Albert rubbed his eyes, leaving wet spots on the bandages wrapped around his hands and arms. With red eyes, he observed the 'guests' that have just entered the room. A man with dark purple hair and eyes dressed in a black suit accompanied by a beautiful girl in white; they looked like a princess and her butler.
"…Your eyes…" He subconsciously muttered. As soon as the words slipped from his mouth, Albert covered his mouth with wide eyes.
Victoria touched her bandages and regained her composure. Her lips rose into a slight smile as if she was trying to conceal her pain. "Are you talking about the bandages? It was an unfortunate accident...it doesn't hurt anymore but the doctor said I might not ever see again. Ah, sorry, I was oversharing wasn't I? I'm sorry, it's just, it all doesn't feel very real to me. Like, it just happened last week and now my world is just nothing."
Beside her, Cain's shoulders shook and he covered his mouth with his hands and looked down, desperately trying to suppress his laughter and the stupid grin surfacing on his face. Still smiling, Victoria sneakily jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow.
Albert didn't speak again. He returned to his silent self and shut his mouth.
"Enough about me, are you okay? I heard that you've been hurt." Victoria was lying. She didn't ask about Albert's well being earlier but since he was in a hospital room, she guessed.
"…" Albert was still silent.
Hearing the crickets, Victoria took out her trump card: sweet angel smile! Soft pink lips raised slightly and excluding kindly aura, it was too powerful! Even Cain who was always by her side was not immune to it. "Please be careful from now on, I'll be sad if you got hurt."
However, it didn't work on Albert! How could this be?! This ability was effective on all organisms that could see, unless one was heartless, they would undoubtedly sway under her smile. Was his heart frozen?
Instead, Albert's face scrunched up and he drew back. "So fake…"
'Fake?' Victoria's white lotus smile cracked.
"Pft-! Ahahahaha~~! He exposed you! Your facade was seen through so quickly, Victoria. Maybe you should work on your acting a bit more." Cain burst out laughing and advised.
Through her shared sight, Victoria can see her own face heat up and turn red from embarrassment. "Shut up!" She raged and kicked Cain's shin.
"You!" Victoria pointed in Albert's general direction and sneered angrily. "I was going to ask Father to let you go home but since you've asked so nicely, I'll let you stay and join the family. You can become my sla- little brother and help your poor handicapped older sister get around."
Instead of Albert, it was Cain who interjected. "You can't just decide that on your own, Milady!"
"I don't care. I'm going to make him a fine villain befitting his poisonous tongue." Victoria puffed her cheeks and humphed.
"Poisonous tongue? All he did was point out your fakeness." Cain laughed.
"Exactly, with just a word he destroyed me. That's how poisonous he is!" Victoria seriously proclaimed. "I'm sure he'll become the most nefarious villain there is, after Father of course."
The frozen Albert finally snapped out of his daze. "My ability is useless in battle, therefore, I can't live up to your expectations. Please, disown me from your family."
He very calmly rejected her proposal.
Befitting her status as a pampered young miss, Victoria selfishly ignored his wishes. "Doesn't matter. I'll groom you to become the best ever villain!"
"I refuse." With the same calm voice, Albert once again rejected her.
Victoria's face went red with anger. "Your opinion doesn't matter! I'm adopting you and that's final!"
Just then, the guard at the door opened it. Standing outside was a stoic and handsome man with a head of white hair. His blue eyes were like a deep lake and face, cold and apathetic.
"Boss?" Cain turned around and exclaimed.
"Father!" Victoria's face blossomed with a bright smile and she spread her arms wide for a hug.
Kin very naturally walked into the hug. After a few minutes, the two parted. "What are you doing here, Victoria. Shouldn't you be resting?"
"The doctor said there wasn't anything wrong with my eyes. I can go home tomorrow." Victoria reported with a smile.
Kin paused as he stared at the bandages around Victoria's eyes. He touched it as a tinge of guilt crept into his heart, "Sweetie…"
"Don't worry, Father. I can still see with the help of Cain's ability." Victoria reassured.
Kin glanced over at Cain and his glowing eyes then back at Victoria again. He lightly kissed her forehead and spoke softly though his expression was as indifferent as always. "Then he can stay by your side and be your eyes forever."
"Wha- Boss! I can't use my ability all day you know?! It's impossible." Cain mustered his courage and protested.
Kin turned a cold gaze over at Cain. A silent pressure overcame Cain and cold sweat ran down his back.
"I understand. The least I can do is watch movies and TV shows for her." Cain sighed and gave in. To this, Victoria responded with a cheeky victorious grin.
"Anyways, Father, since, uh, that boy you picked up can't go home, can we adopt him as my little brother?" Victoria pleaded.
"Adopt him?" Kin repeated.
Victoria nodded. "Yes, he looks like he's a little younger but he can be in the same class as me and help out at school too. If we teach him how to fight, he'll be able to protect me too. Pretty please, Father?"
After a deep breath, Kin finally replied. "…Only if your Mother agrees."
"Yay! Thanks, Father!" Victoria gleefully wrapped her arms around Kin and gave him a big hug.
Kin wrapped one arm around Victoria and got his phone out of his pocket with the other. He pressed on a button and the call went through.
[Hey, darling, what's up?] A sweet voice answered on the other side of the call.
"Mother, can we adopt a little brother? I've always wanted a little brother." Victoria asked.
[My, of course we can. The more the merrier. Fufufu, when will you be coming home? I'll cook up a big feast.] Without any thought, Joan agreed to her request. Her nonchalant attitude was like they were adopting a pet instead of a live human being.
"Tomorrow. I'll be there with my little brother too. I love you, Mother."
[I love you too, sweetie. And you too, darling.]
"I love you too, honey." Kin replied back.
He hung up the phone and picked up Victoria in his arms. "Now that you've gotten the answer you wanted, how about you get some rest? It's getting late."
"It's not that late, Father. I'm thirteen, I can stay up to twelve no problem."
"Well, Al...what was it again? Ah, right, Albert needs to get some sleep too, so we should leave." Kin turned to leave with Victoria in his arms but just as he left, he paused and turned his head around. "Goodnight, son."
Albert was left in a daze and just fell back onto his flower covered blanket. There was nothing he could do about it now. From the sounds of it, this family of alleged villains had already decided to adopt him despite the fact that he supposedly had another home. He had no say in it.
'This might be better than going to a family I can't remember. At least these people don't know me either, we'll be on the same page'.
Maybe it was because of his experiences at the villain's hideout, but despite his lack of memories and a total sh*tstorm of things happening around him, Albert was exceedingly calm and just went with the flow.