Capítulo 16: Chapter 16: Changes For the Better
Four months later
SOPHIA
I found myself again in front of the door to Brother Greyson's room. Looking at the board game in my hands, I took a breath and knocked on the door's smooth mahogany surface.
"Who is it?" came the answer from inside.
"It's me, brother…" I said and heard the permission to open the door.
Brother Greyson was seated at his study table again. No matter how many times I've seen it in the past four months, I still haven't quite gotten used to it. I entered the room and saw a pile of books on the bed.
"What is it, Lottie? Do you need anything?" he asked, looking up from a thick book placed in front of him.
"I'm just wondering if we can play a little… I'm bored," I told him, holding up the board game.
"I'm sorry, Lottie, but can you wait until later? I still have to finish three more chapters," he answered. "Have you seen the new dolls that Mother and I bought for you? Perhaps you can play with those instead… I'll go fetch you from your room at teatime… Let's have tea together, okay?"
It hadn't been the first time my brother turned down a request to play with me, but I still couldn't help but feel disappointed. "Okay…" I said forlornly.
"I'm really sorry…" Brother said one last time with an apologetic smile before I left the room.
As I made my way back to my quarters, I immersed myself in a daze, recalling thoughts over the past days.
The time had flown by so fast and before I knew it, four months had gone since I fully recovered my past memories. During that period of time, I began to notice many changes inside the house.
To name one, my Mother and Father became more protective of me and I wasn't allowed to go out often. When I do get to go out, I was always followed by five knights. Security around the duchy had also increased and a magic barrier was successfully installed just recently.
They didn't do that immediately after my recovery. I was still able to hold a couple of tea parties with friends and fellow noble ladies and go out with Mother and Brother Grey with minimal guards. However, the results of the analysis of the amnesia-inducing spell that was cast on me were released two and a half months ago.
The results both agitated and alarmed my parents because it was discovered to be a complex, self-written spell which meant that a magician with a high level of expertise had cast it. The magic circle also happened to include a sub-spell to erase my memories about my kidnappers upon the disarming of the main spell.
Such magicians cannot be hired cheaply thus it cannot be ruled out that someone powerful might have initiated the kidnapping. Prior to their knowledge of the spell's nature, Father believed it to be just the work of bandits since the initial investigation of the incident pointed to that route.
I wasn't supposed to know all of those details about my kidnapping or the magic spell. Mother and Father didn't seem to have told my brothers about it either. I only happened to pass by as our parents were discussing it, thus I was able to know about the intel.
Knowing that someone specifically targeted me, I was a bit scared. Thus, even though it can be suffocating, I subjected myself willingly to the arranged strict surveillance.
When I celebrated my ninth birthday a month ago, Mother and Father kept the celebration quite private with just a few of my closest friends and sent apology letters to friends of our family who might have expected invitations to the party. They also told me they were sorry for holding a private celebration but they did not want to take any chances with crowds yet since the re-investigation of my kidnapping was just being discussed. There won't be big parties in our residence even though the magic barrier's installation was finished. It was like my parents are always afraid that I would be taken away from them again. I understand where they were coming from but sometimes, I cannot help but miss the freedom I enjoyed before.
The only thing I liked about that change was the fact that Mother and Father always find the time to spend with me no matter how busy they were. Father sometimes took me with him at work and Mother arranged regular day-outs to the Central Plaza so that I won't always be cooped up at home.
Despite the great change in my personal freedom, it wasn't the one that bothered me the most. The greatest change above all that I still couldn't seem to get used to was the demeanor of my brothers. All of a sudden, I don't seem to know them at all. They were quite different from what I remember, so different that sometimes, I suspect that my memories may be tampered with.
Third Brother Greyson who was never interested in studying all of sudden buried himself with books inside his room. He told our parents that he wanted to be a mage, thus even though it's still a year before he's old enough to go to the Academy, he wanted to get a head start on the qualifying examination. Father hired private tutors as he requested, thus he doesn't have as much free time as he used to.
His personality also changed a lot. For starters, Brother Greyson's tone of voice had always been full of confidence, and sometimes, he can say some mean things to the servants and other noble children. He only held respect and affection for members of our family. But now, he's generally quite calm and he had begun to apologize for his faults.
There was one afternoon when Brother Grey was walking along the hallway of the first floor with his nose buried in a book and he collided with a maid who couldn't see where she was going with the mountainful of curtains she was carrying. To everyone's surprise, the maid didn't get fired on the spot or even punished because of it. On the other hand, he accepted the maid's apology and even apologized in return, saying that it was also his fault for not paying attention.
Another incident was when we received some guests on the day that Count Bloom and his family visited. Brother Grey didn't get angry even when the five-year-old twins ran around and bothered him. He even offered his own toys for the children to play with. To my surprise, he didn't go out to play with Vincent Bloom who was one of his close friends. He just chatted with him a little before excusing himself and going to the sitting room to continue reading.
Second Brother Brandon also exhibited surprising changes. The Academy lets the students have a week's break every month but even during those vacation days, he spent his time training his swordsmanship. He also frequented the grounds where the family's knights stayed and had gotten on really good terms with the whole troop.
Although his vocabulary and tone remained sharp like before, I also found Brother Brandon's demeanor quite soft compared to what I remembered. He spoke in a much politer manner as well.
I remembered Brother Brandon despising commoner knights before but now, he doesn't care much about a knight's status. He treated the lowborn knights the same way he treated knights with aristocratic origins which confused some of the noble-born knights he was previously close with.
Just a month ago during his last vacation from the Academy, Brother Brandon caused a commotion on the knights' grounds after knowing that there had been cases of mistreatment in the troop because of social status. He pointed a sword at a Viscount's son and protected a young knight who was getting beaten up.
That very same afternoon, Brother Brandon reported the incident to our father and volunteered himself to perform an investigation regarding the violence and mistreatment towards the lowborn knights. When he received permission to do so, he made a lot of changes to the knights' quarters, even abolishing the separation of the room bunks that were arranged by social status. He also held a sparring tournament to rearrange the hierarchy of the knights, one that places priority on a knight's talent.
It was quite a sight to behold. Everyone was entertained by the sparring matches that went on for a couple of days and although there were a few complaints regarding the results from the noble knights who got demoted, Brother Brandon handled the complaints himself and declared that from that moment on, the Krauser duchy's acknowledgment would fall on a knight's ability regardless of their social status. Anyone who can't accept that would be free to resign from their post. For an eleven-year-old, Brother Brandon was intimidating enough to make everyone stop talking during his speech.
People were genuinely shocked not just by Brother Brandon's change in principles but also by his organizational skills and vast knowledge on the technicalities of coordinating a troop. He even knew how to manage the inventory for the knights' armory and suggested ideas for better monitoring. When our parents asked how he was able to know so much, he merely said he's been studying about it and revealed his aspirations of becoming an imperial knight whilst also heading our family's knight order to support Brother Landon in the future.
Father had been present during the knights' tournament from beginning to end. To everyone's surprise, he looked pleased with Brother Brandon's change in attitude. I didn't expect that because Father had always placed great importance on nobility's superiority which had been somewhat set aside by Brother Brandon's new rules.
When I asked him about it later, he told me that Brother Brandon's actions had shown him how much the morale of our family's knights had fallen. He wasn't aware of that fact as he mainly focused on the Kingdom's matters as the Minister of Defense. By managing the imperial knights, he hadn't realized how much he had neglected our own troop.
As my brothers would later take over the duchy, he was pleased to see them taking an interest on the family's matters. As I looked at the smile on his face, I knew that he wasn't just talking about Brother Brandon but mainly about Brother Landon.
Father had been in a good mood for the past months because of Brother Landon. For his preparations as the family's heir, Brother Landon had always been taking his studies seriously but nowadays, he's doing much more than that.
Brother Landon himself asked Father for additional lessons on administration and even business. On his breaks from the Academy, he tagged along with Father's outings on checking the condition of our nearby fiefs. A day after one of their regular excursions, Brother Landon asked Father during dinner if he can be allowed to take over the visits to the faraway fiefs to relieve a bit of Father's burden regarding our family's property management. Father gave him permission and he filed a week-long absence to the Academy for his travel to the fiefs.
After discovering that there had been food wastage from several fiefs being managed by our retainers, Brother Landon proposed a formal project to Father about creating charity works under our family's name. The project targeted poor villages, orphanages and some slum areas and focused mainly on getting rid of the regular food wastage by holding feeding programs and giving away excess perishable food stocks.
The project would also make use of the excess manpower that Brother Landon detected on a few of his visits. There had been many retainers under our family's command who had been working less despite being paid regularly for their work. Like with Brother Brandon's case, this too involved members of the lower aristocracy who were slacking off with their responsibilities towards the fiefs' management. Brother Landon even compiled pieces of evidence to prove his accusation and Father made use of those documents to punish the people involved.
After that, the incident blew up as Father saw the need to rearrange the hierarchy of management within our retainers and properties, tasks at which Brother Landon also gave assistance.
Since Father was distracted with my kidnapping, many of the retainers took advantage of the situation and there were traces of embezzlement. He gave permission for Brother Landon to start his proposed charity project as soon as the transcription of the duchy's retainer positions had been dealt with.
Unlike before, my brothers were willing to shoulder more responsibility in the family than they were being asked for. Mother told me about her own surprise at their growth and changes. She laughingly said that sometimes, she doesn't know whether they were really her sons.
I felt the same; no, perhaps I felt it even stronger since I was quite close with my brothers since we were little. But now, my brothers felt so foreign to me. The fact that none of them wants to play with me anymore really saddens me and it made this year's winter far colder and gloomier.
Fortunately, spring decided to come earlier this year and it had gotten quite warm outside. The flowers had just started blooming again last week and I'll have something to cheer me up whenever my brothers refuse to play with me.
I continued with my musings on my room balcony, staring at the flower beds below. The gardener Mr. Jenkins waved at me from the hedges. I smiled and waved back. He went to work on one of the fences where a cluster of poison ivy plants was starting to grow.
Poison ivy… and a white lion… Suddenly, I was reminded of something.
The changes that my three brothers exhibited were somewhat different in nature but I had begun noticing something very similar recently. For some reason, the three of them had developed a strange amount of curiosity towards the Albrecht family.
They always ask Father regarding the Albrechts during mealtimes and seem to always be looking for the opportunity to bring up the Albrechts in our conversations. When I asked them about why they were suddenly so curious about the Albrechts, they just answered that they want to get along with the Albrecht boys since our families have the same social status and belonged to the same faction.
That answer was another surprise to me because I've known both Brother Landon and Brother Brandon to dislike the Albrechts due to their ongoing competitions at school. As the sons of Dukes, they were always compared to the Albrechts at which many people choose the Albrecht boys to be the reigning superior.
The adopted lady of the Albrecht household also come up during meal chatters and even though I never said a word about wanting to get to know her, my brothers speak on my behalf and always told our parents how it would be nice for me to get along with her. I found that extremely strange.
I wonder how much longer I have to wait for me to get used to the changes inside our household. I have to somehow adapt to everything soon…
With a sigh, I strolled back inside my room and flopped onto the bed. I reached under the pillow and retrieved a small, rugged-looking straw bracelet that I made when I was still in Mayberry Cove, living with Stella, my fake mother.
To be fair, it wasn't like only the mansion and my family had changed. I also changed after my kidnapping.
Recovering my past memories doesn't erase the experiences of the time I spent living in Mayberry Cove. By living as a commoner, I had known the hardships that common people experience on a daily basis. They were the kind of experiences that made me think and feel things differently.
As I transition back to the life of a noble lady, I tried to act the same as before, simply eating delicious food, buying dresses and stuff, and sleeping as much as I wanted, but I couldn't quite do it the way I remember. Week after week, I began to question if it was right to go back to continue living the luxurious life I had experienced since I was little while knowing perfectly well that there are children like me who can't even eat once a day. I started to think about nobility in a more negative light than before, even questioning the privileges that my family and I enjoy on a daily basis.
During the tea parties and the birthday party I spent with my friends, I found myself unable to have the fun I used to feel during such events. Hearing them compare expensive accessories, dresses, and toys, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how that amount of money can help repair all of the dilapidated houses along Mayberry Cove, buy warm clothes for the whole village, and secure enough food stocks for everyone during the autumn and winter seasons.
Little by little, I started to hate the way that nobles lived. As someone coming from a highly ranked noble family, I'll come off as hypocritical.
And would a nine-year-old lady from a Duke's family normally have these kinds of thoughts in the first place? My early education would say that it's not normal.
I didn't want these changes in my mindset to harm my parents who had expected me to be the same Lottie they know. I also didn't want to seem queer to my friends whom I only didn't get to meet for eight months. Even though the time I spent away from nobility was enough to change my perspective of things, that similar amount of time wasn't that significant to them. I'm not sure if any of my current friends can possibly understand my new way of looking at things.
And so, I always acted like the playful and cheery girl that everyone, including myself, remembered. I often kept my new thoughts to myself.
But without the love, affection, and time that I used to get from my brothers, it just cannot be the same. Although I've been trying to be as close to them as I used to, it was not easy. I feel like there's an invisible wall between us; a wall that they don't want me to climb over.
I placed the straw bracelet back under my pillow and prowled all over my room to rearrange my things and occupy myself before teatime. As I did so, I discovered the mountains of dresses that I grew out of, the toys that have accumulated since my childhood, and many things that I no longer need.
Brother Landon's charity project suddenly came to mind and I thought of contributing to his cause. I turned to my maid Millie who had frantically run inside my room after hearing the thudding I caused from lugging around a cedar chest I discovered deep within my walk-in closet. After telling her that I'm cleaning out my room of unnecessary items, she had been exasperatedly watching me tear down my room for the past half hour while making sure that I don't hurt myself.
"Millie, get me some boxes. Large ones," I told her.
"Why would you need boxes all of a sudden, Milady? Do you want to move your old things to the attic?" Millie asked.
"No. I'm giving all of this old stuff away for Brother Landon's charity project…" I told her. "Also, tell the chef to make my brothers' favorite desserts. Brother Landon and Brother Brandon will be coming home from the Academy tonight. I want dinner to be more special," I added.
Millie smiled as she heard my answers. "I'll see to it that everything's done according to your words Milady," she answered.
"Great! You may go after giving me the boxes. Leave them outside the door; I'll need all of the space to lay out and sort my old things," I told her with a smile as I inspected another chest of drawers.
As I held up an old teddy bear in front of me and recalled the tattered straw dolls that the little girls in Mayberry Cove held to their chests preciously, I thought that perhaps it's time I also show everyone the new Lottie.
I don't want to act like a spoiled little girl anymore… I've seen enough of the world outside to remain the same as before; I've witnessed the hunger, the pain, the poverty, and the kindness and darkness in people. I can't expect myself to pretend that all those experiences didn't happen.
It isn't fair for us to live with this kind of luxury while other people suffers just because they weren't lucky enough to be born noble. I've never appreciated how lucky I was to be born the way I was and never really thought of anything else other than enjoying each day, living happily with my family and making sure I don't cause any sadness and disappointment to my parents.
But now, everything's different. And I hope that it's all changing for the greater good.
~~~
NASHIEL
Currently, I'm inside a carriage with my boring brothers. I only went out of the mansion to buy a new pair of riding gloves for Kitty but since my brothers would be coming home for their break and the Academy is near the Central Plaza, they joined me on the way home.
Usually, Brother Al and Brother Nox looked nonchalant during carriage rides. However, this time it's different. The moment the carriage left the Academy's gates, the both of them slumped on the backrests of the seats and sighed in synchronization.
"What's wrong with you two?" I told them and noticed that they looked especially tired and worn out today. Brother Al's usually neat hair is sticking out at one side and Brother Nox has his necktie uncharacteristically loosened.
"I can't take it anymore…" Brother Al said.
"That doesn't exactly answer my question, dear brother…" I told him.
"Me too…" Brother Nox suddenly said, confusing me even further.
"Am I invisible? You can't hear what I'm saying?" I remarked with sarcasm.
"Oh shut up… I don't have the energy to deal with you right now… Brandon Krauser's been bothering me all day; it was no joke…" Brother Nox said and massaged his temples.
"Landon Krauser did the same. You don't know how much I miss the days when that moron merely said less than two words and just glares at me when we meet in the hallways… The way he's stalking me nowadays feels even scarier," Brother Al followed.
"The Krausers were doing what?" I asked, confused and curious.
"Didn't you hear what I said? The Krausers are stalking us – Landon Krauser towards me and Brandon Krauser towards Nox; it's been going on for the past two months and I'm nearing my limit," Brother Al answered.
Amused, I turned to the two of them with a grin. "Why's it the first time I'm hearing about this?"
"It wasn't worth mentioning before…" Brother Al answered and Brother Nox gave a faint nod of agreement.
"I wanna hear the whole story," I told them, quite curious.
Since it was still a long way before we reach home, my brothers honored my request. Thus began the storytelling. Brother Nox went first.
Even though I don't attend school yet, I was aware of the fact that he and Brandon Krauser always end up as the top performers during practical evaluations for the swordsmanship course of the first-year students. Brother Nox never lost the first spot for all the assessment tests so far and that made Brandon Krauser hate him since the Krausers had always been known to hold that title.
Their family had not been managing the Ministry of Defense for nothing. They've always produced excellent sword masters with every generation. The current Duke was good enough to serve as the commander of the King's personal knights during his youth.
But to Brandon Krauser's rotten luck, Brother Nox was a rare talent. He wields the sword like it's a part of his body. He improved much faster than Brandon and the latter has always been furious at that fact. It doesn't help that both of them happen to be extremely stubborn and competitive.
Thus, it was a mystery to me when Brother Nox said that Brandon Krauser actually apologized for his rude manners and hostile actions for the past school year. At the same time, Brandon changed his preferred seat during the classes they both took and had been sitting next to Brother Nox for the past two months.
It didn't stop at that. During swordsmanship classes, Brandon always volunteered to be Brother Nox's sparring partner, and at break time, he goes out of his way to find Brother Nox and have his meal at the same table.
"Whoa, I'd pay a hefty sum to hear what you two talk about during meal times," I commented, grinning.
"We don't talk, which makes it even stranger why he had to bother sitting at the same table," Brother Nox replied.
Today, Brandon Krauser asked him whether he plans on training during their vacation days and when Brother Nox said yes, Brandon asked whether he could visit our house so that they can train together. That request in itself is both surprising and ridiculous, especially coming from Brandon Krauser.
"I don't know what's wrong with him," Brother Nox said in an exasperated tone as he completely took off his necktie and undid the first two buttons of his shirt. "His attention is too much. To make matters worse, everyone in our batch had begun to think that we're chummy," he added.
Brother Al's story wasn't that different from Brother Nox. Landon Krauser also apologized for his past wrongdoings towards Brother Al and since then had been approaching him for random stuff like asking opinions on specific ideologies, sharing perspectives about topics during classes and lessons, teaming up on book report projects, and even walking together towards the next class.
"I hate to admit it but I'm totally spooked out by him. I've barely heard him say ten words to me for the past two years. Talk about a total change of character... He can barely shut up now, and he followed me everywhere. I had never experienced having anyone follow me like that with such persistence. I had been trying to shake him off, even taking longer routes to the classrooms but he always manages to find me. It's scary, the way he does that. Today, he's been bugging me to study together during vacation days. I don't know what's gotten in him either but I swear, any more of this and I'll probably resort to violence," Brother Al said, placing a hand on his head in exasperation, further ruining his neat hairstyle.
I laughed out loud after they finished telling me everything. I had never seen my calm and composed brothers be this bothered. It's quite entertaining to see them so uncomfortable.
"Maybe the Krausers had fallen in love with you or something," I jokingly told them.
"Ha ha, very funny," Brother Nox said sarcastically.
"Well, have you asked why they're doing such things?" I asked.
"No," they chorused flatly. "Why would we?" they added.
"If I ask that, then it would seem like I'm affected. I've got my dignity to protect," Brother Nox answered.
"Likewise," Brother Al followed.
"But you are affected; you said so yourself. Why don't you just tell them you're uncomfortable with their attention?" I said.
"Who's uncomfortable with whose attention?" a girl's voice suddenly came from outside the carriage window.
Surprised, the three of us turned to the window and I slid the curtain sideward. We saw Kitty's face loom from outside, grinning at us mischievously.
She's resplendent in riding gear, mounted on her white pony trotting alongside the carriage.
"What the heck are you doing here? You left the mansion?" Brother Nox exclaimed, pushing me aside to see outside the window better.
"I didn't leave the mansion. You're almost home, my brothers… I saw the carriage from a distance so I asked Sir Benedict if I can ride alongside it," Kitty answered, grinning wider.
"Where's your helmet and why's your hair a mess?" Brother Nox nagged upon seeing Kitty's bare head with her long red-blonde hair flowing down her back.
"Lost it somewhere… My hair tie slipped off too… And it's much more fun to ride without a helmet. I can't feel the wind in my hair with that thing on," Kitty answered matter-of-factly.
"Ava Adrienne Albrecht, get off that pony before you give me a chance to pull you off. How many times do I have to tell you not to ride without a helmet? What if you fall and hit your head?" Brother Nox scolded her sternly.
"I won't fall and hit my head," Kitty answered with an exasperated roll of her emerald eyes. "I'm too much of a great rider for that to happen. You worry too much, Brother Nox…" she added and spoke again before our naggy brother could get a word in edgewise.
"So… Who was it that's uncomfortable with whose attention? Could it be that someone's bothering my brothers at school? I don't who they are but they're awfully brave and stupid…" she said as she secured her grip on the pony's reins.
"You don't have to know," Brother Nox answered with a glare, clearly still mad about the fact that she has no helmet on.
"But I'm curious. You know that I can't take it when I'm curious. You have to tell me or I won't be able to sleep tonight," Kitty said, making a face.
"Then we'll tell you later after dinnertime…" Brother Al said to pacify her. Kitty responded with a triumphant smile.
"Be careful now and go ahead of us so you can change your clothes for dinner," Brother Al added.
"Aye-aye, captain," Kitty answered and gave the reins a pull. "Giddy-up, Storm!" she said and the pony picked up on speed.
The three of us fought over who can stick their head out the window to watch her ride away. I was closer so I won.
I smiled as I saw the white pony kick dust behind it as our Kitty's blonde hair billowed from behind her. As she said, she's become quite a great rider. It's truly impressive considering her age and the fact that she had been having lessons for only four months.
I looked back on those four months and couldn't help but make an exasperated expression. From the moment that Kitty started to learn horseback riding, she had shown much promise and unlike other girls, she was not scared of horses at all. It only took two weeks for her to ride without the instructor's assistance. The instructor was beaming when he told our father how he had never seen a little girl with such bravery and an uncanny eagerness to learn a sport that other girls consider masculine.
But as for us, we were brimming with worry every time she had lessons. What if she falls? What if she gets injured?
Even Father set his work aside during Kitty's horseback riding lessons so that he could watch over her. So much for the person who told us not to get attached to Kitty… He's the one who's starting to get too attached to her.
As if on cue, we reached the gates of the mansion and saw Father holding up his arms to help Kitty get off the pony.
"And where is your helmet, little lady? Did you ride without a helmet again?" I heard Father's muffled rant as the carriage stopped.
"I just took it off for a while Father then it's gone… I couldn't find it anywhere," Kitty answered, sounding defensive.
"Really?" Father said in a skeptical tone as she carried Kitty in his arms. My brothers and I got off the carriage and strolled towards them.
"Then what do you call that?" Father said and turned Kitty towards Head Butler Archibald standing by the side. The butler showed a tray with two small riding helmets on top of it.
"Eek," Kitty gave an estranged screech as she stared at the helmets before biting her lower lip.
"One was found under a bush near the stables; the other hanging from a tree above the window of Milady's room," Butler Archibald said, hiding an amused smile underneath his sober demeanor.
I laughed as we reached them. "So you've been losing them on purpose after all? Why do you hate helmets so much?"
Kitty turned to us with a defiant look on her face. "Can you blame me? They're uncomfortable," she reasoned.
"But they're meant to protect you so just pretend it's not there," Brother Nox reprimanded her.
"I guess you just can't outgrow your dislike of putting things on your head… You even hate wearing hats and caps," Brother Al commented.
"Why should I hide my beautiful head anyway, right Father?" Kitty said as she wrapped her arms around Father's neck.
"Your beautiful head is full of air, that's why," Brother Nox gave a retort. "Really… I've never seen such an unreasonable child…"
"Yeah, I wonder who taught me how to be unreasonable," Kitty remarked back at him with a meaningful tone. Indeed, it was Brother Nox who spoiled Kitty the most and taught her to be free with expressing herself.
Brother Al and I snickered quietly as Brother Nox looked disapprovingly at Kitty. Kitty on the other hand looked quite proud of herself for the witty comeback she came up with.
"Stop it with your yapping and go to your rooms. Change your clothes, all four of you, and see me at dinner in an hour," Father said to break off the verbal dispute and started walking towards the mansion, still carrying Kitty. The satisfied little princess gave a smile and rested her chin above Father's shoulder so that she was facing us. Then she kept on trying to make us laugh by making strange faces.
We struggled to keep our composure, shoulders shaking and hands over our mouths, and had to suffer all the way to the second floor. Kitty waved at us cheerfully as Father headed further up the stairs, carrying the little troublemaker to her quarters on the third floor.
Then I separated from Brother Al and Brother Nox, heading towards our individual rooms. As I entered my room and placed the box with Kitty's new riding gloves on my bedside table, I couldn't help but crack a smile.
I can't believe it's only been half a year since Kitty came to us. Sometimes, I found it hard to imagine how the mansion had been before she came. I felt like I had been living with her my whole life.
I had never felt happy because of another person's happiness before, but whenever Kitty smiled, I feel quite warm and blissful inside. It was a strange feeling; strange in a good way.
I do feel guilt at times whenever I remember the real reason why our family adopted her. Father brought it up quite often as if he worried that we forgot about it. To shake off the guilty feelings towards Kitty, I promised to myself that I'd make up for our family's ignoble intentions by being the best brother any girl would want.
I really hope that Father and my brothers doesn't really mean the things they say about just using Kitty as a chess piece for the future. They act like they're as fond of her as everyone else in the household, however, I'm quite aware that they're really capable actors. It's not exactly easy to see through the real thoughts and feelings of my family members. I've been with them my whole life yet I can't really say I'm confident at figuring them out.
Butler Archibald and Madame Cecil had told me before that among us siblings, I take after Mother the most. Unlike Father, Mother didn't have the ability to act differently from how she thinks. She was also bad at hiding her true feelings. I often found it hard to keep up with my brothers because of the same qualities; those characteristics aren't really befitting for an Albrecht.
I can't remember Mother as well as my brothers but I can recall how sweet her voice sounded. Whenever our Ava laughed, I could hear the shadow of Mother's laughter that echoed from deep within my early memories. Our household had changed after Mother died, and it changed once again after Kitty's arrival. Perhaps the presence of a lady within the family can really bring forth quite a difference. Although I do not have a problem with Father or my brothers, I felt lonely and somewhat misplaced in our family. Kitty's presence had completely changed that.
I want to believe that everything is changing within the Albrechts and it's for the greater good, not just for me but for everyone in this mansion.
~~~
AVA
My days in the Albrecht duchy continued to be blissful and satisfactory. Pretending to be a child had been difficult and exhausting before, but after going at it for months on end, it had been a lot easier, so easy that it comes out as naturally as breathing. I rarely get stressed about it nowadays.
I made good progress with lessons and started to understand more about the different temperaments of the Albrecht family. I think it's safe to say that I have established a good foundation for my relationship with each of them.
During dinner, I chatted freely with my Father and brothers just like usual. Once dessert was being served, I took it as the right timing to bring up what I had previously overheard during my brothers' conversation inside the carriage. I could've sworn I heard them say Krauser.
It's amazing how that one word can make me freeze up and feel instantly nervous. The fact that they remember everything still haunted me at the very back of my mind. I had been too busy to bother with them for quite some time. They had been quiet since the day I ran into Young Master Greyson, thus I tried not to think about them.
Am I being overly paranoid about them? I still don't have a good gut feeling whenever I think about Krausers. I need ample information to calm my nerves. Thus, I looked at my brothers eagerly for the answer to my question.
Brother Al and Brother Nox looked like they didn't want to focus on the topic, but since I'm pressuring them and Father also looked intrigued, they let Brother Nash relay what they had told him on the way back home earlier.
I frowned internally as I analyzed the information. The Landon and Brandon Krauser that I know weren't capable of the behaviors currently being mentioned in Brother Nash's narrations. Their pride is too high to act friendly towards the Albrechts. My instinct must be right; the Krausers are up to something.
"Just imagining those scenarios makes me split my sides," Brother Nash said as he ended the stories with a huge grin.
"It's not funny… You have no idea how uncomfortable they made us feel… To make matters worse, Brother Al and I have different timetables so we can't really use each other as alibis to escape the Krausers…" Brother Nox said.
"I find it suspicious for them to suddenly act so differently… But I can't really pinpoint a reason for them to be acting like that towards us…" Brother Al remarked.
"Maybe they really just want to be friends with you? I mean, it's true that we're the only duchies in the Neutral Faction and we can benefit from each other's friendship," Brother Nash commented.
"You have a point, but I just can't help but feel something off about them… People only change so drastically for two reasons. One, they have an ulterior motive; and two, they're gonna die soon. It would be nice if it's the latter, but I doubt it," Brother Nox said at which Brother Al nodded to express his agreement.
To our surprise, Father spoke next. "Well, regarding the young masters of the Krausers, their Father had already mentioned to me about them wanting to have closer ties with our family," he said and paused for a sip of water. "Apparently, the Krauser boys talk a lot about our family in their residence. Duke Krauser asked me to pass on his gratitude to the two of you for being a good influence over his sons… I heard that the first and second sons had been contributing well to their family's profits nowadays… They personally detected traces of corruption within their family's properties and provided solutions to patch matters up quietly. Duke Krauser apparently thinks that his sons are following your example. After all, we're the only family in the whole capital to designate formal responsibilities to children from a young age," he narrated.
The two older sons nodded at Father's words but still don't seem totally convinced. I'm sure he's aware of the rivalry between his sons and the Krauser boys but it's just a common boyish competition in his eyes. The Krausers are part of the same faction and thus Father doesn't see them as a threat.
"Well, what do you think of the matter, Vivy?" Brother Al suddenly asked me.
"Will my insight be useful?" I asked as I chewed on a potato.
"Perhaps," he answered, and everyone's attention shifted on me.
"Well, from the details of the stories, I think Father is right that they want to have closer ties with our family. After all, we're the strongest among the three Dukedoms. Perhaps they have come to their senses and realized that being friends with the future leaders of the Albrecht duchy would be better than butting heads with you competitively…" I replied and finished my cup of juice before continuing. "It also looks like to me that they have been trying to get a formal invitation to visit our mansion… I find it strange that both Lord Landon and Lord Brandon brought up training and studying together during your vacation days and they even specified for our house to be the meeting place… Usually, one would volunteer to have such meetings in their own house, don't you think?" I remarked.
After I relayed my thoughts, everyone went quiet.
"Vivy has a point… I have gotten many invites to the houses of other nobles but no one ever asked to hang out together in our house… It's always the other way around…" Brother Al commented.
"Our house ain't that interesting though… We open the house during parties and social occasions, and the Krausers have been here several times so it's not like they haven't seen our place before… Why would they want to go here?" Brother Nash said.
"Or maybe we're just reading too much into things?" I added with a shrug.
"Don't forget, Vivy… Noble children are not ordinary. The higher their family's rank, the more their actions and words may have hidden meanings," Brother Al reminded me.
I shrugged again and continued eating. I'm already coming up with ideas regarding what the Krausers may be up to. I have a few things to ask Vegzyn once I go back to my room.
All of a sudden, Father cracked an amused smile. "I may have an idea what they want to see here… More specifically, it's a 'who', not a 'what'," he remarked, and I restrained a nervous gasp. Did he just read my mind?
My three brothers turned to Father in a comically synchronized way. "Who?" they chorused.
At that moment, Father looked directly at me and smiled again.
I stopped chewing midway at his amused gaze. "What?" I asked dumbly.
"Duke Krauser had also been mentioning our family's little lady during casual talks, saying that his sons seem to be really interested in my daughter… Didn't you tell me before that you bumped into the youngest son of the Krausers when I sent you to the Central Plaza?" Father said with a meaningful tone.
"You mean to say, Father, that the Krausers had been bugging us so that they can go to our house and see Vivy?" Brother Al remarked incredulously.
"Perhaps," Father answered. "Duke Krauser himself asked me personally whether we can arrange a playdate between our children after Ava's official social debut… Although the Krauser boys always put their sister into their probing questions about Ava, he could tell that his sons had been asking out of personal interest… The boys kept on inquiring when you're allowed to go out of the house, what shops you visit, small things like that," Father told us.
"What the heck would they want from Kitten?" Brother Nox said, sounding a bit annoyed.
"Now that we're talking about it, I do recall how weird Greyson Krauser acted upon meeting Kitty before… Like, he kept on staring at her and stuff…" Brother Nash said, his eyebrows slowly knitting together.
Upon hearing that, Father cracked another smile and looked at me with greater amusement. "Looks like somebody's gotten popular…" he commented before finishing his glass of wine.
I exerted an effort to look as if I don't understand what they were saying even though I know damn well about it.
I lived with the Krausers for seven years thus I could somehow assume what they were thinking.
Young Master Landon in particular does not make a move without checking the facts himself. If I think about it that way, it's safe to assume that Young Master Greyson told them about seeing me that day, and they're trying to make opportunities to see me personally and make sure that I'm the Ava they know.
Because my name had been on the highlight of nobility's gossip, Father didn't allow me to go out after my first trip to the Central Plaza. My training for noble etiquette was more urgent than learning about business anyway and so we focused on my lessons for the past months. Since I'm not going out, the only way to personally see the Albrecht's Lady Ava is to visit the Albrecht duchy.
Nobles are a funny lot. You need proper excuses to be able to visit another noble's residence. The Krauser boys had been hostile to the Albrechts at school thus it would seem weird if they suddenly want to visit the Albrecht duchy.
It sounds quite self-centered but I'm thinking that the Krausers were befriending my brothers in order to provide legitimate reasons to visit our house and see me up close.
If my guess is right, it may be a bad idea for me to continue avoiding the issue of the Krausers. After all, I have to deal with them sooner or later. The ceremony for my introduction to noble society is just weeks away, thus there isn't much point to avoid them since I'll be seeing them eventually.
I have to nip this problem in the bud. I can't afford any accidents during the ceremony. It might be more beneficial for me to meet the Krausers before the big day. Making up my mind, I began to speak.
"I don't quite understand why the young masters of the Krausers would be interested in me, but since Duke Krauser personally asked Father to arrange a playdate, I don't see how it would hurt anyone… It would also be great to meet Lady Sophia. I haven't met other noble ladies so far thus I'm a little nervous if I can fit in well among them… Being familiar with someone from an equally influential family can help me a lot; I can befriend her and she can introduce me to her other friends. That way, I won't encounter many difficulties in entering noble society. Can Father perhaps ask Duke Krauser if it'll be fine for me to visit their residence before my social introduction?"
"No way!" Brother Nox and Brother Nash suddenly interjected.
"Why?" I asked, quite surprised at the intensity of their reaction.
"I don't like it, that's why," Brother Nox answered immediately.
"Me too," Brother Nash followed with furious nods.
"Why would you not like it? Isn't it good for me to make friends with other noble children?" I told them.
"You don't have to," Brother Nox said stubbornly.
"Yeah," Brother Nash agreed. "Look at us. We don't have friends and we're perfectly alright…"
"I don't think so… I think you should make a few friends…" I said, laughing a little.
"Are you making fun of us right now Kitty?" Brother Nash remarked with accusation.
"No… I'm not making fun of you…" I denied but the smile on my face said otherwise.
"Wow… We spoiled you a little too much, didn't we?" Brother Nash commented, shaking his head in disapproval.
"Brother, you and I both know that the world of noble men and noble ladies are completely different. For noble ladies, having no friends is social suicide," I reasoned.
"Ava speaks facts," Father commented. "She needs her own entourage to become a powerful noble lady in the future. Starting to build up close ties with other families this early can be a big advantage. After all, even though we arranged many things to escape scrutiny and judgment regarding Ava's adopted status, her adoption can still cause an issue. The prejudice of aristocrats should never be underestimated. It's up to Ava how she could win the hearts of other nobles and earn loyal friends and followers," he remarked.
"See? Father agrees with me," I said matter-of-factly, looking at my second and third brothers with one eyebrow raised.
"I still don't like it. I'm not sure why I dislike it so much, and I don't care about the reason," Brother Nox said stubbornly.
"Me neither. I won't back down about this," Brother Nash added.
"Well, if Vivy's going to visit the Krauser residence, I don't have anything against the idea, but only with the condition that all three of us come with her," Brother Al remarked.
"Without you asking about it, I plan on sending all of you with her. And while you're at it, you can run an errand for me and deliver something to Duke Krauser. I'll send a letter to him in the morning to arrange the visit. Would the day after tomorrow be fine with the four of you?" Father said.
"I'm fine with it," I replied with a smile before gently patting my lips with the table napkin.
"I don't have lessons on that day. I'm fine with it as well," Brother Al gave his answer.
"Well, if we're coming along, I guess it's okay," Brother Nash said, looking somewhat pacified.
We all looked at Brother Nox who haven't answered yet. I looked at him with eyes full of anticipation and held my hands together in a pleading gesture.
He sighed and put his fork down as if in surrender. "Okay then…" he said in resignation.
"Great," I smiled in satisfaction.
And just like that, I sealed my own fate and would be meeting the Krausers the day after tomorrow.
"I'm kind of excited," I lied through the skin of my teeth. "I've never left the house since the visit to the Central Plaza… I didn't think I'd get a chance to go out before my social debut," I commented, faking an expression of anticipation.
"Speaking of Ava's social introduction, are the preparations faring out smoothly, Sally?" Father asked my personal maid standing right behind me.
"Yes, Your Grace. Milady's dresses are scheduled to be delivered by the end of this week. The flowers had been ordered and would be arranged with the decorations at dawn on the big day. The menu and the program had been approved by Young Master Alistair; Young Master Nashiel reserved only the top-tier musicians of the capital and we have followed the list of attendees that Young Master Lennox personally prepared. The final batch of invitations had been sent out this morning. The theater troupe for the entertainment will arrive three days before the ceremony for rehearsals. I will compile the whole report on the progress of the ceremony preparations tonight and submit it tomorrow, Milord," Sally reported.
It always impressed me whenever the retainers of the Albrecht household talks continuously without stopping for breath whenever reporting to Father.
"Good work," Father remarked and Sally gave a modest bow. "Your words are too kind, Your Grace," she answered.
As I listened to their conversation, I contained the feeling of mixed nervousness and excitement welling up in my chest. Right… Two weeks from now would be the celebration of my ninth birthday and my formal introduction to the world of aristocracy.
Finally, I could mark the beginning of my journey for real. Once I become a full-pledged noble lady, I have to start gathering information and people, and from those two, I could build a stable foundation useful for my future plans.
I have to be vigilant. I have to be resourceful. There's no room for mistake; no time to waste. I will accomplish my goals and win the bet with the gods. That way, I can take control of my life and live happily with Yukina.
"Well, I guess we can call this a night. You children must be tired. Wash up and go to bed," Father said, interrupting my thoughts.
"Yes, Father," I replied, got off my seat and trotted towards him. He leaned down towards me and I planted a kiss on his cheek. "Sweet dreams, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite," I said with childish sweetness and smiled.
Father smiled back. "Goodnight, little troublemaker," he told me and ruffled my hair.
I was about to go with Sally for my night bath when Brother Nash blocked my way. "I think you're forgetting something…" he said meaningfully and opened his arms widely.
"Oh, right," I replied and walked directly to him for a big hug. "Goodnight Brother Nash," I said and he squeezed my shoulders back tightly. "Nighty-night little Kitty…" he whispered near my ear.
I heard the sound of someone's shoes tapping on the floor and when I looked through Nashiel's side, Brother Al and Brother Nox stood behind him side by side.
"Am I really required to do this every night?" I asked.
"Gee, Vivy… We're not home all the time yet you can't even spare a goodnight hug for us?" Brother Al remarked. "We need your hug even more this time since the Krausers stressed us out," he added and nudged Brother Nox's elbow. "Isn't that right, Nox?"
Lennox didn't respond but looked away and cleared his throat instead.
"Okay then," I said with a shrug and proceeded to hug Alistair next. "Goodnight Brother Al…" I told him.
"Sweet dreams Vivy," he answered and gave my head a pat.
I shifted to Brother Nox who merely stood still and didn't exert any effort to return the affection; I wonder whether he really wants a hug or is just being forced to receive one. "Sleep tight Brother Nox," I smiled.
"Don't fall off the bed," he replied and casually walked out of my embrace.
We went our separate ways after that and Sally got me ready for bedtime. After she tucked me in, I waited a few minutes to make sure that she had gone.
"I know you're there. Come out for a moment," I said in a whisper and sat up on the bed.
Sure enough, the three divine siblings materialized out of thin air, seated on their usual places. Only the light of the moon illuminated my room; the gods looked eerily beautiful under the beams of moonlight, resplendent in their gold and silver robes.
"'Sweet dreams, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite'," Thegarae imitated my goodnight wishes to the Duke in a high-pitched childish tone and giggled afterward. Her violet eyes glowed in the dim light. "You've completely mastered the act of a sweet eight-year-old girl, you could've fooled us if we don't know any better," she chuckled.
"Yeah, very funny, Rae…" I said in exasperation, rolling my eyes.
Their teasing doesn't bother me now in the slightest; I consider it an everyday occurrence. I find it ironic that even though I hate the three gods for putting me in this situation, I'm also beginning to be grateful for their occasional interference. I realized that it helped so much for me to have someone to talk to about my odd situation and share insights regarding my schemes for the future.
Thegarae and Vegzyn had also given me the permission to talk to them as I like. Ohsus is the only touchy one thus there's a difference to how I talk to each of the divine siblings.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping like a good girl by now?" Ohsus commented, his red eyes quite vivid under the moonlight.
"I will, Your Excellency… I just want to have a word with Vegzyn for a moment," I answered him.
"Let me guess… Is it about the Krausers?" Vegzyn suddenly interjected. He floated his way to the side of my bed and landed by my side, a bit too close for comfort. He rested his head close to my pillow and the strands of his white hair shone lustrously like delicate silver threads before my eyes.
"Very smart, Sherlock; of course it's about the Krausers since you've obviously heard about the playdate during dinner talks. I hate it when you talk as if you've figured out a hard puzzle or something," I told him with sarcasm.
"Gee, do you have to put it that way? You've been so mean to me for the past months; are you still angry about my reward? I told you many times I did it out of goodwill," Vegzyn said defensively.
"And I told you many times that it's not a reward, it's punishment," I snapped back.
"I really don't see why you don't see it as a good thing… I mean, you can have allies who sympathizes with you," Vegzyn reasoned for the hundredth time.
"Do I have to emphasize again how much I hate the Krausers? Those three will not work under me; they're too prideful to do so. Do you think you know them better than I do? I lived with them for seven years; I know enough about them to not trust them," I answered with emphasis.
"How can you be so sure they won't work for your sake? I mean, they did say before that they want to make things up to you; Zyn wasn't wrong about that part," Thegarae said.
"It's hard for me to trust anyone. That's why I originally planned to do everything myself. The progress will be slower but at least I can control all of my actions. Just because they want to help me doesn't mean they won't do anything that may lead to trouble," I replied and heaved a huge sigh. "But since the situation is like this, I might consider what Vegzyn was suggesting," I added.
"Really?" Verzyn said with an excited tone.
"Tell me again, how did the Krausers react when you offered them to bring me back to life under the condition of making a deal with you?" I said instead of answering. To get me to talk to him again, Vegzyn fessed up about the whole story about him trying to trick the Krausers into making a deal with him. It seemed like Vegzyn is very weak to silent treatment; it was quite a useful information that I can use against him in the future.
"Like I told you before, they didn't react similarly. Brandon said yes right away; Landon was interested but quite skeptical of my identity; and Greyson said he'll only say yes if I can give him a guarantee that I'm really capable of bringing you back…" Vegzyn answered.
"To sum it up, they were unanimous in wanting to bring me back to life, but only Brandon was willing to put anything on the line," I murmured.
"Greyson was too, but only under the condition that I can prove that I can do it. Landon might be the same, but the dude was too cautious," Vegzyn said.
"Of course… That's only natural," I replied. "Why would you seal a deal with a suspicious being without any guarantee? That's stupid."
"I guess Brandon is stupid then," Ohsus smirked.
"Young Master Brandon had always been the most impulsive one among them," I commented. "In any case, there's some truth that the Krausers wanted to bring me back to life and were willing to pay the cost… However, I have to see them first and see how much of a truth that is…"
"So that's why you agreed on a playdate…" Ohsus remarked, quite amused.
I nodded in response. "I can't have them acting up on the party for my social introduction. I have to evaluate visible information about them and make up my mind whether I can use them to my advantage or not. I'm still not sure what to do with the Krausers. Just as they have to meet me to verify my identity, I have to meet them to see whether they'll be harmful or useful to my future plans…" I explained.
"Gosh, how exciting this is!" Thegarae exclaimed and clapped her hands.
"I'm glad to see you're continuing to enjoy my suffering," I said sarcastically.
"You're not exactly suffering now… You're treated like a princess every single day," Thegarae pointed out.
"Is that how it looks to you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, don't you enjoy the treatment as the only lady of the Albrechts? Unlike the Krausers, your new brothers dotes on you so much," Vegzyn commented.
"I do like the special treatment but at the same time, I'm still playing mind games with the people of the duchy… A disposable pawn like me has no time to relax," I answered.
"Gee, you think of everything in a negative light…" Thegarae remarked.
"And whose fault was that again?" I retorted.
The divine siblings looked at each other for a second and shrugged at the same time. "Fair point," Ohsus commented.
"Well, is that all you want to say to us?" Vegzyn asked.
"Yes. For now," I answered and began to lie back down.
"Alright then…" Vegzyn shrugged and disappeared at the snap of a finger.
"Just call if you have more exciting plans to tell!" Thegarae said and followed after Vegzyn.
Ohsus stood from the sofa and grinned at me. "Sweet dreams, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite," he said teasingly before disappearing.
Rolling my eyes, I pulled the sheets all the way up to my chin and focused on falling asleep.
~~~
The next morning
LANDON
"Good morning, Brother Landon. Did you sleep well?" Lottie greeted me as I descended down the stairs.
"Good morning Lottie… Yes, I slept well," I answered her. "Looks like you got up early again…"
"I consider it a nice habit I got from living in Mayberry Cove… My maids always had a hard time to make me get up in the morning before… They're quite pleased that I'm now an early riser," she told me.
I smiled at her and we walked to the dining room together. Indeed, I had been sensing many different things from Lottie nowadays. Although she acted like the old Lottie in front of us, I know she's merely pretending.
Somehow, she feels more like the grown-up Lottie that we knew from before the time regression. The grown-up Lottie told us about the hardships she encountered while living in Mayberry Cove and I reckon the changes of the eight-year-old Lottie were from the same experiences. Despite acting naïve and childish most of the time, I know my sister is smarter than anyone expect her to be.
Whilst we sat down for breakfast, I couldn't help but look back on the past months. As to not alarm our parents, we had been putting up an act to seem like how we were as children, but we just can't conceal the fact that we're not the same anymore. And so, Brandon, Greyson and I decided to keep the act at a minimum and take advantage of our knowledge from the past life to make this life different from before.
Thus, we began showing our different sides to everyone in a gradual manner and started to actively participate in straightening out the family matters that turned out to be a problem in the past life.
I took charge of dispelling the unfaithful retainers who took advantage of Lottie's kidnapping and began slowly embezzling funds and slacking off in their work. Our family was also quite losing to the other duchies in terms of reputation to the general public during my time as the Duke, thus I began focusing on plans regarding charity and gain acknowledgement from it in the future.
On the other hand, Brandon began tidying up the order of knights so that he could set up a sturdier foundation of defense for our family. He also wanted for the Order to be different from before by righting the mistakes we made in the past. We lost many talented knights because of social prejudice and we won't let it happen this time.
As Greyson is not even old enough to attend the Academy, he did what he could by studying well. In the past life, his performance at the Academy wasn't that excellent, thus, he said he wants to change that this time around.
As for the matters about Ava, we had been working on a solution. Unfortunately, after the day that Greyson met her at the Central Plaza, she didn't go out again. We kept on hinting Father to ask Duke Albrecht about Lady Ava and got an answer. Apparently, she was too busy with lessons and preparations for her social introduction and won't be leaving their mansion until then. The sudden spotlight on her also played a role for the Albrechts to hide her from the prying eyes of the public.
Thus, we took matters to our own hands and began befriending her new brothers. The goal was to be close enough with them to snag an opportunity to visit their house and see Lady Ava in person.
The Albrechts had never been a social family. Even in the past, I have never known for anyone to step into their property aside from the occasional parties during important events. And even during those events, only a portion of their property was accessible to the public. They really value their privacy and it was that mysticism that contributed to their popularity.
However, breaking the social wall of the Albrechts was harder than we anticipated. Brandon and I have gone through self-humiliation by befriending them and it wasn't easy putting up such an act. It's a good thing that we have the minds of full-pledged adults to withstand the mental stress and embarrassment. Since our main priority was to meet Lady Ava and see for ourselves that Greyson wasn't mistaken, putting our pride aside to accomplish that is a small price to pay; well, at least that's how we comfort ourselves…
I can't deny that I withered inside whenever I had to act friendly towards that hateful Alistair Albrecht. He made it so obvious that he's disgusted at my new friendly demeanor. He had no idea I was twice revolted. I wasn't fond of him in the past life and I'm certainly not liking him any better in this life but what can I do… He's Ava's brother and the closest route to her was through him.
To my surprise, Brandon was holding onto his temperament better than I anticipated. He hated Lennox Albrecht as much I hate Alistair but he was doing a good enough job at trying to befriend his enemy, especially considering Brandon's personality of snapping at the slightest thing that annoys him. When I asked him about it, he merely smiled and said that he's willing to do anything if it's for Ava. I can tell he's also just toughing it out like I do.
Even with all our effort, we have been making slow progress on establishing friendly ties with the Albrecht brothers and before we even noticed, a couple of months had already passed. We failed with the plan on using the Albrecht boys to see Lady Ava but it won't hurt continuing with the task of having closer ties with them for future purposes thus, we decided during our conversation last night to carry on with the friendly act.
After all, we don't have to force them to invite us to their house anymore. We only have to wait two more weeks to finally see Lady Albrecht on the ceremony of her social debut. The invitation had been received by Mother just yesterday afternoon.
"Good morning everyone," Father's voice suddenly broke into my thoughts and I dragged my consciousness back to reality.
My siblings and I greeted our parents and we carried on with breakfast amidst small talk. The topic then shifted to the party invitation received from the Albrechts yesterday and Lottie talked about preparing a gift for Lady Ava.
"It's her ninth birthday as well thus it's twice more special than the usual social introduction ceremony," Lottie commented.
My hand flinched midway to my plate as I realized that Lady Ava's birthdate is the same as our Ava. I was suddenly reminded of something that Sir Pearson said during the past.
Sir Pearson was perhaps the only person that Ava opened up to and occasionally, she told him about matters that she never shared with anyone before. One of it was about her birthdate. She told him that the only good thing that her mother did for her was telling her a specific day of her birth.
"Lady Ava said that it probably wasn't accurate. Her mother may have just come up with a random date because she kept pestering her and asking about her birthday. Even so, having a specific date to look forward to and having a day of the year to consider as her own special day was enough for her. She really doesn't care whether it's truly the day of her birth… That really makes me so sad… Something so normal, something that should be natural for everyone, to Lady Ava, it wasn't that easy… It's indeed a special day, but at the same time, it's another scar to remember…"
Those were Sir Pearson's exact words when he relayed the matter to us. Having ignored the said birthdate for the past seven years that Ava was with us, I felt my heart break apart and I hated myself even more.
When I looked up and saw Greyson and Brandon's faces, I know they were having the same thoughts.
"I wonder what can be a nice gift…" Lottie said and I forced myself to focus on breakfast.
"Speaking of the Albrechts, I have good news for the four of you…" Father suddenly said and we all turned to him. He motioned to a butler carrying a small silver platter and took the envelope on top of it.
"This came just an hour ago… Since you seem to be so interested about Lady Albrecht, I told her Father about arranging a playdate between our children once the important social introduction is out of the way but it seems like Duke Albrecht relayed the matter to her daughter and she wants to meet you before her big day," Father told us.
It took a second for his words to register in my brain.
"Is that true Father?" Greyson said, recovering faster than Brandon and I. He stood from his seat in a mixture of surprise and excitement.
"Yes… But since they have been preparing for the party in their home, they asked if it would be fine to meet in our house instead," Father answered with a smile.
"Of course it's fine, Father," Brandon said immediately.
"When's it gonna be?" I asked.
"Tomorrow at tea time," Father answered. "However, it overlaps with the appointment with Baron Radcliffe thus I can't be present at that time. Your mother also has a prior appointment," he added.
"It's alright, honey… I can reschedule my appointment to supervise the playdate," Mother interjected.
"You don't have to worry Mother… Please go to your scheduled appointment. We'll be at our best behavior and won't do anything to embarrass the family name," Greyson said with conviction in his tone.
"I'm old enough to host the playdate Mother… And I'll see to the preparations myself," I followed.
"And I'll get the chefs to make special sweets!" Lottie said, raising her hand.
"My, my… You all seem so excited… Are you that interested in Lady Albrecht?" Mother commented.
Lottie giggled in response. "I feel quite special to be the first among the noble ladies to meet the famous Lady Albrecht… I can't wait to see what she's like and brag to my friends about meeting her… They're all fans of her brothers after all…" she said.
"If you say that much, then I'll put my trust in you and send a letter of confirmation to the Albrechts after our meal. Make sure for the preparations to be extra special since all the three sons of Lord Nickolai would be coming as well…" Father told us.
"Oh my… Even the Little Duke Albrecht?" Mother remarked in surprise. "The Albrecht boys rarely visit other nobles since they already have formal duties in the Albrecht household…"
"Indeed… The Albrechts had always been quite anti-social even during my Father's time… I had not met Lord Nickolai until we were about fourteen years old," Father commented. "Perhaps having a daughter in the family changed their social perspectives… After all, it's not a good thing for noble ladies to be secluded from society," he added.
Looking at Brandon and Greyson's change in expression, their moods had also been dampened knowing that the Albrecht brothers would be present. However, this is still an opportunity to meet Lady Ava in person. At last, Brandon and I would also be able to see her and we can judge for ourselves whether she's our Ava or not.
"I can't wait for tomorrow!" Lottie remarked cheerfully and smiled at the three of us.
I smiled back. "Me too," I said and I meant it sincerely.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
LCScarlett
LCScarlett I missed last week's update, sorry for that, I was too busy with work...
Anyway, I'm gonna try to speed things up with my writing and if things go my way, I can post another chapter by the end of this week.
I hope you guys are enjoying the progression of the story so far! Please leave comments for me to read; it helps me motivate myself to write more! Thanks for the support guys! I appreciate all the power stones!
Oh, and someone's returning next chapter...
Guess who... I left a subtle hint about it. *giggle giggle*
Regalos
-- Regalo
recibido Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder