is here"
Vivian said while gently hugging her enraged sister. As she gently tapped her sister's back, she slowly clamed down until she lost her consciousness.
"Good job"
She whispered and the Viscious Shackles disappeared. Giovanni carried her unconscious daughter.
"Wait"
Nicolaus loudly said and they looked at him.
"I will let you stay in the Imperial Palace without threatening your lives, but your sister will be assigned to be my son's personal bodyguard until you reached your goals to annihilate the Ancient Evils. It is a win-win situation for the both of us"
He said despite the extreme disagreement of Camilla.