Chương 5: Unpleasant family

The morning sun was blindingly bright. Zuri awoke with a sense of lethargy gnawing at her soul.

As she fully regained consciousness, her focus sharpened, settling on a single point. When she realized it was the man she had married yesterday, Zuri quickly sat up in bed.

"Do you have a hobby of watching people sleep?" Zuri asked with a disapproving look. Her peaceful morning had been ruined by Liam's presence in the room.

"No. Get ready quickly, there's something I need to discuss." Liam remained unfazed by Zuri's emotions. He spoke in a cold tone, his gaze sharp.

"Jerk, he's just as annoying as Prince Tristan. I'll make sure he suffers because of this marriage. Hmm... should I pretend to be nice and then drain all his wealth? That way, he'll end up broke and won't treat me like this," Zuri thought to herself while glaring back at Liam.

"Haven't you cleaned your ears yet? Hurry up and get ready, there's something I want to talk about." Liam repeated his sentence.

"I don't like morning showers. If you want to talk, just talk." Zuri wanted to make Liam disgusted with her. Maybe the man in front of her was the tidy type who disliked anything dirty. Alright, Zuri would make Liam start to feel repulsed by her.

Liam frowned, unaffected by Zuri's provocation. "Alright, then. But aren't you embarrassed by the drool at the corner of your mouth? It's quite disgusting. But if you don't mind, let's go to the dining room. My family wants to meet you," Liam said, staring at a surprised Zuri.

"Strange girl, why did Grandpa have to arrange my marriage with her? I hope this marriage ends soon."

Zuri heard a voice so close to her ears. Yet, there was no one else in the room except her and Liam. And Liam remained silent. She started to recall that this had happened before when she was with her mother. The voice was crystal clear then. But when she was with her father at the hospital, the voice was just a faint buzz. Zuri tried to connect the dots of this new phenomenon.

She looked at Liam with suspicion. Was it possible the voice was coming from him? But he seemed so calm, as if nothing was happening. "can I read his mind?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Liam raised an eyebrow at Zuri, oblivious to the confusion swirling within her.

Zuri crossed her arms and looked away, trying to hide her surprise.

"Nothing. I'm just thinking about how disgusting my life is now," she said sarcastically, attempting to divert his attention.

"One more thing, I absolutely despise you. You're the biggest problem in my life right now." She turned and headed to the bathroom, but couldn't ignore the curiosity about the voice emanating from Liam's thoughts. Meanwhile, Liam remained silent, merely watching Zuri's back with an impassive expression.

Zuri emerged from the bathroom to find a young maid staring at her in awe. But a moment later, the maid lowered her gaze.

"Hmm... excuse me, Miss, I was instructed by the young master to assist you," the young maid said politely.

Zuri smiled, finally having someone to talk to. When she was Princess Elara, she also had a maid who accompanied her, someone she considered a friend.

"Don't look down like that. Do I look scary? If you keep looking down, I'll assume I'm ugly," Zuri said, then without hesitation, hugged the young maid whom she would consider a friend.

The maid seemed awkward and looked at the young master's wife in astonishment. In all her time working in this house, she had never received such a warm welcome.

"Wow... the young lady is very beautiful. I hope this time the young master has found his match." The young girl looked at Zuri, while Zuri furrowed her brow as she heard the voice in her ear again. The girl was just looking at her silently, not saying anything.

"Of course I'm beautiful," Zuri said with a small laugh. The young maid was startled.

"Can you read my mind, Miss?" she asked in surprise.

Zuri shook her head. "No. You just said that," Zuri lied. It seemed she had finally figured it out. She could hear people's thoughts if she touched them. Just like when her mother hugged her, and also Liam who had kissed her cheek. However, she still couldn't hear her father's thoughts, even though she had held his hand on the way to the wedding.

"Wow, I like this, it's so much fun," Zuri said, looking at the young maid in front of her who seemed confused by the young lady's unique behavior.

"What's your name?" Zuri asked excitedly.

"You can call me Anya, Miss," the young maid replied politely.

"Alright, Anya, when it's just the two of us, treat me like your friend. Call me Zuri. I don't like formalities. They're so annoying," Zuri requested, and Anya nodded stiffly in response. The young master's wife was truly unique.

"By the way, what do you know about Liam? Are his parents strict?" Zuri asked Anya, who shook her head slightly.

The people in this house call Mr Liam the jinx. Grandpa brought him home from an orphanage. Mr Liam's father was Grandpa's first son. He ran off with a maid and eventually Mr Liam was born. But his parents died, so Mr Liam lived in an orphanage. When Grandpa found out, he brought Mr Liam back to this house. Anya told what she knew about the Hayes family from her aunt.

"So, he has no parents anymore?" Zuri asked, and Anya nodded.

Anya leaned closer to Zuri and whispered, "The ones in control are the Second Master, Mr. Liam's uncle and aunt. The Second Master is the second son of Grandpa. the younger brother of Mr. Liam's father. They are also against this arranged marriage. But Grandpa, or the Great Master, personally chose the match for Mr. Liam. So his aunt and uncle couldn't do anything about it. Mr. Liam is like a stranger in his own home. Anya seemed to know a lot about the ins and outs of this house. Zuri was happy; it meant she could gather more information. Then she could find a way to ask Liam for a divorce.

Anya then helped Zuri prepare her clothes. After Anya helped Zuri get dressed, Zuri felt more energized. Even though her new life was full of puzzles, at least now she had a slight grasp on her mysterious ability. She could read people's minds, at least after touching them. This was no ordinary power, and Zuri knew she had to be careful using it.

Zuri looked in the mirror, observing herself, who now looked vastly different from yesterday. The luxurious clothes and jewelry she wore felt so foreign, even though she came from a noble background. However, this time, it all felt more like a mask than her true identity.

"I'm ready," Zuri told Anya with a calmer smile. She decided to play along with the plan, for now.

Anya opened the door, inviting Zuri to leave the room. Outside, Liam was waiting, leaning against the wall with an unreadable expression. As Zuri approached, Liam moved ahead of her, walking without saying much. Zuri followed behind, carefully matching his pace.

"Don't cause any trouble when you meet my family," Liam said without turning around. His voice sounded more like a warning than a request.

Zuri shrugged. "Are they as rigid as you?" she asked sarcastically, but Liam didn't answer. They both walked towards the main dining room.

Upon arriving at the dining room, several members of Liam's family were already gathered. Their faces looked tense, as if they weren't particularly enthusiastic about Liam and Zuri's presence among them. Everyone stared at Zuri as if she were an intruder in the midst of this family. Only an elderly man looked at her with a neutral expression.

Zuri wasn't intimidated. She lifted her chin and sat gracefully in the provided chair, while continuing to try to read the atmosphere. This was a power play, she thought. Everyone here must have their own agenda.

As the conversation flowed, Zuri tried to focus her mind on the family member sitting closest to her, a middle-aged woman with a stern expression. Unconsciously, her hand touched the woman's hand as she accepted a cup of tea from the servant. Instantly, the voice reappeared, clearer and sharper.

"She thinks she can become a part of this family? This woman is just a tool. Soon enough, we'll get rid of her. This family doesn't need outsiders like her."

Zuri suppressed a cold smile that almost appeared on her face. "So, they're planning something. This family isn't just an ordinary noble family; there's a bigger secret here." And Zuri, despite having just entered this world, could already sense that she needed to be very cautious.

Liam observed Zuri from across the table. "Are you alright?" he asked, though his tone sounded more like a formality than genuine concern.

Zuri looked at Liam for a moment, then offered a thin smile. "Of course, I'm just trying to adjust," she replied, playing the role of the new wife in the family.

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