Shorof felt weak.

After hearing the truth from her mother, she ran to find her sister, no matter where she might be. Even before the assembly had ended, she waited anxiously in front of the hall's double doors.

When she finally met her mother, she asked what had happened. Her mother summarized the situation for her.

Without a second thought, Shorof dashed away, ignoring her fragile state. She searched for her sister in the secret places she had frequented since childhood.

In that moment, she didn’t care about her own condition.

Shorof didn’t care about the looks in people’s eyes; she let them see how weak and haggard she was as she searched for her sister.

Near the Great Forest, there was a small river. Shorof couldn't recall Nahwu ever hiding there before, but she remembered a secluded spot by the river’s edge, surrounded by stones and plants.

Shorof used to hide there, leaving some of her belongings behind. She visited every few days to relax, and one day she noticed some items were missing. A couple of days later, she spotted those very belongings in her sister’s room.

She smiled, realizing that her sister secretly admired her. Nahwu had taken the least noticeable and least precious items for herself. It was clear Nahwu knew that the spot was Shorof’s hideout, yet she never spoke about it.

When Nahwu went to the academy, Shorof noticed that what had been left behind in the palace was now absent; Nahwu always kept those items close, bringing them with her to school.

In turn, Nahwu returned with many items from the academy, as if compensating for the belongings she had 'borrowed.'

Shorof was still healthy before, so she also gave her some items she bought herself. However, slowly, she became sick. Her body grew weaker and weaker, and she could no longer search for accessories and items her sister would like.

As she became more ill, her sister gave her more items from Inkia.

Finally, Shorof found the secluded place. And Nahwu…

Sitting near the river’s edge, she was washing her hands that were tainted black by the black ink mud-like substance found inside those items.

Crystals, intricate lamps, small statues and carvings, watches, intricate toys, puzzles, boxes, and curiosity products… she brought a lot of interesting little things—novel and all with great craftsmanship.

But all of them were the things that made her sick.

“Naha…” Shorof called, her voice a mere whisper against the cacophony of nature.

Nahwu remained as still as a statue, completely absorbed by the river's flow. Silence wrapped around them like an uncomfortable blanket until Nahwu broke it, her tone filled with that familiar mix of resignation and irony.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“It doesn’t come off. This thing… doesn’t come off, sister.”

For three entire years, Nahwu had been merrily sending her sister a parade of delightful trinkets, each crafted with the love and artistry one might reserve for a new love interest. Who knew that these charming little curios would turn out to be the gift that keeps on giving—in a wholly toxic way?

Every intricate lamp and shiny statue, each whimsically crafted toy was a dagger wrapped in shimmering paper. Unbeknownst to her, those seemingly innocent treasures harbored a sinister secret, a toxic sludge masquerading as joy.

Nahwu chuckled mirthlessly, her heart sinking at the realization. The very items she thought would brighten Shorof's days had instead painted her hands in this devilish black ink. Each claw-like tendril of darkness told a story of care turned toxic, a twisted fairytale written by the very hands that sought to nurture.

Shorof looked at her sister’s back helplessly. “It wasn’t your fault—”

“It is my fault,” Nahwu said. “If only I had listened to you and Mother… If only I hadn’t been arrogant and naive… I’m sorry… Sister…”

Shorof sighed. She walked closer to her and slowly, gently leaned against her sister’s back. Sighing, she said, “I only have you. You are the most important person in my life.”

Nahwu’s eyes turned red, and she silently cried.

“You are righteous and kind, but you are young. When I was your age, I also had the same ambition and wished for reform. At that time, Father was still alive, and he enlightened me. He passed away when you were still too young,” Shorof said.

But how could any of them blame their father, who had passed away early?

“You may not be sensible, but I’m not the most sensible either,” Shorof softly said. “Compared to you, I’ve made many more mistakes and have let down both Father and Mother. In the end, though, they forgave me, and their love didn’t change—not a single bit.”

“But it’s different,” Nahwu said coldly to herself. “I almost killed you.”

“But how would you know?” Shorof asked. “Even our physicians, who have lived for hundreds of years and gained a lot of experience, couldn’t detect it. My servants, who serve me every day, were also fine. How would you know?”

Nahwu turned to Shorof with pained eyes and asked, “What did Her Holiness say then? What was the method, and how was it that only you became the target despite many other people being near it?”

Shorof shook her head. “Her Holiness confiscated the items to study them, and she will find the answer soon. I heard… Emperor Burn’s father, Arthur Pendragon, also died from poison in the same way... by corrupted mana.”

Nahwu closed her eyes tightly, her eyebrows creased so deeply that it almost looked like a grimace.

“You must apologize to His Majesty and Her Holiness,” Shorof softly said.

Nahwu didn’t know what to say.

“I don’t feel worthy of seeing them again.”

One was the Original Saintess, who had protected this world for millennia, and the other was a fierce and brave man forced to commit evil to survive.

These were the crimes he carried out in private, but all of them could still be justified in some way or another. Clearly now, his motive for war could be seen as an attempt to maintain order. Killing his father, his brother’s rebellion, fending off the outsiders, and now marching through the continent…

He stood bravely to face the outsiders, whom Nahwu had initially thought represented a greater civilization with a broader and more liberated mindset. But after everything she heard today, how much of his inner motives had Burn kept to himself?

His methods might appear rash and ruthless, but what if… what if it was the only way to maintain order?

Like how he had to consume the flesh of those two creatures to survive?

Despite that, he still let rumors run rampant and didn’t care about his own reputation.

“Sister will accompany you. Let’s go, Naha.”

Nahwu turned to her sister, her eyes filled with uncertainty. “Has the assembly concluded?”

Shorof nodded. “Yes, and you must go to the World Tree to receive a blessing and be purified.”

Seeing her sister look worriedly at her blackened hands, Nahwu felt a wave of sadness. “And your illness? How will they treat it?”

“Now that we know the root cause, we will certainly find a way,” Shorof smiled. “Her Holiness herself will oversee my recovery.”