Chapter IV – The king's checkmate
Dinner was delicious as always. Cléa was always at her best.
We all chatted that evening. Mom cooled down after Vance and Gale brought her the gift. Annaliese didn’t complain about our behavior. Erika and Nelya didn’t look at me once in the eyes. Rosie and Katherine chatted with the rest of the family.
And I sat there. My dinner finished.
“Well, it sure is something I would look forward to. What to you think, Victoire?” Dad asked mom.
“Well...I would feel bad for Lillya.” Mom looked at me. “If we brought everyone at the party out of town, she’d remain here, wouldn’t she?”
“Oh, shoot. That’s right.” Vance looked at me and sighed. “Sorry, Lillya. Didn’t mean to leave you out.”
“N-No! It’s okay!” I raised my hands. “If you all want to go out, then do so. It’s completely fine, really.”
“Yeah. It’s not like she can’t fucking take care of herself for one evening.” Annaliese said, clicking her tongue. “I am going with them.”
“Annaliese! Words!” Mom shouted. “Lillya, I'm sorry.”
“No worries.” I shrugged and sighed, shaking my head.
Everyone got up and started helping Cléa and Brya cleaning up. We did that every single night, because we loved our servants very much and we were grateful for her services.
As soon as everything was clean, we all departed. Some went to their rooms, some went to the living.
I went to my own room with Nelya.
“I am going to bed now.” Nelya said, pulling the covers and snuggling herself inside them thereafter. “Listen. I am sorry...for getting mad. I should be the first rooting for you and Erika be friends. But...she looked like she wanted to tell you some secret and I got offended. Really, I should have not...acted like that. Sometimes I’m very childish and I know it.”
I sat at the edge of her bed, right beside her. I put a hand on her arm and smiled.
“It’s okay Nelya. I love you for what you are.”
She widened her eyes, her cheeks deep red. I had never told her ‘’I love you’’ until that moment, after all. Her reaction was natural.
“I-I love you too…” she replied. “...that sounds really weird, hahah.”
“Love comes in many ways, silly.” I giggled, brushing her arm with my hand.
“Y-Yeah. Sorry.” She stuffed her face in her pillow, chuckling softly. “Well? Do you want to study or...maybe you come to bed?"
“I'm going to sleep with you. I just need to give a book back to William. I’ll be back.”
“Okay…”
I reached the desk, pulled out a book with an azure cover.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
I stared at it.
‘’Open it and you’re dead. Understood?’’
I shook my head, making her face and voice fade away. I pressed the two sides of the cover, keeping it shut tightly.
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"Did you really stayed up waiting for me?"
I chuckled, pushing myself against her under the covers.
"Heheh, yeah." She giggled, her warm embrace filling me whole. "Sorry."
"No need to be sorry." I replied, poking her nose. "It's cute."
It was a calming night, one of the many soothing nights I used to spend to my dearest sister’s side.
We shared a bedroom together, because we loved each other to an almost obsessive extent.
The rest of our siblings didn’t complain much about it...since they knew our bond was too strong to be torn apart.
I turned around and let her press herself against my back, her sweet voice filling my ear.
"You know. I was glad hearing you say you loved me. You never said that to me."
"Come on. I didn't do anything special."
"It's true! It was...it was the way you said it. It...it felt good."
"Hm? Really?" I sighed contentedly. "Then do I not deserve a reward?"
"What do you mean?" She asked, chuckling slightly.
"Sing for me, Nelya."
"Ehh...? Since when you openly ask for it?"
"Please. Do it."
"...okay."
She caressed my hair, singing that little lullaby in my ear, clinging to my resting body.
She loved to pet me like this, as if I was her little doll.
“Sleep, sleep and sleep...sleep in the sea of the flower…”
“...and when you wake up, you will have me by your side, you will not cower.”
She loved me so much.
And I loved her so much.
As she caressed me so gently, whispering those words to me, I laid on our bed motionless, giving her my back…
...my right hand, tainted with sin, grasped hers tightly.
I looked at the corner of our dear bedroom and I saw her smiling, a smile on the verge of laughter.
I closed my eyes, clenching my dear sister’s hand tighter and tighter, wishing that the bad dream would end.
But no matter how much I waited. No matter how much I prayed…
...she was always there.
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The first thing I heard that morning was mom crying. I immediately rushed out of my room, looking at William trying to comfort her as she screamed in despair.
It was raining outside, and that didn’t really help with my mood.
I approached the two, my heart beating faster as I saw my own mother crying in such a sorrowful way.
“What’s going on?” I asked William, knowing perfectly that mom wouldn’t have answered me anyway.
“Erika!" He shouted my name, his eyes quivering. They were swollen. I couldn’t see it until he turned around to face me, still hugging our mother. "D-Dad…!" He stammered. "Dad is dead! He...he killed himself, Erika!”
My heart sunk.
“Where is he now?”
“He’s still in his study. The servants are trying to...clean up.” William replied, swallowing hard.
“Where are the others?”
“They’re all out. Nobody heard the news yet...not even Lillya, she’s still asleep.” He added.
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My legs were almost giving up as I ran towards the study. All the servants of this mansion were right outside the door, Kruz walked inside slowly, pulling his right glove and taking a deep breath.
“WAIT!” I screamed, pushing the poor butler out of the way, storming right inside the room.
It was true. His lifeless body swayed back and fort, a rope tied to his neck and hung to the gas lantern’s hook on the ceiling. His eyes were wide open, a terrified expression. I recognized that look too well.
I immediately became sure. It wasn’t suicide at all.
“...tch.” I muttered, my nails digging in my own palms.
I failed! I failed! I FAILED!!!!
image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gfbe77s9slwrv2w8ejhwg/_furudo-erika-artist_missile228-depth-of-field-best-quality-illustration-s-3714279237.png?rlkey=nja39y5ltbf8z8118535vvito&raw=1]
THAT WRETCHED WITCH KILLED HIM!