Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Our Ava
AVA
It's my twenty-first day of staying in the Albrecht duchy. It doesn't look like they're planning on casting me outdoors any time soon.
I glanced at the wall clock in the corner of my small room. It's an hour and a half before supper will be served. I still have some time to rest.
Sighing, I flopped down on the bed, face-down on the pillows.
It's tiring… It's so much more draining than I had anticipated – acting like an eight-year-old little girl…
Thinking about it, I don't even know how children usually act. It's like my experience of being a child in the past was completely useless.
Well, it can't be helped… All I did back then was act fearful of everything and walk around with my head down. That can't be the usual behavior of an eight-year-old child…
And so, I started to copy the young heroine, Sophia's behavior as described in the book before she got kidnapped; a talkative, active child who acts friendly with everyone around her. I did mix in different temperaments since my background and Sophia's background were obviously different from each other. I made sure to make it seem like I have a minimum guard up, a child hanging onto her last rope of survival in the form of the Albrecht household.
Naïve, friendly, a tad clueless, always curious, a little shy, a little anxious, an innocent little girl starved of love and kindness from a cruel world… That's the image I was going for, and from the look of things, I had been able to show those qualities by the way the people of the Albrecht household treats me.
I'm pleased that they like this new Ava that I very carefully planned and acted out; but despite my relief that I was well-liked by everyone, I often felt more tired than satisfied with my small success.
This kind of personality was my direct opposite, and there were times that my real, fearful self interferes with my act and I end up slipping dark thoughts and emotions in front of people. I felt the need to suppress such moments at first, but then I realized that it was fine. As a child with many traumas, I can act that way. It's reasonable to have breakdowns every once in a while… That way, I'll seem more vulnerable, and I'll garner more pity from the people of the duchy.
I tossed to my back and stared at the ceiling. My head is throbbing again… I really need to have a good sleep to get rid of these frequent headaches.
Not only is it stressful to always act bright and bubbly, I still haven't had a whole night's sleep after three weeks of staying in the duchy. For reasons I can't fathom, I get nightmares every night – bad dreams of experiencing the fatal fall that killed me in the past life, nightmares of the hellish days inside the Krauser duchy, and of the countless days and nights of roaming the alleys as a slum child. I refrain from thinking about those things so why the heck are they showing up in my dreams?
It's as if there's someone who wanted to etch all those painful and helpless moments in my mind. The nightmares tire me out further that sometimes I just couldn't help but cry as I grieve over the life I lived before. Thinking about it, everything was happening so fast that I was given no time to be sad about what happened to me. I had no time to lament over my own death.
An idea passed my mind and I thought that perhaps there really were people who made me have all those nightmares. They're not 'people' but 'gods' rather… The three of them might be having a field day giving me nightmares every night. Is this a penalty of some sort? Or does this come with the setup?
"If those three are really responsible for giving me nightmares, I hope they're at least entertained…" I whispered under my breath.
"By 'those three', you don't mean us, don't you?" a voice suddenly answered.
I sat up abruptly and almost shouted in surprise at the sight of Thegarae casually lying down on her stomach at the foot of the bed. She waved her hand at my open mouth and no sound came out. I clutched my throat and tried to speak. I lost my voice.
"Gee, you're still so jumpy and easy to scare… If Sister didn't stop that scream, you could've startled the whole Albrecht household…" Vegzyn commented from the side of the room. He floated right above the bedside table.
"This room is even shabbier than looking at it from the Watcher's Glass…" Ohsus added, scanning his blood-red eyes across the whole room while he stood with his back leaned on the wall opposite where Vegzyn positioned himself.
I tried to speak again but my voice still won't come out. I ended up glaring in accusation at the three of them instead.
"Why the heck are you looking at us like that? That glare is offensive," Vegzyn said as he floated closer to me.
I continued glaring at him and pointed at my throat.
"Oh right. Almost forgot," Thegarae said, understanding my gesture. She waved her hand again and my voice finally returned.
"What's the meaning of this?" I told them in outburst, looking at one face to another.
"We told you we're gonna have to show up if we get bored," Ohsus replied matter-of-factly. He teleported from the side of the room towards the bed and flopped down casually right next to me. He smirked at my face. "You weren't really doing anything interesting for the past weeks and so we just want to give you a little visit; just to instill fear lest you forget what you came here to do," he added.
I glowered at him in response. "Don't you worry about that, Your Divinity; I haven't forgotten anything at all. I've been down the mortal realm for three weeks; must you be so insufferably impatient? My plans will take time for me to even have a shot at success; must you really make things so hard for me?" I hissed between gritted teeth, not bothering to hide my aggression.
Ohsus gave a brief pause before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, you already know we're bound to do something if we get bored. It's your fault," he replied.
"Oh don't pay attention to what Ohsus said; he's just messing with you… We weren't really bored. We just want to try to go down the mortal realm using our link with you and see how much of ourselves we can materialize," Thegarae suddenly explained, twirling a lock of her wavy grey hair with her left hand.
"From the look of it, most of our powers work pretty well…" Vegzyn commented as he continued floating around the room. "You don't have to worry about anything though; only you have the connection thus you're the only one who can see and hear us…" he added.
"How can I not worry? If you talk to me and I answer you, how would it look to any person seeing me? I'd seem like a crazy person talking to thin air," I told him, a bit irritated.
"Ohh…" Vegzyn and Thegarae chorused in realization, looking at each other. "You have a point, but that's not our problem; it's yours," Thegarae shrugged at me a second later.
I bottled back my irritation at them. Acting mad at these unreasonable gods can only bring more trouble. "Can you please just let me be? I promise that I'll do my best to entertain you, so please just don't get in my way. I'm begging you," I told them with my sincerest tone of voice.
"That's not for you to decide; it'll depend on our mood," Ohsus answered.
I heaved a great sigh. "Fine. But don't hold it against me if I ignore you or pretend not to hear you. I have to protect my image and refrain from looking like an insane person," I told them.
"Sure," the three siblings answered, perfectly synchronized. They continued making themselves comfortable in my room.
Looks like I have to be careful and make sure that no one is watching me even when I think I'm alone. It won't be funny if anyone sees me talking by myself. I also have to practice ignoring the gods if they happen to pop up when I'm with other people. This just added more troublesome things to my burden.
A knock on the door suddenly made me snap back to my senses.
"Yes?" I called, sitting up.
The abrupt movement made my head spin and I gave a strained groan as I clutched a hand on my forehead.
"Ava?" Sally said as she entered my room. When she saw me with a pained expression, she hurried to my side.
Despite the pain, I restrained a surprised gasp when I saw Sally's body pass through Thegarae as if the latter was a ghost. The goddess didn't even move from the foot of the bed even as Sally sat dangerously close to her.
"Child, are you alright?" Sally asked in a worried tone.
I nodded my head and willed myself to act normal. "I just felt a little dizzy…" I told her. "Is it time to set the dining table for supper?" I asked.
"You don't need to help with the table arrangement if you're feeling unwell," Sally said and propped up two pillows right on the base of the bedstead. "Lie down. I'll get you some chamomile tea with honey to help you relax," she said.
I shook my head as I placed one hand on her arm. "I ought to earn my keep… I'm fine now, so I'll help out," I told her.
The lady looked at me with sympathy evident in her brown eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked.
I nodded. "I'm sure," I assured her. "I already feel bad that I only get to help with menial chores. I have to do at least this much for me to be worthy of staying in the Albrecht's property…"
"No one will force you to work especially if you're unwell. The Masters are not the type of people to do such a thing, especially towards a young child," Sally told me.
"I know… But I'm the one who wants to work. Slum children had always been looked down on like deadweights, and I don't want to look like a deadweight in this place as well," I said and got up from the bed.
Heaving an internal sigh, I turned on my acting mode. Bright, bubbly, innocent, hard-working little Ava… That's who I am right now…
I stood in front of Sally and did a little twirl. "See?" I said with a smile. "I'm completely fine."
Ohsus gave a restrained snicker as if to mock my acting whilst Thegarae and Vegzyn giggled openly. I did my best to ignore them and focused on smiling at Sally.
The lady gave back a pained smile and finally let me go out with her to tend on the preparations for supper. On my out of the room, I threw a dirty look at the divine siblings. They seemed pleased at my reaction and I felt more annoyed at them.
To my horror, the three of them started following me and Sally towards the kitchen. They silently watched me as I helped carry the plates to the dining room and arranged cutleries on the table. It was very unnerving and I loathed every minute of it. I swear I'll clock these gods on the face if I ever got a chance, especially Ohsus that jerk. Vegzyn and Thegarae seem to just genuinely enjoy watching, but Ohsus' eyes always look like they're mocking me.
"Ignore them, Ava… Ignore them…" I murmured under my breath, willing myself to concentrate. I must not give in just because of the gods' attempt to distract me.
The servants usually stand by on the side of the dining room as the Albrecht family ate their meal and thus, I stood in line along with a group of young maids and butlers to await the arrival of the masters.
A while later, the Duke and his sons arrived. From a corner of the room, Thegarae gave a little squeal. I guess she really is a fangirl of the Albrecht family; she did say before that she liked them most among the characters.
"Kitty!" young master Nashiel called as he waved a hand to me.
"Hello little Vivy," young master Alistair added.
I smiled and bowed in response. "Good evening, my Duke. Good evening, young masters…" I greeted and the other maids and butlers followed my lead and greeted in chorus.
I saw Young Master Lennox glance at his brothers and roll his eyes. The father and sons then went to their places in the dining table and started to eat their meal amidst small talk, mainly the Duke asking his sons how their day went.
Sally told me weeks before that the Duke had arranged for mealtimes to be the time of the day for his sons to report their activities to him. Since he's a busy man, he balances being an aristocrat, a business owner, and a father by multi-tasking. Not a second of the Duke's time was wasted for I heard that even when he's traveling, he either reviews documentation, discuss brief meetings with his close aides, or catches up on sleep.
Being a single father of three boys with a whole lot of social and political responsibilities added to his burden, he's had his glass full from dusk to dawn. The Albrecht Duchess died from a frail body right after the youngest son turned six years old, thus the Duke had been serving as a single parent for a period of four years now. It's amazing how he can always be so consistent and not falter from such a busy lifestyle.
Suddenly, I heard my name being called by the Duke.
"Ava, are you listening?" his steady low voice broke through my thoughts and I flinched in attention right away.
"Yes Milord?" I asked whilst correcting my posture.
"You seem listless tonight. Is there something wrong?" the Duke asked back.
I shook my head. "Nothing is wrong, My Duke… Ava is perfectly fine," I answered quickly.
"Pardon my interference My Duke," Sally suddenly said from the very front of the line and I swerved my head in her direction with wide eyes.
She caught me staring and I shook my head at her which she answered with an assuring blinking of the eyes.
"To be honest My Duke, Ava had a dizzy spell before she helped with supper preparations earlier," Sally finally said. I internally groaned. Ohsus gave another snicker not very far from me. He's really enjoying my predicament.
"You weren't feeling well, Kitten?" Young Master Lennox asked after hearing Sally's words.
"Should we call a doctor?" Young Master Alistair said.
"You should have said so, Kitty! What're you doing standing around like that when you're not feeling well?" Young Master Nashiel added.
The three boys were about to rise from their seats but the stern look from their Father made them sit right back.
"If that is so, then why is the child helping out and not resting in her quarters?" the Duke said while keeping an eye on his sons' behaviors.
I raised my hand urgently as I provided a quick explanation. "I'm the one who insisted on helping out Milord… I felt better right away so I continued with my duties… Ms. Sally wasn't in the wrong; she told me to rest. I'm the one who insisted," I fessed up.
"Did no one tell you, Ava, that it's an Albrecht household rule that servants who feel ill should prioritize recovery rather than continuing with their duties? If you get sick, it's troublesome for the rest of the people in the mansion to nurse you back to health. And if you caught a contagious illness, then you'd be spreading it everywhere. There are plenty of servants to take over the work thus continuing to work when feeling under the weather can cause more harm than good," the Duke scolded with a mellow tone.
"Yes My Duke… I apologize for being unable to think about the different consequences of my actions… I'll do better next time," I said as I hung my head in self-reflection.
"I heard you also haven't been sleeping well?" the Duke suddenly added.
"Pardon?" I asked in confusion.
"The guards patrolling the mansion had been talking about a ghost roaming the corridor of the servants' quarters at night and recently, they discovered the ghost's identity. Need I put it to words directly who the ghost is?" the Duke responded.
I internally scolded myself for being unable to think about the night patrols when I leave my room at night. Of course, someone would notice me.
"That…" I said, wracking my brain for an excuse. "I apologize Milord…" I followed, unable to come up with anything useful.
"If you can't sleep well, you won't be able to perform your duties to the best of your abilities…" Head Maid Cecil suddenly joined in the conversation.
Immediately, I sprang to action and shook my head aggressively. "No Madame… I can still work pretty well and I'll try to sleep better from tonight onwards… I assure you my work won't be affected," I remarked as I bow my head. "Please give me a chance to prove my words," I added.
"Well, I am not criticizing your work, but lack of rest is a serious issue, especially for someone doing manual labor. It's my duty to make sure that each of the servants in the duchy are fit and well enough to give the best service to our Masters. That includes you. Since there're a lot of adults around you; why not tell us what's giving you trouble sleeping at night? Since you are already a member of this household and the youngest at that, you can rely on your fellow workers at least this much… You are still a child after all…" Madame Cecil said.
I felt exasperated inside. What's up with the old lady now? She usually doesn't bother with me apart from scanning over my work to look for something to nitpick; why is she so interested in me all of a sudden?
"About that Madame… There's nothing to worry about really…" I answered with a small voice.
"Do you not trust us enough to say what has been keeping you from getting ample sleep? I have to say I'm disappointed," Madame Cecil suddenly remarked.
I bit the side of my cheek. That was not the answer I anticipated. It's as if the Head Maid is determined to make me talk about the issue in front of these many people. Is this her new way of picking on me?
"I assure you it's not like that Madame… It's just, I'm embarrassed to say in front of so many people, especially in front of the Masters…" I finally said.
"There's no need to be embarrassed Kitty…" Young Master Nashiel, the main peace-keeper of the whole mansion said with a smile. "You're still a kid. It's better to ask help from adults and having many heads think for a solution is a lot better than pondering over a solution by yourself…"
"It's rare that I take Nash's side but this time I agree with the words he said," Young Master Lennox said. "If you sincerely want to be a part of the Albrecht household, you should be able to tell members of the household at least this much of your worries and troubles… That way, we can see that you trust us, so that we can also trust you back," he added.
"We had been noticing that you're not that energetic for the past few days, Ava… Father could've pressured you to tell us but he didn't want to 'order' you to talk; he wants you to willingly talk about it. Isn't he such a benevolent Master? You won't find such an employer like him anywhere in the aristocratic society so I suggest that you talk while he is in a good mood…" Young Master Alistair said his share of convincing as well, albeit his style kind of sounded like a threat.
If I don't say anything amidst all these, I'll be in a difficult spot thus I decided to show a bit more honesty.
"The truth is…" I started and saw that everyone including all the servants have their eyes on me. My throat felt dry as I continued talking.
"I actually have nightmares every night. Bad dreams of my days in the slums, and of other bad times…" I said.
"Other bad times?" Head Butler Archibald repeated. "Can you elaborate on that?"
"Just… bad times…" I answered, keeping my head bowed and avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"I'll be completely honest with you, child…" the Duke suddenly said after my words. "Every member of this household had disclosed their background in order to work under the Albrecht's wings… However, we do not know anything about your origins aside from the fact that you came from the slums. I had been overly considerate to wait for you to tell us about yourself since you're just a child, however, you had been working here for almost a month already. I won't be considerate of your feelings any longer thus I'll forget your age at this moment," he added and turned his chair to my direction.
"Ava. This is an order. I want you to tell your origins in front of all the people currently present, and prove that you are a person that can be trusted to work within the Albrecht household. Details of your statements will be investigated right after, thus I warn you to be truthful… If you do not answer, I'm afraid you have to leave the property tonight," he said, looking at me sternly.
I internally gave a sigh. I thought I could continue using my age as an advantage for the members of the household to keep their guard down against me, but looks like it's time to disclose my information to the Albrechts.
I was torn regarding this issue. I knew the time will come that they'll ask directly about my origins; I could tell from the words of the servants talking to me that they were trying to probe into my words and some directly asked where I came from, but I successfully squirmed out of the questioning each time.
It's uncertain how the Albrechts will take in the information about my origins, thus it's a great risk to tell them. But right now, I have no choice. I'll hope I spent enough time with them to appeal for their sympathy. If not, I can just fall flat to the floor and start begging. Kneeling and begging were what I did best in my past life anyway.
"I… I came from somewhere, a city that I don't know the name of… And I was the daughter of a woman serving in a 'brothel'. The adults call it 'whorehouse' sometimes… My mother was one of the ladies there who serve the gentlemen. The people there raised me until age six, that's what they told me my age was, but I ran away when they left me in a room with an old man. I was scared; and I picked up a bottle and hit the old man so I ran away. They'll punish me for sure; I know I'll get hit since I hurt a guest. It was after that when Ms. Mary saved me and took care of me with other kids. What came after that, I already told Ms. Sally…" I told them in near-tears, pretending to be scared of the Duke's threat to cast me out earlier.
There was a brief silence after I finished talking and I carefully lifted my moistened eyes to look around. Would it be more impactful if I squeeze out a tear or two? However, I wasn't able to sneak a look at the situation since the Duke spoke suddenly.
"Do you remember the name of your mother? Or perhaps the name of the brothel you speak of?" the Duke asked.
"Rosellia," I answered, sniffing a bit. "My mother was called Rosellia by the brothel owner, others call her Rosie… The name of the building; I'm not sure, but there's 'Garden' in the name. All the ladies working there have names from flowers…" I answered truthfully.
I remember the name of the brothel obviously, even the city where it's located, since I've known those details from the novel itself. But it can get suspicious if a child of six had been clever enough to remember the names of places thus I only gave context; it sounds more plausible for a child to absorb and remember that kind of ambiguous information.
I looked up at the Duke and decided a final appeal for sympathy. "You… won't make me go back there, w-would you?" I asked, stuttering on purpose and looking fearful.
"I don't even know where that place is, how would I make you go back there?" the Duke replied.
"If you know where the place is, will you return me to my mother?" I asked.
"You don't want to? It's your mother. Surely you miss her," the Duke answered.
I aggressively shook my head. "I hate her," I said. And at that moment, I didn't have to try to be a child. It was as if I went back in time to when I was still living in the brothel, a filthy little girl looking for scraps to feed on from the tables of the guests after they left.
That woman. Thinking about it, before everything else ruined my life, it was she who was guilty of the first offense: the sin of giving birth to me and making me live a rotten life.
"That woman didn't want me. I don't know why she even gave birth to me. She didn't even feed me; never even touched me, until she sent me to that old man. She wasn't my mother; she's just the person who gave birth to me. And I would've rather she didn't. Then I wouldn't be alive and I wouldn't have had to suffer… I don't know why I have to pay for the price of her mistake of having a child when I didn't even ask anyone to be born in the world… It's so unfair," I said and the tears slowly formed in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks.
"It's so unfair…" I repeated, clenching my fists.
"The world is an unfair and cruel place. It had been since the start of time and will be until the end of time…" the Duke told me.
"Why?" I asked, my voice squeaking, as I look at the teardrops falling to the floor one by one. "Why can't the world be a better place? Why do powerless children like me have to adapt to it instead? The world has far more power than us, and the adults have the ability to make the world a good place or a bad place… So why? Why isn't anyone doing anything?" I whined, overcame with emotions.
From the corner of my eye, I looked at the divine siblings who had gathered to watch the current scenario near the grand fireplace. Them too… They're also just as bad as everyone else… No, they're even worse since they're the ones who played around my life. Who knows how many more children's lives are being made miserable because of them?
The three of them met my gaze squarely and Ohsus even smirked. I clutched my fist tightly, fighting the urge to maul him over.
For the past three weeks, I've been bottling my own feelings. I have to concentrate on what I have to do, thus I have to forget the pessimistic and gloomy Ava who complains all the time, and be a child who can act optimistic about everything. But here I am again, complaining... while knowing that complaining won't amount to anything… while knowing that the only good thing that complaining ever does is to vent out my frustrations…
Why am I suddenly back to where I started? I feel so pathetic… And I felt so angry. I'm angry to the point of being driven to madness as I thought of all the bullshit I had to endure, of Yukina's life being treated like a plaything, of the selfish gods who started all of this ridiculousness…
Everyone should just go to hell! I'm so, so angry, but I shouldn't let anyone see this ugly feeling. Because right now, I am Ava, an innocent little orphan who went through many sufferings yet remained innocent despite everything.
Swallow it down, Ava! The anger, the frustrations, everything… Swallow all of it and focus on what you have to do!
"Ava," the Duke called and I snapped back to reality. I remained unmoving, afraid to see what the look on his face will be. I had acted too much out of character. What if he thinks I'm suspicious?
"Lift your head, child…" he said.
Slowly, I did as I was told. I looked at the Duke. I couldn't read any emotion from his expression but he stared at my eyes intently.
"Have you ever heard of this phrase?" he suddenly asked and stapled his fingers together. "'If you want something done, do it yourself.' A war leader from history quoted that. It's not in any way metaphorical, that even a child like you can understand it. As a matter of fact, I think you're more than capable of understanding even the deep meanings it implies… You're a smart girl. I've seen what you can do for the past three weeks… I know that your mind is not that of an ordinary child your age, and I feel as though you're older than you seem. Many children who hailed from poverty are like that. They're forced to grow up faster than other children born in better circumstances, and that was the reason why I let you stay here in the first place…"
I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't feel surprised that the Duke understood my circumstances better than anyone since he too came from the same background, however, I didn't expect him to say such words. What exactly does he want to hear from me? Is he perhaps trying to test me?
"Pardon me, Milord… But what are you trying to tell me?" I asked him with my tear-stained face.
"I'm trying to tell you that if you want the world to be a better place, then you have to change it yourself; because if you want something to be done, and for it to be done the way you want it to, you have to delegate yourself to the task…" he told me.
"How can I… when I don't even have enough power over my own survival? If the Duke orders me to die right now, if one of the adults here were to kill me, I'll die without question. If I leave this place, there's no guarantee I'll survive outside… That's my reality, Your Grace… There's no room for me to dream something as big as changing the world…" I told him without bothering to change my choice of words. I know that didn't sound like something a child would say, but I don't care.
I found it ironic that I was sent back by the gods in an attempt to change the world, to start a revolution that would shake the whole continent, and yet I say such words because those words embody my current circumstances.
It's obvious that I can't change the world like this. It's impossible for a girl of eight years with a lowly background to do such a thing. But I will grow strong enough to change the world someday. I have to, for myself and for Yukina. Thus, I have to overcome this family first. Whether the Albrecht duchy can be a useful resource to me or not is a very crucial first step that can decide my victory or defeat in the wager with the gods.
"Then what if I tell you, that I'll give you a chance to dream of something big like that? What if you can be someone strong enough to have a hand at changing the world; what would you do?" the Duke asked, peering directly in my eyes as if to look into my very soul.
"What do you mean, Your Grace?" I asked back, truthfully confused.
"I'm looking for a child to adopt, a girl to be exact… There's a circumstance at which this family will need a daughter, and I was thinking that you can be considered as one of the candidates," the Duke answered.
Vegzyn gave a whistle as a reaction to the Duke's statements. Thegarae clapped her hands and said, "Well, there it is!" Ohsus continued smirking and folded his arms over his chest. Their reactions told me that they were aware of what was going to happen.
On the other hand, I was frozen in utter surprise. Is this really happening? If it is, then it's too good to be true!
The gods and I knew that this was the main reason why I approached the Albrechts in the first place. I had been trying to win their affection so that someday the Albrechts would adopt me as their own. That was the plan, however, I didn't think I could accomplish it immediately.
I told myself that I didn't have to hurry. I have years and years ahead of me to accomplish it. I never thought of it as an easy task and I assumed that I could just barely succeed at it by the announcement of the Edel Selection, thus hearing the opportunity being presented to me firsthand by the Duke himself this early in time is quite unbelievable.
In my moment of surprise and excitement, I quickly analyzed the new information being presented to me. The fact that the Duke said that there's a circumstance in which their family would need a daughter might mean that he had already been aware that the Edel selection to choose the next Crown Princess would be utilized again years from now. I've known that the Albrechts were the most cunning among all the high families of aristocracy, but I underestimated them… Their power over intel was way beyond what I expected.
"A-adopt?" I repeated, widening my eyes to the limit.
"Yes… I assume you know the meaning of that word…" the Duke said.
I slowly nodded my head. "I know…" I answered. "But why me?" I added almost immediately. There must be a catch here. The Albrechts are not soft-hearted creatures. I must probe as much information as possible.
"Do you need a reason? Isn't your survival your first priority? If that is so, then my reason shouldn't matter, right?" the Duke replied with a stoic face.
Ha. As expected, he won't let anything show. I should leave this matter for later. I have a lot of time; I shouldn't be rash and draw suspicion to myself.
I slowly nodded my head and worked up a response to the Duke. "Yes… The reason doesn't matter… All it matter is that I stay alive…" I told him, exerting more effort to seem like I've been thoroughly convinced by his words.
"And you'll do more than just stay alive, little Vivy," Young Master Alistair suddenly joined in the conversation. "Our family is a very powerful entity in this kingdom… The key to what you said, about changing the world and making it a better place; we might be able to give you what you need to have it. Perhaps, you may not be able to completely change the whole world, but you can certainly change your own reality and be capable enough to give aid to people that you want to help. It's not a bad deal…"
I looked at the Little Duke as his grey eyes stared at me calmly. He always seems a bit dull compared to his younger brothers. He shows no sharpness; like he doesn't know anything, and he always just agrees to what was said by his father or brothers.
But I know about him… The real Alistair is someone frightening, and he will grow to be even more frightening than his father. That was why I slowly prepared myself to deal with him as the toughest shell to crack. I can get the Duke and the two young masters to be fond of me, but him, I'm not so confident.
And as he stared at me with those eyes, calm on the exterior but icy-cold inside, hiding a lot of secrets, I felt once again that he would be my toughest enemy inside this family. The fact that he's to be the next Duke doesn't make that good for me.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I focused on the current conversation. I have to continue acting. "The reason doesn't matter…" I repeated once again, looking pensive. Then I mustered a determined look on my face, wiped the tears with the sleeves of my dress and turned to the Albrechts with conviction.
"What do I have to do for me to be selected as the candidate that the Albrecht family would adopt? Please tell me… I'll do whatever it takes," I remarked.
The Duke gave a smile and his sons smiled as well. Four pairs of identical grey eyes looked at me.
Surprisingly, it was not the Duke or the Little Duke who answered my question.
"The first thing you should do…" Young Master Lennox said. "…is to fill in those skinny twigs you call limbs…" he finished.
"Pardon?" I said, confused.
"You need to eat more Kitty… You're still skin and bones even after staying here for three weeks…" Young Master Nashiel followed.
"And while you work on your nutrition, we'll take care of your insomniac issues as well…" Young Master Alistair chimed in. He placed a forefinger under his chin thoughtfully. "You probably need counselling and a prescription that can help you sleep but not hurt your health in the process…" He got up from his seat after a brief pause. "I know just the right physician to call for such problems… Leave that to me, Father…"
Young Master Nashiel suddenly raised his hand after the Duke gave his eldest son his permission to leave the table. "I'll select Kitty's personal maids myself," he declared.
"And I'll pick out a suitable nutritionist and contact Dr. Hope to schedule regular health assessments for her," Young Master Lennox remarked.
"Good," their father told them before turning to me. "Did you understand that Ava? For now, you'll focus on two tasks – eating well and sleeping well," the Duke said as he pointed at me and took off the table napkin from his lap. He shifted his attention to the Head Maid.
"Madame Cecil, see to it that Ava gets a new room in the second floor two days from now… Order new furniture. She's far too small to reach anything with the current furniture we have in the mansion. Make sure that the interior design is fit to Ava's preference, height and reach. Ava will move to the room as soon it's ready… For now, give her a bath and escort her to the biggest guest room. Sally and the maids under her jurisdiction will be the ones to wait on her personally," he instructed.
"Yes, Your Grace," Madame Cecil and Sally chorused as they bowed their heads.
As the frenzy of instructions was being given to the butlers by the young masters, Madame Cecil and Sally approached me and got a hold of both my arms.
"Lady Ava, let's get you ready for your bath…" Sally said with a smile.
"B-but Ms. Sally…" I said in protest, still unable to process what's going on. They told me I'm simply a candidate for adoption but why are they acting like I've already become the lady of the house?
"It's just Sally, Lady Ava… There's no need to be polite…" she corrected me.
And just like that, I got whisked away to a spacious bathroom. The three gods were still watching me and I blushed hard when the maids started taking off my clothing.
Even if they were gods, Vegzyn and Ohsus were still males. Thegarae seemed to sense my embarrassment. She flicked both hands and the tips of her grey hair suddenly extended and covered the eyes of his brothers.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Vegzyn exclaimed.
"What're you doing, Rae?" Ohsus followed.
They both swiped at Thegarae's grey locks.
"Do you want to be labeled as perverts? Ava's naked right now; you shouldn't watch so closely," Thegarae told them.
"Who cares? She's just a mortal child," Ohsus snapped.
"It's not as if we haven't seen her naked before," Vegzyn added.
My eyes widened at that unwanted piece of information and I turned to Thegarae for confirmation. She merely shrugged as a response to my questioning gaze. I felt my face turn even hotter.
"Milady, are you running a fever? Your face is very red," one of the maids asked and felt my forehead.
"I'm feeling fine, please don't worry about it," I answered.
Despite what his brothers said, Thegarae kept on obstructing Ohsus and Vegzyn's line of sight until I was fully submerged in the bathtub. Bubbles and flower petals floated over the water as the maids cleaned me thoroughly and brushed out my hair with oils.
After I was bathed and clothed, the maids took me inside a large guestroom. I was given a well-balanced meal that I ate under supervision. Then I was instructed to rest early for the night and told to join the Duke and the Young Masters tomorrow for breakfast before I was finally left alone.
I checked the balcony and locked the door before turning towards the divine siblings. "Something tells me that you came down here not just to check if the link is working right… Did you perhaps know about all this beforehand?" I said as I closed the curtains over the balcony entrance.
"Whoo, you got killer instincts, little Ava… How'd you guess that?" Vegzyn replied.
"Your reactions earlier cannot be more obvious. You looked like you were anticipating the Duke's words," I told him.
"We did know about it… After all, we can observe everything in this world, including what's being discussed inside the Duke's office…" Ohsus said matter-of-factly, making himself comfortable on the room's absurdly large sofa.
"The people of this house had been observing you properly for the past weeks to assess whether they can consider you for the position of this family's only Lady… It's been months since the Albrechts had known about the Edel selection that will happen in the future and they're preparing for it…" Thegarae explained and lay down on the bed, flat on her stomach.
I nodded solemnly as the pieces started falling together. "I thought about that earlier… This family is indeed always a step earlier than everyone else…"
"But there's something I'm curious about…" Vegzyn said as he sat down on the other sofa opposite Ohsus. "How come the Albrechts did not do the same in the novel? They've known about the Edel selection years before the Crown Prince reaches the age of eighteen, but they didn't send a daughter in the original storyline…"
"The answer to that is simple…" I told him as I slowly climbed up to the foot of the bed. The three gods looked at me attentively.
"The Albrechts were only concerned about the fact that the Neutral Faction doesn't have a strong representative… Even if the selection is going to be rigged by the royal family, it will mess up the balance if their faction doesn't have a lady from a Dukedom participating in it… From the perspective of the public, it would seem like they're not equal in power with the Noble Faction. It's also an open secret that even though the selection was supposed to be unbiased, ladies from the rank of Duke and above have a better chance of getting selected; the history of the past Edel selections can attest to that. The families with the highest rank in the Neutral Faction are the Albrechts and the Krausers. The Albrechts doesn't have a daughter and currently, Charlotte Sophia Krauser is missing. She was supposed to be the candidate to represent the Neutral faction," I explained.
"Sophia was missing at this time in the original storyline as well… But why didn't the Albrecht family look for a girl to adopt like what they're doing right now?" Vegzyn asked.
"Strictly speaking, we cannot say for sure what the Albrechts did at this timeline in the original novel. After all, they were introduced to the story midway. Even so, they would have no reason to look for a girl to adopt because, in the original storyline, the Krauser duchy had an adopted daughter. Charlotte Ava Krauser existed and she happened to be the best among the social butterflies in the aristocratic circle, giving her a strong chance to stand out among the candidates. With Ava filling in Sophia's absence, the Neutral faction was not without a candidate… The Albrechts probably didn't see the need to find another candidate and was planning on giving their full support to the Krauser's adopted daughter; at least that's what I assume to have happened with the knowledge I have of the book," I answered.
Vegzyn snapped his fingers after listening to my statements. "Gosh, I almost forgot that you were there before," he said.
"I wasn't the one who was there. It was the novel-Ava. She and I are not the same person," I piped up, feeling displeased.
"Gee, you're so uptight about that…" Thegarae commented.
"I refuse to end up like the Ava in the novel, thus it really irks me when you talk as if I am her," I explained.
At this instant, Ohsus got up from the sofa and teleported in front of me. He crouched down to my eye level. "Do you hate it that much to die for a greater cause? Ava's death triggered peace in the whole continent and abolished the aristocratic hierarchy. Everyone became equal; there were no nobles nor commoners. Her followers made that happen to honor her beliefs… Isn't that such a nice reason to sacrifice your life?" he said and casually lifted a hand towards the side of my face. He then gently tucked some stray strands of hair behind my ear.
I took hold of his hand and pushed it away. Vegzyn and Thegarae expressed mild surprise from their perches.
"Why should I be the one to sacrifice for that? If it's a human sacrifice you want, go find someone willing to volunteer. Even if it's for an honorable cause, I refuse to die again. The fate of the greater majority is not my responsibility," I said as I stared squarely at his blood-red eyes with conviction.
The corner of Ohsus' lips turned up in amusement. "Well, let's see how well you can perform… To reward you for being the first mortal to push my hand away like what you did just now, I'll give you a little tip. The Albrecht Duke said that you're only one of the candidates to consider for adoption but he lied. They have already decided to adopt you," he told me.
"He must have invented the candidacy to test me further…" I commented as I understood more of what happened earlier. "That explains the orders of the Duke to make me a room in the house and find solutions to my health problems. If I'm to be the lady of the house, I must get used to how noble ladies are being treated as soon as possible and I must also be groomed enough to look the part. He must've been wary about that because when he took the place of the real Nickolai Albrecht, he had a hard time adjusting to the noble treatment; that was a piece of valid information from 'The Nameless Black Lion'… But at the same time, he doesn't want me to think that I already have a safe standing regarding the adoption. He might be planning to assess me again on how I'll try to prove that I'm the best among the 'candidates' while starting on the plan to prepare me to be a proper noble lady."
"Bingo; that's exactly what he intended," Ohsus smirked at me. "You've really become smarter than you were before…"
"I need to be smarter if I want to win the bet with you," I replied.
Ohsus tapped the tip of my nose with his forefinger and continued to smirk. "I wonder how much you have to grow for me to unthink that your cheekiness is kind of cute… This may be adorable to my eyes for now, but be careful about how you talk to me. I might just change my mind anytime and see your cheekiness as rude and annoying. Don't say I didn't warn you," he told me before standing upright. He snapped his fingers then he magically disappeared.
Vegzyn gave a long whistle. "Gee, you're too brave for your own good, Ava… I've never seen anyone challenge Ohsus the way you do… Doesn't Ohsus scare you?" he said.
"I'm scared of him and I'm scared of you two as well… But what can I do? If I don't muster the courage, I won't be able to do anything…" I replied simply.
Thegarae shrugged before rolling over and sitting up on the bed. "That's a nice mindset, but since Ohsus already gave you a warning, I suggest for you to be careful dealing with him. Among the three of us, he's the most vicious. He has the nastiest temper as well… It will do you good if you don't ignore his warning…" she said.
"I understand… Thank you for the advice," I told her.
"No problem," Thegarae answered and got off the bed. She walked toward me and placed a hand on my head. "After all, you're our precious little toy that keeps our days amusing… It'll be a waste if you get destroyed so suddenly… I'll also talk to Ohsus and ask him to be a bit nicer to you," she added, smiling at me.
"But you really don't have to worry about Ohsus actually hurting you… He can't do anything to you as long as the contract is in effect," Vegzyn chimed in. "And Ohsus may have a mean streak but he's not that bad once you get to know him more…"
"Well, we're stuck with each other for twenty years anyway, so I'll do my best to get along with Your Divinities to the best of my capability. I'm the underdog in this bet so I'll have to be the patient one. I'll try not my best not to talk back to Ohsus even if he's being annoying," I answered.
Vegzyn floated towards me and pinched my cheek. "Good girl…" he said with a grin.
"We'll be off then…" Thegarae said and she too disappeared after a snap of her fingers. Vegzyn followed suit.
I sighed deeply after they went away and flopped down the bed on my back. Finally, some peace and quiet...'
I settled on the bed properly and covered myself with the sheets. I should sleep early as instructed. I need all the strength I can muster to deal with both the Albrechts and the divine siblings.
~~~
ALISTAIR
It had been just moments since Father ordered for little Vivy to be bathed and prepared for bed when he gathered us, siblings, to his office for a final meeting before we retire for the night.
Nash had been in a giggling fit since the door closed and we had guaranteed privacy.
"Did you see the look on her face when Father ordered for her to be moved to the guestroom? She looked so shocked, her eyes were practically popping out of their sockets. Kitty thinks she's so smart and that she's outsmarted all of us but I bet she never anticipated this kind of development," Nash commented.
"Well, it had been fun going along with her antics… And it's good to know that she wasn't totally pretending whilst interacting with all of us…" Nox remarked.
"Is that your final assessment of her?" I asked with a smirk.
Nox looked at me and gave a small nod. "I did make a final conclusion just now… Of the two types of people who approach the Albrechts, Kitten belongs to both categories. She wants to benefit from us, and at the same time, she's just too naïve to know what she's gotten herself into… She's both pretending and being truthful. She's a mix of black and white, but I think that she's whiter than any of us here… Her naïve nature dominates her calculating side since she's weak and lacking in knowledge. But even so, she's brave enough to venture inside a den full of lions. She might've not known how deadly the Albrechts actually are, but courage is courage. Others couldn't even take that first step. I commend her for that and with that alone, I'd say she's the best choice to fill in the position of our family's daughter and enter the Edel selection in the future," he answered.
"But why did you have to tease her Father?" Nash asked suddenly.
"Tease her? When did I do that?" Father asked back as he leaned on his chair.
"You told her she's 'a candidate' for the position of our family's adopted daughter, but truthfully she's the 'only candidate' for it," Nash replied, putting emphasis on his words.
"It's just a way to keep Ava on her toes, lest she started feeling too relieved and drop her guard down. An Albrecht doesn't put their guard down, whenever, wherever, whatever circumstance we find ourselves in," Father responded. "The role of your little sister is a big gap to fill. We'll teach her how to be a proper member of this family so that she can be a useful asset in the future," he added.
"But I hope we won't just use Kitty as a tool, Father…" Nash said, his tone suddenly changing. "She's pitiful, isn't she? She was born to a prostitute who tried to sell her at a young age, and just when she was finally experiencing someone's kindness, that person dies and she ends up alone again for many years, trying to survive on her own in the streets of the Capital, without knowing whether she'll die the next day… I can't even imagine myself in the same situation and I'm two years older than her… It's heartless of us if we only treat her like a tool…"
"She will receive the best of the best, be cared for like a princess… To her who has nothing, that's more than enough kindness…" Father said then beckoned for us to look at him.
"I warn the three of you not to be too fond of Ava…" he said, looking very stern. "Do you know why it's easier to put stakes on an adopted daughter with Ava's background? It's because she's disposable. If need be, I can annul her adoption and she wouldn't have any ties to the Albrecht duchy… We don't know what the future holds, and as I've told you before, securing a candidate for the Edel Selection isn't the only plan we're preparing in advance against the future threats of the Royal Family… We're working on other plans as well… The Edel Selection is the most peaceful way to keep balance in the Kingdom. Thus, we want it to be successful, but if it falls apart, we have other solutions – bloodier solutions – in order to prevent the power of the Gouveia Kingdom from falling solely into the hands of the Royal Family. Keeping balance is our family's duty. For that reason, we're not allowed to keep anything more important than maintaining that balance. We can't prioritize anything other than that; not family, not love, not even ourselves…" he told us.
"Don't worry Father," Nox answered. "We'll keep her at arm's reach, so that we can let go if need be," he added.
I internally smirked as I glanced at Lennox's serious face. He's always been good at telling lies…
"Yes Father… You won't have to worry about such a thing…" I followed after Nox.
Of the three of us, Nash didn't respond. He looked reluctant to say anything.
"Nashiel," Father called his attention.
"Yes Father…" Nash answered.
"Do you swear, by our family's honor and your mother's name, to never forget a word of what we have discussed here?" Father asked him but Nash responded with silence.
Of the three of us, Nashiel had always been the most transparent. He's honest and rarely tells lies. He does tell lies when he has to, but he's not happy about it and he has no problem showing us that he's unhappy about it. Since he's the youngest with the least responsibilities in the family, he had been the spoiled one.
However, I found that nature of his to be quite useful. Since his transparent personality often made people drop their guard when he's around, I always take him with me. That way, I can effectively make decisions in the shadows, and decipher what a person truly thinks and wants.
"Nashiel, I demand an answer now," Father declared sternly. "Do you understand what we had just discussed and do you promise to stay loyal to our family's purpose?"
"Yes, Father. I promise," Nashiel said, talking with his mouth half-closed and lying through the skin of his teeth.
Father sighed at Nash's obvious attempt of rebelliousness but nevertheless dismissed us, and we all went to our own rooms to rest. After Jeremiah, my personal butler left, I propped myself up with pillows and sat up to take a look at the moon barely visible outside the window.
I went over thoughts of our soon-to-be-sister once again. Ava intrigued me just as much as she fascinated my brothers, but I do so for a different purpose.
Just like Father, I ordered for someone to observe her closely, and according to the reports, little Vivy seemed to be smarter than she looks. She showed her capabilities but not too much; as if to draw just a specific amount of attention to herself. She seems to put herself just half in the limelight; as if she's somehow wary of totally becoming the center of attention.
I can relate to that. As the eldest son of the Albrecht duchy and the next heir in line, I've been in the spotlight of the aristocratic society my whole life. However, I do not like it when people give me too much attention. Thus, I don't do anything unnecessary to further stand out, and I often bury my presence under my Father's and brothers' shadows. People often commented that I've always been a docile child, but that was all an act.
I didn't want unnecessary attention because there are things that I'm keeping to myself. If little Vivy is doing the same, it means that she has secrets she doesn't want anyone to know.
I was also informed that she had a habit of looking for me every day. She looked for Nox and Nash as well, but the frequency at which she asked about me or looked for my presence was far more common.
Then my spy happened to catch a conversation between her and Nox in which she openly admitted that because I am to be the next Duke, it wouldn't hurt for her to kiss up to me this early in time.
I smirked at the recollection. She's funny, that little Ava. And after seeing her tonight, she's gotten even more interesting.
As she was telling her sob story, I saw something in her eyes that probably didn't get noticed by anyone, not even Father. I knew because I often have that look in my eyes as well…
It's a look so very identical to mine; a very, very subtle glint in the eyes as I think, "How much should I tell? How much should I omit?" She was analyzing and weighing things out inside her mind as she was talking.
And when she talked about her mother and the unfairness of the world, others may have seen sadness in her demeanor and tears, but I saw it differently. There was anger, dangerously flaming anger in her eyes; as if she wanted to just burn and destroy everything. She hid it very well, but I can see through it all.
Nashiel laughed at the fact that Ava may think she had outsmarted us all… But perhaps she did…
There's more to that girl than meets the eye, but there might be far more to her than what isn't visible either. I can't explain it, but there's something secretive and mysterious about her. That doesn't make sense since she's only an eight-year-old child from lowly origins. And yet, I admit that I haven't seen anyone so young and so hard to read.
From my observation, the reason why she's hard to read was the same as what Lennox said in Father's office earlier. Ava mixes real emotions and real facts with fake ones. She's sincere even when she's pretending to the point that you'll get confused on whether she's currently sincere or simply pretending. She mixes white with black and she does it in such a way that gullible people like my brothers would think that she's dominantly white.
But I don't think so… She might be more black than white. There's darkness in that little girl, a darkness whose origin is not displayed out in the open. She's telling us what she thinks we should know while hiding far more important things while she's at it. She's cunning, and at the same time, she's clumsy. She's never consistent and that makes her unpredictable.
I'm assuming she'll continue trying to curry favor from me. Like she said, I will be the next Duke and getting on my good side has more pros than cons. As for me, I enjoy the little mind games I encounter when she's near. Unlike most people I meet, she makes me use my mind a lot.
And somehow, I want little Vivy to be more black than white. That way, I'll be comforted that there's someone similar to me. I've always felt different from everyone else; even from my Father and brothers. If Vivy is indeed like me, perhaps I'll dote more on her than my blood-related brothers. It depends on what she has in store for us from this moment, especially once she's officially named an Albrecht.
"Let's see what you're going to do next, little Vivy… I'm excited to see what you can be capable of," I murmured before reaching over to switch off the lamp on my nightstand. I smiled as complete darkness enveloped me.
~~~
ONE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER
GREYSON
"Can we stop by the Jewel Place bakery after we buy dresses, Mother? I miss their éclair so much," Lottie said as she bounced around beside Mother in the carriage.
Mother gave a short laugh. "Do contain your excitement Lottie… We'll stop by all the places you want; don't you worry…" she said before tucking a stray lock of hair behind Lottie's ears.
Since I was the only one left in the house after my brothers went back to their studies, I was made to tag along with Mother and Lottie's day-out. I'm currently inside a carriage en route to the Central Plaza, a shopping district designed for nobility.
Three months had passed since my brothers and I found ourselves eight years in the past, and just a month ago, we were successful in what we planned to do; to divert the search for Lottie to the harbor towns.
We practically begged and dragged our parents to join us on a trip to Seaside Harbor with an innocent excuse that we need a change of environment for all of us to recover our energy to continue finding Lottie. Father agreed thinking the trip might be useful to ease Mother's failing health.
Just a matter of days upon our arrival, our investigations were quick to bear fruit and eyewitnesses began giving testimonies of seeing a blonde little girl arriving in a small town with her mother along the same timeline when Lottie went missing.
It stuck with the townspeople's memories for it was rare that someone moved into their town during winter. Port towns during the winter weren't exactly a good place to start anew, especially for a single mother whose profession doesn't have anything to do with the ocean.
It took a week for us to finally find Lottie. It was a very dramatic process; from the discovery of the traces of the woman who claimed to be her mother to finding the specific residence where they resided at which the woman even tried to escape with Lottie in tow. She was caught in the end and we finally retrieved Lottie. She was very confused since she doesn't have any memories of her childhood because of the spell casted on her.
It all felt really strange to me. It was my own sister whom we found; it was our family's crisis that came to pass, but I felt as if I'm an outsider to it all. Seeing our parents reunite with our lost sister in warmth and hugs and happy tears; it was as if I was watching a theatrical play unfold in front of me like I was never part of that story. I know the reason why I felt that way.
It's because to me, my reality isn't this reality, but the one we left, the reality where Ava existed.
At first, I couldn't understand… I lived more than half my life without Ava and didn't really see her everyday within the seven years she was with us, but why does it feel like my life is not the same without her?
Even now when our family is complete and happy, all I can think about is Ava.
Where is she? Is she well? Will I ever see her again? Where can I find her?
Then it hit me. No one had ever impacted me the way Ava did, not even my own family members. I reckon that my brothers feel the same. Our feelings of guilt, my desire to see her again – those might be what made this time jump possible in the first place. Ava was the trigger to this new beginning in which we had been given a chance to make a better future not just for ourselves but for the people we care about. It's not strange at all that she's always on my mind.
"We're here~" Lottie's singsong voice made me snap back to my senses. She had been under therapy for the past weeks to remove the magic blocking her memories. It led to good results, even better than how it was in the past when we first retrieved her. Lottie had regained almost all of her memories at this moment.
Unlike before where Sir Pearson found it harder to help Lottie remember past memories because of the seven years the spell was in effect, the healers who worked on Lottie's case had it much easier this time since the spell had only been intact for a little over half a year.
Thus, it didn't take long for our sister to recover her lost bonds with us and our parents. Mother and Father were over the moon with happiness when she finally recognized them. There was hugging and kissing and crying and a lot of fuss. She was able to spend time with Brother Landon and Brandon before they left to go back to the Academy.
Today is the first day for Lottie to go out of the duchy after the long therapy sessions thus she's very excited. Instead of opting for the usual home service at which the merchants and shop owners take their merchandise to our house, Lottie insisted on visiting the shops herself. I tried to match her enthusiasm every now and then, but all I could do was plaster a fake smile.
What I really want to do is get this over with so that we can go home and I can meet and talk with my brothers. It had been hard matching our schedules these days since both of them are in the Academy with different time schedules and I'm always at home. Tonight would be the first time we would see each other in almost two weeks and thus they informed me in a letter that we would be talking tonight about the plans to find Ava.
I'm happy for Lottie and I'm happy for our family, but finding Ava is at the top of my priority list right now. We must find her or I'll never be at peace. My brothers feel the same. Thus, we must spring into action as soon as possible. We can't make Ava wait any longer.
"Mother, can I request to be sent home earlier? I'm not feeling well…" I said as Lottie insisted on visiting another pastry shop just as we left the fifth store of the trip.
Mother took a look at me and felt my forehead. "No fever…" she murmured. "If you need to rest honey, you can stay in the carriage… We'll just buy some more pastries for Lottie and then we'll go home. Bear with us a little more, hm?" she added with a smile before ruffling my hair.
Groaning, I went inside the carriage to wait. To ease my boredom, I watched as people and other carriages passed by.
Directly across from where our carriage was positioned, I saw a silver-plated carriage stop directly in front of a boutique. I watched as a maid and a butler get off first and assisted three children down the steps. The carriage went away after dropping them off.
Among the children is one girl and she has on a big hat covering her head but I could see the long blonde hair poking out from underneath. A gust of wind suddenly blew the hat away and the girl turned her face towards the side to the direction where it went, following the hat's flight with her eyes – a pair of dazzling green eyes that glinted in the sunlight.
As she struggled to try and get the hat back herself, I caught a glance at her face.
"Ava…" I breathed out impulsively. I couldn't believe my eyes.
I swiftly made my way out of the carriage and went towards the road.
"Young Master, that's dangerous!" our coachman exclaimed.
Indeed, it's dangerous, for there's a commercial carriage about to pass by. At the other side of the road, I saw the two boys grab each of the girl's arms to pull her to the sidewalk.
I was barely able to snatch the hat away before one of the carriage's wheels almost rolled over it.
The carriage passed and left smoke in its wake. It took several seconds for the smoke to clear.
There was a fuss on the other side of the road as the two boys gave the little girl a scolding for almost getting herself run over whilst the butler and maid asked frantically if she was hurt anywhere.
"It's just a hat. We can buy you millions of them; why would you run after that?" the taller one of the boys said sternly.
"Brother Nox is right, Kitty… Don't do that again, okay?" the smaller boy said with a softer tone.
"I'm sorry…" the little girl told them.
There was no way I would not recognize that voice. With Ava saying those words more than a thousand times when she was young, I couldn't possibly miss that tone.
I made my way towards the other side of the road with the hat in my hands, feeling the thundering in my chest resound louder with every step.
Is it Ava? Is it really Ava?
"Excuse me…" I said as I approached the group. "I think this belongs to you," I added as I motioned towards the girl in their midst.
The two boys were blocking the girl from sight and after I spoke up, they both turned around. The girl in their midst became visible and she looked exactly like Ava when she was young. She looked at the hat then at my face.
Was it just me or did her eyes widen in surprise a little when she saw my face? But that moment passed and she blinked timidly.
"Thank you," she said as she reached her small hands to take the hat.
Before she even touched it, the taller one among the boys took the hat from me. "Thank you for bringing it back," he said and started dusting off the lace with his other hand.
"It's been a long time since we last saw each other, Greyson Krauser… Are your brothers still as annoying as ever?" the boy added and only then did I recognize him.
Curly cream-colored hair, grey eyes, a stern poker face… The boy is one of the three Albrecht sons and this one is Lennox Albrecht, the second-born.
"Hello, Sir Lennox…" I greeted dazedly as I shift from his face to the girl who had begun timidly huddling towards the maid for protection.
"'Sir'?" Lennox repeated with a bit of amusement in his tone. "Look who learned some manners in barely a year's time… I hope your brother had the same improvements to his etiquette…" he commented.
I tried looking at the girl again but this time, the black-haired boy hid her from sight, standing in front of her with hands folded over his chest. I haven't seen him much but I know this one is the youngest Albrecht son, Nashiel Albrecht.
Since our families support the same faction, we see each other in social gatherings about two to four times a year. But even if we were both sons of a Duke, there's an hierarchy among the three Dukedoms by order of origin at which the Albrecht duchy reigns superior to the Krauser and Willoughby Duchies.
I was a tad distracted by the presence of the Albrecht family members but I did not forget what I came to do. I must see the girl closer to determine if she's Ava or not.
"I beg your pardon but can you move back? Our little sister isn't comfortable with strangers…" Nashiel suddenly said when I tried looking at her by peeking through the side. He threw me a displeased and suspicious look. Lennox standing close by looked visibly annoyed.
"I'm sorry… It's just… she looked like someone I know…" I told him. Then his words registered in my mind and I looked at him with surprise. "Wait, you have a little sister?" I asked.
"Well, I guess the news had not spread yet… Father adopted a girl from a Baron's family that serves our duchy. She just got officially adopted yesterday…" Nashiel answered, looking proud.
Then he turned around to talk to the girl. "Let's introduce you Kitty… You'll be seeing more of this guy since our families are on friendly terms…"
As I watch Nashiel's back, I started thinking. A Baron's daughter? Then she can't be Ava…
"Do I have to?" the girl said, half in exasperation and half in anxiety and once again, I was swayed by how similar she sounded to our Ava.
And then, the final evidence.
"It's fine Lady Ava… This young master is a friend of our young masters…" the maid told her in an assuring tone.
Ava… She's really Ava!
Finally, Nashiel went to the side as Ava took a couple of steps towards me. The shadow cast by the maid's silhouette left her face and I was able to see her clearly.
Emerald eyes, with gold-speckled lashes that sparkled in the sun, peach-colored lips, light freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and nose bridge, and long wavy strawberry-blonde hair... Each and every single feature was of our Ava.
"Good day to you," she greeted and made a perfect curtsy; the same curtsy she had been giving us since she was little. "My name is Ava Adrienne Albrecht. It's nice to meet you, young master…"
I was rendered speechless by her introduction.
A memory of Ava crossed my mind, specifically of her introducing herself to guests of the Krauser duchy…
"Good day. My name is Charlotte Ava Krauser… It's an honor to be of your acquaintance…"
The memory faded to be replaced by the current reality.
Ava Adrienne Albrecht… But why? And how? I don't understand…
"Are you okay, young master? You look pale…" Ava said as she peered curiously at my face. There was no trace of recognition in those eyes.
She doesn't recognize me. I was frozen over with shock.
She doesn't know me… She's not the Ava I know… Or is she? I don't know… Somebody please explain to me what's happening.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
LCScarlett
LCScarlett Ava had attained the first step of her plan, to be the adopted daughter of the Albrecht duchy... However, her reunion with Greyson Krauser was unprecedented...
What will happen next?
See the answer to that question next Monday! I hope my dear readers enjoyed this update! Please vote and comment! It really helps with my motivation to write!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone