章 14: I Miss You, Dearest Little Sister.
"S-Sue?" Sabina Terin choked at her own word. She stood frozen in the way of Sue, standing before the prestigious gates of the Terin Clan's manor.
Sue smiled as she relished the reaction of her beloved stepsister – the very same stepsister who stabbed her.
"How have you been, sister?" The smiling Sue took Sabina's cold hands and clasped them together. "I miss you, you know?"
Sabina blinked a few more times before she slowly regained her composure. With a forced smile, Sabina held Sue's hand as well. "I am so worried about you, elder sister! Thank goodness that you are back in one piece!"
A cold glint flashed beneath a pair of calm obsidian eyes. Sue languidly thought, 'Why? Do you want to dismember me now?'
As Sabina hugged her, Sue whispered near the former's right ear. "Sister, did you take care of my fiancé?"
Sabina stiffened from her remark. Sue could not almost contain her laughter after feeling her stepsister's subtle guilt-ridden action. After all, Sue was still Lucca Lupine's official fiancé, recognized by both prominent families in the Wolf Tribe. Even when she went missing for a few months, the Terin Household could not release a statement of her death since there was no proof that she was indeed dead.
"Of course! Brother Lucca cares for my elder sister deeply that he visits the estate every other day to ask for news about you." Sabina moved away from Sue as if the latter's touch disgusted her so. There was also an unfathomable feeling of coldness when they hugged for a brief moment.
At this moment, the system decided to interrupt Sue's war of nerves with her sister. A screen appeared beside Sabina.
Ping!
[SCANNING COMPLETED!
Name: Sabina | Age: 18 | Race: Beastman | Tribe: Leopard Tribe | Skill: Stealth Attack | Strength: Yellow Level Peak Level]
'How I wish I could see Sabina's secrets through the system scans!' Sue could not help but groan after seeing that Sabina was already at Yellow Peak Level! The last time she saw her, Sabina was only at Yellow Foundation Level!
Ping!
[SCANNING…]
Ping!
[DATA INQUIRY DENIED! YOU NEED THE 'WORLD VIEW SKILL' TO EVOLVE INTO THE ORANGE LEVEL TO KNOW A TARGET'S SECRET!]
Sue bit the insides of her cheek. She automatically knew that she could not use her Plunder Skill to steal Sabina's Stealth Skill since the latter was a level stronger than her.
"Won't you let me come in, sister dearest?" Sue cocked her head. "It is not like we can spend the entire day in front of my home's gates, right?" Sue's smile did not waver, but she damn well saw how Sabina's innocent grin faltered.
Sabina, wearing a frilly white dress that emphasized her innocence and youth, made way as she led Sue to the Terin Household's manor. "Pardon my negligence, elder sister! I am just so… overwhelmed to see you again!"
A grin appeared on Sue's lips. "Trust me, dearest little sister. I know how happy you are to see me again… so tone down your excitement, okay?" Sue stepped forward and leaned toward Sabina before she whispered her following vile words. "After all, we will be spending a whole lot of quality time together. You, me, our beloved mother, and my oh-so-loyal fiancé."
Sue emphasized the words 'my home'. She was the legitimate daughter – though adopted – since it was the patriarch himself who registered Sue's name to the family register. Unlike Sabina, she was only allowed to take the Terin name since her mother married the deceased patriarch. Sue overlooked this hierarchy before, and she let the mother-daughter duo trample her as if she was a lowly peasant. But now, everything would change.
She returned to take what was rightfully hers, which was the right to enter the inheritance.
The six-column hallway of the Terin Household's central estate brought back memories for Sue Terin. Growing up here, under the care of the late patriarch, she did not feel that she was different. In fact, she only learned later during her childhood that she was from the human race since she was the only one who could not shift to their wolf beast.
Sue still vividly remembered the exact words she used when she asked her foster father. 'Am I different to you too, Dad?'
Sue could still picture how her foster father's face reflected myriad emotions. First came panic, then pain, then anger, and then loneliness. In the end, he did not reply to her. He just simply ruffled her hair. She failed to realize at that moment how cruel her destiny was – for a woman and for being the last human.
Rows of servants rushed forward, almost blocking Sue's vision to the main hall where the late patriarch used to stay and receive guests.
"The Elder Miss has returned?"
"She's alive? Impossible!"
"Why did she come back?"
"She got some guts to come back here. She should have treasured her measly life and never return!"
Disguised as whispers with little effort to hide their distorted faces in front of Sue Terin, the servants openly mocked the woman they thought dead. They were not stupid nor blind. Before the Elder Miss vanished, they saw how the latter was treated like a waste by Madam Shanica Terin – the temporary head of the Terin Household until the inheritance rite declared the true heir.
Sue's gentle smile shifted from daytime to nighttime. The pair of black onyx eyes became sinister as if they had turned into the windows of an infernal abyss. The corners of her lips stretched into one fine devilish grin. "Dearest little sister, you are fortunate that you can still smile under this roof."
Sabina swiftly turned her back toward Sue. "I beg your pardon?"
Gesturing to the rows of servants at their side, Sue shrugged. "Look at how they openly mock me, the legitimate daughter of the Terin Household. Oh my! How impudent! They dare meet my eyes!" She touched her heart as if she was genuinely shocked. "I cannot fathom how they treated my poor little sister without me. After all, they can do that to me. How will they treat my sister who just recently arrived in the Terin Household?"
Sue's words were filled with concern, but the malice that escaped from Sue's calm eyes could not fool Sabina. No. Sue meant Sabina to see the malediction in her eyes.
For the second time, Sabina choked from her suppressed anger. After all, it was confirmed that Sue Terin – though human – was the legitimate daughter recognized by the Wolf Tribe. Sabina could only focus on maintaining her smile when what she wanted to do was to disfigure Sue Terin's smiling face!
Having rendered the servants speechless, Sue continued with her masked concern. She pierced the servants with a glare followed by her harsh words. "Make no mistake. I still have the full authority to sell you back to the slavers. After all, my father gave your slave identification cards to me. Hmmm…" Sue's smile shone even brighter as she pondered where she had placed the stack of documents before she was betrayed. "Do you want to try me before I hear your apologies?"
The sweet voice echoed through the grand eight-column hall like a devil's snare for the trembling servants. Sue winked at the shell-shocked Sabina before she commanded the kneeling servants. "Now, beg."
"What is happening?" An oppressing voice thundered, making the servants see one last hope from their irredeemable situation.
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