Investing in the Three Villainesses Gives Me Infinite Returns

Elias stared at Stella, completely confused by the sudden change in her expression.

A moment ago, she had been happily eating the Extraordinary Sugar Fruit, and now she was looking at him as though she had never seen him before.

”What do you mean?” Elias asked.

Stella’s brows furrowed as she looked at him, and then she pushed herself away from his arms.

”Let me go,” she said.

Elias immediately released her and took a step backward, giving her enough space to move freely.

Stella slowly turned around and looked across the room, her expression becoming increasingly confused as she studied the unfamiliar surroundings.

The bed, the furniture, the curtains, the walls, and even the decorations seemed to confuse her.

”Where am I?” she asked.

Elias remained silent for a moment as he watched her.

Something was clearly wrong.

Stella’s movements were different from before, and the childish expression that had usually dominated her face was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she looked like a completely different person, trying to understand where she had suddenly found herself.

Natasha had noticed it as well.

She frowned and turned toward Elias, her golden eyes carrying a clear question.

Elias glanced at her before sending a Mental Whisper.

[Do not worry... everything is fine...]

Natasha looked at Stella.

She could tell that something was wrong about her, but after listening to his Mental Whisper, she didn’t press further and simply nodded.

Stella, however, continued looking around the room.

Her confusion only seemed to grow as she turned toward the windows, then toward the door, before finally looking back at Elias.

”Where am I? And who are you?” she asked again, her voice firmer than before.

Her tone had changed, and there was a trace of caution in her eyes.

Elias narrowed his eyes slightly and wondered, ’Is it because of the sugar fruit?’

An orange screen suddenly flickered into existence before him.

[Extraordinary Sugar Fruits]

[Grade: S]

[Slice of Heart and Soul Fruit covered in the sugar sap of Eld Tree. It holds the miraculous ability to calm or heal a person’s mind and body. Temporarily for the former.]

Elias blinked and read the description.

’It is temporary?’

His eyes lingered on the final sentence for several seconds.

’I did not know it was such a miraculous thing.’

The fruit could temporarily heal the mind, which explained the sudden difference in Stella’s behavior. However, Elias still didn’t know what exactly had changed inside her.

He shifted his attention back to Stella.

She was still watching him carefully.

He slowly raised both arms, showing that he wasn’t holding a weapon and had no intention of attacking her.

”We are at my... our manor and I am Elias Crimson,” he said calmly.

”Huh?” Stella frowned and studied him more carefully.

Her eyes moved across his face as though she were searching for something.

She knew most of the young members of the Crimson Ducal Clan, especially those who were close to her age, but the young man standing before her was someone she had never seen before.

After several seconds, she shook her head.

”Nope, doesn’t ring a bell,” she mumbled.

But the next moment, her expression changed, and she muttered, ”Wait!”

She stared at him again.

”Elias...” she mumbled and repeated his name a few times. A few seconds passed, and her eyes widened in recognition.

”Elias!” She blurted and pointed a finger at him as she asked, ”You are the Crimson Duke’s bastard, are you not?”

Elias’s expression immediately became distasteful at the word, although he quickly suppressed it and nodded.

”Yes, I am,” he said.

Stella placed one hand beneath her chin and rubbed it with a thoughtful expression while continuing to examine him.

”How is this possible? Are you not supposed to be ten years old? And what do you mean by ’our’ manor?”

Her eyes narrowed further as she asked the question.

’So she hasn’t lost all of her memories,’ he concluded inwardly.

She remembered Elias, the Crimson Ducal Clan, and his reputation as the Duke’s bastard. However, she clearly didn’t remember everything that had happened afterward.

Elias needed to know exactly how much she remembered before saying anything else.

He tilted his head slightly and asked, ”Do you know your name?”

Stella blinked and shrugged before she muttered, ”Of course I do.”

A small smile appeared on her face as she straightened herself and continued in a confident tone, ”I am Stella Crimson, the Steel Flower.”

”I see,” he mumbled. ’She doesn’t remember everything that happened after the coup. Her other, younger self only remembers her childhood and doesn’t know anything about swordsmanship, and while holding a sword, she only remembers the sword and the annihilation of her clan.’

As he stared at her in silence, an amused expression appeared on her face, and she asked, ”Also, should you not be calling me sister? I am your second cousin after all.”

Elias felt a faint irritation at the word sister.

The sisters he had known throughout his childhood had never treated him kindly.

They had looked down on him, mocked him, and treated him as though he were something beneath them. Rather than being people he could rely on, they had been more like beasts waiting for an opportunity to tear him apart.

Hearing Stella casually call herself his sister therefore left an unpleasant taste in his mouth. Still, he didn’t let that irritation show.

”It seems you do not remember,” he said.

Stella’s smile disappeared, and she asked, ”Remember what?”

He remained silent for several seconds as he considered whether he should tell her.

He didn’t know how she would react after learning the truth, and nobody within the manor, or the city for that matter, could contend against a Monarch.

However, if he said nothing, she would remain confused about the situation she had suddenly found herself in.

He lowered his gaze for a moment before he made his decision and looked directly at Stella.

”Your clan. The Bloodfang Clan is no more.”