A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 144

Curtis made no assumptions.

She already knew the answer. Her mother had told her when she was alive.

She later became unrestrained and always caused trouble for her father, which was actually intentional. She would occasionally wonder how much that man would tolerate her, and that made her feel guilty towards her sister and mother.

Therefore, she was one of the few princesses who went to study at the magic academy and lived in a single room on campus.

She has a domineering personality, but she is by no means lacking in independence. Her domineering nature stems from being spoiled, while her independence is cultivated through years of living her own life.

This is not contradictory.

"But sister, I still want to ask you, why are you here?"

She was willing to believe that her sister had done nothing wrong, but that was one thing, the fact that the other woman was now among a pile of dead bodies made the whole thing very strange.

Furthermore, Ruby's demeanor was far too calm. It was as if she were the one who did it all, which made it all the more understandable.

Even Saint Karina, though her gaze remained calm, harbored a deep sense of doubt.

Do you know what happened to these dead people?

"You really are someone who trusts me. I never intended to hide anything from you about these people. If you want to know, then I'll tell you."

Ruby looked more relaxed, and there was a hint of smugness in her expression.

Just like murderers, some people appreciate their own murders, treating them as art. Some even return to the crime scenes years later after they've left.

So Ruby recounted everything that had happened in the palace before Curtis arrived, leaving no detail unexamined. She was truly patient in this regard, willing to share everything with her sister.

She needed someone connected to her by blood to share her joy of revenge, so she wouldn't feel so empty. Ruby had initially had some reservations, fearing that Curtis might distance herself from her after hearing that she had killed the old man. However, Curtis seemed to already know the truth and said she trusted her, so Ruby let go of her worries.

This story is a bit long, but it can be told in about ten minutes.

She also told Curtis about her life in prison over the years, but it was all so repetitive that she only needed to tell it once most of the time each day. She didn't want Curtis to hear those boring stories anyway, since she was already out.

"You mean...you killed Father?"

Curtis finally noticed the old man's corpse.

He had a large hole through his chest; he was beyond dead.

Her face turned even paler, her lips lost their color, and her voice began to tremble.

Curtis was actually still a little dizzy; she felt like the world was spinning. If she hadn't been leaning on Santa Karina, she probably would have collapsed.

She had fantasized about reuniting with her sister many times when she was a child. Most of those fantasies were beautiful, and some were quite ordinary and heartwarming. But she never imagined that the scene of their reunion would be so impactful.

"Yes, he tore us apart and caused our mother great distress, which eventually led to her death."

He ruined your happy childhood and robbed me of my entire youth. You say I made him die without dignity in front of his courtiers and killed all his supporters? You should be happy for me, right?

Her smile grew even brighter. Indeed, her discomfort wasn't from killing that man; her emptiness stemmed from the loss of someone who truly loved her, the loss of her closest blood relative.

"I'm sorry, sister, I won't go with you. I'm not happy for you, I'm just very sad."

Curtis looked very sad; she was genuinely upset.

My father may not have been a good father, but he was definitely a good ruler. Under his rule, the people of the Toran Empire lived in peace and prosperity, free from the invasions of the demon race, and maintained harmonious relations with neighboring countries. Peace was not just the old emperor's personal wish, but the wish of all the people.

"What did you say? I am your sister. If you don't come with me, who else will you go with? With a stranger, that saintess from another country? Don't forget, you are the princess of the Toran Empire."

"Sister, do you still remember that you are also a citizen of the Toran Empire? Even if Father strips you of your royal status, you are still a member of the Toran Empire. I cannot stop you because I understand what I can and cannot do, but I will not stay by your side."

I cannot, as the sister of a tyrant, live the life of a pampered doll in the palace of the Toran Empire.

She may have the common flaws of nobles and royalty, namely being arrogant and looking down on commoners, but she would not treat human life lightly, much less wage war to expand territory, and would not allow the victorious country to make the defeated country pay reparations and obtain the supplies and money lost in the war.

In that case, some people will always suffer, but the majority of the suffering will be borne by the people of other countries.

Curtis wouldn't say things like "don't fight back if the armies of other countries or races invade your home," but she would never initiate a war.

"So you've inherited the old man's will too... What a disappointing result. But no matter what you say today, I won't let you leave!"

I've crawled back from hell, and no one can defy me, not even my sister.

Her face was contorted.

Ruby finally dropped her amiable mask; she was a devil returned from hell.

"You're really obsessive..."

After witnessing the confrontation between the two sisters from beginning to end, Saint Karina finally couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to say something fair.

"Saint Karina, please help me."

Upon hearing Santa Karina speak, Curtis seemed to have finally found his anchor.

There's no one else here who can help her except Saint Karina.

How would you like me to help you?

"I……"

She hesitated.

Did she just want to leave? Perhaps not.

Curtis felt that seeing her father's tragic end and the miserable deaths of her courtiers, a seed called responsibility was suddenly taking root and sprouting in her heart.

Whatever her father did to her family, he didn't actually kill Ruby, nor did he mistreat her mother or herself. The punishment for Ruby was indeed too harsh, but if he hadn't done so, Ruby, being so powerful, would have been determined to take that position.

Perhaps... the answer was already in my heart.

"Saint Karina, I hope you can help me. I've made up my mind! I want to become the Emperor of the Toran Empire!"

"Are you crazy? You're completely cut out for politics, you can't possibly be emperor!"

Ruby was already uncomfortable when her younger sister directly contradicted her own ideas. Her sister had the shadow of that stubborn old man in her, which made Ruby very uncomfortable. Now that her sister was saying that she wanted to be the emperor, Ruby was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and she jumped up in anger.

“I’m not crazy, and this isn’t nonsense. I’m serious. Sister, you want a powerful Toran Empire, but I want a peaceful Toran Empire that protects its people from foreign invasion.”

To make the empire powerful, one must wage war, invade other countries, and kill their people. Only you will be happy. Not me, not most people, sister.

The warmongers are ultimately a minority; most people simply want to live and work in peace and contentment.

The young princess's face held an unusual firmness. At least, Saint Karina had never seen her so resolute.

245. Truly restored tenth-tier strength

“Father’s actions were problematic, but he has already been killed by you, sister. This is an internal conflict within our royal family. One person’s misfortune should not be borne by all the people.”

Curtis did not suffer the same pain as his sister, but he had already paid for his father's mistakes with his life.

"Are you going to use that old man's words to lecture me too? Sacrifices in war are inevitable."

"But why wasn't it you who was sacrificed?"

Curtis started talking back.

These words left Ruby speechless.

"Do you want to be my enemy, my dear sister?"

These words are quite damaging, especially considering that the person in question is Ruby's own sister.

“I don’t mean to be your enemy, sister, but you’ve chosen the wrong path, and I don’t agree with it. Therefore, you cannot be the one to become emperor.”

"Are you going to oppose me like this too! You were still young then, and I was completely ignored by the old man. All he cared about was the country, the people, and peace. All my contributions were disregarded, and he even imprisoned me with his own hands!"

The hardships of those years did not awaken Ruby; instead, they made her even more obsessive than before.

Being ignored and unloved. Santa Karina, who grew up alone, understands this feeling, but understanding does not mean agreeing with it.

"Sister, when you killed Father, didn't you feel anything?"

"How could I feel about killing that old man?"

Ruby denied.

Actually, she did feel it; she felt a deep emptiness. She wanted to ask the old man why, but she no longer had the chance.

Moreover, the other person's comment, such as "Child, you've grown up," made her feel very uncomfortable.

It's bittersweet, like having your heart ripped out.

"Sister, let's fight. You fight Saint Karina, and the winner gets to decide."

Ultimately, the two sisters used a method that Ruby, the older sister, could accept.

And Saint Karina finally understood the fortune teller's prophecy.

In fact, she didn't want to get involved in other countries' mess. But she had no choice at the moment.

He crushed all the sacred objects, and the silvery luster transformed into a magic circle-like object that lit up beneath his feet, while his entire body was enveloped in that silvery-white light.

Dark energy emanated from her body, and the anchor point of the evil god was destroyed. Eris was betrayed; Saint Karina abandoned the power she had bestowed upon her, choosing instead to reclaim her own. Even if the price was high.

No saintess desires to become the saintess of an evil god; however, destroying the anchor point doesn't mean the evil god can't find her. It simply changes the relationship between the two, making it fairer for Saint Karina.

Ruby is a tenth-tier magic swordsman, and Saint Karina must restore her original tenth-tier strength in order to compete with her.

"I never imagined those rumors were true. I'm truly impressed that my sister could find someone like you to help her."

"Then there are many more things that make you look at me with new respect. Even within the same social class, there are differences in strength."

Seeing Ruby's fighting spirit ignite, a smile that didn't reach her eyes appeared on her lips, a smile with a low temperature, as cold as ice, Saint Karina responded in kind.

As long as her strength hasn't reached the level of a demigod, she has never been afraid of anyone within the human realm.

"We can't work out here, let's go somewhere more open. Just outside this building will do."

Saint Karina suggested.

Moreover, the smell here is too strong; that rusty smell is something that Saint Karina cannot physiologically accept.

She's not a pervert, how could she possibly like the smell of blood, let alone be addicted to it and enjoy it?

"Row."

Ruby did not object to the suggestion, but regarding the battle location, the palace would probably collapse if it were to be used by someone of the same rank.

If the palace collapses and Saint Karina is accidentally injured, she will only be happy. But if her sister is accidentally injured, Ruby will not be happy at all.

Even though her younger sister is now rebellious, her heart is only for the dead old man and the white-haired bad woman, and she doesn't care about her, her blood-is-thicker-than-water older sister, at all.

"Frost!"

When Saint Karina came out, she didn't stand on ceremony and immediately unleashed a blizzard on Ruby.

Her movements were fierce and powerful, like countless icicles flying through the snow.

Then Ruby blocked, and a magical barrier was summoned directly.

Neither of them was injured; this attack was merely a probe.

"Holy Sword, charge!"

"Crescent Moon, Thrust!"

After Saint Karina imbued the Holy Sword with a magical buff, Ruby unceremoniously drew her sword from her waist and clashed with Saint Karina.

The two were clashing swords, their longswords sparking countless flames as they collided, the sword shadows moving so fast that they were impossible to see.

Ruby was incredibly strong, possessed fierce and experienced swordsmanship, and was as ruthless as a wolf in sheep's clothing. When Saint Karina fought her, she remained on the defensive, finding the blind spots and weaknesses in Ruby's attacks before counterattacking.

"Divine Word Technique, Wind Control!"

Her holy sword generated a chilling sword aura, and the white energy wave split into three, sneaking up on Ruby, whose face was slightly grazed by the attack.

As bright red blood flowed down, Ruby's face showed displeasure. Such a minor injury would heal quickly, but it only fueled her fighting spirit.

"Demon Body Enhancement!"

Her body began to change, transforming from a human into a demonic phantom with horns, a tail behind its rear, and skin like lava.

"Divine Word Technique, Sacred Ruins!"

Saint Karina simply made a grasping motion in the air and crushed Ruby's illusory image.

In their brief exchange just now, she had already tested Ruby's strength and limitations.

"hand."

As Saint Karina's words of power blew, Ruby's hand was the first to be blasted open.

Her hand hung limply, likely broken. Her appearance was even more pitiful, with blood dripping freely.