"You look better now. Did something good happen?"
"Hm? What's wrong? Are you feeling sick, Alex?"
Hearing Howard's remark, Alyson approached me and started checking on me, searching from head to toe.
"Nothing's wrong, Sister," I assured her.
"Hm...There is something wrong, isn't it? You acting strange like this is definite proof, alright." Argued her back.
"I am not acting strange." Shaking my head, I denied the claim.
"Yes, you are. See. Even now, you're refusing to look at me properly. Something is definitely wrong here!"
She kept pushing her point.
"Nothing's wrong. Here, I am looking at you. See?"
"Spill it, Alex."
Alyson squinted her eyes, ignoring my awkward attempt to say otherwise.
"He says he loves his family like the good boy that he is. And then he says it's a big deal for him since this is the first time, and whatever." Sneered Helena from the side.
"Hey!" I raised my voice. 'This brat!'
"What? Payback's a bitch. Don't you know that?" Answered Helena, not backing down.
I have a feeling it's going to be my loss no matter what, so I chose to be the bigger one instead...Crazy Helena was scary, after all...
"Oho...So my dear little brother has confessed his love for me, is that it? And in such a cute way, too. So that explains it. You're being bashful, aren't you, Alex?" She cupped and pinched my cheeks, squealing in delight while doing so.
"Huh? Are you mental, woman? He said family, not specifically you." Retorted Helena.
"Fufufu. Why so salty so early in the day? It might be presumptuous of me, but perhaps, are you jealous right now?" Taunted Alyson.
"I am not jealous! Who needs that childish confession anyway!" Spat Helena harshly.
"Brother loves Helena."
And amid the girls' spat, the familiar childish voice rang through the room.
"Oh, Adam. A gentleman does not get involved in a woman's fight."
As soon as he spoke, Howard immediately took Adam in his arms, away from the brewing storm. Still, it didn't stop the petite munchkin from running his naive little mouth. "Fighting is bad. Love is good. Brother says love to Sister Helena."
"Ahh! Look, Adam. A small sun!"
"Sun!!"
Thanks to Howard's quick wits, he managed to distract the live-ticking bomb that was Adam.
'Now...' The problem was...The damage had been done. 'What do I do with this?'
Neither of the girls was saying anything.
If something was wrong when Helena was quiet, then something must've gone terribly wrong when both Helena and Alyson got quiet when they were in the same room.
I exchanged quick glances with Howard and constantly peeked at the two.
"No. It cannot be. Judging from your face, it doesn't seem like it. But Adam is not one to lie, so something must've happened. Now, the question is...Am I going to like what I hear? Or will I not? Which one do you think it'll be, Helena?"
'Yeap, here we go...' Shit's bound to happen...It is what it is...
"Tch, what's with this crazy bitch...Do I look like someone who'll answer you just because you asked me a question?" Clicking her tongue, Helena argued irritatingly.
"Hey, you guys...Adam's been asking to play outside-"
Stuck between the two, I tried to change the subject before things worsened.
"You shut up."
"Leave us be, Alex."
But it clearly did not have any effect whatsoever.
"Yes. I'll leave you two by. Please excuse us..."
Calling out to Howard from the corner of my eye, the three of us escaped from my room.
Again...
Fuck my life...
"Sheesh, I always get antsy whenever those two do that." Complained Howard.
"Damn it. You say that, but it's always me who got stuck between them."
'This punk. He has it easy and yet dare to run his mouth?' I suddenly had this urge to slap the back of his head.
"Are you messing with me? You are the reason, so it is only right like that. As a matter of fact, can't you do a better job, Alex?" Reeling his neck, he gave me this annoying side look.
"You think I don't try, you punk? With one of them, I can at least manage, albeit roughly. Maybe two of them if I'm lucky that day...But you see what happened just now. That ain't something I can meddle in." I argued my case.
"Huft...I really do think Helena is getting better after we started living here. But nowadays, I am not so sure anymore..." Exhaled Howard long into the sky.
I shook my head and voiced my disapproval at the sight. "Tsk, tsk, tsk...Adam. Do me a favor and pat Brother Howard for me?"
Without asking questions, the little boy jumped up from my lap and ran toward Howard on the side. Howard, the receiving end, tilted his head in confusion but still welcomed the small, soft hand that patted him gently on his thigh.
"You really believe that Helena is the only one who's crazy, don't you? Ignorance is bliss, ain't it?" I sneered openly at him.
Howard twitched in response. A vein or two popped out despite the bright smile he put on for Adam. "Thank your lucky number that Adam is here with us, Alex."
"Right? Don't you think it's good that Adam is here with us? Hahaha!" I teased the poor boy further, grinning wide from ear to ear.
"Yes, I do think so, Alex!" He grunted and reached out his hand to pinch my shoulder.
But it's me we were talking about. Ain't no way something like that gonna pierce through my perfect, impeccable, and spotless defense.
As a result, Howard's hand brushed through the empty air and failed to find its target.
"Hey, using magic is cheating!" He cried out.
"Cheating is bad!" The boy, who caught on to something, added on sternly, imitating George, I presumed...
"Yes, tell him, Adam. Brother Alex is cheating!" And the young boy was further spurred by this shameless punk of a Prince.
"Hah, look at you, prick, trying to have Adam do your bidding." I gritted my teeth and scoffed.
Howard chuckled and hugged Adam. "Nonsense aside, do you really think we should leave those two behind alone?"
"...You really do think so too? Even though we told the guards at the door to come in case they heard something, it still gnaws in my mind." I replied.
"Alex...We're left with one choice at this point."
"One, indeed..."
And that choice was to tell the only person who could bring the two girls down no matter how crazy they got.
A magician who mastered magic in accordance with the body's energy.
A master magician hailing from the eastern part of the Lorian continent, our very own Duchess of Dawson...Maya Von Dawson.
"Let's hurry and go find Mother."
"Find Mom!"
Adam's cheerful voice rang jubilantly as we hastened our pace to locate the reliable peacemaker.