"Brother Ash! Do you live alone? You also don't have your parents with you?"
One day, Anne asked him while they were enjoying their evening in the garden. Asher didn't know why she suddenly pulled that topic out, but it felt like she was really sensitive to the topic of parents by her tone.
Asher even wondered if she knew how her father was killed by her brother. Since it seemed like she didn't hate or dislike her brother like others did, Asher thought she might not know. Even the fact the duke wanted him at night was kept secret. The duke sure must have hid a lot of things from her.
"My parents left for the sky. They will still be watching me so I have to be a good boy."
Asher said. He didn't want to use serious words like death with a child, not really knowing her nature. Death...a punishment to give anyone that offends them.
"Mmm...They must be proud of you."
She said and leaned on Asher, her eyes closed.
Asher found her so pitiful and lonely. She was a child. She needed some company very close to her. He wished he could make her days better. And he did.
They rested there for a while, immersed in their own worlds. Until the duke suddenly came there looking for Anne.
"Anne!"
Asher didn't need to hear his voice twice to understand he was angry. What happened? Was it because he was too close to her?
Well, this time it was not because of that.
But because of Anne herself.
"Asher, you go and do something else. I want to talk with her."
Asher quickly walked away hesitantly giving Anne a second glance. She didn't look surprised or affected by his angry voice in the slightest but excited as if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
After Asher left there, both Anne and the duke stayed silent for a few minutes until he finally broke the silence.
"You know why I am here right? You must give me an explanation about that body in the store room!"
The duke's furious voice didn't affect Anne the slightest. She looked at him calmly and smiled innocently.
"Haha. I made sure to pull out all of his nails before stabbing him. I am sure that pain would remain in his mind even after his death."
Her eyes glowed in excitement but the duke was even more annoyed.
"Anne...Why are you doing this? I asked you to stop this! Don't get your hands dirty. Don't...Don't get blinded by revenge...Don't get cursed by those filthy people."
"Brother...You don't have to feel pity for me. I am already suffering enough. Nothing more could hurt me anymore."
"Anne! I don't know how long you are gonna keep doing this. But if I catch you using your magic and killing people, I will cast a spell on you so you will never be able to use magic again!"
"...Can you?"
With her question, the duke was at a loss for words.
Can he really do that? Can he lock up the power that protected her sister? Can he be that heartless to the point he can ignore her safety?
"...Yeah, if that's what stops you from collecting more sins, I will do that."
"Haha. Brother, you sound really funny. Are you enjoying getting revenge by yourself? You want me to stay by and feel happy just watching it?!"
"Anne...I never wanted revenge. They don't deserve our attention. Let go of it already. At least, wait until you grow up. By that time, you will understand why I am saying it's a waste of time..."
The duke and Anne got into an argument, but no one wanted to accept the defeat.
"Brother, I know you are trying to stop getting blood in your hands because you think it will make people change and accept us in society again. Not us...but me! I know you are doing this all for me! It annoys me! You know! Why do we have to suffer so much when they are the wrong!"
Anne started crying, hitting the duke with her tiny paws.
The duke flinched at her words which sounded right, but...
They couldn't fight with the whole society. They have to adjust themselves and fit into those people.
Even though he didn't want anyone, Anne would need someone. He knew she was lonely. Maybe because she was lonely, her thoughts of revenge and blood massacre had reached the most dangerous level. If he wouldn't involve at this point, she would end up becoming a bloodthirsty monster. Just like him as people say...
"Anne...It's not that...I just want you to be happy. Don't waste your time on useless people. If you want revenge so badly, I will do that! I will kill every single person you want. I will make them suffer as you want. But please! Don't do anything like that by yourself. Don't get your hands bloody. Blood is not something that a 10-year-old should be craving for. Get rid of your evil thoughts. Forget revenge. Live well. That's enough!...Anne...Please, don't scare me. I only have you..."
The duke stared at the girl affectionately, but his voice trembled, his lips trying their best to stay up as they were slowly going down when his eyes got teary. Even if he was that so-called monster, he was still a human that yearned for the safety of his favourite people. His eyes would get wet for his sister. His heart would feel pain for his sister.
He was no special from others in front of his sister, so him trying to hold his feelings or tears never was a weird thing. It's just that he never showed that side of his to anyone else other than her.
"Brother! Even if you beg me or threaten me, I am not gonna stop. Alas, who is the victim here?! Me or you?! It's you! They sold you to that disgusting man! They did all the dirty things to you! How could you- you- still stay calm and try to forget and forgive them? I can't! Even if you can, I can't. I am gonna kill every single one of them!"
The duke stared at her stubborn expression helplessly. How could he convince her? Why did she seem to have grown up a lot? His little sister had grown up to be mature…but turned into a person people would hate and abandon.
"Anne...Don't be like this...I am okay. I am really okay. I will make sure they won't even dare to look at us again with any evil thought. Just stop it. That's all I want. All I want is to see you living happy, not like this..."
Let alone showing some sympathy at his words, she didn't even look interested in his words. She was finally tired of it. She stood up, standing up face to face with her brother.
"Brother. There will be no one to infer in our family anymore. I am gonna make every single one regret their decisions. If you can, try stopping me. For you, I am willing to fight with you too. You are the only person that loves me. So anyone who even had thoughts of harming you or would have, must die! Even if you will end up hating me..."