Previously in Everything Will Be My Way (chapters 1-29):
Kyon killed Martin, the greedy formacist who decided to cash in at the boy’s expense. He also made friends with Byron, the leader of the slaves. A friend helped Kyon to rob a money-lender and his gang for a large sum of money that helped him to get a promotion to a higher slave position. Meanwhile, he found a connection with his soul, learned the rules of the world around him, escaped the righteous anger of Martha, the nurse who found out that he had killed Martin. He also met a goddess who searched the whole universe for him because he was one of a kind. Kyon won the auction and was sent to the Stone estate where his environment drastically changed. The family members had immense soul development and impressive power. Kyon lacked knowledge about the new place where people could bend elements and used all kinds of formations for various needs, i.e. for subjugating beasts and slaves. The noble in this place took slaves for nothing, they could decide their fate with a snap of their fingers. Kyon counted on getting out of the damned mine to have a better life but in fact, his very existence became endangered as soon as he arrived in the estate. He was still a slave who had to prove himself in this new powerful world.
***
The Stone family estate, evening.
A young beautiful girl, whose angelic appearance could charm the gods themselves, was sitting on a bench impatiently dangling her legs in sandals. The wind was blowing through her long golden hair. Her huge emerald green eyes framed with thick eyelashes reflected a pale moon. The sight of her was magical, wondrous, unearthly.
A mournful howl of ghosts came from somewhere behind her.
The girl narrowed her eyes, an understanding smile played on her lips.
«You have a lousy memory. It won’t happen twice!» - Her voice, melodious as spring bells, sounded too shrill, destroying her innocent image.
The “ghosts” obediently shut up. A heavy sigh and quiet laughter were followed by the old man's creaky voice:
«Lady Juno, I’m in my late 120s, go easy on me.»
«I am tired of hearing you harp on the same string, old fool!» - The girl turned around with a mischievous smile.
Flitz, the one who Martin was sent to replace, paid a visit to Juno. He was a tall thin old man with a shock of white hair and a long beard. His face was wrinkled in deep furrows but his eyes were glowing with an inner flame. He was wearing a gray long cloak that sages always had on, which was unfitted for the evil old man.
«My old heart can’t take your harsh words. Mind your manners!» - The old man was smiling, too.
«Your heart can take more than that!» - The insolent girl snorted and rose from the bench. She closed her eyes and stretched, arching her back. Flitz wanted to give a flick on her nose for that provocative behavior.
She half-opened her sly, gleaming like emeralds eyes and reproached him:
«Well?! Did you forget how to greet your lady?!»
«Hahaha! Let me hug you, dear… It’s been a while…» - Fritz laughed and pulled the naughty girl toward himself so that she buried her nose in his chest. The girl was a head shorter than him. The old man couldn’t help nuzzling his nose into her thick hair. The smell of expensive shampoo tickled his nostrils. She reminded him of a spoiled puppy, so cute and spontaneous. It’s so tempting to touch her but it’s not worth dying for.
«Flitz…» - The girl pulled away. - «Tell me what you have found out.»
The old man sat wearily on the bench. Juno sneaked beside him and straightened her gray skirt.
«The information was correct... She fled to the imperial capital. I did some investigation and found out that she had joined the Order. She passed the exam with one hundred points and became an official inner disciple at once. Can you imagine?»
«Hmm… How unexpected.» - The girl made a sarcastic snort, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. - «How is she doing there? Why would she need entering the Order?»
«Alas, I wasn’t sneaky enough to meet her in person but I heard a lot from the external disciples. All right, there’s no harm in telling…» - The old man wearily waved his hand. – «She created a sensation on the very first day and got some admirers…»
«Hush! Stop it. I know. She is beautiful, strong, smart, blah-blah-blah. Miss Perfect.» - Juno made a grimace of disgust. Her eyes flashed with rage: - «I was destined to spend my childhood in the chill of her magnificent shadow. So stop talking about her and keep to the point.» - The girl had to fight back the urge to stamp her foot in a fit of rage.
A down feather of some night bird landed on her cute nose.
The girl sneezed quietly and flashed a dazzling smile watching the feather soar in the air and then slowly float to the ground. The old man's heart skipped a beat, he averted his eyes. Then he cleaned his throat nervously and continued:
«Yeah, sure. Anyway... I don't think she ran away because Timothy Brown wanted to marry her. He was weak and frail like a puppy that can only yelp loudly. It all comes down to your father’s disappearance…»
Juno sucked in air, which made her neat perky tits rise, and moaned hiding her face in her hands: «Just as I thought. She is a fool… She… No, I mean it! She IS a fool.»
Flitz asked cautiously:
«It’s a sensitive subject around here, isn’t it?»
«It is. She is obsessed with him... She thinks that father is alive, but he has not been with us for years! He is either dead or a complete idiot!» - She growled the last words. Her eyes sparkled with hatred mixed with grief for her father, who had always loved her sister more than her.
The old man sighed quietly:
«Once I talked with your grandfather. He said that his son might be alive... His people had been investigating the case of his disappearance but all leads had ended at the border with the demons, on the day of Succubus Love. Those damned creatures are very powerful. It is also known that they love strong men in their perverse way. Your father was strong and talented.» - His eyes glanced over the girl who was sitting very still: - «Your sister wants to become stronger, but there is no better place in our Empire than the Imperial Order. Apparently, she plans to get into the Empire of demons on her own... That’s why she ran away.»
«All right. That’s just great. She decided to commit suicide. I couldn’t be happier for my sister.» - Juno gave a nervous giggle. She wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold, and shook her head:
«I mean, she is three years older than me but she is such a bird brain…»
Flitz was considerate enough to refrain from any comments. Elsa was the best of the best, and her sister knew it very well. She had a hundred thousands of admirers who were eager just to look at her.
«You know, ever since I found out your true self, the hair on my head has significantly receded... Ow!» - The old man did not expect a blow to his shoulder from the viciously puffing “puppy.”
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«Do you want to say you don’t like me?» - another blow. - «Tell me! I am mean, aren’t I?!» - and another one. - «Come on, tell me!»
The old man couldn’t take her attacks anymore, he got out of her way. He rubbed his injured shoulder - it’s going to leave a bruise, you little rascal! - and said indignantly:
«You are the most obnoxious girl the world has ever seen! A nasty piece of work!»
Juno rushed to the old man to show him that until now she was just an angel. Only, she couldn’t keep up with experienced Flitz:
«You spend months in the mine, old fart! His Majesty applies the formations! Or maybe you like the slaves, huh? I know what a pervert you are deep inside! Come on, slow down!»
Flitz grinned slyly and immediately obeyed her order. He stopped suddenly and turned around. The girl did not expect his obedience and crashed into his chest.
The old man exhaled wearily. He gently unstuck the overly energetic young lady from his cloak and grinned looking at her reddened nose and tear-filled eyes. Suddenly, he shuddered and looked away.
Juno sobbed bitterly and rubbed her nose slightly swollen from the impact.
«Old goat… Why would you stop like that?!» - She went ballistic and stepped menacingly forward, ready to strike again.
Flitz caught her small fist at once:
«Keep reaching for the stars and one day you’ll take revenge on me, kid. By the way, how is your training going?»
Juno broke free, gracefully straightened her silk blouse and walked down the path through the park, nervously tapping the ground with her low heels. She had an odd expression on her face - a mix of annoyance with resentment.
«I connected with my spirit three months ago. If I’d done it like my sister in early childhood she would be kneeling before me to curry favor instead of gallivanting all sorts of Orders stirring up trouble.»
Fitz couldn’t hide his delight: just look at her, knee-high to a duck but arrogance over the top!
«Wow! What an impassioned speech! You may be talented but don’t you have a bit too high opinion of yourself? You can’t hit me, all right, I’m too strong for you. But there’s that kid, what’s his name, Yegorka or something… You can’t defeat even him!»
The "puppy" sniffed angrily:
«Mind your language, old bones! For the record, he is the most promising young fighter in our family! Anyway, whenever we fight he deliberately rises his development up two stages. He never fights on equal terms. He must be afraid to lose to the girl like a real coward he is!»
The old man burst into laughter:
«Oh well... If that difference had stopped your sister, do you think she'd become genius number one?»
«Shut up! Shut up! Damn, how much I hate you! That's why you keep talking about her like all of them do?!» - Malicious Juno tried to trip Flitz up but he stepped over her foot without even looking at her. She growled: «Don't you ever say something about it again! And not a word about Yegorka! I can’t even think of him after his misconduct last time!»
Flitz had no idea what the boys’s crime was but he couldn’t care less.
«So… You don't want to get stronger, do you?»
«Of course I do!» - The girl hissed angrily.
«Ha-ha-he! What if I teach you to fight?» - Flitz offered with a sly look.
«No, not you.» - Juno snapped with no hesitation.
The smile faded from the old man's eyes, the world had lost its color. The formacist shook his head trying to get rid of his sad thoughts:
«You're the first one to refuse trainings with me... Juno, if you can’t handle even Yegorka, you might want to fight with someone of equal strength.»
«Do I look like a kindergarten teacher?! Besides, all the boys, as well as young men, only know how to drool during the fight! And you know how much I hate perverts. Such as yourself.» - The mean girl responded vindictively.
«You must understand what you're missing out when you fight with dummies! You do have the talent to reach the fifth stage in three months... Many people would kill for that… But without skills to fight, it doesn’t matter how developed you are. Will you be pleased if someone brings you to your knees, someone a dozen stages below you in development?»
The girl lowered her shoulders. She sighed and whispered softly.
«You're right... Of course, you’re right. In fact, I don't mind working out with you. But how long are you going to stay this time? The family needs you... freaking formacist…» - She looked up at the old man sadly, already knowing the answer.
Flitz was deeply moved. He stretched out his hand to pat the sweetest girl in the world but stopped short, clenching his fist.
«I would have to ask the Patriarch and the elders, and have a talk with your brother. Martin might not stay there for long. I'll have to go back... I'm sorry.»
«That’s what I'm saying.» - Juno snorted and continued on her way.
«What if I bring someone who doesn’t drool? And what if he fights well, not like the punching bags you used to fight with?» - Flitz remembered the pile of meat which was left of those who couldn’t survive a day with Juno. And some other "lucky" guys... A chill ran down his spine.
«I don’t mind punching bags.» - The charming tyrant in the skirt giggled.
«Be serious! It’s for your own good!»
«I know. Alright... Find someone strong but weaker than me, and no drooling! And... I have to enjoy dealing with him, I mean beating him, of course. Do you understand? He has to last longer.»
Flitz gave the girl a judgy look. What she did to the “punching bags” wasn’t worthy of the lady, the Patriarch’s daughter of such a noble family. He shook his head in discontent.
«I promise I'll find someone for you.»
Juno sat on a bench thoughtfully admiring the moon, silent.
She’d finally stepped out from her sister’s shadow but it wasn’t getting any easier. She thought she was born to surpass Elsa but fate slowed down her development so that the competition was equal. And there she was... It was time to catch up and prove herself to everyone who despised her, who compared her to the elder sister and still does, who treated her like a little girl, capable only of charming others with her looks. From now on, her life goal is to defeat her sister in front of everyone. She needed to prove her greatness.
Juno let out a big yawn. It was long after midnight. She hugged the skinny old man and said quietly in his ear:
«Thank you, Flitz, for finding out about my sister for me.»
The old man was touched. It was a rare occasion to hear sincere gratitude from the walking disaster. He reached with his hand for her fluffy head but his fingers felt stiff and he just hugged her back.
«My pleasure. Let me take you to your room.»
«No need. I’ll go by myself.» - She gave another yawn.
«Well, in that case... Good night, Miss Juno, the queen of the dummies.» - The old man smiled. The mere presence of this nasty girl always lifted his spirits.
The girl waved him off and went to bed, yawning.
(It's the author's vision which might not coincide with yours: https://ibb.co/q7hVVw1 )