Chapitre 36: The Real Bully
Ivy Cromwell was two years older than Ethan and three inches shorter at five-foot-six. Except for having lighter brown hair than Velma, she was a spitting image of her mother—albeit a much younger, less voluptuous version.
Ivy had been a fitness fanatic since childhood, spending most of her growing years training to be a warrior.
It must be pointed out that females of Promiscua were primarily engaged in laborious tasks because of their higher strength than males. These included jobs like construction, metalworking, mining, and so on. Men, if fertile, never had to work in their entire lives and could make a fortune out of selling sperm.
Infertile males became homemakers, or if good-looking, they entered prostitution rings. Physical labor never suited them. Becoming warriors or adventurers was a fancy and risky occupation taken up by the strongest and sturdiest of women. Ivy Cromwell was one of them.
Ivy had a boyish figure during her teenage years, and Ethan never missed a chance to tease her about it. However, right now, he had no criticism to offer.
His sister's breasts had recently experienced a growth spurt and were a tight handful. The beauty's legs, hips, and body were well-toned, thanks to a punishing workout regime followed by warrior trainees. Ivy was a well-sculpted piece of art that would attract any man of culture.
"Did the cat get your tongue?" the Cromwell girl demanded, oblivious to her brother's thoughts. "Answer me!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ethan replied nonchalantly, returning to his documents.
Ivy grunted angrily and bit her lip. She stepped forward with a huff, grabbed the boy roughly by the chin, and raised his face to hers. "What did you say to me?"
Looking into her beautiful coffee-colored eyes, Ethan recalled past interactions with his sisters.
The old Ethan was an asshole to Gwen since she was an easy, vulnerable target. He would drop lizards in her soup, draw shapes on her face while sleeping, and put fire ants in her clothes, among other pranks.
Gwen would cry like a baby and run to Velma. Their mother always let Ethan's faults slide and blamed the sisters instead. Disgruntled and frustrated, the little girl would run to her elder sister for justice.
Ivy was incredibly strong in both mind and body. Responding to the tiniest squeak from Gwen, she would kick and punch Ethan around the castle until he could take it no more.
Ivy was even willing to take punishment from Velma for hurting the male heir. Once, when Ethan was twelve, she pantsed him in front of a dozen young maids. Everyone laughed at him, and he couldn't sleep for weeks.
The Countess grounded Ivy for a month. However, Ethan still carried a grudge against his elder sister's transgression. He never dared to retaliate against Ivy because he was physically weak. Until now...
"If you don't answer me, I swear to God I'll kick in your teeth!" Ivy snarled at him. "What did you do to Gwen?"
Ethan sighed and cracked his knuckles. It was just like in old times when the elder sister came to Gwen's aid. However, this time, he was ready.
Ethan's hand directly went to Ivy's right breast, groping it over the leather dress. "I did this to her. Now you know."
As the boy enjoyed the handful of momentary bliss, Ivy gasped and jumped back from his table.
"How dare you!" the girl barked. "I'll cut off your hands!" Her fingers wrapped around the dagger hanging on her weapon belt.
Ethan immediately got up from his library seat and threw up his hands. "Hey, hear me out first! Have both of you girls lost your minds? Gwen asked me to do something! And now, you asked me to demonstrate it. Why should my hand get mutilated to fulfill your whims?"
Ivy shook her head as if her brother was speaking nonsense. "Are you trying to justify groping your sisters? Why would Gwen ask you to do it anyway? Do you think I am a fool?"
"What did she tell you?" Ethan asked, turning his gaze towards his little sister. The latter didn't even meet his eyes and stayed mute, still hanging onto the door frame.
"Do you think Gwen is a pervert like you?" Ivy raged. "The poor girl is so traumatized she can't even speak!"
The Cromwell heir furrowed his brows in confusion. "Then how did you know what happened if nobody told you?"
"Hmph! Did you think your crime would go undetected? Gwen's medical report said she lost consciousness because of sexual arousal. The only man near her was you, Ethan!"
"Of course, Gwen wouldn't say it aloud!" Ivy added. "So I took her to my room and checked her myself! Her skin is so flawless that the lightest of molestation would leave marks! Guess what I found on her torso!"
Ethan imagined Ivy undressing his little sister and checking her breasts for scars. What a pleasant scene that would be!
"I wasn't sure who molested her until now!" she interrupted the boy's thoughts. "You confirmed it right here by groping me! I knew it! You've gone off the rails and become a pervert!"
Ethan shook his head. "Look, I am telling you again—Gwen asked me to do it. Why wouldn't you believe me?"
Ivy whipped out her dagger and suddenly swiped at him. The Cromwell heir didn't see it coming but stumbled back just at the right moment.
Rip! Ethan's tunic was left with a tear where the blade cut through it. "Are you seriously trying to kill me?" he demanded of his sister.
If the boy hadn't stepped back in time, his chest would be sliced open already! "What's wrong with you?!"
Ethan's vague memories clarified a bit, giving him new insights. Now that he thought about it, Ivy had always been an aggressive fiend towards her brother. She constantly sought opportunities to beat him up and humiliate him.
Now, the crazy bitch was resorting to bloodshed! Ivy was relentless and came at him again with a stabbing motion.
"Stop it!" a shrill voice called out. It was Gwen. She had finally let go of the door frame and stood before her siblings with a resolute expression.
"Don't get in my way!" her elder sister snarled. "Let me deal with the boy once and for all!"
Gwen broke into tears. "He is not lying! I really asked him to do it! I practically forced him! Please don't hurt our brother!"
Ivy's jaw almost dropped to the floor in disbelief. "What are you saying… Why would you…? Tell me what happened…"
Gwen shook her head and clammed up again. She struggled to breathe between sobs. At this point, Ethan rushed towards his sister and embraced her.
Gwen readily hugged him, cradling her head against his chest. The fragrance of sweet strawberries hit his nostrils, almost making him dizzy. How the hell did the girl smell so good?
Ivy was scandalized by the sequence of events, mainly the sibling intimacy. She rushed towards the duo, snatching Gwen away from her brother's reach. "Stay away from her, you creep!"
Ethan crossed his arms in protest. "Hey! Isn't my innocence proven yet? Gwen just admitted that she asked me to touch her!"
"That isn't the point, you moron!" Ivy snapped. "The problem is that you fondled your sister! The reasons don't matter!"
"I was insecure…" Gwen mumbled under her breath.
"What?"
"I was insecure about my size!" the youngest said loudly. "Ethan was helping me carry out a ritualistic spell… I'm sorry… But please don't blame him… Please!"
Ivy's furious expression dissipated suddenly. It was not because Gwen appealed to her emotions. The latter triggered memories of her teenage years.
Ivy had the exact same insecurities growing up. In fact, she was considered flat until recently. Velma's genes kicked in over the last year, increasing her cup size.
Back then, the teenager was teased by her classmates behind the back. She would have killed to get larger breasts by any means.
The dagger dropped from Ivy's hand. "You could have come to me… I would have—"
She cut herself off mid-sentence since there was no remedy for small breasts. The girl turned towards Ethan. "What ritual was this? What made you think it was authentic and would work?"
"I own the infamous journal of Jack Mehoff—GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! It had several solutions, but we tried the least dangerous one."
Ivy nodded, pretending she didn't recognize the book's title. "Alright. I'll let this one slide and won't tell Mom about it. I understand you wanted to help Gwen, but this kind of debauchery is immoral and shameful! Do you understand?"
The beauty retrieved her dagger, grabbed her little sister by the wrist, and turned to leave. "Just promise you will never touch her like that again."
Ethan narrowed his eyes at Ivy. Seriously? The bitch tried to kill him and almost opened a new bloody mouth in his chest! Now, she was walking away as if she won the argument.
The Cromwell heir clenched his jaw and rose to his feet. "Gwen is my sister as well. If she needs my help, I will do everything in my power to make her happy! That is my answer to your request."
While Gwen was visibly moved by his speech, Ivy looked into his eyes with disdain. "Everything? You'd even molest her? What else is cooking in your lecherous mind?"
"I'll do the same for you," Ethan replied quickly, almost making Ivy gasp.
"Ethan… Have you forgotten you are a fertile male? What if you get aroused and trigger the Chaste Devil's curse? It would cause your death, and Gwen would be blamed for it!"
Ethan raised his brows, appreciating the fact that his elder sister knew about the curse. "Flash news, sister! My curse was already triggered twice!"
"What?!"
"Yes! I almost died once. A cooperative elf saved my life. The same day, a dark nymph attacked me!"
"I… I…" Ivy stammered. "Nobody told me about this!"
The boy knew he had hit the bullseye. "You're always busy in your warrior training and have no time for your brother's well-being. But you were about to slice my chest open for a misunderstanding. Thanks for the sibling love!"
The girl was frozen in her position, proven wrong, and partially humiliated. "What do you want from me?" she snapped with a docile tone.
Ethan pounced at the opportunity. "Since you know about the Devil's Curse, the next time I need relief from an erection, I'll come to you."
Ivy looked like she had been asked to jump off a building. "No way! Have you lost your mind? I am your sister!"
"And so is Gwen!" Ethan piled on. "But she loves me enough to offer her body when I need it. She isn't self-absorbed like you—spewing rhetoric about brother-sister sanctity but never contributing to the relationship."
"Don't say that…"
Ethan's argument was devastating to Ivy's self-esteem and confidence. He could already see the defeat in her eyes. The girl finally realized she was the real bully and deserved punishment for her actions. It was time for the Cromwell heir's knockout punch.
"Let's do it your way, sister. Let's have an arm wrestling match. If you win, I will swear never to touch Gwen again. If I win, you will replace her, submitting your body to my authority. What do you say?"
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone