Chapter 6: Obsession

Obsession

"M-milady, are you okay?"

"Evely, help me fix myself up. I'm going to talk to father."

"Y-yes milady but the Master, the Madamme and even the young lords have gathered in the study and they're waiting for you to come down."

That's when I just decided to move rapidly so I can clear this nonsense misunderstanding.

"This news is nothing but a ridiculous fiction." I decided to get straight to the point so they would believe me. I need to set my stories straight.

"Well, my sister is too good for this bastard."

"Archer" my father called him in a warning tone. Oh well, I forgot that we should not disrespect this bastard for he holds one of the highest position in the Empire but I just can't let him get away with this.

"Father, he dared to insult my sister last night and humiliated her! I really wanted to kill that son a bitch. If only I could."

"Adler." My father sighed and fixed his falling eyeglasses.

"If you're going to curse that bastard do it right. You should not only use bastard, instead use [censored-----]…"

"Father!" I looked at him with my eyes wide open. It was something that a Count shouldn't do or say. For god's sake, we would be executed if some noble man heard us cursing that [censored].

"My dear, that's enough. Stop teaching our kids that nonsense. We should approach this issue calmly. So we were discussing what?"

"How that bastard insulted Lily. It's unforgivable."

"That's the fact. What he did was something so unforgivable so with that, we should rip his [censored]"

I slapped my forehead when I listened to their non-stop bickering. If any servant would hear them right now, they would think that our family has gone insane and that would be terrible.

"Father, mother--"

"Milady, a letter has arrived."

They stopped talking and darted their eyes on the two letters a maid has presented on us. Father accepted the first envelope but he gave me the other one. So what do we have here?

"A marriage proposal?"

"He really has gone crazy!"

"I'm really going to tear him to piece. Our Lily is too good for him. It can't be!"

My blood started to rise up when I read the letter. So I can't help but confirm it with my brother.

"Brother, did you bring your sword at the party?"

The two of them looked at me and suddenly avoided my gaze when realizations and guilt washes over them. So they did unsheathe their swords at that bastard.

"Why Lily? Did that bastard blackmailed you or something."

"Butler! Get my sword!" Archer said and I saw father nodded at him.

"Mine too!" I didn't even know that Adler would join their nonsensical plan.

"Father, mother can Archer and I talk for a moment?"

I gave them my most dazzling smile so they could permit me. They nodded and left the room but Adler seemed puzzled.

"Hey what about me? You're not going to talk to me?"

"I think you should return to the Academy brother. I heard that there might be a storm headed to the shortcut route you take to go the Academy." His eyes widened as if the realization sunk into him.

"B-but, that bastard. I can't go back to the Academy leaving you in this situation. That bastard might be planning to do something this time and…"

"I appreciate your concern brother but father, mother and even Archer is here. As long as they're here, I won't get harmed ever." He sighed because he knew that I was right but still he seemed hesitant.

"Alright, but how about when you go out or something?"

"What are the knights for brother?"

"I'm still here brother, do you think I would just let Lily get hurt?"

"Oh yes my wonderful twin brother. I bet you forgot that you're currently training to join the Knights Order." Adler sarcastically said so I sighed. These two will never get any better. I wonder why didn't I get even one percent of their stupidity. They continued to barking at each other.

So I calmly closed my fan and in a flash Adler stopped talking and almost fell when he felt my fan on his neck. While Archer's forehead creased when he also felt my other hand on his neck ready to chop it off.

"My dear stupid brothers, care to listen to me now?" I sardonically smiled at them and they flinched for a moment.

"L-Lily! How is it that you used a fan on me and yet you only used a hand to scare him?" Adler protested like a child.

"Hey Adler, you bastard, what techniques did you teach to Lily?" Archer growled at him when I fixed myself and went back sitting on the sofa.

"That's enough. Adler just taught me the basic self-defense techniques. Nothing more, nothing less."

Well, it's true. 2 years ago, mother caught us sneaking out in the training ground and practicing self-defense and basic offense skills at dawn.

"Lily, a lady shouldn't be handling swords! Look at your hands! That's not the hands of a young lady."

"But I just wanted to learn even a little bit of swordsmanship so I can protect myself even if I'm alone." Mother seemed taken aback with my reason but soom sighed and hugged me.

"Lily, there are countless of people that would protect you. You have your father, your brothers, me and even the whole estate."

"But I still want to, can't I just decrease the time I spent on it?" I tried using a little voice as if appealing her to change her decision but it seemed like breaking the damsel-in-distress perspective in their minds is hard.

"You know that us, women can't do anything in face of danger, men assume that we are weak, naive and dependent. So our duty as women is just to support our husbands ans nurture our children and practicing swordsmanship is not one of those."

I'm sorry mother, but I can't be a weak, naive and dependent lady. I want to be someone better than just supporting my husband and rearing a child.

"So listen to me Lily or else you'd have a hard time looking for a husband. Any man wants a woman who's holding anything but a sword."

Again, I'm sorry mother but those kind of men suck. They're just afraid of women being dominant than them that's why they rather hold the sword themselves and let us do everything behind the scenes. I would rather have a sword by my side for the rest of my life than a narrow-minded man.

That conversation was soon followed with punishments. I got grounded and Adler has to practice swordsmanship until dawn.

I was really guilty back then because our parents seemed to have punished him severely.

However, he didn't had any grudge against me and could even managed to smile despite me being the reason of this punishment. With that he got sick and had to stop studying for a year that's why he has to graduate this year.

Archer sighed and seemed to give up. However, Adler kept sulking so I decided to finish prepping him first.

"Brother Adler, I have the whole estate behind me so I'm not going to get hurt and if that son of a bitch attempted to do something funny, I will be able to apply what you've taught me before. Besides, I would be really happy to see mg brother graduate this year."

I sincerely said because my guilt seem to be crawling back into my heart.

"I-I understand Lily. However, you must always bring with you that present I gave you yesterday!" I momentarily forgot the gift he was talking about but an image immediately flashes into my mind. Right, the dagger.

"What present was that?" Archer seemed to be holding a grudge against Adler because of all of this ruckus but I have yet to face another challenge and I have to get prepared for that.

I have to get Adler return to the Academy today and ask Archer about his Knights training.

"Brother, about your Knights training, what you did last night might have affected your position in the training. Well, what possessed you to such stupid thing?" I managed not to roll my eyes at his overly stupid behavior because he's my brother after all.

"Well he's doing something you didn't and you were clearly humiliated. That bastard is a trash anyway."

"Yeah but how about your training? Since we were young, you were talking about joining the Kingsley's Order of Knights but how about now?" He then avoided my gaze and their I knew that he also knew that he might blew away his only chance of getting into the most prestigious Knights Order.

"Well, I just knew how unworthy that man is to become my master so I think I would change my preference." He said as if joining other Order is easy as eating an apple pie.

"Yeah right you can just join the Imperial Army and be the sole Commander what do you think brother?"

I just sighed when Adler started to suggest crazy things to Archer.

"But well joining the Imperial Order might be a better idea brother." I said encouraging him and he brightened a little.

"You can join whichever Order you wanted brother. I just wanted you to do something you like. The same with you Adler, that's why I don't want you to worry about me. Just focus on yourselves first and I'm going to be fine." I gave them a fine reassurance that I'm going to be okay and as a result they were on the verge of crying while hugging me.

"H-hey that's enough I c-can't breathe--" I coughed a little and felt a little better when they let go of me. My goodness! They kept on apologizing and asking me if I'm okay so I just laughed at them. Having them as my brothers is not that bad. Then a thought arose in my mind, were they also like this in my previous life? What was our relationship back then?

I tried to remember but it became blank instead. Remembering something I didn't even know is really hard and confusing.

"Milady, we've arrived."

The escort I've brought with me helped me went out of the carriage and he gave me a meaningful look. It was Gray, I purposely vacated his tasks and have me accompanied for a very important appointment today. It's just among all the informant mercenaries I hired, he's the one I feel the most comfortable with.

"Sit on a far table and don't get spotted. Don't do anything and wait for my signal."

"Yes, milady." He obediently let go of my hand and assisted me as I went inside the restaurant. There are more customers here today. Well, I never expected him to rent the whole premises. He was seated on the corner most part of the restaurant so it was kind of fortunate that we can still have privacy but there are still people who could actually eavesdrop in our communication.

He immediately stood up and became a gentleman when he saw me walking towards him.

"Lady Emily, it was nice to have you here." He smiled and pulled a chair for me. For a moment, I purposely looked at the chair before sitting on it. I gestured Gray to proceed to his assigned position so he could observe the situation while also giving us the privacy to talk about something.

"Milord, I apologize for saying this but I wish to talk about your marriage proposal."

I shot him straightforwardly. I was eagerly wanting to have this meeting be finished immediately. I don't event want to breathe the same air as him.

"Oh that can wait Emily. Why don't we eat before we talk so we can properly discuss what's needed to be discussed?"

I wanted to object but food is something that I can hardly reject. So I just let him have his way, however, I will clearly state my rejection at his proposal so he could move on and leave my family alone.

And that's what I thought, but things are crazily moving in the wrong side.