My Sister The Villainess 51 Love Is...

What greeted her was the sight of a shirtless Elias Claybrook going through some practice routines. His handsome face set in a look of intense concentration held a certain charm hard to deny.

He didn't seem to hear her. She was about to open her mouth to repeat her words when she noticed the familiarity of the sword in his hand.

"You still have that old thing?" She asked without inflection.

It was only then that the man stopped his swings and took a breather. Sweat poured down his back, chest and face. Brows ever-so-slightly furrowed, she offered him a handkerchief.

He didn't accept it but instead gave a small grin as he took a seat to apply a new coat of oil to the old blade.

"Of course I kept it."

Mary's expression didn't change at all. "Just a broken sword. What's the point in keeping it around?"

Elias looked at the weapon. It'd been broken in half long ago, now more a dagger than a sword. He fingered the jagged edge.

"It has sentimental value." He replied simply.

"Some random sword I picked up along the road holds sentimental value?" The woman's tone was cool as a flowing river in spring.

"A gift is a gift. Besides, it was the first one I ever owned. Saved my skin a bunch of times. " He realized he sounded defensive and quickly changed gears. "Look, it's important to me, alright? Make fun of me if you wish, I don't care." He turned his nose up at her before going back to oiling the thing. Ignoring her.

"You've become quite cheeky, haven't you, little Ellie? What happened to that cute kid from back then?"

Elias snorted. "Never gonna let me grow up, are you?"

"I still remember the days you used to hang around my skirt like a lost puppy. You tell me."

Mary vividly recalled those now seemingly distant times. She'd met the man before her many years ago, at least by his standards, back when he was a child barely his daughter's age during her travels around the world

Due to her curiosity about his strange energy fluctuations, she masked her current form and taken the appearance of a young girl. It was the start of a perculiar relationship that included numerous visits to the forest, a few bear attacks, and much pestering by an over-eager young Ellie.

When he grew older and became the family head it was she who tagged along on his expeditions and helped make sure the guy didn't meet any unfortunate accidents during his journies.

She's seen every step of his transition from child to man. And not just him, she had also been close with Lucius before he became King. The three had quite a history together.

Though Elias had no idea what she was until he met Muriel. That is, the current Mrs. Claybrook.

"I'm surprised you were able to find it under the wreckage."

He shrugged. "I was persistent. Anyway, you were saying something about dinner?"

"Yes. Clean yourself and go eat. Lady Claybrook is waiting for you."

"Let me just finish this and--"

She cut him off. "Go. I will tend to this broken thing for you."

He hesitated. "Well, alright. Please be careful with it." He handed it over and walked passed. He brushed by her as he left. She could almost feel the warmth of his skin, or maybe it was just her imagination.

Mary held up the sad-looking broken sword into the sun's rays. She remembered staying up for several nights in it's forging.

Even though it's been ages since those days there wasn't the faintest bit of rust, showing the attention it had received all this time.

"Foolish man. Always affectionate in the oddest of ways."

It was unnecessary and she almost wished he had just thrown it away. And yet…

She was happy.
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Of all the people she'd ever loved, only Elias had never let her down. She was glad he was her last. And sad he had not been her first.

Be it Llyr, Muriel, the ones before them or those after, they had all let her down in some way or another. Whether it was their indifference, hate or their disgust.

Mary recalled her first love. A sailor who had shown up on the nearby shores of her birthplace. He'd been funny and charming with an easy smile. She was much younger then, very young. A sapling, really. She had thought herself safe with him.

Until she had shown him her other face and his smile disappeared.The look of revulsion in his eyes when she revealed her truer self.

It had been a mistake. One he'd taught her to never make again.

Sometimes she still felt the fires he used against her.

Love is pain.

And then there was Llyr. Younger than her, yet far wiser. When his father and mother first came to this world with him and his sister she thought him amazing like no other. Erudite, talkative, powerful. Perhaps a little eccentric as well. He'd been her first true friend. Then later, for her, something more.

When she told him as much he nodded and said, "We will pretend this conversation never happened." So...trivially. As if the words had meant nothing.

Love is heartbreak.

Muriel was a little different. Mary found solace in her easygoing nature. And enjoyed her company in bed on some rare occasions. She found herself deeply attracted to the vivacious young woman. Her wild, free nature.

Yet it was clear early on the girl only thought them friends with convenient benefits. When she left the realm for a period of time she didn't even say goodbye in person. One day she just disappeared. There and gone in the blink of an eye. Keeping in touch with the odd letter every now and then.

Love is loneliness.

Mary could not blame the girl for her nature. But her experience with the Okeanos siblings made her feel worthless and used.

She realized love was a very dangerous feeling. It left you beholden to the other person. Gave them the ability to hurt you in ways no other person possibly could. With just a look, with just a sentence, with just an empty space.

This is what sparked Mary's decision to travel the world she had long disregarded. For ages she wondered, going from place to place. Sometimes a man, sometimes a woman. Sometimes rich, sometimes poor. But always moving.

Meeting new people, seeing new places. Even made the mistake of yet again falling for a mortal a time or two only to realize how short and fragile their lives truly were.

Love is loss.

Until finally she happened upon a certain boy with the most magnificent blonde hair and blue eyes. Elias.

The most rascally of youths.

Mary was intrigued by him. The grandson of that old playboy. Entirely different from him, but just as beautiful.

MIschievous, but earnest. Careless, but protective. Weak, but courageous.

The boy back then could barely handle himself and yet he constantly took care of those close to him. No matter the consequence to himself, he would protect his loved ones.

She thought with wry amusement to that time he put himself between her and a pack of wild boars.

No one had ever done something like that before. Even after he realized her strength he never stopped his worrying. It was cute.

She even soon found the pestering quite nice.

And later, as he grew older, she found him quite nice. His awkward care. His fierce determination. The way he would sometimes look at her, whether he knew it or not, with clear longing and trust.

Mary didn't trust that gaze herself. Couldn't. She was too much of a coward, allowing fear to cripple her. Whisper to her. Then he met Muriel. And there was no competing with that.

Love is regret.

Chapter end