Chapter 8: A World or A Novel?
'I wonder what happened?'
Raven recalled the sight of that man strangling himself. Did he want to kill himself? Not that she was complaining, but he should have asked her for an assistance with his death. It was a favor she could have done for him, since his voice was quite annoying to her ears.
The only thing she did was stab his knee with a cutlery knife she stole from the meals delivered to her room in the sixth madam's manor. Well…she didn't steal knife technically. She only kept it with her for safety reasons. Anyway, she took her revenge. There was no need to include that man in her thoughts anymore.
Still keeping the smile on her lips, Raven disregarded the absurd image of Jerald strangling himself from her mind. At the same time, she felt the stinging gazes on the side of her face. No one had to tell her that the obvious gazes belonged to her new family.
Before Raven turned her head to face them, she sensed something flying towards her at a fast momentum. Trusting on her instincts, she turned her body to side and something smashed on the door behind her.
Clank!
The loud sound of plates breaking rang in her ear. Raven glanced at the broken pieces dropping and clattering on the floor.
A fleeting smirk hung on Raven's lips as she turned her gaze to the long dining table where her new family sat for the family dinner. Her eyes landed first on the little boy boldly standing, his arms folded on his chest with an unapologetic smirk. His action seemed to be announcing that he was the one who fling the plate at her. He appeared to be proud of that fact and not seeming sorry that Raven, his youngest sister, would have been injured or died by that plate.
'What an arrogant cutie.' Raven's smile returned to her lips. This was the apparent reason why she took that cutlery knife without Jane's knowledge. From the memories of the original owner, if the older siblings ignored her, this particular boy was the one who tormented her.
As for the reason why, the original owner did not know.
However, Raven had a guess. Staring at his conceited self with the glee in his eyes, Raven felt the latter must have enjoyed toying with the weak original owner.
Like a cunning fox playing with its prey before devouring it to death. The fear of the original owner must have fed the ego of this little boy in her front.
How did she know? Well...she was the same. Toying with her preys before they eventually die by her hands was one of many things she absolutely loved most in the world.
Raven then shifted her gaze to her other siblings, who sat still as if nothing took place in the room just now. Two girls who looked the same threw gloating glances at her, while the rest of her siblings kept to themselves. Even the servants in the room stood still like statues. Their gazes forward, not looking at the shattered plate or herself.
This had happened to the original owner several times. No one spoke up for her at times like this. They just kept quiet, as if they were blind to her bad times.
'What an interesting family.' Raven was very certain that her time in this world won't be a waste of her new life.
''You gave such a warm welcome to this younger sister, fourth elder brother'' Raven's sweet and soft voice rang out in the quiet room. Her body turned to face the dining table, and her feet slowly took a step and another, closing the distance between herself and her new cutie of a brother. Her eyes deeply fixed on this child, silently contemplating and calculating what punishment would be a good lesson for him to learn.
What was the best way for a prey like herself to tame her cute elder brother, the cute fox?
''W-What?'' Raven's smile widened at the sight of his confusion. He probably wondered why she, the original owner in his eyes, was not crying and trembling in terror? Or why she talked back? The original owner was never one to talk back. She only lowered her head with fear emitting from her trembling body.
''This younger sister's heart is overjoyed that fourth elder brother remains the same.'' Raven inwardly patted herself on the back for the way of her words. She was getting used to the way of speech in this world little by little.
''But fourth elder brother…'' Raven stopped directly in front of the confused little boy. Her smile naturally on her lips, and her vibrant eyes on the person her fingers twitched to strangle his neck right now.
''You take your jokes too far.'' If this little boy wanted to kill the original owner, he should have done it directly and not taking corners. Raven suddenly wondered how the original owner survived such family.
If she were him, she would have done a swift kill without giving chances. Taking corners to end a life was very irritating.
''You….'' Edwin's eyes flashed in anger. How dare a weakling like her scold him for throwing plates? She was the one who deserved to die! She should have been dead on the battle grounds!
''Fourth elder brother.'' Raven interrupted in a clipped tone. Her gaze bore into his startled own, still with her smile. For a moment, Raven was a bit confused about the colour of his eyes. Was it like the Grand duke's, or was it the lighter colour of his hair?
The colours of eyes in this world were very questionable.
''We are not in a battle. This is a family dinner and you don't want to make father angry, do you?'' Raven's voice was soft and light. For preys to fight against predators, they must find another to protect them from danger. Another who instills fear in the predators.
Like the grand duke.
His name was her protection in this place. Raven was shameless to use it without caring about the consequences.
She was his daughter, wasn't she?
''…..!"
As Raven expected, her cute brother flinched upon hearing her words about their father. But he still did not want to give up.
''H-How could I make father angry?! Ha!'' He sneered, looking down on her. ''Don't you know that father has praised my swordsmanship? Unlike you, a weak….''
''Enough!'' A foreign voice yelled in the room, interrupting the startled Edwin.
''.....'' Not as startled as Edwin, Raven turned her head a little to the side and stared at the man, looking at them with disdain. Yes, he was a man, because he was the original owner's eldest brother, her new eldest brother, someone much older than herself.
''Edwin, apologize to your younger sister.''
''Big brother Eegan! How can…''
''And Raven, don't carelessly use father's name. You and Edwin should sit down. Both of you are disrupting the peace of father's manor.''
''….Yes, Big Brother.'' Raven's eyes curved so beautifully, twinkling like diamonds. She watched the man, whipping his head away with a snort, after sending his warnings to them. She returned her gaze back to her cute elder brother, who was glaring at her as if she was the reason for his embarrassment. Her eyes flickered with amusement, and she began to walk ahead.
Passing him by, her steps came to a short pause, and she whispered quietly, only for him to hear. ''You must watch your back, Brother Edwin. All these years, I have given you many chances to end my life. That day of our battle was the last day for you. I hope Brother Edwin understands my words.'' Raven's eyes halted on his. Her gaze promising of untold angst, misery and pain, that she or more appropriately, the original owner, had endured and suffered before death, would fall upon him.
''Enjoy your dinner.'' Resuming her steps, Raven chuckled lightly at the sight of his shaken eyes.
The best way for a prey to tame its predator was to become a higher predator. A predator that demand fear and respect from another.
That higher predator was herself and the nearby predators will never know what happens to them after crossing her way.
''Thank you for standing up for this younger sister, big brother.'' Raven did not forget to appreciate the efforts of her eldest brother, her voice sweet like honey.
''Hmph! Edwin return to your seat. Father will arrive soon.''
Edwin snapped out of his gaze and quickly replied. ''Y-Yes, Big Brother Eegan.'' He rushed to his seat. Why was he scared by that weakling for a moment? In his heart, he vowed to make that weakling's life hell. Did she think that she can do something to him when she does not have anything in the first place? What a funny delusion.
Raven's smile did not falter when her eldest brother ignored her. She also ignored the gaze of her cute elder brother sitting beside her and doing nothing. The little boy would be mindful of his actions since the eldest had spoken.
'Anyway…' Raven's looked at the plate in her front on the table. Her perfect face reflected on the shining surface, a knowing glint in her eyes.
'I can't believe that this world, and these people are inside a novel.' Raven finally realized why Izer's name and the Langston's name felt familiar to her. This world, this body that she was in, her new family, everything and everyone was in a novel, following a plot to have its ending, and meeting their destined fates that could never change.
According to the novel, Izer Langston, her second eldest brother was the main villain, one of the important characters needed for a plot development.
If Izer was the villain, then as his youngest sister, what character was she?
Ha! Raven's smile turned colder as she thought of the little story background regarding Izer as a villain. The Grand duke as Izer's father was mentioned, and his six half-siblings were also mentioned in the novel.
However….
That was the problem.
Izer had seven half-siblings and not six.
Who was the seventh sibling? Why was he or she not mentioned in the novel?
Thinking about how she entered a dead body, Raven understood how the seventh sibling of Izer died long before the beginning of plot. The death of Izer's seventh sibling was never mentioned in the book, and Raven guessed that the reason was because she was an insignificant character fated to die at a young age.
No one cared about her, as her fate was useless to the plot.
That insignificant character was herself. Izer's seventh sibling, Raven Langston, the body of the person that she entered on that day.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Here's a chapter for you! Please let me know what you think!
Read on Wattpad!
Read the rest of the novel on Wattpad
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone