A New Life

"The beauty of chess is it can be whatever you want it to be. It transcends language, age, race, religion, politics, gender, and socioeconomic background. Whatever your circumstances, anyone can enjoy a good fight to the death over the chessboard."

– Simon Williams

***

Celine drag John inside the mansion.

"Let's go, Big Brother."

She called out.

"Yes, I'm coming."

John replied to her while watching the interiors of the mansion.

The mansion is huge. It had many quarters, and the decorations are clean and neatly arranged. It shows the effort that the maids do.

John earlier was talking trash to his room design, but little did he know that Emily worked hard to make it beautiful.

Emily guided them to the dining room and immediately served for their breakfast. Diane also helps Emily in preparing their breakfast.

They put the soup and bread in the table in a gentle manner. Emily and Diane put a white napkin on both John and Celine to prevent the soup from accidentally spilling on their clothes. The soup emitted a fragrant smell, it was chicken soup with some vegetables, and to its side is a warm steamed white rice on a plate. The bread shaped in an elegant design that added aesthetics to it.

John was feeling happy. He never thought he could experience something this classy. If he were in the previous world, he would just order some food or cook noodles and done with it. The way the maids handle it is graceful that you can see the experience doing it all the years of serving their lord.

John picks up the spoon and slowly moves towards on the chicken soup.

He put it the spoon in his mouth and felt the savoury flavour of chicken exploding in his mouth.

It was delicious soup, the flavour and the ingredients added to it created a balance and complimented each. The meaty chicken bits and the stock brought out the maximum flavour of chicken which almost made to lose himself.

Such a meal can only exist in a Michelin restaurant.

"Big sister Emily! It's so good!"

Celine exclaimed. Her eyes closed, feeling the flavorful chicken of the soup, and she picks up some rice on her spoon.

"Yeah, Emily this is so good."

John complimented her. John never felt such a tasty dish like this. John looked at her and thought that she was a genius in cooking.

"Thank you for the compliment young master and young lady."

She bowed towards them and stood aside. She is delighted that they complimented her food; it was her happiness to serve good food towards John and Celine. She studied hard on cooking a delicious meal for them, and the praise they gave had boosted her motivation to cook even more.

John felt a bit sad as the two maids already ate their breakfast so early in the morning. He likes to change this habit they had and join them when eating.

John and Celine finished eating their breakfast.

The two maids picked up the dishes and moved towards the kitchen room. John wanted to explore the mansion, especially the library. But he would postpone that now as he needs to interact with his lovely cute sister.

Celine was already urging him to walk around the mansion.

"Big Brother, I was running on the garden, and I found some egg on the bird's nest on an Eiphood tree. [1]"

"Big Brother, look at that flower isn't it beautiful?"

"Big Brother, lift me! I want to eat those berries."

Celine sent a wave of words. She told him many things that she was doing when he wasn't at home. The two maids accompany her to her antics and hobbies. She was a sporty young lady who likes to adventure as long as she finds it enjoyable.

John is listening to her stories. He was enjoying his time with her and all the antics she was doing. Her adventurous spirit and innocent mind made John smile.

John complied to her request and lifted her to pick some berries. She got a bunch of red berries on her hands and told her brother to lift her down.

"Big Brother, eat some of these. These berries are so sweet."

Celine handed a handful of berries towards John.

*Munch* *Munch* *Munch*

John felt the sweet juicy taste of the berries. It was like an apple and a strawberry combined.

"It is sweet."

John replied while munching the berries. Celine was happy at her Big Brother's praise, and he urges him to run with her to see more around the mansion.

"Celine, slow down for a bit, I'm not fast enough to catch up to you."

"Sorry Big Brother, I was excited to go to the ranch to see the horses."

John was panting and took a moment to rest. He takes a deep breath.

"Let's just walk, there's no need to run, and we have all day."

"Ok~."

Celine complied to him.

John looks at the environment that was surrounding the mansion. There were some trees and plants that he didn't know and some birds resting on top of it. He took a deep breath and felt the fresh air surrounding him.

'Wow'

It was a fresh feeling. Unlike the previous world where there was pollution everywhere, you can feel the fresh air, the sweet fragrance of flowers, and the beauty of the environment.

John and Celine arrive at the ranch and saw some horses grazing on the grass.

"Look, Brother. There is Lily!"

Celine called out to Lily.

John saw a speckled white horse, no it was a foal, maybe a six months old filly coming towards them. It saw Celine and runs towards her direction. She was scrubbing its face towards Celine, and Celine was petting it.

"Big Brother, she has grown up."

John remembered the horse. At that time, its mother was giving birth to it, and he was there to witness.

"Yes, she has grown up. She got a little taller."

John replied while also petting it. The horses were watching their direction for the moment and resume grazing.

Not far away from them, the two maids already finished their jobs and finally can have their time to rest.

Both of them watch their interactions from afar.

"Young master looks fine now."

"Yeah"

Both of them agreed. It was a duty to know the well-being of the young master and young lady. The young master and young lady treated them like family.

"Diane, I can't help but worry about the young master when he goes back to school."

There was a trace of worry flash in Emily's mind.

"Don't worry, maybe Doyle will do something about it."

Diane replied and reassured her that Doyle would do anything to protect John when he goes back.

"Yeah, he will do it."

Emily hopes that Doyle would do something to keep John safe. Doyle handled many things from the budget, income and managing the people who live in the land John's parents owned. He had worked on his enrollment to Itecegia's School of Nobility.

Diane felt anger when she heard the news that the nobility students badly hurt John. She had a deep hatred towards them, unlike John's parents, they are filth who took the people's liberty and made them their playthings.

Diane was thankful to John's parents for saving her. She was a slave, and the humans hate the demi-humans, but John's parents didn't have that kind of hate, she felt the warm hearts they have. They bought her and given back her freedom and told her to that she is free, but she didn't, she didn't have anywhere to go. They lent their hands towards her and brought her to their home. From there on she has served the Sebastian Family and till now she felt gratitude from them that she had something that she can call home and a family.

She had served them and felt happy about the peaceful life she had.

"Oh, they finished what they are doing."

Diane saw them walking back towards the mansion.

"Let's go, Emily, we need to go back."

"Ok, Diane, we should prepare their snacks now."

Emily replied and thought that it's already time for them to prepare for their snacks.

"Hmmm, yeah you're right I'll handle the tea, and you bake the cookies."

Diane replied and told her that she would prepare the tea. She was adept at making tea due to her sensitive tongue due to her race.

"Yes, I'm going to bake the crescent moon cookie. I'm sure they would love these"

Emily imagined the faces they're going to make and smile. Seeing the young master and young lady praise her motivated her.

"Yosh! Let's do it!"

Diane and Emily lifted their hands and gone back to the mansion.

Back at the mansion, Celine had her thoughts.

Celine recalled the times with her brother.

'Big Brother likes to spoil me a lot.'

Her brother always does what she wanted and spoiled her. She was pleased that he still does this every day with her.

'I want to play more with Big Brother'

She wanted to play. She wanted that this would last forever but-

'Mom! Dad! Don't leave us!'

She recalled the painful memory of their parent's deaths. She was heartbroken and cried that night as they saw their lifeless body. It was too much for her that she fell unconscious. The passing of someone precious is a tragic event, and they experienced it very soon. Both of the maids cried upon the passing of their parents. Doyle tried his best to stop his tears from falling but can't.

It was a night they didn't want to remember.

Ever since then John acted matured, he worked hard every day and did his best to make Celine happy again.

Celine felt happy that her Big Brother cheered her up and helped her to move on.

'I wish Big Brother will stay here forever with me.'

She smiles, and she looks up beside him.

"Big Brother, where do you want to go?"