Bab 44: Saving Gwen
Ethan narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Ivy had played smart indeed, trying to salvage the situation through an alternative offer.
The warrior girl quickly realized forcing him into the sister rejection path was impractical. Gwen was unlikely to react well to that. The boy made a mental note to keep the clever Ivy by his side when he ruled Fondel County.
Typically, Ethan would agree to the fair exchange of bodies. Gwen for Ivy. However, it was already established that the latter was cunning and somewhat unhinged. She did not deserve to be trusted yet. Moreover, it would be rather unwise to give up the docile, good-natured sister for a psychotic, violent one.
What if Ivy flipped her switch and entered banshee mode during one of their relief sessions? How could Ethan entrust the girl with his genitals? Who knew if she was into revenge mutilation?
The Cromwell heir realized he was letting his thoughts run amok, but it was necessary for survival. Ivy was a dangerous character and certainly not worth the risk.
"The right of first refusal is an interesting idea," Ethan finally replied. "But I'm not so sure about its efficacy. What if Gwen found out you replaced her? She would label me as a traitor."
"Gwen will never find out unless you tell her. I swear! Of course, this deal will be pointless after a few months."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What will happen after a few months? Are you talking about Gwen returning to Fondel Academy when the holiday break ends?"
Ivy shook her head. "No. It's her last year in the academy, anyway. I was referring to the fact that our little sister is eighteen already. So… You understand, right?"
The boy furrowed his brows in confusion. "I don't know what you're trying to say…"
His elder sister laughed aloud. "How don't you get it? Is your head still foggy from sleep? Gwen belongs to the Countess family. The entire kingdom already knows that she has come of age."
Ethan still looked puzzled. "So what? I don't see what the rest of the world has to do with our bedroom deals?"
"You're a moron, aren't you?" Ivy scoffed. "Gwen is a royal female with a pretty face. Now that she is an adult, suitors from all walks of life will converge on Fondel County, requesting the Countess for her hand."
"Cromwell Castle will be flooded with potential bridegrooms—wealthy traders, famous knights, and if our little sister is lucky, even a Duke may be interested!"
Ethan crossed his arms, actually feeling stupid. He scanned past memories for marriage customs and traditions but came up empty. How air-headed was the old Ethan? Didn't he read a single book or have a basic curiosity about his own world?
A question cropped up in the boy's mind. "You're two years older than us. Why aren't you married yet?"
Ivy pursed her lips, visibly offended. But she reined in her emotions and answered calmly. "Isn't it obvious? I am a warrior trainee, touted to become a legendary holy knight in the future! Chastity is a requirement."
Her brother frowned. There was so much he was yet to know about Promiscua. "So Gwen will leave the castle soon?"
The elder sister nodded with a look of satisfaction. "I'll make sure your filthy hands never touch her before she's married. Someone like Gwen would probably attract a renowned warrior or a prince."
Ethan bit his lip anxiously. He rejected Ivy's projection of Gwen's future husband, instead imagining a middle-aged, balding noble with a potbelly. The man hovered over the naked, crying girl, grinning like a hyena. There was no way Ethan would let that happen!
"So, do you see now?" Ivy concluded, mistaking her brother's silence for victory. "All I have to do is sacrifice myself for Gwen. I'll gladly take the hit for my little sister."
Ethan narrowed his eyes at Ivy. "How do you know she'll get a dashing, swashbuckling husband? What if the man turns out to be a disgusting fellow like Don Lupin? Would you enjoy sending our little sister to be defiled by a fat, lecherous, noble? On the other hand, you are hostile towards brotherly love? What's wrong with you?"
Ivy opened her mouth to protest, but unfortunately, she had no counterarguments. "I hate you," was all she managed.
Actually, the elder sister received many suitors when she turned eighteen. Most were from the nobility and the wealthy folds, men twice or thrice her age, with no glorious achievements. The dream of a handsome swashbuckling husband was a maid's tale, a fantasy.
"Look, I am ready to accept your deal," Ethan said with concern. "But believe me when I tell you I really love Gwen and want to protect her. Can we at least mutually agree that we don't want her molested by an old creep?"
Ivy paused for an extended moment, searching for sincerity in the boy's face. Had she really mistaken him as a villain? The girl finally gave in and sighed. "I agree."
"Great! When do we send Gwen to join as a warrior trainee alongside you?"
Ivy chuckled and shook her head dismissively. "You don't know how silly you sound right now. It's obviously too late for our sister to opt for the warrior class."
"Gwen can't even hold a dagger straight, forget about lifting a sword," she added. "Nobody would accept the fragile girl, and even if someone does out of the kindness of their heart, she won't survive. Fifty percent of warrior trainees die during the training phase."
Ethan collapsed on his bed in disappointment, gazing up at the ceiling. "So, we can't rescue our sister at all?"
Ivy climbed the bed on her knees and loomed over the boy's face. Her light-brown locks cascaded down like artistic waterfalls. The girl's sheer beauty made Ethan momentarily forget his troubles.
"You really care about her, don't you?" Ivy asked, in a much kinder voice than earlier.
"I don't know why it took you so long to realize that."
The elder sister sighed, grabbed his shirt, and pulled him up to a seating position. "There are other disciplines Gwen could pursue. Many demand virginity during the training phase."
Ethan's eyes lit up. "Really? What exactly?"
"Well, I am not really an expert. You could ask Hayden, the Chief Librarian, for information. But, off the top of my head, I could recommend Gwen as a rune keeper."
"A rune keeper, huh?" the boy posed, trying to scan his memories for details. He remembered reading about them in the library's fundamental books.
Witches were the only race allowed by nature to do magic on their own. All others had to design runes—a technology that used physical objects, sigils, artifacts, symbols, and spells to access magic.
For example, Elves imprinted the Ignis rune on their tongues to produce offensive fire. Human warriors learned the Cryptic Battle Arts to summon weapons from their arsenal, and so on.
"If you'll let me see Gwen again, I will push her towards becoming a rune keeper," Ethan said with sincerity.
Ivy nodded, looking relieved and disappointed at the same time. She probably was jealous of her brother offering Gwen special treatment. Would he take the same risks for her?
Ivy got to her feet and blinked at him awkwardly. "I guess that means we have arrived at a deal. The exclusive right of first refusal will lie with me. In exchange, Gwen will remain off-limits. If you break our pact, I won't give you a warning before coming for the kill."
Ethan nodded nervously. He would have to restrain himself around Gwen, which was nearly impossible. Every time the boy looked at his little sister, he wanted to kiss and lick her all over and hump her fragile body like a dog.
"Alright!" Ivy declared, suddenly going into a stiff position. "I know what you want. To renew the deal, you'd like to taste me again, like in the morning, right?"
The girl leaned towards him with closed eyes, pouting her lips. "Go ahead. I won't resist."
Ethan vividly remembered kissing his sister after he won the hand wrestling match. That bold action was appropriate for the specific situation but not applicable right now.
"Well, the rules have changed," the boy declared, pushing her face away with his right hand. "A kiss won't cut it anymore."
"Oh? What do you want?" Ivy asked with concern. She instinctively backed away, expecting the worst from her brother.
"I want to see you topless," Ethan replied casually. "I think that much is fair."
The girl looked scandalized. "What? How dare you demand such a ridiculous thing? Just because I agreed to a specific deal doesn't mean I'll strip for you on command!"
"How are you supposed to carry out the deal if you aren't physically comfortable with me? Aren't we supposed to be in the nude, doing foreplay, and eventually having sex?"
Ivy's expression turned bitter quite rapidly. "I never agreed to nudity! Forget about foreplay and sex, creep! There are other ways to deal with an erection! I can't even process the fact that you'd imagine having sex with me!"
Ethan could have kicked himself right then. Why didn't he elaborate on the deal's conditions before agreeing to them? Obviously, a girl's body could bring an orgasm with no nudity or serious play.
The boy had reached the edge of his patience. He already had an erection while grinding against Gwen. Only about two hours were left before the Chaste Devil's curse was triggered.
"The deal is off," Ethan declared conclusively. "You can show yourself out."
Ivy gasped and looked devastated. It took only a moment of disagreement for the deal to fall apart. She had worked hard to manipulate her brother, and now everything was ruined!
"Fine!" the beauty snapped.
"Fine, what?"
"I'll go… topless…"
Ethan leaned back on his bedpost, satisfied with his bluffing. "I'm waiting. The sooner we are done with the formality, the better. You must be getting late for your morning training, anyway."
Ethan really enjoyed the defeated expression on his sister's face. Coerced submission shattered her entitled attitude and extreme arrogance. The victory over the psycho sister was quite satisfactory.
"Turn around and dim the lights while I remove my clothes," Ivy murmured. "And don't peek!"
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