Chapter 12: Chapter 12

The next morning I woke up way past breakfast time. Hearing me finally wake up, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

I thought it would be Adaranth but got very surprised when I saw five maids coming inside. They started making my bead, bringing me food, pouring me tea, asking me if I had slept well… I was so surprised that I just sat down on a chair and stared at them:

“What are you doing here?”

The maids seemed surprised by my question:

“We are helping you get ready.

-What?”

Adaranth walked in at the same time and I grabbed his hand:

“What are they doing here?”

Adaranth smiled sadly:

“The Duke sent them. They are going to help you in the mornings and nights.

-I don’t need help.”

Looking at them more, I didn’t remember ever meeting these people before. After five months I thought I knew everyone. Were they new? I stood up and opened the door:

“I really am grateful for your help but I think I'll be able to take it from here. Thank you but I think I’ll just get ready on my own starting from now.”

The maids looked at each other, not knowing what to do:

“If we have done anything wrong, we sincerely apologize.

-No, no. You didn’t do anything. Thank you for the food, really. I just don’t need help with these things.

-I… Could you please give us a chance?

-I don’t need to. It’s okay, don’t worry. You won’t get into trouble. You can just go now.”

They exchanged a look and bowed before finally leaving. Seeing me close the door, Adaranth frowned:

“Why would you let them go?

-Having people help me makes me uncomfortable.”

Adaranth hesitated a second before saying:

“But it’s normal for nobles to have servants attending to them.

-Well I am not used to it and I don’t want to.”

I didn’t have time to sit down when I heard someone knocking again. I went to open while saying:

“I told you that it’s okay. I don’t need help getting ready.”

However, what I saw when I opened was Payne.

“Were the maids not to your liking?

-What? No, I just don’t need people attending to me.”

Payne pinched his lips but didn’t say anything. I looked him up and down waiting for him to go on:

“Do you have something to say?

-Would you like to meet my younger siblings?”

I couldn’t help smiling:

“Sure.”

Apart from Yureka, Payne had two other siblings. They were both way younger and were called Demien and Quistis. Apart from Yureka,They had been the only ones who had trusted me and I even had to make them promise not to tell anyone that I was playing the villain. After I saved Quistis’ life and still didn’t get any kindness or thanks, I decided that it was the last straw and I stopped being nice. I didn’t try and even pretended that I was as bad as they thought. I just stopped telling the truth and pretended that I was a villain. The children didn’t understand why I was acting all mean when I wasn’t and I had to make them promise that they would cover for me. I grew really fond of them and they were the only reason my stay at the Dukedom wasn’t a complete nightmare.

Payne looked behind me and noticed the untouched food:

“We could go after you finished eating.

-Let’s go now. I’m not hungry.”

But Payne didn’t step away which made me frown.

“Do you usually skip meals?

-What are you talking about? Let’s go.”

Payne nodded and I rushed after him. I couldn’t wait to see the children again! They really felt like my younger siblings and I had my best memories by their side. Every wednesday we would go out and have tea under a tree so no one would see us. By the time Adaranth got there, the tea would already be cold but we didn’t care. We would sit for hours and tell stories and talk.

We had a lot of fun and the children finally could be themselves in those moments. They didn’t really have the opportunity at the Dukedom. Between the murder attempts and their classes, they never played. I felt really sad seeing those two kinds acting like adults and that was a big part of the reason why I taught them how to let go.

Midway there, I realized that I had to calm down. They had no idea who I was now and I had to make them like me again. I was a bit nervous. What if they didn’t? I didn’t want them not to like me. There was no reason for them not to but if I made a weird first introduction and then they heard all the whispers about me, they could be too scared to stay with me.

The first time I met them in my past life was when I saved Quistis from a murder attempt. That wasn’t the best meeting but at least it was memorable enough for her to remember me in a good light. Not that I wanted her to be traumatized again. This time around I would be quicker.

Payne stopped in front of a door before knocking. Two tiny heads opened and looked up at us with round eyes. Having recognized the Duke, the children quickly bowed:

“Good morning.”

I frowned. They had always been uncomfortable around Payne. Despite being very close to Yureka and his grandmother, he couldn’t talk to children at all. He didn’t make an effort and talked to them as he would to anyone else: coldly and with as few words as possible.

“This is my fiancé, Zeidan.”

I crouched down in front of the children and smiled:

“Hello I am so honored to finally meet you two. The Duke told me so many good things about you.”

The little girl’s head jerked up while the little boy didn’t dare look away from his shoes.

“Really? What did he say?”

Quistis seemed so surprised that it broke my heart. This family didn’t deserve these children. I didn’t even want to know what could have happened to them after I died. The Duke certainly couldn’t have been there for them. Apart from Adaranth, they must have been the only people who cried my death and thinking about them sitting in a dark corner alone really hurt.

“From what I heard, you are the pride of this family. I heard that you were the smartest children ever seen.”

Both Quistis and Demien started blushing:

“We are not that smart…

-How can you say that? I am sure that your teachers would say otherwise.”

Demien started playing with his fingers shyly:

“But I don’t know how to write in Llenian yet…

-I can’t either.”

Demien finally looked up, surprised:

“You don’t?

-No. I never learned. If you want, we could learn together.”

Demien nodded so quickly that I thought his head would fly off. Seeing his siblings so happy, Payne smiled. I knew that he loved his siblings but he rarely showed it. It was... weird.

Quistis asked:

“Do you know how to count to a hundred?”

I laughed:

“I don’t. We could learn that too.

-But I can! I can teach you!

-You are so smart! I would love to learn from you.”

Both the children suddenly grabbed my hand and I almost fell backwards.

“How long are you going to stay?”

Payne answered before me:

“Zeidan is my fiancé. He is part of the family now.”

The children had stars in their eyes:

“Are you going to stay forever?

-Really? You’re staying forever?”

I pinched my lips. I of course planned on leaving but how could I say that when they looked so happy?