The usual day of my life was the same as when I was a kid. Nothing interesting; obey all the words my father had spoken, studied, and learned whatever I was given. The awful and terrible activities that I had to experience seemed normal and boring to me. It might sound terrible that I am used to doing all the dirty work. Since I am the first don of the family, my father expected me to do and be great to take over his business when the time comes. After my mother's death, my father hadn't changed at all from what he was like before to what he is like now. He had a cold heart, cold eyes, and cold words that I had perceived and what I had known about him. But after his 3rd wife had arrived at our mansion and lived with us, everything was quite different, good or bad; I couldn't decide not just for him that had changed but also for me. I had no idea that the existence of strangers could make my organized brain turn into a mess; my cold touch turned out to be warm at some point. Being nervous about what to say, being paranoid that person would feel, think, or even get hurt.
My father's third wife was different. She wasn't acting to please everyone. She was just genuinely a sweet person. Her daughter had her mother's hair, but it was slightly different; at the tip of her hair, it had black in it. I thought she dyed them, but over time, it grew. The black color was growing higher and higher, and her silver hair never backed down as well. They were fighting to be on her head. She looked sweet but quiet and preserved. She didn't act or fake to feel or say what she didn't want to. So, I guess she was very genuine, like her mother, but in her own way. She always smiled and laughed only with her mother. She didn't ask or request much from my father like the rest of the kids in the mansion.
Since she was the daughter of my father's third wife, she was one of my sisters. We shared the same blood inside, but only half of it. But it always felt like she wasn't like us, like me, or like my father. I wasn't speaking about appearances but her mindset and actions toward life and my father.
I grew interested in her over time. The curiosity, the protection, and the affection had been increasing more and more. She was a tiny, fragile girl, but she refused to embrace that sweet aspect of hers. Living in this mansion and being a Stygian was very tough and challenging. Especially the head lady of the house, Veronica, the second wife who, despite her mother and her. Not speaking of Veronica's kids, she always tried to be the best to catch my father's attention.
"Excuse me."
"That was rude."
The head lady spoke up.
"Where are you going? you haven't finished your dish."
My father.
"I'm not hungry. I'm going to see my mother."
Zephyra told him fearlessly, as always.
"Sit. I have something to speak to you."
My father ordered her to sit.
"Your mother, we must move her to the Flower House in the spring area."
My father.
She had been sick for a month but wasn't feeling better.
"What do you mean by we?"
I looked at her with worry. She knew who the shadow of the order was, and she wasn't afraid to mention that. I loved the way she was very honest with herself and her feelings.
"Doctor suggested, of course."
The head lady answered.
"Because of her sickness or because of what?"
She was speaking in her shaking voice. I clenched my fist so hard. It must be Veronica's idea.
"Her sickness can not be spread in this mansion, and it's better for us and also your mother to recover and rest fully in the good condition environment."
The head lady.
Yeah right. I clenched my jaw after hearing Veronica's excuse.
"I'll go with her."
She answered.
"No, you won't."
My father.
"Then who is going to take care of her?"
"Doctor and the butler"
My father.
"It's better if I am the one who takes care of her."
"She needs to recover, and you are just a kid. How? What knowledge do you have that could help her?"
He was about to lose his shit.
"Was I the only one who tried my best here?"
She also lost her usual calmness.
Damn it.
I joined my hands together to calm myself and not to explode.
"Zephyra..."
Her mother came down.
Zephyra's mother tried to calm her down and wanted to make things easier by just surrendering to my father's orders. Her mother decided to go to the Flower House, and I understood that Zephyra wanted to be with her. If I were her, I would do the same thing. But my father was an ambitious man who got what he always wanted.
"What is the purpose of staying here anyway, mother?"
Zephyra spoke up.
"You are my daughter. Your purpose is to finish school and let your mother recover."
My father steps toward her aggressively.
I was about to get up, but Serena glanced at me and shook her head to stop my action.
My father and Zephyra were fighting with their words. All I hoped was not to get physical. I knew my father. When I said she wasn't like us, but the way she knew that it wasn't right, she was in her intimidating and fierce mode like my father. To be honest, she was calmer even when she was this age.
"Why can't I visit her!?"
She raised her voice.
I couldn't take this anymore.
"Slap!"
And then my father slapped her.
"!!!"
"Father."
I got up and called him.
"..."
"Then excuse me. I would like to send my mother to her bed."
She surrendered and took her mother upstairs.
"Fuck..."
I mumbled and glared at my father so hard.
If I said a word, it might get worse.
Before I was about to talk to my father, he left the dining room.
"Achlys, stop, not right now. It might get worse. Let him calm himself a bit."
Serena grabbed my arms and told me the truth.
"She deserved it anyway. She shouldn't argue and raise her voice to your father.."
The head lady.
"Shut up."
I told Veronica, the head lady, and she was stunned, probably by my words and also by my face's expression. I could cut her tongue out right away if she wasn't my father's wife.
For fuck sake!
"Thug!"
I hit the wall. Why was I so useless? I pictured her tiny face being hit, and she didn't even shed her tears.
"*Sigh."
I exhaled intently and picked up the ointment.
I walked to her room, which was closed without any light inside. She still must be with her mother.
I'll wait.
Zephyra was coming to her room and she ignored my existence. Before she was about to twist the doorknob I grabbed her wrist. And I gave her an ointment without saying anything.
"The ointment."
I told her.
"Thanks, but I don't need it."
She tried to push the door again.
Stubborn.
"Your cheek needs it...just put it on before you sleep. It doesn't take that much time."
"*Sigh."
She sighed softly and took the ointment from my hand, and then I let go of her tiny arm.
I decided to walk away from her room even though I just wanted to push those big doors and take care of her myself. I put my hands over my face and went through my hair to the back of my neck.
"Her cheek will be swollen tomorrow. Fuck"
I cursed while I was walking to my room.
After the chaotic dinner, I was planning how to watch over her since she wasn't homeschooled anymore, and going to the Grande Wister Academy was like introducing her to society. She's been through a lot, and I didn't want her to receive unnecessary thoughts or ideas in her head. She was an intellectual and hard-working person. She would do anything to exceed others' expectations, especially my father's. I didn't know the reason behind why she was always determined to be great at everything. Whatever she tried, she was amazing, and for what she wasn't good at, she tried hard to achieve it. To be approved of by my father, which I didn't think was because she didn't care about him. The person who she really cared about was her mother.
And being that determination could bring a lot of eyes on her, and with her intelligence and also her beauty, could attract not just admirers but also haters and jealous fuckers.
So, I went to the academy to talk with the director and convinced him by not telling him directly that I wanted a job there. But let him think that having me was the best choice to provide the knowledge to his students. A few days after that discussion, he contacted my father and asked him to talk to me about the opportunity. Since I was the important person to help my father with his business, I had so many duties from that. Asking my father's permission, they must do by choice.
My father approved that I could work at the academy with one condition: I had to deal with and seal the business for him in Keithland. Which was quite difficult because Keithland was full of gangsters. The business owners were just like us but more crucial since they were all truly Mafias. In Sovereign City, we focused on power, money, and expanding our name by businesses. However, in Keithland, they also focused on power; instead of money, they preferred materials, weapons, and people through violence. Instead, we would choose to discuss and offer the deal; the bloodshed and crucial part would only be necessary.
It took me almost a year to seal that fucking deal in Keithland. My men were killed and killed, so the only discussion between those jokers was blood. To be approved of their time, I was the one to take their men's lives equally. The phrase that said we could not use violence to beat violence wasn't working in this area. It didn't bother me at all because I loved teaching people who thought highly of themselves just because they had the most extensive territory and having more people to use them to get to the throne while you were sitting behind the desk. They were just jokes to me.
During the academy, Zephyra behaved the same as in the mansion. I thought her behavior would be different around friends and her classmates, but I was not surprised. She was so focused on her goals and ignored her background (including people). Maybe that was the reason why I would like to be on her radar, to be important enough to be in her sight.
I was also not surprised that several girls picked on her, but her attacks were as intimidating as her looks. Seeing her fight back with physicality was quite new to me. Her honestly brutal words could cut people's throats that easily, but when she used her physical ability, that was amazing. I didn't want to see her use violence. She might get hurt by them and also by herself. Therefore, every time she was about to lose her shit, I came in between.
There were two things that I wanted to shake her body and yell at her that just came to me when I wanted something or wanted to do anything for her, but she just did and went after by herself. She had been sneaking out to see her mother at the Flower House every day after school. First, I didn't realize why she returned to the mansion on her own in the late evening. So I ordered a man to follow her. Her actions might cause a lot of trouble for herself, but I didn't want to stop her. She should see her mother, and the two of them should be together.
Another thing she chose to join was the Sayamura Club. That club contained everything that I hated for her to gain experiences from. The sword fight was said to protect yourself and others and had their own moralities. That was bullshit; killing was killing, and dead meant dead. There was no ethical reason to be an excuse. To kill or to protect, the outcome was the same.
The Stygian's Mansion
I was about to go to the dining room when I saw Zephyra running down the stairs. She probably just got here rushing like that. She might fall down the stairs.
Calm down.
"Ah."
Then she tripped on the last step, and I grabbed her arm in time.
"Ah...Thank you."
She looked at me.
She just got out of the shower. I could smell her rose scent, but the tip of her hair was still wet.
"Dinner is ready."
The maid came in and called us.
At dinner time, she glanced at me from time to time. Perhaps she was worried that I saw her sneaking out.
"It's your birthday next month, Medora. How about we go to Doraella Island for the weekend?"
Veronica asked her daughter.
"Doraella!? I'd love it, Mother. I heard it was so beautiful. My friend Jemma went there last month."
Medora.
Zephyra's birthday was a month ago, and no one cared to set up a birthday party for her. I bought her a gift and gave it to her, but I hadn't seen her use it. That was upsetting.
"What do you think, honey?"
The head lady asked my father.
"Hm.. there's a lot of work I need to finish."
"But it's your daughter's birthday. You can leave it to your man."
"...I'll try. Achlys, how long are you going to give the lecture at the academy?"
My father asked me the question that made Zephyra interested. I tried not to smirk at her.
"Long as they need me to."
I answered.
"I think you are better than just teaching students there, Achlys."
The head lady.
"I agree. Why don't you work with me full-time?"
My father suggested.
"But the director asked for Achlys himself, Darling. That might be hard for him to leave the academy now."
"What do you think, Achlys?"
"..."
I said nothing and just thought about the girl across from me. If I left the academy, What about her?
"Do you want to leave? You can tell the director directly. He wouldn't mind."
Father asked.
"..I want to stay longer."
I answered.
"..."
She had an eye on me now.
"But I still help you after school as always."
Then I turned my face to my father.
"That's not what I meant."
"..."
"How about you, Zephyra?"
My father asked her.
"Hm?"
She made a cute sound when she was curious.
"Your grades and your work are amazing."
"Thank you."
"The director contacted me himself."
"Hm?"
This time, the head lady made a noise, which was annoying.
"Your school work is wonderful because of your hard work. I think you don't need to attend an extra class after school."
"But..."
"You can maintain the grades by studying only the academy's classes. So, you don't bother getting home late by yourself."
Shit. Then, she could not go to see her mother. I could see the worry in her eyes.
"It doesn't bother me, Father."
Zephyra.
"And I've heard that you are in the Sayamura club, is that right?"
"Yes, father."
"Sayamura?!"
The head lady screamed out the name.
"That's very impressive. I heard that no one's allowed to audition or register unless they are chosen."
My father continued.
"Yes, father."
The Sayamura club was under the Takaki family. The family that was our family was also under them. The actual crucial and hardcore behind the respected, mighty name. I told Anthony, the leader of the polo team, to select her to be in his club because the polo team was famous and well-known in our society, and it might satisfy my father a little bit so he could be easier on her. But Anthony said she refused the offer before.
See? She was very good at everything, and everybody would like to have her.
"Anyway, after school and your activities, you come home by the chauffeur ride."
My father continued.
"..."
She was in silence.
"She can take my ride."
I suggested.
"Thank you, but It's okay."
She quickly responded to me.
"She has to train for the upcoming competition, and I heard that the polo team wants her to join, so she must practice more than the average member."
"Polo team? Is that so? But why does she have to practice more than others?"
"Because she sucks at riding horses."
"What...how do..."
She almost shouted at me.
Cute.
"Hahaha. Alright then, she can come home with you."
He surrendered.
I was walking back and forth in front of her room to explain that I supported her and put her at ease. But I could not find myself knocking at her door.
"Achlys?"
And suddenly she opened the door and called my name.
"Where are you going this late?"
I asked and tried to keep calm.
"To see you."
"..."
You wanted to see me?
"What is it?"
I asked.
"I can come home myself."
"..."
I knew she was going to refuse my offer.
"How about we talk tomorrow at school?"
I told her and decided to walk away.
"No!"
But she grabbed my arm immediately and shouted her voice out.
I turned to see her, and she did the begging eyes on me.
"Why?"
"I don't want anybody..."
I looked at her curiously. Perhaps she didn't want anybody to see us together.
Why?
I moved closer to her.
"Hah."
She was a little startled.
"Okay, then talk here."
I wanted to know what she was thinking.
"I don't want to bother you. I can come home by myself."
She explained.
"No."
"No?"
"I knew the secret activity that you do after school."
I told her.
"!!?"
She looked surprised.
"Why did.. Why didn't you tell Father?"
She was stumbling.
"...You still can go there."
"I don't get it."
"On one condition, you have to join the polo team."
I got the idea.
"Ha? Why do people really want me to join? I am not good at all and if I join, how can I have time to go..."
"!!"
And I used my hand to cover her mouth before she said the secret place.
"I know you enjoy the Sword Club. Do whatever you want, but give 2 days to the polo team. You got 3 days for Swords and only 2 days for riding horses."
I explained.
"Hmm."
She made the cute sound again.
"What?"
I questioned her reaction.
"Can you just tell me why? Why do you want me to be on the team?"
"Let's just say I'm helping you right now, aren't I?"
"And how can we…"
"I'll take you there."
"No."
She denied it again.
"Don't you think it will save more time?"
"..."
No answer from her.
"Why are you so stubborn?... I give you a ride, and I'm doing my things and pick you up."
"..."
"I won't rush..."
I continued.
"..."
"I take your silence as a yes."
"Um."
She made a sound and nodded.
Yes! Finally.
"Goodnight, Zephyra."
I told her.
"... Goodnight."
She said it back to me softly.
Then I realized her hand was still holding my arm.
"You don't want me to leave or what?"
"Ha!?.. Oh...sorry."
She was shocked and let her hand go.
I should have not told her.