013 · Bargaining to Shut a Brat Up

"It feels like all the good traits you had been hiding are coming out after hitting your head, after the attack. This is spectacular."

"Kill," I gasped, "stop that head-hitting talk."

He sucked on his cheeks, "I meant it tho."

"Precisely why it's so annoying," I snapped.

"Now that sounds more like the you I'm used to."

"If you want me to go back to be an asshole, just tell me, it won't be a hassle at all," I groaned.

He raised his hands in peace, "No, stay like this."

"Then stop messing with me, or the one who will be hitting someone's head on a wall will be me, and the head will be yours," I glared at him and he gulped, while Andrey giggled at how tense Kirill got. "And I mean every word."

"I'm zipped," he made a sign of closing his mouth.

"As if I was dumb to believe that," I scoffed, because there is no way Kirill is the type to stay silent, he's as talkative as Donkey from Shrek, though I kind of like his annoyance.

"Liya, I'm perfectly able to stay shut," he pouted.

"Yeah?" I chuckled mockingly, "Then prove it."

"Alright, you will see!" He said competitively.

"If you stay shut from now until we come back home, you will win," I grinned, challenging him.

"What will I get if I win?" He leaned in, interested.

"What do you want?" I tilted my head.

"You have to sing me to sleep for three months!"

What kind of desire is that? Can this body sing? I was an amazing singer as Alina, but my voice was a nightmare as Eleanor, I've never heard anything regarding Diana singing well, but that would be a welcomed surprise. I miss singing without making someone's ear's bleed out. "Alright, deal. But if you lose and I win, Kill, you will have to train me on the martial arts and physical combat, every morning, for three months!"

Ary told me my siblings are skilled at fighting, but that Kirill is profoundly more skilled at hand to hand combat and martial arts, while Andrey's a prodigy at the sword, archery, lance, and daggers. It caught my interest. Back as Eleanor, I tried learning martial arts and weaponry fighting, but nobody allowed me acting as if I was a porcelain doll, and my body wasn't very strong either, my stamina was shit. This body is better than my past one in this matter for sure.

"You're giving me a take or take deal, Liya," he grinned. "I'll be winning both. In fact, how about this? Even if I win, I'll help training you!"

"I can also train you in weaponry fighting," Andrey suggested amused. "If you want to."

"Really, Rey?" I asked him, joyful.

"Of course," he purred with a smug.

"That will be amazing. I can train martial arts, weaponry fighting, and start learning how to control my magic after I've exhausted my physical strength. This way the probability of me losing control and destroying something will be smaller, right?" This a technique that the Imperial house practices, I've learned in the book through Nikolai's pov, and later here, I've heard about it from Max when we were married.

"Ugh, my daughter is so smart," mom cried. "Yes, that will be ideal, since you don't have control yet. I'll soon get in contact with dad, so he will get into contact with his close friend from the Mage's Tower and ask him to find the best person to train you while maintaining a low profile, and keeping your dormant abilities a secret for now. Meanwhile I'll get Sir Blaise Bonheur, the best wind wielder we have within dad's duchy, to help you master your wind magic, now that you can wield it considerably better."

"My wife is the best," dad pouted and mom rolled her eyes, blushing.

"I'll do my best to grow stronger and make you proud of being my parents and my older brothers," I said firmly. "Nobody will mess with us after I'm strong enough and my powers are under my leash. I'll protect you."

"Aw, look her, she's adorable," Kirill provoked me.

"So, so, so, adorable and pretty," Andrey joined him, leaning closer to my seat and pinching my cheeks, making me groan.

"Stop it," I gasped, embarrassed.

"We'll stop when you finish us," Kirill beamed.

"Is that a promise?" I narrowed my eyes at the challenge.

"Yep," they both chanted.

"Don't cry and beg for mercy later then!"

"Aye, that's my daughter," mom beamed. "You're just like me."

"Not yet, mom, but it'll be!" I winked at her.

✵  ✵  ✵

As soon as we got closer to the castle of the Whitethorn in the capital, as we've all been here for a while, the way was familiar to me. It was my old home, it hasn't even been a day since I've been living as Diana for, this place used to me by comfort place, as much as possible, definitely more when Max wasn't around than when he was here. I was a secluded person as Eleanor, but that me is gone now, together with Yeji's soul.

The front of the manor was surrounded by carriages with all the crests in the Empire, it made me sick, especially when I saw the crest of the Novak in that dark blue carriage Nikolai owns, because of course he would be audacious enough to come here with Sofiya. Shameless bastards, them and Max, both are to blame for this, and it may take time, but I'll make the three of them pay for all they did to me, to Yeji, and to Thalia. It's all their fault combined.

As we stepped out of the carriage, we were all tense, me more than anything, after all, I'm about to attend my own funeral, it's madness. My brothers stood each one at my side, while mother and father covered me in the front, all serious, the comfortable atmosphere from the carriage, now gone with the chilly wind and the morbid scent of death in the air. Though maybe only I can feel that scent.

The closer I got to the graveyard behind the castle, the sicker I felt, the more wrong this whole thing felt. I should be the one in the coffin, the one dead, not Yeji but me. I doubt whoever swapped us did it to keep me alive, since nobody knew what actually happened between me and Maxim behind doors, even less about his split personality, but it doesn't change the fact that they ended up killing Yeji's soul and helping me.