Chapter 43: New Deal
Ethan went completely mum, unable to think of an excuse. It was not a book, toy, or scarf Ivy found in his possession. She was holding a pair of unwashed panties belonging to the youngest Cromwell girl.
Judging by Ivy's confidence, the boy figured she was already familiar with Gwen's wardrobe. How else would she know exactly what her underwear looked like? Moreover, the elder sister was weirdly dressed like the little one.
"Ethan…" Ivy growled, baring her teeth. "This is not the time to remain silent. I asked you a simple question—why do you have Gwen's panties? By not responding immediately, you're appearing very suspicious in my eyes. I'm warning you, brother… The situation could escalate to much worse than you can imagine."
Ethan was so tense he forgot to blink and breathe. How could he bullshit his way out of this dead end? To make matters worse, when Ivy was dead-focused on him, instead of allaying her fears, he gulped anxiously. It was so poorly timed that the boy looked more villainous than ever.
A bitter smirk touched Ivy's lips. She walked up to the low hearth in Ethan's room and silently picked up the fire poker. The movement was natural as if all the girl wanted was to stoke the flames on a cold winter night. If only, it were that simple.
Ivy tensed her muscles and took an elaborate attack stance. She wielded the sharp iron like a weapon and mumbled a few words. "Cryptic Battle Arts… Form Four… Sword Summoner…"
Right before Ethan's eyes, the fire poker glowed like embers and transformed into a shortsword. "Whoa…" a feeble word of admiration escaped his lips.
It was the first time the boy had witnessed a practical demonstration of Cryptic Battle Arts, the elite science known only to the warrior class. Ivy was an intermediate trainee, and hence very familiar with most of its attack forms, especially the ones that could kill.
"Speak your last words, pervert!" Ivy growled, her piercing eyes shouting murder and fratricide.
Ethan waved his hands soundlessly, meanwhile activating ghost hands. Of course he didn't want to fight his sister, but survival was always paramount in a fantasy world.
The only problem was—would the skill be strong enough to defend against the Cryptic Battle Arts? He had no idea yet.
On the other hand, he did not trust Ivy enough to reveal his power yet!
What was the alternative? No amount of lip service would work on the psycho sister. Ethan was as good as dead if she discovered Gwen was in the room minutes ago. If he falsely admitted to stealing her panties, that was also punishable by a sword to the heart!
'Wait… The panty thief story is not bad…" Ethan thought. It could be worth the try…"
"I was silent trying to figure out what's on your mind," he told his elder sister. "Do you think Gwen is in my bedroom right now?"
Ivy loosened her stance, and the shortsword reverted to a fire poker again. However, she still pointed it towards him like a weapon. "Still here…?" the girl mumbled. "I hadn't considered the possibility that she would hide in the room…"
Ivy abruptly rushed to Ethan's bed and flipped up the hanging bedsheet. She checked under the bed. Obviously, there was nobody there.
The girl rushed into the bathroom and returned disappointed from there as well. Finally, she opened her brother's closet, gaining nothing from the effort.
Ivy slowly approached Ethan wielding the iron rod with a vengeance. "At what time was Gwen in here?" she asked, pointing the crude weapon towards his throat. "I posted a guard outside her room this afternoon. There was no way she escaped without my knowledge!"
Ethan licked his lips, realizing the clever ploy had worked! First, Ivy herself admitted that their little sister could not have left her room. Second, and more importantly, he discovered that Ivy no longer remembered the secret passage that connected different rooms of the castle.
"No, that's ridiculous!" the Cromwell heir replied. "Why would Gwen come to my room in the first place? I've been at the tulip gardens with my new tutors all afternoon. In the evening, I spent hours at the Constable's office!"
Ivy clenched her jaw, making her cheeks tremble. "That doesn't change the fact that her panties were at your bedside table! How did they reach this location? Answer me without your word salads!"
At this point, Ethan had already cooked up the perfect answer. "I took them from her room," he said with confidence.
The psycho sister looked like she had swallowed a tangy slice of lime. "What? Why would you do that?! Do your perversions know no bounds, that you'd violate your sister's privacy? That you'd steal her used underwear!"
Ethan was not at all affected by Ivy's outburst of accusations. She already labeled him as a creep, so he might as well play the part.
"Well, everyone has a kink, and mine are adorable panties. It has nothing to do with Gwen, or anybody else. I collect them like trophies and sometimes wear them on my head. It helps me sleep."
"You sick fuck!" Ivy barked. "Have you taken anything of mine?"
Ethan shook his head and pointed at the underwear lodged in his sister's pockets. "I'd like that back, please. Once taken, Gwen's panties became my property. I will treasure them like my own."
The boy was trying to distract Ivy from the notion that Gwen was in his room or that they had any physical contact since the morning's confrontation. The plan was working quite gloriously. Ethan made it all about his underwear fetish.
On the other hand, until Ivy discovered it, the boy had no idea the panties were available for his taking. They were right on his bedside table, and he didn't realize it? How myopic of him, considering he identified as a cultured man on Earth.
"No way!" the elder sister exclaimed. "I am taking the panties with me, and burning it!"
"Give it back!" Ethan urged, stepping forward with a genuinely worried expression.
"No! Get back, you creep!"
The boy tilted his head to the side in amusement. "Am I a creep? Then what about you? How about we unwrap your fetishes?"
"What about me?" Ivy demanded, confused by the question. "Don't blabber nonsense!"
Ethan scoffed at his sister. "Look at your clothes. Anybody can tell by how you're dressed that you're trying to become Gwen! In fact, you're wearing the exact same pair as her! Now tell me… Who is the creep between the two of us?"
Ethan's accusation really hit the bullseye, making his sister's toned legs waver. She dropped the fire poker as if the fight had gone out of her. The girl instinctively tried to cover her body with her arms in a desperate attempt to prevent Ethan from looking.
"Th-that's… a coincidence.." Ivy stammered.
"Do you have an explanation, big sis? It sure as hell isn't a coincidence!"
"I… I…"
"Well? Are you trying to steal the youngest Cromwell's identity?"
"No! I want to—"
"You want to do what?"
"I want to replace Gwen!"
Ethan was taken aback by the answer. Replace Gwen? As in, becoming the youngest sister? Or roleplay as her? A dozen lewd possibilities formed in his mind. "What do you mean by that?"
Ivy took a deep breath and regained her composure. She stood to her full height before finally speaking. "I already told you how fragile Gwen is… Abuse would break both her body and mind."
The girl pursed her lips reluctantly. "Therefore, I came to your room today, offering myself in her place. I wanted to cut a deal so that you would take me and leave our little sister alone."
Ethan's heart did a double take and started pounding. Did the psycho really want to surrender her body? He had never expected such a possibility or outcome. In fact, the Cromwell heir intended to dominate his elder sister by brute force.
"Are you serious?" he asked for the sake of formality.
Ivy rolled her eyes with an annoyed expression. "Do you think I would kid about such a sensitive matter? Don't you see that is the very reason I came dressed as Gwen? I thought you had some weird fetish for her!"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You thought if you looked like our little sister, it would be easy to seduce me?"
Ivy ground her teeth in exasperation. "Don't paint my actions with your perverted mind! I was trying to save her by sacrificing myself! It was a noble cause!"
"I figured you like Gwen better because she's prettier than me," she rambled on. "What option did I have other than wearing her skimpy clothes!"
Ivy covered her mouth suddenly with her hand, realizing she let something slip out accidentally. "I don't know why I said that."
The elder sister crossed her arms defensively. "Anyway, do you accept the deal? I will let everything else slide if you agree to it."
Ethan thought about it for a moment. "I personally have no problem with the conditions."
"Well, then we have a deal!" Ivy declared as if in a hurry. "You have me in exchange for her!"
The girl began walking towards the bedroom door, eager to leave the very awkward situation. Her brother's words made her stop in her tracks.
"However, I can't accept it…" Ethan said sharply.
"Why?" Ivy exclaimed in disbelief. "What's the problem with you? It's a fair deal!"
The beauty was more offended since the brat didn't think thrice before turning her down. How dare he! It was much worse than being rejected by a lover.
The boy shrugged at her. "I have my reasons."
"I knew it!" Ivy raged. "You're attracted to Gwen, aren't you! On the other hand, you find me repulsive! I have a disgusting warrior body with muscles! You desire the little innocent sister's unmolested skin, don't you?"
Ethan raised his brows in shock, realizing how complicated his sister's insecurities were. In fact, he had been waiting for the floodgates to open.
"Don't paint my actions with your perverted mind, sister!" the boy replied, giving her a taste of her own pill. "Gwen promised herself to me out of unconditional sisterly love. She wants to save me when my life is in danger. It is as simple as that."
"Do you want me to tell her that the arrangement is canceled? No way! It will shatter her heart, and ruin our relationship forever."
Ivy was stupefied by her brother's reasons. It made sense since Gwen was a very sensitive girl. She couldn't handle rejection at her age. The elder Cromwell lowered her eyes, ruminating.
"In that case, give me the right of first refusal."
"What do you mean?" Ethan asked curiously.
"The Chaste Devil curse triggers when you get an erection, right?" Ivy asked. "Your libido must be relieved within three hours through an external stimulation?"
"That's correct."
The girl pursed her lips boldly as if explaining a business proposition. "In that case, give me the right of first refusal. That is, no matter where you get the erection, and regardless of where I am, you must come to me first."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone