https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-744-The-Sisterly-Confrontation-Between-Ifateeria-and-Thalia/12585236/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-746-Lanchi-and-Yifathea-May-Have-to-Argue-Their-Own-Cases/12585238/
Chapter 745: Iphyteria Asks About Sybrian
Chapter 745: Iphyteria Asks About Sybrian
Talia stood there in a pure white dress, her angelic face filled with astonishment. Her gaze slowly lowered, and she saw the familiar silver hair.
The silver-haired woman was now fully focused on her, burying her head as she sobbed uncontrollably. Talia's eyes stung as she witnessed her sister's raw emotion.
"Iphyteria..." Talia whispered. She had always believed that her streak of good luck would eventually run out, and yet she had yearned for this reunion ceaselessly.
A hundred years.
She had wandered aimlessly, hiding her true identity as she traveled across the northern and southern continents, witnessing countless seasons. Countless times, she had imagined this moment of reunion with her sister.
And now, finally, her path had taken a turn when she met Lanchi, who had provided her with clues about her sister, led her to Sybrian's daughter, and ultimately, to this moment of reunion.
Was Lanchi truly her wish-granting machine? Could he make any impossible wish come true? She had waited too long for this moment.
She was ready to embrace this overwhelming happiness, no matter what.
But, as fate would have it, Talia found herself glancing at Lanchi. His usually cold golden eyes now held a complex mix of emotions—gratitude, confusion, and a touch of warmth.
She was grateful for the blessings he had brought, and though she had always claimed to want no entanglements with humans, she couldn't deny the intensity of her feelings at this moment.
"It's quite normal," Lanchi said, understanding the sudden turn of events. "As long as your sister, Miss Iphyteria, shares our goal and is working within the Kresix Empire, it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed."
Earlier, when they were in the Kingdom of Posen, they had received intelligence from Miss Aetius that Iphyteria was likely in the Kresix Empire. Considering the disappearance of Duke Migaya and the presence of vampires in the empire's heartland, it was possible that Iphyteria was also working against the vampires. Thus, it was inevitable that their paths would converge as they were both investigating the same enemy.
Lanchi understood Talia's hesitation in this moment. It wasn't the shock of the sudden reunion that she feared, but the deep-seated worry of losing her sister again.
He gently patted Talia's back, a silent gesture telling her to focus on her sister, not him.
"..."
"Really, you think you can just touch my back like that?" Talia complained silently in her heart, but she didn't say anything more to Lanchi.
She gently placed her slender hand on Iphyteria's back, embracing her sister tightly, just as she had once embraced Sybrian.
Iphyteria paused for a moment, then continued to hold her sister without restraint.
"To be honest, it's usually me hugging you, sister, but this is the first time you've taken the initiative to hug me," Iphyteria said, her voice filled with memories.
In her recollection, the flawless demon princess, Talia, had always fulfilled her duties as an older sister, caring for her. Yet, she had always been elegant, rational, and captivating, possessing the dignity of a first princess and refraining from openly expressing her emotions like humans.
"We all change," Talia said softly, stroking Iphyteria's head.
Perhaps the current her seemed embarrassing to Iphyteria, but this was the real her, the her of this stage of her life.
"No," Iphyteria shook her head firmly. "In my eyes, you will always be the radiant sister."
She might have had a slight sister complex, but she was certain that this perception would never shatter. Her sister was perfect, and that would never change.
"..."
Lanchi remained silent, lifting his hand to cover his mouth in a thoughtful gesture.
Talia, however, was already feeling murderous towards him. That gesture was so despicable! He was clearly struggling to hold back a smirk.
"Sister, are you married?" Iphyteria asked suddenly.
She was certain that her sister had become much gentler. While her sister had always been inherently gentle as a demon, the current Talia seemed more like a loving wife and mother, not unlike a human.
"Of course not!" Talia exclaimed, a bit too loudly in her denial.
"Really?" Iphyteria murmured, still snuggling close to Talia.
Her deliberately drawn-out voice seemed to convey a hidden message: I know what's going on.
"Really not," Talia assured her.
"Hehe."
Iphyteria snickered. To her, her sister was like a mother. Ever since she was a young demon child and brought to the Demon King's Palace, she had lived with the adult Talia.
At first, she was terrified of the Demon King and this seemingly cold-hearted sister. But to survive and deceive the Demon King, she had no choice but to act attached to this sister while pretending to be useless, ensuring the Demon King didn't perceive any ambition within her.
Over time, however, she discovered that slacking off was truly enjoyable.
Ironically, it was the Demon King who couldn't bear to see her like this, eventually urging her to act more like a princess.
The reason the Demon King kept her, the orphaned heir of the Nine Seals' New King who had challenged the current Demon King, was because he recognized her talent and didn't want her to be a shut-in.
The Demon King was perplexed as to where he had gone wrong, unintentionally turning such a genius into a good-for-nothing, as if she had been infected by a virus.
As for Talia, who knew nothing about all this, she consistently treated her sister with the same loving affection for ten years.
Even Iphyteria's heart, as hard as iron, couldn't help but develop emotions in response to this treatment.
Her desire for revenge faded away, and she decided to spend her life leeching off her sister instead.
That was Iphyteria's plan.
Unfortunately, good times don't last forever. With the arrival of the Century Holy War, the demon tribe fell apart, and she began her long escape, hiding her identity and hoping to lay low until she could reunite with the surviving members of the demon tribe.
Her life as a demon had its ups and downs. As she experienced gains and losses, witnessed hope and despair, she could no longer be the indifferent second princess who shirked responsibilities. She had to awaken her long-sealed talents and become a powerful force capable of changing her circumstances.
But just when she felt the most desperate, her sister took the initiative to find her.
Her sister was still her sister, the same as when they were young.
After a long while, Talia finally reluctantly placed her hands on Iphyteria's shoulders and gently pushed her away.
"Iphyteria, what happened to you?"
Her gaze fixed on the scars on Iphyteria's neck.
There was so much for the sisters to catch up on, but Talia's primary concern was undoubtedly her sister's well-being.
"That's a long story, and we'll talk about it later," Iphyteria said, having already revealed her true face and looking away.
She bore a slight resemblance to Sybrian, but with a cuter and more coquettish appearance. Compared to the tall Sybrian, Iphyteria was slightly shorter.
Instinctively, she wanted to raise her collar to hide the scars, as she could already sense her sister's worry and anger, akin to a parent seeing their child being bullied.
"Mhm."
Talia could guess, even without asking, that it had something to do with the vampires.
Guilt filled her heart.
While she had been living peacefully in Iceritus, Iphyteria might have been struggling and fighting for her life against the vampires every day.
The more she thought about it, the more Talia felt that she had failed her sister.
Noticing the melancholy in Talia's eyes, Iphyteria could guess what her sister was thinking and felt flustered, not knowing how to reassure Talia and alleviate her guilt.
"Don't think like that," Lanchi said from the side. "You protected Sybrian in Iceritus, which was an indispensable condition for our victory."
"Hm?"
Talia looked up at Lanchi.
Even if he said something rude next, she wouldn't blame him.
When she was in a good mood, he would always annoy her, but when she was truly sad, he was kinder to her than anyone else.
"It's true," Iphyteria quickly added. "I only had to focus on fighting the vampires on the front lines, but you, Sister, had to take care of Sybrian in Iceritus and deal with many other concerns."
She glanced gratefully at Lanchi, relieved that he knew how to comfort her sister.
"Iphyteria..."
Talia's voice was soft and tearful as she looked at Iphyteria again.
She had always thought of her sister as a child who would never grow up, but now she realized that Iphyteria had matured and was no longer the fragile child who needed protection. She had even become strong and capable without Talia knowing.
"You're acting like a girl, Master. I can't bring myself to say anything that might upset you now," Lanchi thought to himself, as this was the first time he had seen such a vulnerable side of Talia.
Consequently, he couldn't imagine what Talia would have become in the cruel fate that the Goddess of Destiny had foretold.
"I am a woman, you know?"
Talia said, her eyes glistening with tears and a hint of annoyance as she tugged at Lanchi's tie, causing him to stumble half a step closer to her.
Their gaze locked, as if she wanted him to see clearly that she was indeed a woman.
"Umm..."
Lanchi averted his eyes, feeling uncomfortable under Talia's vulnerable yet assertive stare. For the first time, he found himself at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond to her.
He had never noticed how similar Talia's demon eyes were to those of a human. They were like the warm, gentle sunshine of spring, and her tears only served to accentuate the pristine beauty of her eyes.
"By the way, sister, did you come from Iceritus? And have you seen Sybrian?"
Iphyteria had pinpointed the crux of the matter.
She had assumed that her sister had come purely to find her, but now she realized that Talia had already met Sybrian during her journey through the Kingdom of Hurton and seemed to care deeply for her.
Iphyteria had only seen Sybrian when she was an infant.
In the blink of an eye, more than a decade had passed.
Undoubtedly, Sybrian must have grown into a beautiful young woman.
Ever since the confrontation with the blood tribe began, Iphyteria's greatest worry had been that they would target Sybrian and try to harm her to strike at her and Migaya.
Thankfully, she had Barton keep an eye on the situation in the Kingdom of Hurton. There were no reports of any harm befalling the duke's daughter, and Sybrian's name was even mentioned in the news regarding High Priest Loren.
Now it made sense that her sister had been protecting Sybrian, keeping her safe from the blood tribe's clutches.
"Yes, I live with her..."
Talia let go of Lanchi's tie and nodded.
"How does she look now? What's her personality like?"
Iphyteria grasped Talia's arms, her eyes filled with concern.
"She's very beautiful, just as beautiful as you. I can ask him to draw a picture of her for you. As for her personality..."
Talia struggled to find the right words to describe Sybrian. In her eyes, Sybrian was perfect, so she had never thought about how to specifically describe her.
Finally, Talia turned to Lanchi for help.
To her, Lanchi was omnipotent. After all, he had even managed to find Iphyteria, and she was starting to believe that he could grant any wish.
"Rest assured, Miss Iphyteria. Sybrian possesses a blend of elegance, sharpness, melancholy, determination, caution, and courage. She is innocent yet possesses a wealth of healthy and correct knowledge."
Lanchi stood beside them, smiling as he described Sybrian in a slow, measured tone.
"And... she loves you very much. She thinks about you every day."
Unfortunately, he didn't have a paintbrush or paper at hand to sketch Sybrian for Iphyteria.
"Waaah... Thank you... I've wronged Sybrian so much, and yet she still thinks of me..."
Iphyteria's tears flowed anew at Lanchi's words.
She knew she had made mistakes, and every time regret crept into her heart, she began to fear facing Sybrian, feeling that it was too late to make amends.
Yet, this kind-hearted child still thought of her as a mother, despite her shortcomings.
Beneath her joy was a sharp pain, and she had often fantasized that it would be better if Sybrian hated her rather than continuing to think of her, as it would only increase her guilt.
"So, has Sybrian started dating? Does she have any romantic rivals?"
Iphyteria wiped away her tears and asked anxiously.
Sybrian was not only outstanding but also honest, and Iphyteria worried that her daughter might be deceived by a bad man or have her heart stolen by a cunning woman.
"... "
The air grew quiet for a moment.
Cat Boss, who had just poked his head out of the shadows, looked from side to side.
He felt that Lanchi and Talia had suddenly become stiff as statues.
"Why aren't you two saying anything?"
Iphyteria's tears had dried, and her eyes were now clear as she looked at the speechless pair.
"She doesn't have a boyfriend yet, and I'll be the one vetting her suitors," Talia replied firmly, her voice steady.
"In that case, I can rest easy. With you vetting her suitors, Sybrian will surely find a good man."
Iphyteria beamed, nodding in agreement.
"Meow..."
Cat Boss's mouth formed an 'x' as he held back his words.
He used to enjoy the drama of the situation, thinking there would be no romantic rivalry between Sybrian and Talia, but now he was starting to worry.
(End of Chapter)
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