Weird Welcome

Upon arriving at the entrance of Richter Residence, Kiha gets off the carriage with the help of her knight Ezequiel with satisfaction in their heart. The young lady who was supposed to be outside with her friend doing shopping is now at the Residence Garden with her one and only knight that stays beside her. Kiha’s cumbersome dress was uncomfortable that she can’t move as she free begins to sweep on the floor.

It was heavy enough to make everyone who will look at the young lady feel uncomfortable rather than be mesmerized. That’s what her maid wants, to look trying hard to be elegant in front of everyone. But the lady in front of them right now is the embodiment of elegance herself.

Kiha’s personality and even the way she carried herself changed after a week of fighting the afterlife, everyone has been wondering if the young lady they’re serving needs to be sent to the mental hospital again just like when she had an accident 7 years ago. But what they don’t know is their Kiha died that night and the new Kiha will never act against anyone again. The foolish Kiha that everyone expected to be innocent will never be back.

Her lights steps created a soft sound against the ground, her heels are high that it looks like she’s stepping on a soft and high-quality floor-covering. The way she moves her upper body together with her fragile feet is what they call elegance.

Her smile that lifts everyone’s mood changes as she starts climbing up their mansion’s door. The Count’s large and heavy hand swings in front of Kiha that soon lands on her white flawless cheek. A loud unpleasant sound resounded on the estates. Her father’s way of welcoming her is different from others that even the gardener's grunts in indirect ache on their cheeks. Ezequiel was about to wield his sword at the Count when a thin, white snow hand blocked his well-built body.

“Father, I never expected this kind of welcome from you.” Even though her tone is distant, the translucent liquid blocking her view is quite evident. Kiha’s hand was on her red cheek while her eyes is on her father.

“This is not enough, Kiha. You tried killing your sister!” The Count’s gritted teeth became more what she expected. Her father slapped her in front of her servants, didn’t even wait for her to fully enter the house.

There’s no one in the corridor except the three of them. Kalen and her mother were busy looking out to Kanna who lose consciousness since then. The loud sound reverberated all over the corridor attracts their attention. They check what’s happening and see Kiha and the Count at the doorstep.

The Countess’ eyes widened at the sudden impact of her husband’s hand on her stepdaughter’s cheek. It was obviously because of what happened to her daughter, Kanna but she can’t help but pity the other one. She knew that Kiha distant herself from them to give Kanna more attention than she wished she had. Kiha must be thinking that the youngest child might feel the miserable life of not having a living parent that Kiha distant herself to give more spotlight to her. The Countess is aware of that. The child she knew is merciful and strong that she never screamed for help even though she’s having a hard time.

“How could I? I don’t even know what you’re saying.” The cloak she’s wearing fall off and her redden cheek became more evident. It’s swollen but she’s not complaining nor throwing a fit just like usual. Her situation is too common that she never shed tears anymore, she cannot feel her cheek as it became numb.

The Count is furious that no one can even look straight into his eyes except to the young lady before him. His eyes are twitching and he cannot hold his anger anymore. The peaceful winter day turned to be the worst day for Kiha. Her mood changes a lot since she took a step inside the mansion and it annoys her the most.

“The maid in charge of cleaning the punishment room saw Kanna’s unconscious body inside the secret room there, no one knew that room except you, Kiha. How could you try harming your sister?” Count Leon’s loud and authoritative voice reaches Kiha’s. It was loud that the servants near them nearly jumped off the stairs.

Kalen and the Countess stride faster where the two of them are, then immediately calm the Count down. There’s no reason to blame it to Kiha until this moment. She didn’t do it and there’s no reason to. The only reason why she’s struggling like this is for them to be safe. But now the sword was pointed at her neck that she cannot move as she pleases.

But every situation has an answer. It was to move forward and let the sword pierce your neck until it bleeds. Or maybe die. She know it was risky but there is no other way to escape the sword pointed at her throat.

“You said it yourself, I am her sister so how could I?” Kiha’s voice attracted everyone especially the Count. He’s not expecting her to answer like that. Her usual answer is something like “I can even slit her throat or throw her away.” But now, it was different. Her calm and lordly word that reassure everyone echoes in their head a hundred times as if it was a beautiful melody made by a great artist.

Even her knight was shocked by her different answer. Kiha was open to her hatred for Kanna that no one can deny it. She always hated how she clung onto her every time they went out together but she never pushed her away.

“I did tell her to come in the punishment room but I never intended to kill her. Please watch your words, Father. It was rather biased, you know. People might think I’m a murderer than a madwoman.” Kiha mumbled under her breathe enough for her father to hear everything she had said.

“I will greet you properly next time, Father.” She holds the hem of her cumbersome dress then slightly bows her head for a curtesy. Kiha turned to Ezequiel and smiled at him then walks toward Kanna’s bedchamber.

“Calm down, Leon. I’m sure Kiha’s innocent.” Kalyna, the Countess caressed her husband’s arm then worriedly look at Kiha’s back. It’s as if she’s seeing someone so precious to her finally breaking free from the leash she had ever since they joined the family of Richter.

Kiha sent Ezequiel away to let him rest for a while. She dragged her feet toward the huge door in front of her then slowly hold the doorknob when someone called her with a cold and plain voice.

“She’s not waking up, her resistance to mana must be decreasing.” His soothing tone makes her eyebrows crease. Ever since then, the love and hate relationship between them increases that she almost threatened to kill him if he get in her way.

“I’m not a wizard nor a saint, I cannot help her,” Kiha said. She looks at him with a puzzled look as if she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Hadassah was a wizard her entire life but she never said anything about her being her successor. Her mother said she cannot learn magic as she has nothing but low spiritual mana. No one knows that she secretly taught her some, it was their secret as Kiha throws up blood every time she uses her mana.

He brushed his long fingers on his strawberry blonde hair before opening his mouth again. That beautiful and peculiar hair is the same as his mother and his sister. When Kiha is just an eight-year-old kid, she used to climb on the Mountain of the dragonfly to wish that Kanna will never inherit the Count’s hair color.

It was just the simple jealousy of an eight-year-old girl that came true. Seeing Kanna have the same hair color as the Count is the worst nightmare for a kid like her since it proved her younger sister’s identity more than hers.

“I’m not going to do anything so relax. I’m different now.” She slowly averted her eyes to Kalen when she realized that her emotion takes her memories back. Kiha opened the door, expecting to see her friend, Czarina.

The door makes a loud thud making Czarina run towards Kiha. She hugged her tightly, hiding her disgusted face on her friend’s shoulder. Kiha was the one to break the hugs which is unexpected, thinking of an excuse, Czarina noticed her friend’s swollen cheeks, making her laugh inside her head.

“You foolish girl. I enjoy my life because of you, you didn't even suspect me just like the usual foolish you, Kiha." is what she’s thinking but her face is creating a pitiful and emotional that the maid attending to Kanna looks at her with a rather concerned look, different from what Kiha has on her face right now. She caught her once again.