"H-Hello." I greeted.
Eric was surprised with my greeting.
"Um... are you my brother?" I asked with curious eyes.
Eric changed expressions from surprise to curiosity and then doubt. He didn't know what to reply.
As I remember in the novel, the duke's son should be two years older than Alyssa. I am now eight years old, making Eric ten years of age.
"Are you doing this to punish me?!" Eric said with a loud voice that really startled me. "I know that you don't really like me, being that your father took me in and your mother thinks that I am your father's b*stard son. I heard that you lost your memories, but I am sure you are just playing around as a victim to further condemn me."
Eric's face distorted, he was clearly trying his best to hold his tears. I felt saddened by his facial expression. A ten year old kid trying to hold his tears like a grown up. He must have kept those feelings deep within his heart, only letting it out now.
"I-I didn't mean to push you down the stairs." Eric looked at me with remorse, tears has started to flow from his eyes. "I never wanted to be adopted into your family. I know that you were very angry hearing it from your father that you pounced at me when I was walking down the stairs. I-I really didn't mean to push you!"
'So that was what happened.' I thought to myself.
Based on Eric's words, my father was formally adopting Eric into the family, letting him carry our family name. But when the original Alyssa learned about it, she violently refused. She quickly searched for this boy to let out her frustration and coincidentally, Eric was walking down the stairs. The original Alyssa pounced in a boy two years her senior. No wonder when they were fighting Alyssa was the one that was thrown down the stairs.
"I am sorry!" Eric said forcefully. "Your parents are the ones that are suffering from your so called loss of memories. So please stop this. If you loath me so much then punish me. I will not take your family name and remain as Eric James Carlson for the rest of my life!" He said.
'This kid really is something.' I thought.
After being bullied by the original Alyssa, he still lets her get what she wants. Maybe it is because of his appreciation for Duke Broderick that took him in when he was orphaned. I wonder if he really is the duke's illegitimate son. His appearance closely resembles the duke at least eighty to ninety percent.
"So, you are not my real brother?" I still played the 'amnesia' girl. I looked into his deep dark blue yes. They were mesmerizing.
Eric was surprised with my words.He looked at me dumbfounded, not knowing if I was still lying about my memory loss.
"You... you really don't remember?" Eric asked in disbelief.
I shook my head in reply. "So your name is Eric? Can I call you that? Or do you prefer big brother, if you really are going to be adopted by father?" I looked at him with innocent eyes.
'Hey, I am not lying you know. I really do not know you. The original Alyssa died when she fell from the stairs.' I thought.
Not like I am going to tell him that. Eric really looked like he was blaming himself for Alyssa's fall and he looked devastated about it. If he knew that the original Alyssa died because he pushed her, I am not sure how a ten year old kid would take that. He would live his whole life with this in his conscience.
"Y-You never even called me by my name, let alone call me big brother." Eric was looking at me with the mix of disbelief and shock.
"Then what did I call you back then?" I asked in curiosity.
"You call me 'hey' or 'you'." Eric replied.
"Well that's a little rude, considering you are older." I said.
"It's fine, with you as a member of a ducal family." Eric replied. "I only came from a lower class noble family, so I always called you little lady or young miss."
"Is that so?" I pouted my lips in annoyance. 'What's with these classes and nobility. The old ways really are irritating, with no equality like the modern times.' I thought. I came from a democratic country so I am not really a fan of nobility.
"Oh I know." I clapped my hands together. "Because father is going to adopt you, I will call you brother Eric and you can call me Ysa." I get a hold of Eric's hands and squeezed them gently. I gave him the most warm hearted smile I could muster.
'Please accept my reconciliation.' I prayed really hard.
In the novel, Alyssa was the villainess. With Eric as a suspected male lead, I don't want to get on his bad side. So my mission right now is to get on his good side.
'This is operation get close to adoptive brother.' I smiled inwardly.
"Y-Ysa?!" Eric was startled and took back his hands from my grasp rather forcefully. This made me a little sad.
Eric evaded looking at me and looked elsewhere. I felt a little depressed with his reaction and bowed my head in sadness.
"I-If you like, then you can call me brother." Eric said. I was surprised with his reply and looked up. He was still looking away but his ears were red. "C-Can I really call you by your name?" He asked.
I nodded happily. "Mm-hm. Of course you can." I was happily smiling.
"T-Then Alyssa." Eric said my name. It was not the nick name I gave but at least it is a start. "I-I will be taking my leave then."
Eric quickly paced his way towards the door and exited my room. He closed the door with a bang.
"Is he still doubting my memory loss?" I wondered. "Or is he doubting my sincerity?"
I shrug my shoulders and just thought that the past bullying of the original Alyssa won't be wiped away with just this moment.
"I will surely get to your good side in the future." I make a fist pump.
This is my first mission that I have to achieve to prevent a villainess ending. It is a long road ahead of me and I decided to see things thru my own way.