Family Dinner (1)

''What dinner did you say it was?''

''Did young lady forget? It is the family dinner, young lady. His excellency, her excellency, the five madams and the young masters and young ladies are attending.'' .

''Mother will also be there?'' Chaos asked, laughing in her heart. This young maid was certainly not as naïve as she appeared to be.

It has been a few days since she stepped out of the room. According to the maid, she had been out for almost three days. The days after, she used them to fully recuperate from the fever.

Now, the maid was informing her about a family dinner. Asides that, the maid had mentioned that the mother of the original owner specifically ordered her to take care of health. To anyone listening, it would have undoubtedly sounded touching. But the 'caring mother' had not visited her during the days of her recuperation. Only a personal maid of hers made inquiries of her health and a reminder of this family dinner.

Chaos knew the mother of her body should be aware of her condition. She had fainted in front of the entire family, after all.

It can only be said the mother of the original owner absolutely did not care about her daughter's well-being. That also meant the maid of the original owner had lied to her.

'Surely you must have known….' Chaos thought back to the original owner. From her memories, the original owner had always asked about her mother without fail, despite the cold shoulder she had received for a long time. Anyone in that situation would have long known that he or she was apparently disliked, but the original owner kept on going as if she was blind to her mother's actions.

''Yes, young lady. Young lady can use this opportunity to spend some time with the Sixth madam.'' Chaos's eyes moved to the maid, brushing her dark hair in the mirror.

According to her memory, this maid's name was Jane. A maid that has been with the original owner from almost all her life. She could say the maid was like original owner's mother more than the actual mother.

Jane finished tying the two red ribbons on her hair, after placing the hairbrush on the dressing table. ''Young lady is the most beautiful maiden in the entire empire.'' She was not stingy with her praise, though it sounded a bit exaggerated.

'I can see why she said that.'

Chaos stared at herself in the dressing mirror. The vibrant red eyes from that man she saw on the battle grounds were the same as hers. Even the ebony shining hair from her was the same as his. The face of her new body was small, and the features were not like what she had seen in her former world. Everything about her face was so exquisite and perfect to the point that she felt they were unreal.

Chaos had seen the beautiful faces of celebrities and wealthy families, but most of them were definitely artificial. To get the perfect face, she had not been surprised when she came across the black stains of some celebrities on the internet, which were numerous facial surgeries.

'They are like blood.' What Chaos loved most about new features was her eyes. They were red like blood, and sparkling like diamonds. Chaos absolutely loved the original owner's beautiful features. Back in her world, she had her own fair share of surgeries.

To hide from many special organizations after her life, she had changed her face multiple times. As for her actual face, she didn't remember any features.

'I am so beautiful.' Chaos deeply admired herself. Since she didn't get to enjoy having a single face in her former life, then she should enjoy this face she has now, especially when she was suddenly granted with an outstanding face like this.

''Young lady, it is time to depart for the main manor.'' Jane's voice stopped Chaos from admiring herself, much to her dismay.

Right, she has to meet the other members of the original owner's family. No…could they be called a family? Though she did understand the concept of family, she heard that a family had deep bonds between with themselves.

This family from the original owner's memories…..

Well, if a mother always forcing her daughter to drink poison, half-siblings trying to kill each other, and a father who absolutely has no care for anyone including his children was called a family, then she needed to correct what that therapist in the special organization had taught her.

''Young lady?''

''I am coming.'' Chaos answered right back to Jane. She grinned at her face one time in the dressing mirror and hopped down from the chair. When Chaos got to her feet, she looked at them and her small hands in novelty. She really wasn't used to her new body that was small, weak, and….fresh. A body that has yet to be tainted with murder. This was very different from the scarred body from her former life.

''Is something strange with young lady's hands?''

''No, they are beautiful.'' Chaos smiled up at the maid, patiently waiting for her by the door. Now wasn't the time to think about her new body. She needed to know how to deal with the people of this family, especially when she was weak and vulnerable to dangerous situations.

Such an example would be from this new family of hers.

*****

The moon light seeped through the large glass windows like an uninvited guest, and shone on the people walking down the hallway. Just beside the glass windows were faded walls that revealed tales of years of the building's existence. Vibrant red eyes were sharp to catch tiny crumbled parts and cracks on the wall. Thick candle melted wax diffuse through the atmosphere like a usual odor as a result of the chandeliers affixed to the vaulted ceiling, and the floor candelabras each by the several glass windows in the long hallway.

As Chaos sauntered down the hallway under the guidance of Jane, her eyes briefly looked around her the original owner's home. She could sense the maid's quick glances and did not want to look weird by looking around as if everything was new to her. Well…it was, but she had to behave in a way that won't arouse suspicions among those who were very close to the original owner.

''Young lady, please be careful during the family dinner.'' Jane voiced out her concerns as they neared a large double door.

''Yes Jane.'' Chaos mustered up her sweet innocent of the original owner. Though in her mind, she knew these words were very useless. With the memories she received, this family dinner had sometimes ended up with unexpected battles. To put it bluntly, there would be a bloodbath if the original owner's elder siblings decided to go at each other.

Most of the bloodbath had always been between the first two sons of the Grand duke. Other siblings and wives of the grand duke would only watch from the sidelines with their personal maids and butlers protecting them. Besides the bloodbath, the original owner had always disliked the idea of the family dinner.

She was, after all, meeting her potential murderers.

''You are late.''