Chapter 168 Yvesette's Weakness - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

At the same time, within the study. Upon hearing Evester’s inquiry, Silina's hand, holding the teacup, paused ever so slightly. She then gently blew on the steam rising from her tea and took a sip. "The tomb of Heraemus? The ancient relic discovered by the Empire in the old city of Claremont not long ago?" Silina’s voice seemed somewhat indifferent. "Why are you asking about this?" The fleeting sense of joy from their sisterly night chat vanished instantly. Evester remained silent, staring at her. Silina, noticing this, spoke softly, "I don't know much about this tomb, just that the entity buried within is incredibly ancient." "Judging by the style of the reliefs on the tomb, its age can even be traced back to the early Second Era." The Second Era, known as the Age of Divine Wars. During that time, the gods had yet to establish their divine realms and roamed the earth in their complete forms, wielding their respective powers. To possess such a magnificent tomb from that era, it's unimaginable what the identity of the tomb’s master could be. But that wasn’t Evester’s point of concern. She cared little for the origins of the tomb, desiring merely to fulfill her long-held aspiration. Glancing at Silina's irresistibly beautiful face, Evester suppressed her inner irritation and jealousy. Thinking about it, being able to sit and chat face-to-face with this woman as they were now was already remarkable. In the past, even the sight of that face would compel Evester to destroy it. Back then, it was hatred and jealousy that twisted her into an unrecognizable monster. Fortunately, now, with Lynn subtly influencing her, she’d changed into what she was. One was the most detestable being in the world, the other a divine favorite of surpassing beauty; they should have been irreconcilable. Yet, in the eyes of the little dog, she became the most beautiful woman in the world, while Silina repeatedly found herself at a disadvantage with him. Therefore, jealousy was irrelevant. Even if it existed, it was solely targeted at the woman ten thousand years hence. Thinking of this, Evester sneered, "Not much? Even if you just returned from the frontier, this excuse won't fool me, Silina." "As far as I know, the team of grave-diggers is now under your control, and you're in charge of this tomb’s excavation." The atmosphere grew silent for a moment. Silina lowered her gaze, watching the light brown tea in her cup in silence, her full chest gently rising and falling. After a while, she gently set the tea cup down. Looking at Evester seriously and intently, Silina spoke, "According to my intelligence, the tomb of Heraemus is a trap." "As of last week, a few of my grave-digger teams have entered it for the eighteenth time. A total of thirty-six have been lost within, and the remaining seventy showed varying degrees of physical deformities after returning to the surface, with some even suffering from a phenomenon called 'Shell Syndrome.'" "It's as if their spirit and consciousness have been stripped from their bodies, leaving only a zombified shell." Silina spoke gravely, particularly emphasizing the words "stripped." Upon hearing this, Evester’s eyes brightened slightly. It matched precisely with what Saint Roland VI had described. "I need to know what's truly hidden within the tomb." Without hesitation, she spoke immediately. Seeing this, Silina sighed softly. Although Evester seemed to have undergone notable changes after returning from the frontier, whenever topics touching the curse mark on her face arose, she became recklessly single-minded. "Little Evie," Silina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "During this trip to Orne City, didn't you notice any shift in attitude from Father and the council towards you?" Though discussing her father behind his back wasn’t ideal, Silina decided to give Evester a heads-up. Evester furrowed her brow. A change? From start to finish, all she felt from those around her was malice. Be it from Saint Roland VI, the prominent nobles in the council, or the entire Glosteine. Since it was all malice, how could there be any change? Seeing her reaction, Silina gently explained, "To Father and the others, you were just a tool for handling seal artifacts." "While they did fear you somewhat, their greed for that mysterious power within you was greater." "But during this border trip, many things occurred. If it weren't for a series of coincidences and Lynn’s desperate efforts, you might have already fallen into slumber or faced even more severe backlash." "Do you know why this is?" Evester gently wrinkled her brow but remained silent. Silina continued slowly, "Because they fear you." "Before, with monitoring from the major churches and the Empire housing several demigods and saints, even if you were powerful, you remained within their control." "But as this unknown power grows day by day, they realized you’re slipping beyond their grasp." "And you know well how sealing artifacts that cannot be controlled are typically handled." In an instant, the atmosphere turned chilly. Yet Silina, still facing this pressure, calmly revealed the truth, "The Wishing Jar incident was an attempt against you by them." "An attempt to weaken your power, even send you to a research institute, to discern the source and principle of this power, and then use it for their benefits." As Silina’s words fell silent, the room lapsed into a stillness once more. As an insider in the capital, she was acutely aware of these undercurrents. Or rather, even without direct insight, knowing their dull-witted nature made deducing their schemes a simple matter. Fearing, attacking, banding together, mocking, coveting. Evester’s lips curled into a faint smile. Although she felt a smoldering anger, this was something Lynn had already analyzed with her. "Silina, regarding what you've mentioned, I’ve never paid it any heed," Evester crossed her legs, exuding an aura of nobility and apathy. "Moreover, you seem to have digressed." Hearing this, a hint of urgency flashed in Silina’s eyes. Though she knew Evester firmly stuck to her decisions, as her elder sister, she couldn’t bear seeing her pursue the wrong path blindly. "From the outcome, the Orne City incident might seem like a failure on their part, but as long as you remain within the so-called ‘Saint Roland Empire's’ confines, you’ll never escape its grasp, and similar incidents will undoubtedly occur again." "Additionally, although I’m uncertain about what Father disclosed to you regarding the tomb of Heraemus, Evester, I don’t wish to see you in peril." "Especially knowing it's a trap." "Shut up." Hearing Silina's genuine concern, a wave of nausea rose in Evester's heart. She coldly regarded her counterpart, "Silina, spare me the pretense of sisterly affection. I stopped being a three-year-old long ago." "We aren’t capable of any sincere sisterly relationship—never in the past, and never in the future." Like a destroyer of atmosphere, Evester immediately dismissed Silina's long, sincere warnings. Silina couldn't help but feel a headache. Clearly, her troublesome younger sister still resented her for a misunderstanding from over two decades ago. Despite countless explanations, Evester only believed in what occurred before her eyes. "Moreover, don't forget that I am a sixth-tier demigod. In terms of strength, not even you combined with the other eight could defeat me." Evester remarked coolly. If the royal selection ceremony were to be an indiscriminate battle, she would have long ascended the throne. Unfortunately, in this invisible struggle, strength was only one part, and not even the most critical one. Moreover, any paternal bond between Evester and Saint Roland VI had long dissolved. His words could only be trusted halfway. Thus, her caution regarding Heraemus was far greater than Silina imagined. Evester was acutely aware that the curse mark on her face was terrifying and not something easily removed. If it were, she wouldn’t have been powerless for so many years, eventually pinning her hopes on this particular tomb. "Can you tell me why you're so adamant?" Silina, at a loss, finally asked with a hint of confusion. A reason? Evester subconsciously recalled last night's battle with the End Witch behind the bloody gates. During the fight, they exchanged a few words. Though mostly, Evester questioned while the End Witch remained cold and indifferent. Only when the topic of the 'little dog' came up did it cause any stir in her emotions. Even so, Evester managed to obtain the information she sought. According to the initial trajectory of fate, the tomb of Heraemus was discovered during her year-long slumber. So, this matter ought to have been unrelated to her. However, since fate was disrupted by Lynn’s involvement, everything had changed. Originally, the End Witch, in the future, would rely on her own formidable strength to remove the curse mark. But that happened after she ascended to godhood. Currently, Evester was too far from that divine tier, and she couldn't wait any longer. Moreover, removing the curse mark this way would feel as if she was influenced by that vile woman. That idea greatly displeased her. She was supposed to be the one defining the future. Why then, should she be morphing into that woman’s likeness instead of the opposite? Therefore, she was determined to claim the tomb of Heraemus. This was the fundamental reason behind every choice Evester made. Naturally, she couldn’t confide such an absurd reason like rivalry with her own reflection to Silina. "No comment." Seeing that, Silina sighed softly. After a long silence, she finally revealed the truth about the tomb of Heraemus. "As you suspected, there seems to be some form of 'authority' within the tomb, with traits capable of 'separating' things conceptually united. The 'Shell Syndrome' appearing among the grave-digger teams was due to unintentional contamination by the tomb’s rules." "As for whether this authority is intact and if it could affect a sixth-tier demigod, that remains unknown." "Yet, I speculate the tomb’s master must have been of at least a seventh-tier saint's rank or higher; otherwise, it couldn’t wield such terrifying influence over reality after thousands of years." Exactly! Hearing Silina’s words, a fierce intensity flickered in Evester’s eyes. She envisioned herself, regaining her appearance, with her obedient little dog nestled in her lap, relishing the moment. Her motivation surged immeasurably. Despite Evester's spirited demeanor, Silina remained worried. "It’s uncertain if the tomb’s elements can strip the curse mark from your face." Pondering repeatedly, Silina couldn’t help but add, "Moreover, aren’t you worried that their intention behind leading you to Heraemus is to use this 'authority' to strip some power from you?" Evester smiled softly at her words. Indeed, high risk often brings high reward. If one can't bear any risk, fearing every little threat, how could one ever hope to defeat that despicable woman ten thousand years hence? Furthermore… "As you said, they’re apprehensive of me now." "Since they fear, it indicates they lack the means to compel my obedience. Therefore, I can simply do as I please." Evester stated calmly. Seeing her sister so composed and serene, Silina hesitated to speak. A sixth-tier demigod was indeed immensely powerful, a rare existence even within the Empire, without question. But that was only in human terms. One must understand, the true crises in this world often stem not from humanity, but from those horrifying rules and seal artifacts, even some indescribable entities. And, as she previously pointed out. As long as you stay within the 'Saint Roland Empire,' you’ll forever be constrained. The Orne City incident happened as she refused to be pushed out of the royal selection. The outcome was satisfactory. But what about next time? Although no one can forcibly make her relinquish her internal authority and power. But what if, due to someone’s existence, she had no choice but to make such a sacrifice? Evester had changed significantly since returning from Orne City, which was good. Yet such change also meant she now had something, or someone, she valued. To the inhabitants of the capital, a sixth-tier demigod wasn’t truly frightening. What was terrifying was a sixth-tier demigod who was unattached and unrestrained, having no desires. Once someone has concern, they also have vulnerabilities. Silina hoped Evester would bear these words in mind. Yet, observing her sister’s demeanor, it seemed hard to say them aloud. She wished it was just her overthinking. Silina sighed gently. By this time, the tea had cooled. As Silina was about to end their nightly chat, a sudden knock came on the study door. "Come in." The next moment, the lady steward of the estate, in a panic, opened the door. Seeing both princesses present, she reined in her panic slightly, hurriedly reporting, "Your Highness, a male body was just found on the third-floor corridor. Judging by the attire, he seems to be a guest at the banquet." Hearing this, Silina immediately realized the gravity of the situation and grew serious. "Has the deceased been identified?" "Not yet, but he was wearing a raven mask. We’re currently conducting a search—" The lady steward was about to continue when a sudden voice disrupted her. "What did you say?" At some point, Evester had lifted her head to gaze at the two, her voice trembling slightly. Silina stood frozen in place. Was it an illusion? From her sister's eyes, she saw an unprecedented fear and despair. As if...the world was crumbling. Is this your weakness? Silina mused silently to herself.