MistNovel - Read Web Novel Stories & Fiction Online

"Your sister is here to see you, my lady."

Eve looked up from the book she was not actually reading, her stomach tightening with something between anticipation and dread. A sister. An identical twin, according to the whispers she had overheard. The perfect one. The beloved one. The one everyone contrasted against Sera in the most unfavorable way possible.

"Show her in," Eve instructed.

The servant hesitated, as if surprised by the calm response, then disappeared. Eve set the book aside and stood, smoothing the dark blue gown she had chosen that morning. If this was going to be a performance, she might as well look the part.

The door opened, and Lilliana entered like sunlight breaking through clouds. She was beautiful, not just conventionally attractive, but radiant in a way that seemed almost unnatural. Golden hair fell in perfect waves over her shoulders. Her gown was a confection of pale pink silk and delicate lace. Her skin glowed with health. Her smile, warm and seemingly genuine, lit up the entire room. Her face was identical to Eve's own.

The resemblance was uncanny and disorienting. Looking at Lilliana was like looking in a mirror at a version of herself that had never known hardship or disappointment. They had the same features, the same bone structure, but Lilliana's had been polished and perfected until every rough edge had been smoothed away.

"Oh, Sera." Lilliana's voice dripped with concern as she crossed the room, her hands outstretched. "My poor, dear sister. How are you managing in this dreadful confinement?"

Eve's corporate instincts activated immediately. She heard the saccharine tone, saw the perfect performance of sisterly devotion, and recognized it for exactly what it was: theater for an audience of servants and guards. Every gesture was calculated. Every word was precisely chosen to demonstrate Lilliana's goodness while highlighting Sera's tragedy.

"I am well enough, thank you." Eve kept her voice neutral, neither warm nor cold.

Lilliana's smile faltered for just a fraction of a second, but it was quickly covered. "I have been so worried about you. Everyone has been talking about the incident, of course, and I have been defending you at every opportunity. You know I believe you did not mean to hurt anyone. You simply cannot control your nature."

Cannot control your nature. The words were phrased as defense but landed like an accusation. Eve had heard similar tactics in boardrooms. One appeared to support someone while actually undermining them with faint praise and subtle condemnation.

"That is very kind of you," Eve said, gesturing to the chairs by the window. "Would you like to sit?"

Lilliana settled gracefully, arranging her skirts with practiced precision. "I wanted to tell you about the charity gala I hosted last week. We raised funds for the orphanage in the lower city. It was such a success. The duchess said it was the most elegant event of the season." She leaned forward, her expression radiating sympathy. "I wish you could have been there, of course, but under the circumstances, it was probably for the best that you remained here."

Under the circumstances. Translation: you would have ruined everything with your presence.

Eve watched Lilliana's performance with the detached interest of someone analyzing a competitor's strategy. Every sentence was designed to highlight Lilliana's virtues: her charity, her social success, her elegance. And every sentence also served to emphasize Sera's failures: confined, excluded, unsuitable for polite society.

"I am sure it was lovely," Eve said mildly.

"Oh, it was." Lilliana clasped her hands together, her eyes shining. "Lord Victor attended, of course. He looked so handsome in his formal uniform. He asked after you, actually. I told him you were being very brave about your situation."

Lord Victor. A name to remember.

"How thoughtful of him," Eve replied.

Lilliana's expression shifted slightly, something sharp flickering behind her perfect smile. "I know things have always been difficult between us, Sera. You have always struggled with your magic, with your temper, with fitting into court life. But I want you to know that I still love you. You are my sister, no matter what."

No matter what. Translation: despite everything wrong with you.

Eve had spent twenty years in corporate environments where people smiled while stabbing you in the back. She recognized condescension wrapped in concern, manipulation disguised as affection. Lilliana was not here out of sisterly love. She was here to perform her role as the good daughter, the caring twin, the one who rose above her sister's failures with grace and mercy. She expected Sera to play her assigned role in return: grateful, ashamed, diminished.

"Thank you, Lilliana." Eve met her twin's eyes directly, letting a small, enigmatic smile touch her lips. "Your visits are always so illuminating."

Something flickered across Lilliana's face, too quick to identify. It might have been confusion, or perhaps the first hint of unease. She had expected either tearful gratitude or defensive anger. This calm, composed response clearly did not fit the script.

"Well," Lilliana rose gracefully, smoothing her skirts. "I should go. I have a fitting for my engagement dress this afternoon. The wedding will be in three months, you know. I do hope circumstances will allow you to attend."

Engagement. Wedding. More information to catalog.

"I am sure it will be beautiful," Eve said, remaining seated. She forced Lilliana to look down at her rather than meeting her at eye level.

After Lilliana swept out in a rustle of silk and perfume, Eve stared out the window. Her twin had revealed more than she intended. The relationship between the sisters was toxic, built on comparison and contrast. Lilliana's entire identity seemed wrapped up in being the good one, which required Sera to remain the bad one. Any change in that dynamic would threaten Lilliana's carefully constructed image. She needs me to be the villain. Her goodness only shines against my darkness.

Eve smiled slowly, a real smile this time. In the corporate world, she had learned that the most dangerous opponents were the ones who smiled the sweetest while sharpening their knives. Lilliana might be beloved by the court, but she was also threatened by any change in the status quo. Which meant she was vulnerable. And vulnerability was always exploitable.