Cousins (5)

Luke had intentionally left the door slightly opened, knowing my family would watch us, worrying for me. He was trying to show them my health was really fragile. However, these fevers were normal to the point I nearly got them every two weeks. After using heal, I would quickly recover anyways. The cause of my weak body was all due to the amount of mana I possessed. Related to the fact heavy spell users always had pathetic stamina and health in games. Attached to the usual machines, my groggy mind became clearer as I slowly rose from the bed.

"Close the door and use heal as usual," I whispered to them.

"We're not using heal this time, the case is different," Luke analyzed the results.

"We don't know what will happen from using heal, your condition recently stabilized," he explained.

"What is it?" I tried to peek at the results.

"You caught a unique virus from the third district, something that has never existed before," Alex revealed.

What was with my bad luck? A single sneeze from Adam made me catch a new virus, an asymptomatic carrier. If they didn't use heal, it was likely I would stay in bed for the remaining time here. People with unknown viruses were not allowed to travel between districts as the council aimed to contain it from spreading. My eyes widened when Alex pulled out a testing kit, full of healing herbs and poison. Glass bottles took up the other majority of the space, acting as containers. Were they going to use this on me?

I got my answer when Alex closed the door, saying to my family, "please let us have some privacy."

"Are you synthesizing them together?" I studied the kit.

"We're going to find a cure and get the approval from our father," Luke began to work.

This was where I discovered some of my bottles of medicine came from. The entire night was spent from Luke and Alex messaging their parents, getting their approval before urging me to drink the bottles. I felt super full, gazing at the new pile of bottles like they were sickening. I didn't think they would push me to the dining table to join my family, another drink facing me. But my stomach felt queasy, soon figuring out they were using my family to support them.

I was disappointed in my family, taking their side, making me more unwilling. Noticing their plan wasn't working, Luke began the usual negotiations, giving me the chance to extend our stay. To keep my part of the deal, I chugged the horrible bottle afterwards, hoping I wouldn't vomit this one like the other few. However, I didn't think this would be the start to a life as depressing as staying inside their mansion and villas.

"Three meters away. I told you to keep your distance," Luke believed my family were virus carriers.

"You're basically telling me not to leave our room! I can't sit or walk anywhere," I exploded.

"You haven't fully recovered yet, your condition can get worse if you get close to them," Luke repeated the same words.

"Who knows what they have?" Alex mumbled.

"Are we dirty mommy?" Adam turned to my aunt.

"Rika is just very sick, they're afraid she will catch the remains of your cold," my aunt was clearly offended by their actions.

Days passed as it was increasingly hard to tolerate having to maintain a distance away from my family. It wasn't like I could control where they walked or roamed around. I managed to earn a spot on the couch after suffering through the increased study session for today. Turning on the TV, Alex instantly switched the channel to see the daily news, the only thing I was allowed to watch. But it was better than their usual mansions, having no such things as the TV.

I wasn't surprised when the announcement came out today, the news anchor going through the details. However, I didn't know they were creating vaccines to distribute to the public. Watching the deals they were getting with the governments in various countries, they were making a huge amount of money. They were nearly getting free money to fund the production, taking the granted subsidies. To improve their image, a very tiny portion of the profits were disguised as donations. Recalling the past messages I read on their screens, paying closer attention to the details, I realized I was totally used as a lab rat by them.

These money hungry people! How could I not notice earlier? Did I really have to listen to such people? I tried to swipe the remote control from Alex, a device I never got to hold inside my hands. I wanted to see better shows, something more entertaining than the depressing news of how I got taken advantage of the last few days. Failing all my attempts, I began to shout, "it's obvious others are finished watching the news. You can't let me switch the channel?"

"You're being too strict on Rika," my mom agreed.

Luke joined us on the couch, "there could be many bad influences shown in the other channels."

"Yea right! You don't even let me watch those cartoon shows Adam and April watches," I found it ridiculous.

I became dumbfounded when Luke began to point out everything wrong about those innocent cartoons. The lack of manners and etiquette in some of the character's actions. The bright coloring that could be damaging to the eye. Eventually convincing my aunt and uncle to block the entire channel, taking away a source of entertainment from Adam and April.

"You're a terrible person!" April blamed Luke.

Unfortunately, Luke eventually made my aunt and uncle block all the channels they usually watched. When I listed the innocent shows April and Adam unfairly got to watch, Luke continued to point out everything wrong about them. I could tell April's illusion of Luke and Alex were terribly broken, and hate taking its place. We were in the same situation now. Meanwhile, Adam was crying and whining, trying to get my aunt and uncle to change their minds.

As days passed, my family received the vaccines, surprised when the health care workers directly visited our house. Since it was safe to be around my family now, the horrible distancing stopped. However, there were more people joining me when I rolled around the floor in boredom, both April and Adam had nothing to do and their usual toys were left behind in their house.

"Appearances are deceiving," April faced the ceiling.

It was about time they realized. We continued to roll around until a great idea came into my head. I could make April and Adam catch bugs for me. I rose to sit down, "what do you think of going bug catching?"

"Why not? We can't use the TV anymore," April agreed.

"I have nets with me, and we can use grandma's shovels," I recalled.

"I want to join, me too!" Adam fell for my plan.

Once we stood in front of grandma's fields, I passed them the shovels and nets. Taking a large glass cage out, tall as the height of an adult, I began to show them the features.

Both April and Adam couldn't close their mouths, wondering where it came from. Thankfully, both of them were dumb, believing my explanation it was a secret magic trick. It was the perfect excuse for everything, and we managed to quickly fill around half the cage. It was much easier than gathering them in the first district, bugs present everywhere here! I could easily make Ethan my slave at this rate with my progress.

My aunt came to check up on us around the middle of the day. The three of us were filthy, covered with dirt and mud from head to toe. Behind us, the disgusting bugs flew around the cage, nearly reaching the lid. Although I was used to the scene, my aunt appeared horrified, and stayed a fixed distance away from us. I was the same with my cousins, not sure if they had bugs on them. I was using a barrier to make sure no bugs would be able to touch me.

"This is," my aunt whispered.

"We're collecting bugs!" Adam smiled.

"We're planning to fill up the cage," April continued to dig.

"What is this?" Ally joined us.

"Ekkkk! Don't come near me," she shifted away from Adam.

Fortunately, both Ally and my aunt soon left us, trying to avoid the cage. I smiled as Adam and April were efficient workers, better than my other friends. They were super focused on gathering more bugs, they didn't notice the empty cages when I switched them in and out of my inventory. When my other family members visited us, they instantly turned around, similar to Ally. My cage of bugs was the one thing they didn't want to be near, afraid they would break out at once.

Around the evening, Luke and Alex came to join us, wanting to drag me to one of their study sessions. This was the first time Luke had ever seen me catching bugs. His eyes widened as he studied his surroundings, resembling my aunt in appearing horrified. He walked backwards to increase the distance between us, scanning if there were any bugs on me. However, Alex wasn't surprised, his face twisting to show he was disgusted. A brilliant idea washed into my head and I brightly smiled. I ran towards them, opening my arms to target them.

Instantly catching my intent, they dashed away from me, making April and Adam join us, thinking it was tag. Since this continued until dinner time, the hours in today's study session dramatically decreased. I took this chance to suggest, "I can bathe by myself today."

"How are you going to wash off the dirt in your hair alone?" Alex frowned.

"Using water and soap?" I thought it was obvious.

"You can't do this by yourself," Luke sighed.

I was surprised they were able to overcome their fear of bugs for me. Their distrust was large enough, I got my revenge by rubbing mud and dirt onto them. We ended up emptying all the washing products on the shelves, them being obsessed with cleanliness. When we entered the dining room, both my aunt and uncle appeared exhausted, having April and Adam now clean. But they didn't know my plan to avoid eating some plates.

"I went to the field again to get these bugs!" Adam held some bugs in his hands.

Ally screamed as bugs crawled out of his hands and onto the dining table, jumping into their food. I cheered inside my heart as Luke and Alex instantly abandoned eating dinner, taking the plates away. I could do this everyday until I ran out of cages. Thankfully, Ethan had passed me around one hundred cages, desperate to source more food for Sprinkles. Sneaking out of the dining room, I called him inside my room, taking advantage of Luke and Alex distracted with the bugs.

When Ethan answered the video call, my lips tugged into a smile, "how much does it cost to have you as my servant for a year?"