Pandora's Box

Adelaide woke up perplexed the next day with her very first biological brother of two lives next to her.

'My eyes are still a bit swollen.'

She was dumbfounded at how her tears ran down uncontrollably to the point where it was hard for her to utter words. In her head, Adelaide only planned to squeeze out a moderate amount of water then talk. It was supposed to be a touching reunition event where the little sister would talk to her brother about what she had been through, how she had matured and missed him in the process.

Contrary to her thoughts, it turned out to be a pity party instead.

'At least I was able to tell him that I knew I'm an elf, and the kidnappers were despicable.'

'Oh, I think I led him towards the direction of our stepmother being an abuser as well.'

It went well after Adelaide succeeded in swallowing down the two indefinite rivers, and she was able to get a real sleep after weeks. Yes, the study hall did not interfere with her physical rest and body recovery, but being awake mentally all the time put a toll on her mind. It was like how people enjoy occasional extremely vivid lucid dreams, but they most likely would not choose to have them every single day.

'More importantly, what the hell happened yesterday?'

Adelaide did not expect those tears. She was overwhelmed with indescribable feelings when Alfred showed up by the door.

'Whose feelings was that?'

There are two hypotheses she could think of.

One, the original Adelaide's emotions and feelings remained like a remanent soul after she died. It was buried deep down and exploded once Alfred, someone she missed greatly, appeared.

'If it's true, then there's no guarantee that I won't burst out like a crybaby again in front of the duke. It's unlikely as Adelaide lived a life with that ignorant match made from heavens, but again, she's six.'

'She caught a glimpse of Duke Charles, her own father, before passing out and being kidnapped. What if some weird anger rises up inside me?'

Even so, to the current Adelaide, emotions left behind would be manageable. What she found extremely annoying was the second hypothesis: the original Adelaide was not completely dead; her soul was sleeping somewhere inside and seeing Alfred triggered a reaction.

She found the second hypothesis annoying and a waste of time. Who would admire her even if she struggled and won a battle that happened inside her head? And some weird philosophy debates about the rightful owner of this body would take place.

'I don't have the time for that.'

Those unknown entities shoved her inside this six-year-old who died from excessive experiments. They threw a bunch of problems on a perfectly fine youth whose life was on track without any support or instructions, so the least they could do was to make sure the body she received was squeaky clean.

'I didn't do anything wrong in the first place. I am, by all means, the true Adelaide Winford. Any other existence in this body is all nothing but a vengeful ghost trying to haunt a perfectly fine me.'

'By the way, I really need to check out that door in the study room soon.'

Naturally, what happened inside the mind could only be solved in its territory. The only clue Adelaide could think of was the study room's only door that she had not opened yet. The door seemed to lead somewhere and was not for decoration.

'I twisted the knob once. It worked. I wonder what's behind it?'

"…Adelaide?"

"Good morning, brother. Have you slept well?"

Adelaide turned her head towards Alfred, who still laid on the bed. His eyes did not look sleepy like someone who just woke up.

Nevertheless, he smiled at her while faint rays of sunlight came pouring in through the window's curtains.

"It was a good sleep." Alfred sat up and rubbed her head lightly. "It was rare for my little sister to insist on sleeping with me yesterday."

'That's because I needed a break from the virtual CCTV, and sleeping next to you is the safest. I trust my brother, you know.'

"I was scared. But the bed is indeed comfortable, brother. I don't mind sleeping here alone while you go and strengthen your comradeship with Anthony by going through hardships together."

"Cheeky as usual, aren't you?" His eyes softened at her remarks. A rare warm smile was even shown on Alfred's face.

Despite how timid Adelaide may appear due to the pair of parents and the even more 'incredible' personnel, she was actually protected and spoiled by Alfred. Her personality had always been bright until he went to this boarding school.

The one-of-a-kind stepmother revealed her true colors. Not that she did not reveal it before, but she became bolder. Aside from the usual verbal abuse, beatings in places a noble lady would be too shy to tell occurred.

It was rare, but it definitely happened.

'What's worse was that new father. Well, I'm not that angry. It's more about knowing the situation than actually getting agitated from something that had nothing to do with me.'

Adelaide replied to her brother's words with a small smile.

"Are we going back to the duchy today?"

Alfred's expression froze for a second before he regained his composure and nodded. Adelaide knew he did not like the fact that his own sister had to return to the tiger den.

'Being an heir means he'll become the future owner, but that doesn't mean he'll definitely inherit the position.'

They had no choice but to return. The duke still possessed Winford's inherited intelligence system. The system was built and had been strengthened for generations, so of course a young thirteen-year-old like Alfred could not match it.

However, that did not mean Alfred had no counter-measure to keep in contact with his only sister without letting anyone know.

"Wait for a bit, Adelaide. I'll go get something and be right back, okay?"

"Yes, brother."

Adelaide looked around her brother's dorm curiously after Alfred left. She knew how in-campus rooms for students looked like, but only in her old world, not this one where hierarchy mattered according to law.

Alfred was a noble young master, so his room was more like a huge and elegant apartment. There was even a study room with multiple bookshelves like a mini library and two additional guest bedrooms for visitors, just in case. Every piece of furniture was elegant, but not excessive.

She climbed down the bed and walked on the wooden floor with her bare feet. It was getting colder outside, but the floor was not cold at all with the heating system in place.

"Good morning."

Anthony was seen sipping tea in the living room. He flashed a bright smile towards her before pointing at the delicate-looking silver cake shelf.

"Have some small sandwiches and drink your warm milk, my lady. Alfred said you should get enough nutrition, but not too much food all of a sudden."

"Ah, yes, sure, thank you."

"Why are you walking without anything on your feet? There's a pair of slippers next to your bed. I'll go get those for you."

Personal maids or servants were not allowed within the academy, so the students must do certain things by themselves. According to the Empire, the next generation of nobles should be capable and independent, not arrogant adults with a sense of false superiority.

In a way, this method was similar to Earth's families that possessed generational wealth. The children still enjoyed benefits brought by their ancestors, but they were taught strictly to further develop their family's business instead of squandering all the hard-earned money to waste.

'He's like a nanny…'

Adelaide sat on one of the sofas with a glass of milk in hand and sighed. It was so comfortable that she almost forgot about all the problems that would definitely emerge later on.

When Anthony came back with a pair of cute furry slippers in hand, Alfred opened the door and came in. He nagged her for a bit about the bare feet issue, but soon let it pass after seeing her eating so well.

'Two nannies…'

"Adelaide, put this ring on you. There's the camouflage function, so it will blend right into the background perfectly. Don't worry about the size, it adjusts by itself to fit you." Alfred handed Adelaide one of the two rings in his hand before showing her the metal box he was holding.

There were no decorations on it. It looked like your average solid block of silver if not for the closed lid and lock.

'What is this?'

Adelaide's gaze was full of curiosity as she received the ring. She did not wear the ring immediately and held it in her palm.

"This is called the 'Pandora's Box'. I don't know why the Church named it like that, but that's not the point."

The familiar name that wasn't supposed to exist made Adelaide flinch a little in shock, but she soon calm her beating heart down.

'Wait, Pandora? But that's Greek mythology? Why does this world's Church have anything to do with it?'

'Perhaps…'

"Brother, did the name originate from the Church's bibles?"

"There's no Pandora in the bibles. The first Pope named the item that way. I don't know who Pandora is, either." Alfred was not a devout believer, but he knew the Bible since he read it as a child, and his memory refused to forget it.

"Apparently, it was rumored to be the Pope's first and only love. They say he named the item a day before the Pope Appointment Ceremony. It's like leaving the mortal thoughts behind and moving on to embrace God's benevolent in whole."

Alfred frowned at Anthony's words, but he did not deny it. Adelaide, on the other hand, felt annoyed.

'Love, my ass. How could he fall in love with a woman created by a Greek God? She's barely real. Is this a way to show off? Something like 'I'm the only one who understands the meaning behind it'. You know, a way to surround yourself with a veil of mystery.'

'I don't hate him, though. Coming up with an aesthetic-sounding name, then refusing to explain what it means. The device must be quite special to create such an effect. The fact that it belonged to my brother right now is proof.'

'I'm not the only one, huh? I wonder why they pulled him here? Just so he could become someone that would spread God's words across the land?'

'You're not expecting me to turn myself into a nun or a saintess, aren't you?'

It was hard for her to resist the urge to smile at her own little joke.