Bright sunlight penetrates the white fabric surrounding the bed in layers.
The white light that signalled the morning was permeated with the song of birds. Lilian slowly blinked her eyes to push the sleep that hung on her eyelashes away.
Then she got up from the bed and stretched her short arms.
"Urgh..."
Ah, this relaxing morning.
Knock knock
"Come in."
After she yawned for a long time, she got up from the bed and brushed her wavy red hair with her hand.
Normally, she braids it loosely when she sleeps, but yesterday she just slept, and the hair that came down to her waist was tangled and a mess.
She finally gave up because she thought it was not something that could be recovered with a hand comb, but Martha, the head maid who was often busy outside, pulled up the canopy.
Martha, look at Lilian, who just woke up, and Lizzie, who's still sleeping.
"Hah, Young lady Lizzie. Please wake up. You will have a breakfast together with his grace and his guests today." Martha said as she shook Lizzie's small body.
Lilian looks at Lizzie, who is sleeping, as if she's dead.
"Five more minutes..." Lizzie muttered in her sleep.
"I'm going to take a bath first." Lilian entered the bathroom to shower.
Martha will have a hard time waking up Lizzie since she's not a person who can easily open her eyes.
"Young lady, please wake up." Martha kept trying to wake Lizzie, but she just didn't wake up! "How do I get this little one to wake up?" Martha sighed with an annoyed look.
She can't use violence since she's the grand duke's daughter, but she can't hold her temper if this continues!
"Young lady Lizzie!"
Martha grabbed both of her small shoulders, raised her from the bed, and shook her body countless times until she opened her eyes. The moment she opened her sleepy eyes, Martha let out a small breath.
"Huh? Head maid? Hurm... where's Lilian?" Lizzie asked while rubbing her eyes.
"She is washing up."
"Already? Isn't it too early to take a bath?" Lizzie asked.
She's still not in her right mind.
"Please wake up now. You will have breakfast with the grand duke and his guests, so you need to wash up now." Martha spoke with a frustrated voice.
"I don't care about his guests," Lizzie replied.
Lilian gets out of the bathroom after washing up while Lizzie's still on her bed and argues with Martha.
"Lizzie, go and take a bath. You're smelly, you know." Lilian said, and Lizzie pouted her lips.
"Fine... I'm just trying to make her angry." Lizzie said as if she had done nothing wrong and immediately went to the bathroom to have a bath.
There were no servants to help them wash up. Perhaps it's because of the head maid. Maids will follow the head maid's words, and since the head maid didn't give them any work, they also didn't move.
Martha sighed when her temper was already so thin.
"Kathy. Help the ladies." Martha said to get out of the room.
Kathy approached Lilian, who sat down in front of the dressing table.
Kathy came behind her and started brushing her hair. Kathy skillfully combed the hair that she had given up and began to braid it loosely.
The touch was so gentle that she wondered if this was the feeling of a pet falling asleep outright under the affectionate touch of its owner.
If that were the case, even if she were reincarnated as a dog raised by the grand duke instead of a human, she would have a good life.
"Who are the grand duke guests?" Lilian asked.
Kathy didn't answer for a while.
"Urm... The pope of the temple and the magic tower master."
"Why are they coming?" Lizzie, who finished her bath, asked
"You should dry your hair, Lizzie." Lilian said that Lizzie didn't dry her hair thoroughly.
"Tsk. I know, I know. You keep nagging me like you're my mom."
"If I were your mom, then I would tear your hair from your head." Lilian replied with a serious gaze, and Lizzie laughed.
The room suddenly filled with Lizzie's laughter, and Lilian sighed slowly. Well, yes, just do whatever you want.
"Now please tell us, why would such high-ranking people want to have breakfast with us? Isn't it weird?"
Lizzie asked as she dried her hair on her own since Kathy, the only maid that served them, was busy braiding Lilian's hair.
"You go, lady Lizzie. I'm just a maid; how could I know such an important thing?" Kathy said it with gentle eyes.
"Hurm... Then, is it normal that only one maid was helping us get ready even though we will meet important guests later?" Lizzie asked a question that made Kathy lose her word.
"It must be because Duke is short of money. Perhaps there's not much maid service in this mansion. We appear out of nowhere, so who would want to serve us? Stop that dream, Lizzie." Lilian spoke with a harsh voice.
Lizzie clicked her tongue with an annoyed expression.
"I feel like you just insulted me." Lizzie said while glaring at her twin sister.
"You're right. I just did." And Lilian just admitted that she insulted her own twin.
"Lilian..."
"What?"
"You're so annoying."
"I'm glad that you know."
Kathy didn't say anything and immediately finished styling Lilian's hair.
"Young lady Lizzie, come. I will do your hair." Kathy was rushed.
Probably because it's almost time for breakfast.
Because of that, the twins arrived later than they were supposed to and made the grand duke and his guests wait for them for about 30 minutes. Kathy looks scared as they enter the dining room together.
"What is this? You make the guest wait."
The man with the beautiful black robe said as he stared at the twins, who appeared to be quite cute even though they were late.
Before Kathy can say anything, Martha appears with a sweet smile on her face.
"Please forgive me. This happened because the young ladies slept so well that I didn't dare wake them up. I'm sorry for letting them wake up so late and making everyone wait for them." She said this while bowing deeply.
Lilian and Lizzie steal a glance at the head maid, Martha, with excited eyes.
"She acts so well." Lizzie whispered.
"She can be an artist for sure." Lilian agrees with her.
Lizzie look at Lilian and smile. Lilian knows there's something she wants to do, and it's probably not good for Martha.
"We woke up at 5 a.m.; is it considered late? I don't know that we have to wake up earlier than that." Lizzie said this while biting her nails with teary eyes.
Afraid that Lark would be mad at them. Of course, that was just acting.
"Woke up at 5?" Lark frowned at her words.
Why would a small child like them wake up at 5 a.m in the morning? After all, they would have their breakfast at 8 a.m., so there's no reason to wake up so early.
"Uh, no, not like that, your grace. The young lady might be confused since she's just a child." Martha said it with a panicked face.
"We woke up at 5, and we have to take a bath on our own, so it's normal that we are late. But I'm sorry. This is not our place, but we act like we own it. We should have known it better, especially the way the head maid and other maids treat us. We're nothing but children who suddenly appeared to be the Grand Duke's lost daughters."
Lizzie keeps acting while hiding herself behind Lilian, who's a bit taller than her.
"Please excuse our rude behaviour. We would definitely arrive on time if this maid didn't help us with our hair and our clothes. We should've stopped her when she was trying to braid our hair and choose expensive clothes for us. We're sorry."
Lilian bows her small body, and Lizzie, who saw her twin do that, immediately does the same.
Lark bit his lower lips as he tried to swallow his anger. He looked at the head maid with eyes full of killing intent, as if he were ready to kill everyone.
"Martha."
He called her name with a low, deep voice, to the point that Martha and Kathy started to tremble because of the pressure of his voice.
"Y—Yes... Grand duke..."
"Explain to me," he ordered.
"It's a misunderstanding... It's just a misunderstanding!" Martha said this while kneeling in front of the grand duke.
"You don't want to let me know?" Lark's face became even more serious at Martha's words.
"It looks like your maid didn't receive a proper education before becoming the head maid. Should I slice her throat?" Elliora, the pope said, as if it were not a problem to kill a noble.
Even though Martha is a maid, she's still a noble. He's the pope, yet he talked as if human life was worth nothing.
"Martha, This is your last chance." Lark said, as he was trying to give the head maid a chance to tell the truth. But Martha kept her mouth shut and said nothing. "Take her to the dungeon." Lark gave a very cold command to his knight, Hugo.
"Yes, your grace."
Hugo immediately grabbed Martha, who refused to go and keep yelling; she was just telling the truth about the twins origin.
"What about the maid over there?" Elliora asked as he stared at Kathy, who trembled alongside the kids.
"Don't touch Kathy. Try touching her; I won't leave you alone." Lilian interrupts as she stands in front of Kathy.
She has a feeling that Elliora isn't a simple man. It's as if these three men already know their true identities. Lizzie, who was acting like an innocent child earlier, immediately changed her expression and also stood beside Lilian to protect Kathy.
[Child, don't be too wary of them]
Lilian and Lizzie looked at each other when they heard Chevelure's voice. Isdor was hiding since he's the white leopard. It's too sudden to bring him into this mansion since Lark will suspect it.
"Erm. I mean, she's kind to us and helps us a lot, so I hope you won't hurt her." Lilian said while looking at Lizzie, who only smiled at her.
Lark smiled at her words. "If that's the case, then I should reward the maid." He said this while looking straight at Kathy, who was still standing behind the children.
"You don't have to do that. It's my job to serve young lady Lilian and young lady Lizzie." She said this as she controlled her trembling voice.
"Let's not talk about this. We should eat first." Elliora, who's hungry, said
Lark nodded and looked at his two kids. "Lilian. Lizzie. Come and take a seat." He said it with a soft gaze.
Lilian walks towards the table and sits on the chair, followed by Lizzie. Lark snaps his finger, and the group of maids enter the dining room with a lot of food. A second later, the table was filled with food.
"Urm... What about Luca? Did he already take his breakfast?" Lizzie asks because she didn't see Luca in the dining room, and there seems to be no place for him.
"Urm. Today he's not going to have breakfast with us. We will have breakfast as a family starting tomorrow, so don't think about it too much." Lark replied as if it were not something they should worry about.
"So it means he already ate?" Lizzie repeated her questions.
They absolutely have no idea why they have to take breakfast with the grand duke guests, but they know that they need to help Luca and Lark so that they don't hate or refuse each other.
"That..."
"If he hadn't eaten yet, why didn't you call him to have breakfast with us? He's your son, isn't he?" Lizzie threw a serious question that made Lark lose his words.
"Hurm, she's not wrong. It's been a long time since we last met your son. Go and ask him to come here. It would be good to see all of your kids." Alexandro interrupts calmly.
Lark felt useless for a while. If it weren't for Lizzie's words, he would never think about having breakfast with his son.
"Gilbert." Lark called his butler's name, and Gilbert understood right away.
He nodded and immediately got out of the dining room. A while later, a maid enters and brings one more plate for Luca.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
They heard someone knock on the door. When the door was open, they saw Luca enter the dining room with a graceful step. He put his right hand to his left chest and bowed his head to Lark and his father's guests.
"I'm sorry for being late." He said it with a calm voice.
"Have a seat, Luca." Lark said as he smiled at his son.
Luca didn't say anything and just sat beside Lilian.
They started to eat the moment everyone take their seat. Lilian and Lizzie didn't pay attention to anything and just looked at the food in front of them. It's so delicious that they can't stop eating.
They were the last person to finish eating, and they don't even realise everyone is waiting for them to finish it.
"It's good to see you enjoy the food." Lark said as he observed his two daughters.
"Oh... Urm, it's delicious. We've never eaten something like this before." Lizzie said while rubbing her neck.
"Oh no, it's fine. This food is for you guys to enjoy, so I'm happy that you guys like it so much."
Lilian stared at Lark, and Lizzie didn't reply to his words. They just smile awkwardly.
"You're Lilian and this girl is Lizzie right?" Alexandro, who has kept quiet since earlier, was looking at the twins with a serious look.
"Yes. I'm Lilian, and she's my twin Lizzie."
They were staring at each other as if there was something they were trying to find about each other.
"What are you guys?" Alexandro asked with an instant gaze.
The atmosphere change with Alexandro serious question. Luca was also startled and looked at his twin sisters before staring at Alexandro and Elliora.
"I believe the correct answer we can say is human right." Lizzie replied as she drank the tea.
"Right... Human. But that's not what I want to hear." He said.
"I don't know what you expect to hear from us." Lizzie replied coldly.
"Tell me where you are from. You're not originally from this world, aren't you?" Alexandro gets straight to the point.
Lizzie looked at Lilian as if asking her what to do. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't have an answer for your question. If we're not from this world, then where are we coming from?" Lilian asked him back.
"Yes. That's why I ask you."
"You think we're from another world? I'd like to know what makes you think so." Lilian looks so calm, while Lizzie seems nervous.
Is it okay to let these people know that they're souls from another world and were brought here in order to protect this world? Even though they refuse to tell the truth, these people seem to know everything.
'Is it okay if they know about our true identity? Chevelure. You must be watching. Please tell us what we should do in this situation.'
It was just a word that didn't come out directly from Lilian's mouth, but she knew Chevelure had the ability to hear it.
[They will be the ones who protect the two of you in the future, alongside Isdor. You can believe in them.]
Lilian and Lizzie look at each other the moment they hear Chevelure voice. Know that they can trust these people.
"The flow of mana is very different from normal human. This is not a level ordinary humans can reach. And I have a feeling that there's a divine beast in this mansion. The existence of divine beast mean you're not ordinary being and you're the chosen one." Alexandro said it with a calm face.
"Tsk. I don't know that we will be caught right away." Lilian said, and Lizzie also made an uneasy expression. "You're right. Both of us is not from this world. Our soul was brought here, and we have our own mission to be completed." She said it with a firm voice.
Luca, who sits next to Lilian, seems very confused by her words.
"We cannot explain in detail why we're here and what we have to do. But we have to finish the mission that was entrusted to us." Lilian added it so that they wouldn't be asked about something they couldn't answer.
"That's it. That's why the flow of mana feels different." Elliora interrupts with a difficult expression.
"Wait, wait. What is this situation? What do you mean that these people is soul from another world?" Luca, who still didn't understand the situation, asked.
"They're not from this world. You should know there are various gods and various worlds in this universe, right? And your twin sister's soul was from another world." Elliora kindly explained the situation to Luca, who was still clueless.
Luca laughed as if he had heard something funny.
"I thought the story about Velma and Daphne being the only beings from another world was a lie." He said this while rubbing his forehead.
If they're from another world, there's a high chance that they might be older than him. Or maybe younger than him. How is he supposed to react to this crazy situation?
"It might be hard to believe. We didn't know it would be like this either. We have some unavoidable circumstances that force us to agree to come into this world. And the fact that all of you know it right away makes it even more difficult for us to proceed like we're just innocent children." Lilian closed her eyes and expressed her regret.
"Then are you my sister or not?" Luca asked with a serious expression.
Lilian looked at him, and she couldn't find the right answer to give him.
"I... About that..."
She also didn't know.
What kind of existence are they?
Are they really family?
They're not soul from this world.
This body might have the Grand Duke bloodline, but how do they explain their soul coming from another world?
"We also didn't know. What are we? This body is clearly the grand duke's daughter, but our soul is from another world, so I don't know." Lilian replied as she looked at her hands.
It's the first time she feels so guilty.
She felt like she was trying to deceive everyone by saying they're the grand duke's daughter when their existence itself is such a mess.
"It's up to you." Lizzie interrupts with a serious expression. Lilian looks at her.
"Lizzie..."
"Whether we are your sisters or not. Whether we are the grand duke's daughters or not, It's up to you guys. You guys just have to decide what we are. I believe you have the right to do it. Even though you don't want us as your daughters and sisters, we will accept it. So please think about it and tell us again. The moment you make your decision, it will be whether we continue to live in this place as your daughter and sisters or you chase us out, saying we're not your real family." Lizzie spoke firmly and grabbed Lilian's hand.
Without saying anything, they left the dining room. All of them were too stunned to speak. This situation is weird. How should they react to this situation? Of course, for Lark, both of them will be his daughters no matter what happens, but what about Luca?
What did he think about the twin?
"Father. What are you going to do now? Take them in?" Luca asked.
His expression is something Lark can't read. He didn't know what his eldest son thought.
"What about you? Are you willing to have them as your sisters? Those bodies have my blood, so it's proof that they're my children."
"I don't know. I need some time to think. But they're your daughters. I don't think you should throw them. But for me to act as their brother, It would be hard for me." Luca expresses what he thinks.
He didn't hate their existence, but he didn't know what he should do. They're the reason Isabella died. If Isabella didn't give birth to them, then she would still be here with him. He couldn't love them, and this situation has made it even worse.
"Go and take a rest Luca. Let's talk about this next week."
Lark knows Luca must have a hard time right now, but he also has the same situation. He doesn't want to ignore any of his kids. He didn't care whether the twins souls came from another world or not.
They're his daughters.
"I think this situation would have been better if they didn't know about our identity."
Lilian said what she thought as they sat on the chair besides the window.
"What do we do now? How can we help them restore their father-son relationship when our relationship with them is not that good?"
Lizzie also said what she thought to Lilian, and both of them lost themselves in thought.
[Child, are you stressed?]
Chevelure's voice was heard, and both of them sighed at the same time.
"What are we supposed to do in this situation? Is that really a good way? To let them know about our identity?" Lilian feels uneasy.
[It will be fine. They just need some time.]
All human beings need time to adapt to the current situation.
Because they are human beings with hearts, they need time to understand and accept the situation. Nothing will change if you try to argue about that because it is human nature.
"Don't you think that Luca will hate us? We put Martha in jail. After all, Martha is one of Luca's precious people in his 7th life, right?" Lizzie asked in a serious tone.
She was very worried when Lark ordered his knight to put Martha in the dungeon since, according to the novel, Martha is one of the people that Luca genuinely loves and cares about.
"I'm not sure... I think if he finds out, he will definitely hate us more, but we can't leave Martha like that. Martha is one of the people who will push Luca to believe that his father doesn't like him." Lilian replied calmly.
She crossed her arms over her chest with a serious face.
They have a lot to think about, and they have no time to waste. Every minute they waste thinking about something they shouldn't makes them feel uneasy.
"We need more information. We need to visit the ancient library as soon as possible to understand everything that happen. Right now, there's a character that we've never read before, so we must try to find out about it." Lizzie said.
"To visit the ancient library, we need to find the key. But the question is, Where should we go to search for it?" Lilian's questions make Lizzie fall into deep thought.
"Chevelure will not give us the exact direction, but we should at least know where the key is hidden to find it."
The ancient library is not a place that can be entered carelessly since every record of being in this world was written and kept in that library. If people find it, a disaster will happen since humans are very greedy.
They will do everything to have the power to control the world.
[Isdor will guide you to find the key.]
Chevelure interrupted their conversation. Lilian and Lizzie look at each other before a smile appears on their faces.
"We count on Isdor then. Let's get ready. We will go out now." Lizzie made a sudden decision.
But Lilian didn't say anything because the faster they move to find the key, the faster they can understand the current situation.