Chapter 25: Has the fight for the crown prince always been like this?

“Even if you were disowned, you should still respectfully call me Miss Penny as the future heir!
Plus, it’s my birthday today!”

“Ha? What kind of nonsense logic is that?
Has playing ‘young lady’ fried your brain?”

“Say that again, you trash-picking sister!”

“I’m done wasting words—move!”

Ophelia and Penny clashed like fire and water.
Charis and the butler, onlookers, exchanged pained glances, their eyes sharing sympathy for each other’s plight.

‘I’m actually relating to this old butler.
This Penny Rodley is one tough master!’

Charis watched the sisters’ argument grow fiercer, all harsh words but no physical blows.
She could barely hold it together.

‘All this yelling—what’s it good for except noise?
If you’re so tough, pull some hair!’

Charis glanced at the blazing sun overhead, then at Ophelia and Penny, red-faced from arguing.
She had to step in.

“Go home! Arguing’s pointless!”

“What?”

Ophelia, startled, looked at Charis, who was tugging her right hand hard.

Charis’s pale face was full of frustration, her lips pale and stubborn.
She yanked at Ophelia, clearly desperate to leave—now!

“Let’s go!”
Charis urged again, slightly pulling Ophelia’s body.

‘Is she… trying to stop me from fighting?’

Ophelia felt like a bucket of cold water had doused her, cooling her temper.

Penny, with no one to rein her in, was still red-faced with anger, but her words faltered.

“Fine… I’m done arguing.
Stop wasting time—we’re done.”

Ophelia finally followed Charis.
Penny, exhausted from yelling, tried to keep talking but coughed hoarsely, clutching her chest.

“Cough, cough!!!”

“Oh, Miss! Are you alright?”

The butler rushed to her side, but Penny, biting her lip, waved him off.

She caught her breath, standing upright, her pink eyes complex as they watched Ophelia and Charis leave.

“Sister… you won’t even come to my last birthday…”

Penny’s voice weakened.
Beneath her ornate sleeve, a frail arm showed visible veins.
Sweat washed away her makeup, revealing bloodless skin.

The butler shook his head, sighing quietly.

On the carriage back, Charis stayed silent, watching Ophelia, who gazed out the window, lost in thought.
Her “owner” was quieter than usual, her red eyes swirling with complex emotions.

‘Fighting with your own sister must feel awful.
What’s their family deal?
Just letting this fester?’

Charis was puzzled.
Could the Rodley Family have some rigid “one daughter inherits” tradition?
A heir dispute?

“Charis, stop guessing.
From what I see, the one likely to inherit the Rodley Family is still Sword Saintess Ophelia.”
Demon King Talos spoke calmly.

“Really? You’ve got some foresight, Demon King?”
Charis joined the chat, curious about the reasoning.

“No foresight here.
But through your eyes, I saw that human girl, Penny—she’s hiding a serious illness.”

“An illness?!
She was arguing like a storm—how’s that sick?
Shouldn’t she look frail?”

“She’s just putting on a front.
Penny’s hiding her condition from her sister, likely for years.
Her blood vitality is thin—I’d wager she’s got months left, at most.”

Talos’s vast experience left Charis convinced and shocked.

“Penny’s that sick?!
Is her bad attitude some kind of karmic payback?
But why stop Ophelia from attending her birthday?
Wouldn’t showing weakness just embarrass her?”

“I don’t understand that, but I sense Penny still cares about her sister.
There’s likely some hidden reason…”

Talos paused, falling silent, leaving Charis to ponder.

‘What’s Penny hiding?
But with the sisters this estranged, why don’t their parents step in?’

Charis was disappointed in the Rodley Family, but it wasn’t her place to meddle.

Glancing up, she saw the fish skeleton on the opposite seat, its pale eyes staring, though its mouth was tied shut with cloth—Ophelia’s doing.

‘I’ve eaten plenty of Ophelia’s stuff—freeloading’s great.
But dropping her a hint or two… costs me nothing.’

Charis recalled a saying: A dying person’s words are kind.
If she nudged Ophelia to visit Penny, maybe catch her in time and clear up misunderstandings, Ophelia might be so grateful she’d remove the ice chain!

The ice chain was too slow to break through strength alone.
Getting Ophelia to remove it willingly was the smarter move—no suspicion raised.

Charis decided—she’d tell Ophelia about Penny’s illness.

But a new problem arose: how to explain it convincingly?
If she slipped up like with Starfire, it’d spell trouble.

Looking at the silent, brooding Ophelia, Charis knew she needed a quiet moment and something to frame her words.

The carriage reached the teacher’s dormitory.
Charis hauled her precious haul inside, planning to break the fish skeleton into pieces for the fridge.

The apartment was quiet—Luline and Aisha were out.
Ophelia plopped onto the living room sofa, lost in thought.

Charis headed to the kitchen, tossing the skeleton onto the wide counter.

Per Demon King Talos’s guidance, the deep-sea fish skeleton boosted bone health and circulation.
Dragons ate hard foods for scale strength, but overly rigid scales could hinder movement, so balancing toughness and flexibility was key.

Young dragons shouldn’t overconsume bone marrow at once, so Charis planned to portion it out.

“…It won’t go bad, right?”

Charis hesitated, raising the kitchen knife.
The skeleton was thicker than her fingers—chopping it might dull the blade.

“Let’s try one cut.”

Charis took a deep breath and swung down!

Thud!

The bone quivered, unscathed, but the force jolted Charis’s hand, her whole body buzzing.

“Ow… this bone’s like iron!”

Her commotion drew Ophelia’s attention from the living room.

“Charis, what are you doing? Starting a rebellion?”

“No, just chopping this fish bone. It’s too hard.”

Charis rubbed her wrist, clearly outmatched.

“Chopping fish bone? Why didn’t you say so? Let me.”

Ophelia raised her right hand, clenching a fist.
A crystalline ice sword formed instantly, radiating a chilling aura.

Charis realized—Ophelia’s curses didn’t need incantations. They were instant!