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Chapter 1560: A War with No Victors (Part X)
Chapter 1560: A War with No Victors (Part X)
The next morning, Albert opened his eyes and found himself still enveloped in darkness. He shifted slightly, glancing at Isabelle lying beside him, her face peaceful in slumber as she slept on. His mind wandered back to the passionate emotions of the previous night.
Albert was well aware of the worries that plagued Isabelle's mind, and he felt a mix of amusement, frustration, and tenderness. He gently pushed aside her messy hair and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Do I really seem that unreliable?"
There was no answer in the darkness.
"You don't have to worry about anything," he assured her.
He didn't deny his appreciation for beautiful women, and he had harbored some unrealistic fantasies. But having lived two lives, he knew exactly what he wanted, or he would have had numerous mistresses by now.
Albert tossed aside the thin blanket and quietly got out of bed. He gently pulled aside the corner of the curtain, shielding his eyes from the harsh morning light.
Outside, the sky had brightened considerably, and the sun hung high overhead.
The sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, forming a bright streak on the dark carpet, only to vanish as the curtains were drawn closed again.
"Good morning."
A muffled voice sounded from behind him.
Despite Albert's attempts to be quiet, his movements had still roused Isabelle from her deep sleep.
She sat up in bed, letting the blanket slide off her body, exposing most of her upper body. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, still looking a bit weary.
"Don't you want to sleep a little longer?" Albert asked softly.
"No, it's already quite late," Isabelle replied.
She tossed aside her blanket, got out of bed, and walked barefoot to Albert, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I know you have something important to do today, so I guess it's time for the Time-Turner again."
"Yes, thanks to that device, we can afford to be lazy," Albert said, turning to return her kiss passionately. Only when Isabelle released him, satisfied, did he bend down to pick up the bathrobe that had been discarded on the carpet and drape it over her shoulders.
"Will you be able to hand over the mess at Hogwarts to someone else in a couple of days?" Isabelle asked.
"Headmistress McGonagall will probably handle the aftermath," Albert replied.
"Mhm, don't keep Katrina waiting too long. You'll have to be gentler with her," Isabelle said, placing another kiss on Albert's lips before leading him toward the bathroom.
Several hours earlier, the two of them had emerged from the study, now dressed and ready for the day.
With plenty of time to spare, Albert decided to enjoy the house-elf-prepared breakfast before heading to Hogwarts.
"I've taken care of him," Isabelle said to Katrina, turning her head slightly after seeing Albert off.
"He truly loves you," Katrina said, a hint of envy in her voice as she thought of the deep bond between the couple.
"My dear sister," Isabelle said, seeming to see through Katrina's thoughts, "you haven't done too badly for yourself, either. At least you got a ready-made deal and didn't have to put in the effort."
"I admit I'm not as good as you, but you don't have to put me down," Katrina said, a little dejected. She still believed that Isabelle had simply beaten her to it.
"I've never put you down; I'm just stating a fact," Isabelle said.
She felt that even without her, the likelihood of Albert and Katrina ending up together was slim. The more probable outcome would have been a school romance like many other young wizards, which would eventually fizzle out for one reason or another.
Albert, being in high demand, had never lacked female company, and the emotionally immature Katrina would likely have lost out to other more attractive and proactive girls, becoming the biggest loser in the game of love.
"You..." Katrina began, her finger pointed at Isabelle, but she eventually lowered it, feeling defeated. "Am I really that bad?" she asked glumly.
"No, you're just average," Isabelle replied bluntly. "But your aspirations are anything but. To use Albert's words, you're aiming high while performing low." She shattered Katrina's unrealistic fantasies with the cruel truth.
"If Albert weren't so popular with the ladies, and if you were willing to fight for him, there's a good chance you two would have ended up together. But I think at that time, you probably wouldn't have put your heart into nurturing that relationship."
Katrina felt like her heart was being stabbed with each word. "What about you, then?" she asked defiantly.
"When we got together, he was just an ordinary student," Isabelle reminisced, thinking back to their first meeting. Sometimes, fate worked in mysterious ways.
"That guy was a genius from the start," Katrina argued.
"I've never denied that Albert's brilliance makes him more attractive," Isabelle acknowledged. "But it's precisely because of that brilliance that I cherish our relationship even more."
"Then why did you..." Katrina began, her curiosity getting the better of her. She wanted to understand why Isabelle had allowed her to intrude into their world, something she herself would never have tolerated.
The so-called "sisterly love" seemed like nothing more than an excuse, or at least, one of the reasons.
"Albert also looks forward to having you in his bed, even though he's always been careful with our feelings and doesn't want to indulge himself too much. But he does have those desires."
"So, you agreed?" Katrina asked, feeling absurd.
"That's only one of the reasons. I also need to consider your happiness and future. Mom must have realized this as well, which is why she eventually agreed to this absurd arrangement. As for letting your child inherit the McDougall surname, that was just an excuse prepared in advance."
"Are you so sure that I won't find anyone else I like?" Katrina felt dejected.
"Once you've seen the best, it's hard to settle for anything less. Even if you compromise, your options are limited."
"Because exceptional men are never lacking in female attention."
"There must be other reasons!" Katrina refused to accept this rationale.
Isabelle looked at her sister, carefully guarding her last shred of self-esteem, and said softly, "Because I'm afraid Albert might die in battle. I want to give him something to hold on to, a reason to protect himself and stay alive."
These words rendered Katrina silent. In the past, she might have believed this, but now it felt more like an excuse Isabelle had crafted for Albert.
Perhaps there was some truth to what she said, but it was impossible to determine how much.
"I feel like such a fool," Katrina said self-deprecatingly.
"You're not a fool. You've just been too sheltered and haven't fully shed the influence of your school life."
Isabelle summoned a house-elf and asked Cara to watch over Alice, then gestured for Katrina to follow her.
"Come on, let's go to your room. It's time for a sisterly chat about more intimate matters."
"What is it?" Katrina asked as she closed the door behind her.
"I'll teach you..."
Isabelle leaned in and whispered into Katrina's ear, sharing secrets that only girls would understand.
Katrina's face turned bright red, like an apple, and she stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"You..."
"See, you're not even mentally prepared for this," Isabelle observed, looking at Katrina's flustered state. "Or are you planning to give up?"
"Is it really necessary?" Katrina asked, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Inexperienced girls rarely enjoy their first time." Isabelle winked.
"But..."
"There are no buts." Isabelle looked into her sister's eyes and said calmly, "Now, I'll tell you the last reason."
A bad premonition filled Katrina.
"For most men, the allure of beautiful sisters is far greater than that of other attractive women." Isabelle's calm demeanor made Katrina feel even more disturbed.
"How can you say such things so calmly?" Katrina's expression was complex.
"Don't make that face." Isabelle looked at her sister gently. "If you truly love Albert, you wouldn't see this as a problem."
"Even if you say so, does Albert know about this?" Katrina couldn't help but ask.
"Of course, he knows. We talked about it last night. He's actually reluctant to go through with it because once we cross that line, there might be no turning back. But I managed to convince him." Isabelle had never been so blunt and straightforward with her sister about such intimate matters.
"Why?" Katrina was shocked.
"Even though Albert is married, there are still many girls pursuing him. His brilliance shines too brightly, attracting countless suitors. Even if Albert can control himself and maintain his distance, I won't pin all my hopes on that. People make mistakes, and those girls will do everything they can to make him fall."
"Rather than worry about other women trying to share my man, it's better that we share him first." Isabelle's next statement completely shattered Katrina's worldview.
"So, you must learn how to be Albert's wife, lover, and partner. Learn how to build a connection with him and drain his remaining energy, so he has no spare thoughts for those flirty girls."
"Even if some girls are willing to get involved with Albert, without a solid emotional foundation, they'll end up as mere distractions in his life, not even worthy of being called his mistresses."
Katrina suddenly realized how terrifying her sister could be.
(End of Chapter)
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