It was not often that the Chlorance family felt so nervous when they were in front of someone. But this was a particular case for them. It also heightened the urgency of the situation for their family.
Adrian had never seen his parents be this nervous before. That was how he knew that their guests were important.
Rose had also stopped crying in the meantime and now looked excited. After a long wait, the door to their room opened, and their guest entered. The pair was an older adult and a teenage boy.
The boy looked to be around Adrian's age's age with a black and well-kept appearance. But something about the kid's gaze made Adrian feel fearful. He wanted to step back, but his pride as a Chloracne did not allow it.
"Ah, if it isn't my dear friend Rocx and his lovely wife. It is nice of you to invite me to your home. I hope my visit did not put you in trouble.
The boss of the Dark Matter had come to greet them himself. It was a big deal in their circle. And the Chlorance couple was nervous about messing this opportunity up.
"What are you saying? It is our pleasure to host a dinner for you. I can see that you brought the young master with you as well. He is almost our Adrian's age. I am sure that they would be good friends in the future."
Sherry tried to promote her son in front of the Chlorance family. She hated being forced to stick up to the old master of Dark Matter. This would have never happened if her children had inherited the Chlorance family's powers.
Now, the only way for her children to gain fame was through external connections.
As soon as the young master of Dark Matter stepped into their home, he began to look around. His eyes were sharp and searching. The way he looked right now, it was almost as if he was looking around for their weakness.
"Excuse me, but do you only have two children?"
Confidence oozed out of the young boy's mouth when he asked this question, and Sherry found herself freezing without her knowledge.
'No way. This kid cannot know about that demon we keep hidden in the tower. I know that there are rumors regarding this topic. But no one dared to ask me this.'
Sherry felt awkward with all these eyes on her. She opened and closed her mouth without saying anything. Rocx was the one who came to her rescue.
"Young master, I know that you are curious to know more, but there are things you can and cannot ask in polite company. And for the record, I only have two lovely children, as you can see. Why don't you play with them while I chat with your grandfather?"
Rocx asked as he shot the young master a begging look. He was finding himself not liking this kid more and more.
"Alright, if you want that, I will not stop you. Elias, you heard what my 'friend' suggested, right? Make sure you treat his son and daughter right."
The master of Dark Matter looked at his grandson. A look of understanding passed through their eyes before Elias walked away with the pair of children.
"Master, what do you think about these gems? Do you think we can start trading in these stones? Their purity is killer, and look at the exquisite cutting technique used for the surface."
Rocs Chlorance tried to gain the older man's attention, but he could tell he was failing. He needed to count on his children to befriend the next leader of Dark Matter.
......
Emily had not been happy to find Rachael outside the tower. As a result, Rachael got another time-out where Emily locked the door behind her and asked her to remain in her room.
It was too bad for Emily, but her punishment was useless. Rachael had figured out how to use her window to get out of her room long ago. Even if Rachael was locked in, she quickly opened her window and went out.
The outside world was just as inviting as Rachael's first time enjoyed it. The sun was beginning to drop, and night was covering the sky fast.
For as long as Rachael remembered, she thrived in the darkness of the night. Her body felt more alert, and she wanted to do a lot.
This scared her a lot, so Rachael liked to sleep soon. Many thoughts passed through her head as she walked around in the setting sun. It was the calmest time of the day for her.
So, of course, when things were going well for her, something had to happen to twist her happiness. This time, it happened to be a familiar face.
She was seen before Rachael could duck her head and pretend she was not there. And the black-haired teenager quickly walked toward her.
"Fancy seeing you here again. But this is odd. I did not know your house had more children. I thought your parents said that you two were the only kids in this house."
Elias asked, and Rose was all too happy to answer his question.
"We are the only kids in this house. She is a demon who is here to destroy our lives. That is why we do not consider her as a human being."
Rose looked proud of herself for speaking up and clearing the situation. She was the only one who did not realize the seriousness of her accusations.
Adrian opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. He was having a hard time explaining what happened to Adrian.
"If you are done making fun of me, I want to go now. I don't think I feel so good."
Rachael made a quick escape.
No correction.
She *tried* to make a quick escape. But Elias caught her hand, and he pulled her back. Rachael tried to tug her hand out again, but Elias did not let her go.
You are leaving? But…don't you want to play with us? Since we met once more, it must be fate. Come, I know what we can do."
Elias looked determined to drag Rachel into playing with him. It instantly made Rose aware that she had eyes looking at her.
The look on Adrian's face gave her a clear message - leave them alone. And Rachael was trying her best to tug her hand out and go as well.
"Elias, you should let Rachael leave now. It doesn't look like she wants to be with us at all. Instead, you can play with Rose and me."
Adrian tried to convince Elias that they should leave Rachael alone. This was the first time he was being this helpful to Rachael.
But Elias was not in a mood to follow other's will.
"Hmm, you want me to play with you? Sure, I will! But won't it be more fun if more people are with us? We can play so many more games."
Adrian had nothing more to say about this. He could tell that Elias had made up his mind regarding this issue.
"Fine, we can allow her to play with us this time."
Adrian was reluctant, but he decided to fold this time. But Rose was not having it, and she put her foot down.
"No way. No! We are not allowing a demon to join us in our game this easily. What if she kills us all and eats us? I will not allow that to happen."
Rose was adamant about getting her way. Adrian was stuck between the rock and a hard place. But for Elias, this was the easiest decision of his life.
"You know what? I have decided to play with Rachael, so if you do not want to play, that is also fine. I will just play with her alone. There is no need for you to join."
The more time passed without Rose getting her way, the more upset she looked. And somehow, it almost looked as if Elias was enjoying teasing her like this.
'This sucks. If Rose cries, then Mother is going to kill me. But if our guest gets upset, then my mother and father will kill me. This is the worst situation for me.'
Adrian had no choice but to stick his foot out and try convincing Rose.
"Rose, you said you wanted to try playing with more people, right? Let's give this a try. Please don't cry."
Adrian finally turned toward his sister and sat in front of her. He knew that his sister would understand if he talked to her sweetly.
Just as he expected, Rachael folded in front of his sweet words and agreed with him. That was the point at which Adrian felt confident about his plan. Rose was finally cooperating with him.
"Alright. Since we all agree, why don't we play hide and seek? You have a big house so there would be many places for us all to hide. I will even take the first turn."
Elias offered, and that was the end of their argument. They finally got to play, and everyone dispersed.
Instead of hiding away, Rachael headed back to her room. Even if she did not participate in this game, it was not like her presence would be significant. She would be forgotten soon enough.
'Let's head back to my room.'
Rachael was about to head back when someone blocked her path. She looked up, only to find Elias blocking her way. He made it evident that he did not want to leave Rachael alone.
"I am sure that we had a misunderstanding before, Miss. Can we put it all past us and start anew? It would also not be a problem for you.
Elias asked with all the politeness he had in his body. He looked like an angel right now. But Rachael saw his natural face for what it was - a devil.
A devil who was here to make her peaceful life hell.
"No matter what you say, if you continue to follow me like this, you are no better than a pervert."
The harsh words took Elias aback. But he had expected nothing else from Rachael's sharp mouth.