Selene's POV

'...I'm in trouble.'

"Waahhh, so cute! My daughter's so cute!" Mother said while hugging me.

"Yeah. It's probably because of my genes." My strict and kinda scary looking father gently but swiftly picked me up, pulling me away from mother's arms that has been caging me in for the past two hours since they entered and hugged me. They have been showering me with so much praises that even I can feel the slight increase in my ego.

'This is bad... Extremely bad... Please, just let them look like HER parents. Please.'

"Haha, Knight, what are  you saying? Have you gone mad? No way she'll take after you. You're too filthy. Now let go of my daughter." Mother coolly said trying to look calm, but the twitching in her left eye seems to think otherwise.

'...At this rate, I'll die because of them. It looks like I'm going down THAT route... God no... Please, I'll pray to all saints, angels, gods and whoever else, just don't let me head to my destruction because of THEM! Just... no. It was too pitiful that even I feel sorry for HER.'

"Oho? Did I hear right? Your eyesight must be turning bad. Oh well. It's just you after all. Go on and have that stupid little tea party with your idiotic 'friends'. Just don't come near my daughter, you're bad influence." Father said, his expression always nonchalant as if he doesn't really care.

'Oh  please. You're both bad influence. Is it really alright to talk like that with your daughter who's around the age to copy everything the grown ups say around her?... I think? Or was it one year olds who copy others? Eh, whatever. Seems their relationship is not the best of the best here. In the game, they were practically in sync when pampering HER--... Ah, now I get it. They'll team up just to dote on me... Well, maybe even SHE got annoyed by their quarrels. But I do hope it isn't the case. I'll certainly be destroyed beyond saving if they go down that route. It's just too pitiful...'

"..." Mother's smile started to thin and grew more tense while she's just looking at my father like he's an insect. Eww, disgusting. Sorry, but I find insects disgusting. It's the absolute NOPE.

"..." Father's arms coiled around me tightly but not too tight.

They stayed silent and glared at each other. Ah, I can see lightning... How fascinating.

'Am I cursed to die young? My death's kinda secured in the future, so please don't kill me right now. Oh, my death meter's rising higher and higher...'

I peeked at mother and saw that her golden blonde hair was starting to float and... is that the... What is it again? The demon of jealousy or something mask... Hannya Mask?

I started to notice that father's grip is slowly starting to tighten up, constricting me wholly against his upper body. Is it me that's small or it's father that's too big? I wonder...

'Mother, I admire you for your courage to stand up against such a giant but please... I can sense friendly fire coming my way. Please act your age. I don't wanna die like this. At least I want to go down fighting against the main characters of this world... If they exist. I hope not but I want to meet them. *Sigh* It's getting too complicated.'

Racking my brain for a solution to get out of my current situation, I mentally face palmed myself for what I'm about to do but decided that my life is more important than my dignity. The dignity of a fifteen year old who's praised to be more mature and serious than the other fifteen year olds. Or maybe eighteen years old? Well, I'm technically eighteen years old mentally after all despite my very much younger body.

"...Mother?...Father?" I softly called out, and slightly bowed my head to hide the redness that was showing itself on my cheeks because of the genuine embarrassment that I felt. I bit my lower lip and squeezed my eyes close. Ah, my dignity... I can see it flying away. Goodbye...

I opened my eyes but kept it on the floor and started fidgeting. Finally mustering enough courage to look at them, I cautiously peeked at them. They're looking at me with a gentle gaze and a smile on their faces.

Relieved to know that I haven't done anything weird, I smiled back at them without holding back. They got all googly eyed and their faces turned red. Oopsie. I forgot that this face is a powerful weapon in itself.

Mother squealed and reached for me but stopped to cup her red cheeks instead and squealed again.

Father gently let go of me and turned around covering the lower part of his face with his right hand, although his bright red ears is a telltale sign of his current status. Aww, he's embarrassed!

'...Seriously? Are they just... that or is my smile too effective? Anyways, it's a job well done.'

Silence finally settled in the room for the first time since they entered. I remembered the question that I've been pondering on for some time now.

"U-umm..." *Sigh* So being isolated for about three years can affect someone unconsciously. Now I know.

"Yes? What is it, my daughter?" Mother asked encouraging me to talk while provoking my father at the same time.

Father looked like he was gonna retort back on what she said so I decided to start talking, saving myself plenty of time and effort. What bad role models.

"Umm... Why was I locked up in my room?" I asked while tugging at the cuff of my left sleeve, being careful not to tug at it too much and end up damaging it. Umm, I don't think I used polite speech there... Talking to yourself is bad. Extremely bad.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"I'm very sorry, my child. It's just that your grandfather has issues with children. To keep you safe, we didn't fight against the idea of locking you up in the corner of this house that was presented by your grandfather. Even if we did fight against it, we can't do much since he's the head of our household. His words is law itself, so there's totally nothing we could do. We were even prohibited from visiting you . Don't worry, now that your grandfather has stepped down, we can finally let you out, so you can walk around freely. But mind your manners if ever you encounter him. He is, after all, the former head of our household." Father looked at me with regret and softly patted my head, looking really serious.

"It's fine. It wasn't mother and father's fault... right? So you have nothing to apologize for." I said, kinda happy that it was not really their fault. Oh, that's right. Something like this was mentioned at the game. One of the reasons why SHE became like that.

"No no. It feels like we could have tried harder. You're so smart and mature already, so it must have been lonely there. Just look at you. You look too fragile." Mother worriedly looked at me and 'accidentally' pushed father. Way to go, mother. Just when I was really getting touched, you just have to go and ruin it. Haaa, but I still like you. You're nice.

"We're gonna go around and travel to wherever you want to go. Just the two of us." Father said happily looking at me.

"Haah? Are you stupid, you filth? Who's gonna manage our land then? And no way will I let my daughter come with such a filth. Rather, it'll be just me and you, daughter." Mother said to father full of hostility but softened her voice when she turned to me.

"Well, who else but you? You've always been proud of your 'managing skills' so it's time you prove yourself." Father disinterestedly said to mother.

"You're gonna push all the work to a GIRL? You're the head of the house so you do the job." Mother said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Be a good wife and do as your husband says. Me and my daughter will travel around." Father said sounding annoyed.

'Seriously? This again?'

I sighed and turned around heading back straight to my room. I'm thanking the heavens for my good memory that prevented me from getting lost. A few minutes later after I entered my room, I first heard voices before hearing their footsteps. They were pushing each other on the way here, it seems.

'Wow. Really mature. Really mature.'

They started attacki-- knocking on my door. It seems like anymore and the door will break.

'...It's a wood enchanted with a protective barrier and they're destroying it just by 'knocking' on it.'

I sighed once again and stood up, but didn't open the door. Only a fool would open the door when there's a barrage of fists flying around.

"...Mother, father.... Can you please step aside for a moment?" I asked in a small voice that's loud enough for them to hear.

The noises came to a halt and I heard some shuffling behind the door. Probably them backing up a bit.

I opened the door and saw my distressed looking parents with my mother in tears and my father wearing a heavy atmosphere.

"Mother, father, I apologize for my rude behavior. I should have told you first before that I was going back to my quarters. Please forgive me." I bowed my head and stayed in that position.

"...You're right. It was very rude of you. As punishment, you'll be sleeping in my room tonight." Mother said, her face clearing up and looking extremely relieved and proud of what she just said.

"No, we're sorry for showing you such behavior, daughter. But your punishment will be to call me papa--" Father got cut off by my mother who was glaring angrily at him.

"No! She'll sleep with me for a whole week! Go away." Mother shooed at father while waving her hands dismissively at him.

This is starting to get really annoying. And it's REALLY starting to resemble THAT game... That otome game, Song of Time. I'm very sure I'm being pushed closer to my destruction because my parents and the said extremely doting parents in question will be the one to worsen or push me to my 'retribution' for being an 'obstacle' on both the good and bad end.

I'm heading straight for destruction.

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A/N:

I will be updating at least two to three chapters every week since I don't write at all at home, and Saturdays and Sundays will be the days when the computer will be unavailable because of my sibling. I've also been hoping to write a few chapters ahead on my notebook but somehow, I caught the disease known as author's block. Every avid reader's nemesis. Nah, it's just a partial author's block so it's just the ideas coming at me very very slowly. Currently, I just wrote about a page (back to back) and a half (only one side) of chapter five currently. Next release will either be four or five days later after this chapter's release.

Thanks for reading and hope that you'll continue reading [th_059_.gif] Will edit this chapter later since I'm too sleepy right now. I'll make more mistakes instead of correcting it so yeah, when I come back from school :sleeping: