Arthur's expression became wry as he mumbled, "No...that can't be possible. Sure, Reva is way more talented than me, but she still doesn't even seem to behave as if she will be the empress in the future. And I don't believe she is the cunning type."
Arthur then let out a sigh of helplessness as he continued, "Even if that's true, I don't mind if she becomes the empress. At least that way, she would be a way better ruler than my father. Reva might appear distant, but she is kind as well. I am sure she would treat our people well, including my mother."
Arthur thought back to how Reva agreed to his request of looking after his mother whenever possible, which he never expected her to accept.
Over the years, as Reva and he grew older, the less she interacted with anyone else other than answering anything people asked her. Even he didn't get to talk much with her but only kept seeing her from afar like a mortal gazing upon the goddess.
However, he remembered how cheerful she was before her mother died and also used to play games with him. At that time, she was as adorable and cute as a fairy.
And, now, she had matured into a cold Ethereal Fairy, possessing a beauty that could make one's soul flutter and power that could make seas dance to her tune.
Arthur guessed that the reason Reva became reticent was probably due to her mother's death, especially if she was unable to move on. In fact, he could imagine himself in her shoes, thinking how he would feel if he suddenly lost his mother, and couldn't help but feel his heart becoming heavy thinking about anything bad happening to his mother.
So, he didn't mind even if Reva talked to him as if he was a stranger. But at the same time, he felt ashamed that he couldn't make himself ask her if she's facing any problems or how he can help her.
He felt like she had this cold and intangible barrier around her that kept people away....a barrier no one could pass through unless she deemed that person was worthy.
So far, he had yet to know if she even had anyone of her age to talk to.
Sven raised one of his brows, "Oh, how should someone who is going to become the ruler of this empire behave? What do you actually know about Reva? Nobody knows much about her, probably not even her own father."
He then continued in a low voice, "Besides, I know you are seeking the forbidden fruit, making you blind to whatever she does and says."
Arthur frowned, "I don't understand what you are saying."
Sven sighed, "Arthur….how can you hide such things from your own uncle? I practically raised you when you were just a kid. I know the way you look at Reva each time you see her. Your expression might not change, but your eyes always get dazed before her presence as if your soul is somewhere else. Sure, she is an otherworldly beauty that could stun any man. But you had seen her umpteen times, and still, your eyes appear as if you are yearning for her. That's not all. Your gaze towards her becomes tender and soft, as if you are already seeing her as your lover.
"And that is one of the signs of being lovesick. I have lived for all these years by passing your age as well, so how could I not know?"
Seeing the shaken up expression of Arthur, Sven inwardly smiled and continued with an understanding tone, "Since you are inherently an innocent and kind-hearted prince, you don't have much experience with these things considering you never even went out with a woman before."
Arthur pulled back his thoughts and said in a defensive tone while clutching his fists, "Uncle is misunderstanding. Reva is my sister. How could I even look at her like that? Even if you saw me looking at her like that, it was because I considered her as my sister and also because of my admiration for her. After all, what I feel for her is just the love of a sibling and nothing more."
Arthur felt as if his heart just dropped hearing Sven's words that made his buried feelings surface again from the depths of his heart. The more Sven prodded his thoughts, the more he realized that his words were true, making him feel like stabbing himself for having such feelings.
He had always denied those feelings and thought that they would disappear on their own once he ignores them. But each time he saw Reva, those feelings would just burst out of his heart, threatening to destroy his inner peace.
Despite how confident and calm Arthur's words seemed, Sven could notice the ripple in his eyes, making him scoff inwardly.
Sven said in a comforting tone as he held Arthur's shoulders, "Arthur, you don't have to feel bad about having such feelings towards Reva. You do know that our imperial family mostly only married from within the family to preserve the bloodline. Even your mother is blood-related to your father. The only exception was Reva's mother. But I guess considering her beauty which only lost to her own daughter, how could your father hold himself back?"
Sven wasn't saying empty words as he still remembered the day he saw Reva's mother and he himself was tempted to make her his woman. The only reason he didn't approach her was only because of Ruthren.
He thought he had already experienced the best women out there but Reva's mother turned that thought upside down even though she wasn't as beautiful as Reva.
Even though Reva was the more beautiful one, he for some reason couldn't dare to look at her azure eyes as if he's afraid she would be able to peer into his soul and bring out all his inner thoughts.
Sometimes he felt ashamed at himself that a powerhouse like him would easily get intimidated by a young girl.
Arthur wasn't surprised as he knew about this fact, but such incestual marriages were not common when compared with other ordinary families.
He also knew that Reva's mother was basically an outsider that Ruthren chanced upon. It was rumored that the strongest emperor who was indifferent to blood, battles, and women couldn't help but fall for Reva's mother.
Arthur also knew that his mother was the empress consort, but when Reva's mother came into picture, Ruthren didn't even hesitate to remove Maria from her position and give the title of empress consort to Reva's mother.
Still, Arthur didn't have any hard feelings towards Reva because of that since it wasn't her fault.
But that was the time when he felt indignation towards his father for treating his mother like carpet, stepping on her, and throwing her away after he was done with her.
At that time, he also felt angry towards Reva's mother for barging into his family, thinking that she seduced his father to make her the empress consort.
This was also why his mother, Maria, took the suicidal risk of increasing her cultivation using pills because Ruthren told her that she had to prove herself if she wanted to continue to keep her status.
And that was how she ended up with her present condition. Still, Arthur's opinion of Reva's mother changed when she even apologized to him and treated him like her own son.
However, when Reva was still a young child, Arthur was surprised when he heard that Reva's mother suddenly died due to some inexplicable reason.
He wondered how such a kind, healthy and gentle woman died just like that, especially when her husband was the strongest person in the continent.
Reeling back his thoughts to Sven's words, Arthur indeed knew that incestual marriages were a thing and that probably his father even planned to make him wed to one of his cousins.
There was no way his father would make him wed Reva since he himself announced that no one in the Rising Sun Continent was worthy of becoming her husband.
Just like others, he was shocked as well but at the same time felt that it made sense considering how even he felt inferior before her.
Sven continued, "Of course, such marriages are not common among commoners since they think that some complications can arise from incestual marriages. But unlike them, because of our cultivation, such issues would never surface up. Otherwise, our ancestors would have warned us about such things."
Arthur, however, shook his head and decided to come clean, "You are right, uncle. Maybe I harbor some unwanted feelings towards Reva, but those are heavily one-sided, and I am completely sure that Reva doesn't feel the same at all. So, I would rather ignore these inappropriate thoughts instead of making things worse."
He continued thinking back to what Sven said before, "And no, these feelings don't make me blind. I have seen her grow up and know her nature. So, I don't think she is a calculative and cunning woman like you said."
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢