Chương 14: The Wager
Estelle whistled a light tune as a gust of wind blew by. Her eyes had no emotion in them as usual and her actions all seemed arbitrary. She gazed into Liandra eyes and for less than a split second, her lips. However, there were no impure thoughts, only wonder.
Liandra tried to read her sister but she knew it was impossible to know what her devil of a sister was thinking at any given moment. After all this time, Liandra only wanted to hear what Estelle had to say about the sudden stoppage of contact.
"Little sister. What do you think of me? Be honest." Estelle asked. Her chin rested on her palm, waiting for an answer.
Liandra was caught off guard by this question. Was this a test by her sister? She could not really tell but she more or less understood that it would be best not to lie.
"Older sister, you are the devil. You control me, manipulate me, and treat me like a servant. When I ask for your help, you leave me to suffer. When I don't ask for your help, you swoop in to save me. I can't understand you." Liandra answered honestly.
"That is harsh but I guess you have the right to your own opinion." Estelle did not seem fazed by the scathing review of her. Rather, she expected it. She had never treated Liandra like a sister would and she never really cared about Liandra's wellbeing. The only thing she cared about was her own prosperity. That was the person Estelle was.
"Liandra, since you answered my question I will answer the question that has plagued your heart for so long. I don't want to be around you because it makes me uncomfortable." Estelle did not need to hear the question to know what it was. She could see it in Estelle's eyes.
"You're uncomfortable around me? What have I done wrong?!" Liandra nearly lashed out.
Estelle's eyes again drifted to Liandra's lips before returning Liandra's confrontational gaze. "You are disgusting." Estelle frowned and stood up.
"How am I disgusting? What have I done?!"
"I have a headache now because of you. Please leave me be." Estelle crossed her arms and genuinely seemed agitated.
"Older sister, why do you keep pushing me away? I have no friends, No one around my age to talk to, and I don't feel like I have a sister at all." Liandra, grabbed Estelle's arm, holding tight.
"Let go of me." Estelle answered immediately.
With Liandra closer than before, Estelle was reminded of a shameful memory. She kept on seeing it her mind whenever she licked her own lips. For some reason it was always there in her thoughts. However, the reason was unknown to her.
"I would advise you not to make a habit of this. Touching strangers could lead to unwanted reactions." Estelle advised.
"We aren't strangers." Liandra quickly responded, tightening her grip.
Estelle had begun to regret everything that had happened in the past six months. She wished she had never influenced Liandra to this extent. The villainess was too much trouble no matter what she did. Estelle wanted peace but all she got was chaos.
She had come into this world despising the nature of Liandra. Liandra was a selfish and despicable villainess through and through. However, in this instance, Liandra looked more like a bother than a describable villainess. Although, this bothersome girl still posed an issue for Estelle.
"Little sister, what do you really want? Do you want my pity or something else? What are you going to ask for this time?" Estelle's words were laced with bitterness.
"I want you to be a proper older sister… I'm fed up with the way you treat me."
"Is that all you want? You want me to be the doting sister that lets the younger sibling get away with anything? Do you want me to protect you after you do something wrong? Is this what you want from me?" Estelle interrogated her mercilessly.
"What I want is an older sister, a mentor. You scored 1st place in the exam, you are a mage, you are popular with nobles our age. I want to be like you in that regard." Liandra finally decided on what she wanted.
For as long as she remembered, she wanted to be the best. Liandra wanted it all. Liandra did not seek to be mundane for the rest of her life. Her husband needed to be the best, her status needed to be the best, her grades needed to be the best. Sadly, these goals were derailed ever so slightly by the death of her greater pillar of support, her mother. Without her mother, Liandra's desires became her only driving force. She needed it all even if she had to take it.
"You are the main source of my pains this past half year but you are also the only person I can rely on. Please don't abandon me again." Liandra begged.
Estelle's golden eyes sparkled with indifference. The emotions she felt were kept to herself. "Little sister, I will make a simple bet with you. If you agree, I will do as you have requested."
"What is the bet?"
"I bet you won't be able to achieve second place in the final examination. If I am right, you will never speak to me again and follow the rules I have already laid out for you. If I am proven wrong, I will grant three wishes." Estelle explained with a passive expression.
"I accept the wager. I will definitely get 2nd place." Liandra declared.
Estelle rolled her eyes tiredly. "Second place is usually occupied by geniuses. You don't meet that simple criteria."
"But I have you to teach me."
Estelle relented this one time. "You do have a point for once. However, you will find that finishing second place is difficult nevertheless. The gap between 2nd and 5th place is larger than you may think."
One of the girls would eventually come to regret taking this bet. As to which one? Only the future can tell.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
Oscillating_Sine
Oscillating_Sine Writing a slow burn romance feels weird since I really just want to rush into the good stuff. Stalling and creating situations where a terrible person like Estelle can learn to love will take a long time probably. I just can’t justify her becoming a kind person right now…
I just hope I can pace this so there is consistent slow progress.
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