In all her nineteen years of life, Reina Aurwood had not imagined that she would see someone who was as pretty as this boy was. She had only seen such smooth skin in commercials. They said a butterfly flapping a wing in Brazil could conjure up a storm in America. When his dark, roughly cut bangs came forth as he moved, it felt like that. Reina had heard many times in her life that she was very beautiful, but this boy … this boy called Reiner Aurwood put her to shame.

Indeed she was very disappointed that it was not her brother, but it was everything he wanted to be.

“Are you doing well, sister?,” he asked.

Those dark eyes that couldn’t keep a straight gaze twinkled on his moon like face. This boy spoke just as softly as he looked.

“I heard that you suffered a grave illness.,” he said.

He then immediately averted her gaze.

Maybe Reina was just imagining things, but as handsome as he was, the room was a bit tense. The maids were stiff and even though she took a bit longer to reply because she was observing them, he hastily added.

“Of course I am just asking out of genuine concern… I came all this way just to see how you are doing, Sister…”

It was strange.

“I am doing well, thank you.,” she replied, and then had some tea. She looked at the maids who kept looking side ways, and avoiding her gaze too. This brother of hers looked a bit relieved though, but something was very off. Why did everyone think that she was very ill? And why was he calling her sister? Sure he had the same name as her brother, but if this was how people addressed each other in the underworld, she couldn’t comment much.

In addition, he looked like he wanted to say something more. He clenched his fists, averted his gaze again and again, and then mustered his courage.

“I see. I was worried.,” he finally said. His face flushed, as if he was gasping for breath, and his hands got sweaty.

Just a few words but it made her feel a sudden knot in her heart. It had been so long since someone had said that they were worried about her. She was not going to be swayed for this was her first time seeing him and she did not even know why he acted so familiar, but his words felt genuine and nice.

“Oh...I am sorry I made you worry.,” she replied without a thought, and took another sip of tea.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

She only noticed it after a moment, but the room had fallen eerily silent. She felt like she shouldn’t have said what she just said, even though there was technically nothing wrong with it, because this pretty boy locked his eyes on her face for five whole seconds, and then coughed quite intentionally when he realized he was staring.

“I shall leave to my room then. ,” he said and brusquely stood up.

“I will not be here for long, Sister.,” he reminded her before he left.

It felt like the tense atmosphere had suddenly lifted up, and become more tense at the same time. The maids looked like they had a very hard time keeping a straight face, as if they couldn’t wait to say what they had just heard to the entire castle. And that they soon did.

“ My goodness!” they said, three or four of them gathering underneath a spiral staircase.

“She had the decency to reply well?,” they said, truly surprised.

“Poor master Reigner! They used to play together quite often when they were younger, you know.”

“They say illness sometimes changes people. Maybe it’s true!”

"Don't you think she's been rather quiet after her illness?"

Reina Aurwood, who was using the staircase, had no choice but to hear them.

“I wouldn’t dare to believe that! Let a week pass and then she will ask he be out of this castle right now.”

“She is just low on energy right now!”

“Even though they have the same father!,” they cried, " they treat him so horribly."

“Shh...don’t put him in the same place as the lords and the ladies…”

“What if they hear you?!”

“I was just speaking the truth…”

Different people, Reina Aurwood had thought, had different ideas about life after death. The most plausible explanation for her was that there were dutiful non attached entities that came to take you away. They showed no pity, no love and no hate. They just did their duties and allowed you to cross the river. But that was just not the case for these underworld servants, it seemed.

Her head ached for some reason, and a constant monotone sound seemed to play forever in there.

Maybe this was all a dream, she thought. Maybe this was a reflection of the life she had led before she died. Maybe this was all her memories coming out of her consciousness and taking form. Otherwise why... Why did she think that she had poured freezing water all over Reigner Aurwood when they were 12? She had never looked down on him – let alone hung out with him before but somehow she remembered telling him that he was just a peasant’s son.

She grabbed her own head, and tried to make it stop, but it was in vain.

Why did she suddenly think that everything those maids said was true?

“My Lady!,” some servant who had seen her crouching hurried over her. It suddenly got hard for her to breathe.

Somehow she remembered all the things that never happened to her.