Chapter 2.1

Her brothers were sitting across from her, their faces grave and worried. Alice looked at them. Had this been any other usual day, she would have stormed off in a fit of rage at their serious and solemn looks. They only made those faces when they were nagging her for something. However, this wasn’t the time for that.

“This must be a huge shock to you, Alice,” said Alex, “The situation and the stress where you did what you had to do to save yourself and us. I have failed to take care of you. I am really sorry. I have nothing more to say than that.”

Alex looked solemn as if he was carrying all the burden of the world. He felt guilty that Alice had to fight and kill for him. If he was given a choice on whether to get stabbed or see Alice doing that, he would choose the former. He was the most gravely injured of the three. The therapist had advised him to not move very much or exert himself. It would take him a long time to heal completely unless the capital sends a senior medic.

But would Alex, ever so boneheaded, listen? No. He was the eldest so the responsibility of the estate fell on him. Alice wanted to slap him senseless and tie him to the bed so he couldn’t move.

It would have been nice if he was given some drugs, maybe something to put him to sleep. Therapists never gave out such kinds of drugs, so she didn’t know if they existed. Alice hadn’t been interested in kinds of drugs and their functions, until now.

So far, she had been only interested in the coming-of-age party that was to be held in the palace soon. It was partly a celebratory event held for young ladies on their path to womanhood, but it was also an event to find suitable husbands for them. Alice’s dream had consisted of dolling herself the prettiest among all and finding an amazing man. Ew, thought Alice, What was I even thinking?

It seemed her perception had shifted over night. That ‘dream’ sank deep into her chest and drowned, banished to a place where it will never see the light of the day. Alice shuddered with disgust now when she thought of marriage and men.

“You didn’t even see what happened, Alex!” exclaimed Aaron, looking distressed. “I still don’t know how you pulled it off, Alice. How did you do it? You didn’t even flinch. You didn’t even look distressed.” Aaron seemed frustrated, sweeping away his delicate blond hair across his head swiftly.

Objectively, both Alex and Aaron were handsome young men. Both were tall, had different shades of blond hair and their fashion sense was next to none, thanks to their mother who had drilled into them that grooming oneself was as important as winning a fight.

Alex was burlier than Aaron. His vigorous training had given him a strong physique and his title as the future Marquess gave him a lot of attention from the ladies, while Aaron was lean and strong, and he was a good old nerd, always with his nose in a book. She looked at them. They were her family. She saw Aaron lift his injured leg, wrapped with a splint, and place it on the table, flinching. She felt angry. Nobody could touch her family. Did they know who she was and what she could do?

When she had met Sir Slanted Eyes’ gaze, she had found out about herself. The problem was, she didn’t know how to tell it to her brothers. She couldn’t avoid the truth forever. Even now, Aaron directed her a gaze full of suspicion and Alex…

She wasn’t sure what he was thinking. It was always hard to read him. At one point in her life, she had been proud that she could read people like words in a book. But whenever she looked at him, she was always unsure what he was contemplating under all that seriousness.

“Alice, do you have anything to say?” asked Alex gently, looking at her. Aaron sighed and looked at her gloomily.

“I have killed people… in my previous life.” She knew she sounded outrageous but it was the truth. She looked at them carefully, gauging their reactions.

Alex lifted an eyebrow. Whenever he did that, he looked like their father. Aaron rolled his eyes and leaned back on the sofa.

“In a dream,” Aaron mocked. 

This time it was Alice’s turn to roll her eyes. “Isn’t it completely normal and natural to just be able to kill people after dreaming about it?” She said with mock delight.

For a second Alice thought Aaron would laugh but he seemed taken aback recalling what had happened a little while back. His expression was replaced with dread. Alice felt sorry that he had to witness his fifteen-year-old sister be a killer.