Chapter 28: I’ll Win
Anna had always believed that she was the pride of the Anthony family.
The reason was simple, other noble ladies always praised her that way.
In comparison, whenever her younger sister Elise went out, other noble girls would stay far away from her.
As if getting close to her would leave a stain that couldn’t be washed away.
So from that point of view, Anna should be the more popular one, right?
But then why… did their parents always favor Elise?
When their father brought them to meet the king, he would always mention Elise in some way.
As for Anna… it was enough that people just knew she existed.
‘Person exists. That’s all.’ kind of feeling.
In noble circles, she was the “pride” everyone talked about.
But when it really mattered, why did all the good things go to her younger sister?
It just didn’t make sense at all.
It couldn’t be that she was easy to fool, so that’s why she was popular among those noble girls… right?
Anna was full of anger. She was already upset because of the failed mission, and now seeing Elise smiling so happily made her feel even worse.
She wanted to go up and say something.
But when the words reached her mouth, she swallowed them back.
The memory of her sister knocking her down without hesitation last time was still very clear in her mind.
That memory weakened her courage to confront her.
So she forced a smile and walked forward.
“Elise, what a coincidence. Are you here to buy something? Why don’t I help you choose? After all, I’m your older sister, I can give you more mature advice.”
Elise turned around and saw Anna’s forced smile.
A question mark practically appeared in her mind.
Mature?
Really?
In her memory, her sister was not someone who cared about others.
Acting like this now… there must be something behind it.
She couldn’t let her guard down.
The reason Elise was still standing here without choosing anything was because Peiya had suddenly run off, saying she had to buy something or she would regret it forever.
Since Elise didn’t know what Peiya liked, she decided to wait here until she came back.
But instead of Peiya, her sister showed up first.
As for how Elise felt about her sister…
Just one thought, send her away as soon as possible.
If Anna saw Peiya, there was a high chance she would lose control.
Elise could already tell Anna was in a bad mood.
If she said something too harsh… Elise felt that even beating Anna up for Peiya wouldn’t calm her anger.
Some wounds, once left, would stay in your memory for a long time.
So Elise decided to stop any trouble before it even started.
Her cold eyes slightly narrowed, and her gaze fell on Anna without warmth.
“No. I’m just looking around. But if you have something to say, just say it directly. There’s no need to go in circles between us.”
Elise’s gaze felt freezing cold. Just one look could make people feel uneasy.
Anna was clearly shaken by it. She was afraid Elise might suddenly hit her again.
What made it worse, she as the older sister couldn’t even beat her younger sister!
“No, I’m just worried about you. By the way… how is your pen pal? Weren’t you looking for her when you came back? Why don’t I see her?”
“That’s my business. Why should I answer you?”
Elise crossed her arms, frowning slightly. A cold aura surrounded her.
At that moment, she started to see herself in a new light.
This “keep-your-distance” presence… was actually quite useful.
“I’m just asking. What kind of sister would harm her own sibling? You can bring her to our house sometime. I’ll call Mom and Dad so they can meet her too. After all, she’s one of your few friends, right?”
Elise: ?
Did she really just say that?
You call her my friend, and now you want to tell me what to do?
Elise might not have had much social experience before, but the cold treatment she received over the past three years had taught her a lot.
Bias in people’s hearts is like a mountain.
You can be kind and simple with people you care about.
But if you act the same way toward everyone, you’ll only end up being taken advantage of.
So when facing Anna’s probing, Elise didn’t hold back at all.
“Then have you ever let me meet your friends? Back when Mom and Dad told you to take me along, you always said I was too young and didn’t understand things, so you went out to play by yourself. Then you told them I had fallen asleep, and you didn’t want to wake me up. That’s what you said, right?”
“Ah…?”
Anna froze for a moment. She vaguely remembered something like that.
But Elise had been so young back then.
How could she remember it so clearly?
“Looking at your face… I guess I’m right. So why are you suddenly interfering in my life now? We’ve been living separately for a long time, haven’t we? When I was staying at the other estate, I never saw you bring me anything…”
“...Even the servants you sent were all clumsy and useless. It’s hard for me not to suspect something. Could it be that you want to do something to my friend? If so, Sister, you should leave. I can pretend nothing happened today.”
Elise did not hold back at all and directly told Anna to leave.
“You…”
Anna’s face showed a moment of panic, then completely fell. She felt extremely uneasy inside. She didn’t expect Elise to give her no face at all.
She had already tried to hold back her emotions to come see her.
But Elise spoke back sharply, without caring about her feelings at all. What made it worse was that Anna didn’t even know how to argue back.
“Elise, I’m not as bad as you said, right?”
“What? Am I wrong? You can argue with me. Or are you feeling guilty?”
Elise spoke word by word, like sharp blades stabbing into Anna.
The reason she was so direct was because she didn’t want Peiya to see her angry side.
And she didn’t want Peiya to get involved in her family’s messy problems.
From now on, even without the Anthony family, she could keep moving forward on her own.
Even if her sister kept bothering her again and again to fight for inheritance, she didn’t care anymore.
After three years of painful experience, she clearly understood one thing. Even if you gain a high status, you must have the strength to protect it.
Otherwise, once you lose your value, you are nothing more than a piece of paper that can be thrown away anytime.
And now, she had figured it out. She would just watch the family matters from the side, like watching a show.
If Peiya wanted to keep adventuring, she would go with her.
As for everything else, it was better not to involve her.
Anna’s lips trembled slightly. Her heart felt like it was burning. This was happening outside, was Elise really airing family problems in public?
Had Elise gone crazy?
Didn’t she care about the family’s reputation at all?!
“Enough. I am your older sister.”
“And you've never once behaved like one!”
Elise met Anna’s gaze directly, without backing down at all.
“You are disrespectful to your elder.”
“And you are unworthy as an old woman.”
Old…? You dare call me old?!
Anna was about to explode with anger. She wanted to say something, but realized she had nothing left to say.
For every one sentence she spoke, Elise could reply with ten.
And every single one hit straight at her heart.
Ahhh…!
Why was the world treating her like this?
She was supposed to be everything of the Anthony family!
Looking at her sister who was almost losing control, Elise knew this couldn’t go on. She delivered one final, precise blow.
“Sister, you should go back. You’re about to lose all the family’s face. You may not care, but I do. If Father hears about today, you’ll be locked up again. Also, judging by you, you just came back from a dungeon, you still smell like monsters. So why don’t you go sort your loot first?”
She continued, “Instead of arguing with someone like me, it’s better to sell your rewards and earn money. That way, you can prove yourself to Father. And don’t forget, the full moon is coming. A new round of guild rankings will begin.”
Elise spoke calmly and logically, one sentence after another, leaving Anna completely speechless.
In this exchange, Anna not only lost badly, but also embarrassed herself.
All the words she wanted to say were forced back inside. Her face turned red.
What hurt her the most was the mention of the new guild rankings.
The Dawn Guild had not lost yet.
As long as she defeated the Ice Bear King, she would still be the strongest!
She would definitely win!
At that time, Elise would only be left far behind her.
So she couldn’t get angry. She had to smile. She had to clear the dungeon with a smile.
“Fine, I’ll go. But this isn’t me admitting defeat. I already know the latest boss movements. I was going to tell you. But it seems you’d rather stay with your friend. Maybe you should just stick together forever!”
Anna left angrily. The people watching also slowly dispersed.
Elise let out a breath. Her mind felt a little blank. She didn’t know where that courage came from just now, to say such harsh words.
But it didn’t matter.
This family had long been broken beyond repair.
It was only a matter of time.
After all, always giving in would only bring even stronger backlash.
“Elise, y-you don’t look very well… Are you sick?”
Peiya came in from another entrance, holding a shopping bag. Earlier, she saw a crowd at the front, so she chose another way in.
Then she saw Elise looking a bit off, and couldn’t help but worry.
After all, she looked like someone who had just argued with someone.
“I’m fine. I just handled something. You’re back?”
Elise changed her tone, her voice becoming much softer.
“Mm. There were so many people lining up, but luckily I managed to buy it. Look, this.”
Peiya lifted a cup of still-warm barley tea.
“It’s a new drink from Beckland Sweet Shop. There was a buy-one-get-one deal, so I got an extra cup for you. As for mine… I already drank it. Hurry and drink yours.”
Peiya smiled a little awkwardly.
In truth, when it was her turn, there was only one cup left.
She was worried Elise might not accept it. So she told a small little lie instead.