*Thud*
"ARGHH!!" The werewolf groans as he fails to get up from the ground after being kicked by Elsie in front of Eve's throne.
The beautiful fox-girl kneels as she lowers her head and speaks respectfully. "My Queen."
Eve looks at Elsie with a curious expression. She knows that no one would bring a man into her castle for no reason.
But Pride, sitting on the arm of the throne, doesn't even look at them. Even beside Eve, she acts arrogantly as if everyone around her is her servant.
"Tell me, child, what is the meaning of this," Eve speaks in a gentle tone to Elsie.
She knows that to be a good leader, she must be ruthless to her enemies but respect her loyal servants, especially cute and strong girls like Elsie and her mother.
Elsie gets to the point. "This man has critical information. I wanted to bring him up to your majesty before talking to anyone else."
"Hmm… what is it about?" Eve is really curious.
"It's about the Light Empire. They formed the largest army ever seen and attacked Portgreen." Elsie quickly explains.
Upon hearing Elsie's words, the clans' matriarchs having breakfast at the table stand up.
Ghalenna makes a worried expression. "How bad is Portgreen's current situation?"
The other women in the hall, including Eve and even Pride, look at Ghalenna with a curious expression. Clearly, she shouldn't be so concerned about another kingdom, especially knowing Eve's power.
Eve nods to Elsie, indicating that she can answer Ghalenna's question. "Well… Actually, Portgreen's army destroyed the Light Empire army. Only a few lucky troops managed to escape."
While most of the women in the hall get shocked, Luise exclaims. "Impossible! Portgreen could not resist an attack by the Light Empire, let alone destroy a large army of them."
Elsie doesn't answer her mother but kicks the werewolf on the floor.
"AHH!!" The man groans but quickly gets the message.
He keeps looking at the floor because he knows what will happen if he looks directly at Eve or the demon beside her.
Then he starts to speak in a scared tone. "My great Queen. This humble servant manages information in my werewolf cla-"
But before he finishes speaking, Elsie kicks his head. "There is no more werewolf clan, only the matriarchs council, serving the great Queen Eve."
*Blerg*
The werewolf vomits blood before starting to apologize. "I… I was a spy. Earlier this week, I received information from several other spies who told me the same thing: The new King of Portgreen defeated an army of two hundred thousand Light Empire soldiers with less than ten thousand troops. Also…"
When the man begins to explain, the women begin to make suspicious expressions. If it were Eve's private troops, personally led by her, defeating even a larger army would be easy, but there is no way that other people are as powerful as she is, or at least that's what everyone there believes.
The man perceives how his story appears unbelievable and quickly continues. "I know that sounds like a lie, but that's what everyone is talking about in the south. Stories of that man will arrive here anytime by travelers and other spies."
Myria, the cat-clan matriarch, quickly asks. "How is the new King of Portgreen like?"
The man quickly explains. "Our information network doesn't have so many resources… We only got vague information about him: He is a demi-human with very peculiar characteristics and also retook the Portgreen's throne alongside Cassidy, who was not actually dead."
The matriarchs are surprised to learn that the daughter of the Sage King is still alive, but obviously, they are more curious about the mysterious new King.
"What do you mean by peculiar characteristics?" Ghalenna asks.
The man starts to say what he knows about Lucien. "He has great wings, bigger and scarier than Lanzo's. Also…"
But then he starts to tremble as he continues to look down. "A-also…. he h-has onyx h-horns like…"
Upon hearing the man's words, all the women in the hall get surprised, especially Pride, who is very curious to find out who is the man that has horns the same color as her.
Eve can't help but send a mental message to Pride. 'What do you think?'
'Maybe a demon… or Envy doing some of her games. Anyway, I think it is unlikely that he is from this world because onyx horns are really rare.' Pride answers.
Then Eve looks at the werewolf on the floor. "What's his name?"
"Lucien." The werewolf quickly responds.
[Lucien…] That name echoes in Eve's mind as she remembers the first time she heard it seventeen years ago.
————————————-
"This is Lucien, your brother," Michael speaks as he looks at his daughters in the main courtyard of the mountain fortress.
Lucien's sisters look at him with a curious expression.
Eve, in her eighteen years, stands in front of the other children while looking at the little Lucien of three years with a tear-covered face.
She saw that same sad look on the face of all her sisters when their father took them from their mothers and brought them to the cold and lonely fortress.
[Brother…] Eve has only had sisters so far, so it's normal to be surprised to see her first little brother.
Seeing his sad and frightened expression, Eve quickly approaches little Lucien and hugs him tightly.
"Huh?!" Lucien is taken by surprise by the warm and comfortable embrace of that beautiful woman with pink hair. The cold he was feeling since he left his mother's arms is quickly pushed away by his big sister.
Eve holds Lucien in her arms while looking at Michael with an upset expression. "What about his mother?"
Michael makes an indifferent expression. "It will be the same as Sophia: They will be able to see their mothers once a month until they are five years old."
The hatred for her father only increases as Eve covers Lucien's ears and speaks to Michael in an angry tone. "Dammit! You can't take a three-year-old kid away from his mother just like that."
Michael sighs. "This has nothing to do with my children and their mothers, but with the future of this world. This is bigger than us… One day you will understand."
"F.u.c.k you and this damned world!" Eve exclaims before turning around and walking towards the bedrooms, carrying little Lucien in her arms.
Since she saw his familiar face and red hair, she was sure he is her brother, and from that moment on, she swore to herself that she would protect him as well as their sisters forever.
While Michael is silent, Eve takes Sophia's hand and leaves the main courtyard.
Lucien's other sisters look at their father with disappointed expressions, except for Donna, who also has an angry look on her beautiful face.
"Nice! Now more than one of your kids will hate you." Donna says to her father before following Eve with her other sisters.
Eve takes Lucien and Sophia to her bedroom, a small and simple room with two beds.
"See, Lucien, this will be your bedroom now. You will be staying with Sophia and me." Eve tenderly speaks as she rests Lucien on her bed.
While Lucien looks around, Sophia climbs onto Eve's bed, sits down next to him, and starts stroking his hair. "See, our hair has the same color…"
Eve laughs at Sophia's cute reaction. "Yes, you are very similar and are also of similar age. Still, you are a year older than Lucien, so you must help me look after him as good older sisters."
Sophia takes Lucien's hand and smiles at Eve. "Yes, big sis. I'll take good care of my brother."
Sophia's gentle touch and the words 'big sis' make Lucien remember his mother's last words:
"When you think the world is against you and everything looks bad, trust your sisters because they are your family, and the family must always be the most important thing to you. Also, take care of your big sis; she has suffered a lot and needs love to heal her wounds."
Although very young, Lucien understood that he would need his sisters a lot to bear that new reality without his mother.
They would have to be united to be able to endure the hard life ahead… however, at some point, their father managed to mess up their minds so much that they got broken…
——————————–
Now.
While Eve remembers the good times she had with the cute young Lucien, the other people in the main hall look at her, waiting for her next words.
Pride noticed Eve's reaction even though she still has a neutral expression and quickly speaks in her mind. 'What was that?'
Eve ignores Pride's question and keeps looking at the werewolf. "What else do you know about him?"
The werewolf quickly responds. "Well, I don't know anything else. I got that information and came back quickly to report to-"
Before he finishes speaking, Eve looks at Elsie. "Take any useful information from him and then kill him."
"Yes, my queen." Elsie nods while walking towards the werewolf, who starts to scream and beg for mercy.
After Elsie drags the werewolf towards the castle dungeons, Eve looks at Luise. "I need all the information you can find about that man called Lucien."
"I will do my best, my Queen." Luise nods before leaving the castle and gathering her best spies to seek information about Lucien.
Then Eve looks at Ghalenna. "Prepare the troops. We are going to march south to conquer this whole continent."
Ghalenna understands that because of the great battle between the Light Empire and Portgreen, and of course, their significant loss of troops, now is the best time to attack.
Also, she is very eager to go to Portgreen, so she quickly nods. "Right now, my Queen."
Along with Ghalanna, the other matriarchs went get their troops ready to march, leaving only guards in the main hall with Eve and Pride.
"Everyone out," Eve speaks in an authoritative tone, and all the guards leave the main hall.
As soon as they get alone, Pride speaks. "You can't be thinking he's your brother, right? How would he have wings and horns while he's human?"
"So, would that be a ridiculous coincidence?" Eve makes a thoughtful expression.
Pride quickly responds. "There is that possibility, but I think it is much more likely to be one of Envy's tricks. She must have found out about us and is trying to confuse you."
"Why would she do that? We are all sisters… except for Lucien, who is my little brother." Eve maintains a neutral expression, but Pride can feel that she gets emotional when thinking about her sisters and brother.
Pride shakes her head. "Yes, we are a team, but there can only be one pair to lead, and it has to be us. That certainly leaves Envy frustrated, and I bet that one of your sisters or even your little brother may feel the same about you."
"No. Little Lucien would never try to harm me in any way." Eve quickly denies that possibility. Also, she doesn't think Lucien would be a good host for Envy, though Amelia…
[Not that any of my sisters would want to harm me, but Amelia was always jealous of me for my strength and Sophia for…] Eve tries not to think about weird things.
##################
If you want to support me and read more than 150 chapters ahead, visit my pa treon: pa treon.com/lamenthief
You can also donate to my kofi: ko-fi.com/lamenthief
Any donation helps me a lot and allows me to continue writing.
