"Do you know what you've done!? What kind of truck are you playing!? How dare you humiliate Eve like this!? All you do is cause trouble!"
Though someone was screaming at her, Angelina remained silent and calm. She was even smiling.
"Marie go inside." Angelina chuckled.
"What? But miss..." Marie hesitated.
"Don't worry Marie. I'm just going to have a short chat with my older sister and eldest brother." Angelina laughed. But it was clear to Marie that she was actually quite angry.
"O...okay miss..." Marie left with a gloomy face.
Once Marie entered the mansion doors, Angelina turned around and backhand slap Alex. "Pap!"
"....." The slap wasn't that strong but it still infuriated Alex.
"Sister how could you slap him!?" Evelina rushed to Alex's side. "Don't be angered brother. Lina is just a little tired and short tempered! Please don't be too hard on her..."
"Eve your too kind. Stop defending her! She needs to learn her lesson!" Alex turned his attention back to Angelina and was just prepared to scold her once more, when Angelina began speaking.
"I found it amusing how much you trust her brother. It's quite touching actually. Trusting each other is good. But if you trust each other too much... It could be really bad..." A smile crept up Angelina's face.
Only few people know this, but when she smiles with a certain look in her eyes, it means she's not only mad but extremely annoyed.
"What are you talking!? Stop spewing nonsense! Eve isn't anything like you! She's an absolute angel!" Alex sneered.
Suddenly, Angelina grabbed Alex's chin and turned it around, forcing Alex to look at Evelina.
"How much do you trust her? Would you trust her with your life? Your relationship with her must be really strong for you to trust her more than your other sister." Angelina spoke gently into Alex's ears.
"You! I have no such sister like you!" Alex smacked Angelina's hand away, quite roughly.
"Brother! Don't say that!" Evelina tried to ease her elder brother's mood.
Angelina looked at the two for a moment before walking away.
"B*tch! Come back here!" Alex screamed with fury, but was ignored by Angelina completely.
************
The sounds of a spoon scraping the plate echoed throughout the dining room. The quietness of the room caused it to sound much louder than it should be. It gave off the a lonely feeling.
Glancing around, Angelina sighed. She was used to it. No one would join her for dinner, not that she really wanted anyone to.
But it have her a strange feeling that she just couldn't figure out.
The duchess would usually accompany her. But she stopped ever since that day...
The food was carefully made by the family cook. It should taste amazing. It's a shame that Angelina can't really enjoy it with this strange atmosphere.
"Clank" the sound of a plate being placed down startled Angelina.
She looked up and saw that Eric had placed his plate on the spot facing her and decided to have dinner with her.
"What are you doing here?" Angelina stopped eating.
"Well I thought since no one was here... I would join you. You don't really have a problem with that right?" Eric asked her, but he didn't wait for her answer as he already started eating.
"..." Angelina paused before bursting into a soft laughter.
They took their time eating dinner in silence. It was peaceful and calm... Well...
Until Marie came.
"Miss!" Marie came running in, panting. "I finally found this naughty kid...!" Marie pointed at Eric.
"What? What do you mean Marie?" Angelina raised one of her brows slightly.
"He... When this maid was graciously delivering his food to his room, he came out of nowhere and grabbed it from me in such a rough manner! Then he ran away!" Marie grumpily pouted and folded her arms.
"...Eric? What do you mean by this?" Angelina's gaze landed on the nervous boy sitting opposite her.
"It's nothing...! I just saw you looked quite lonely s-so..." His face flushed scarlett as he looked away.
"O-oh... Well I appreciate your consideration..." Angelina awkwardly chuckled.
Seeing such a reaction, Eric felt even more embarrassed! What the heck was he thinking?? He should've just stayed in his room!
He always thought Angelina's life in the mansion was quite lonely. This was her family... But it's like she only has Marie and him, and occasionally the duchess...
And the one time he decided to be extra nice, Marie just had to come in and make everything so... Weird! At this moment he just wanted to hide in a hole!
************
"Miss... What do I do!? I-i don't wanna be ruined like this! Miss you have to help me! I beg of you!" Carol kneeled before Evelina, her clothes still dirty after going out to do some 'business'. But she still has the strength to beg for mercy.
"Shut up! Stop crying and tell me exactly what happened!" Evelina kicked her head angrily.
"I swear miss... I told the truth! I really don't remember anything!" Carol pleaded. If Evelina doesn't help her... She shall be ruined! There would be no chance for a better life for her!
"I said stop crying! I can't think clearly!" Evelina stomped her feet on the ground. Carol was frightened and forced herself to stop.
Evelina knew there was no use wasting effort in trying to save Carol. It was near impossible...
Thinking carefully, Evelina looked down on the weeping maid and sneered.
Sensing something wrong, Carol quickly knocked her head on the floor and begged once more, "miss you must help me! For the sake of all I have done for you!"
"Of course. You've done many, many things for me. For that I will grant you a favor." Evelina curved her lips into a twisted smile.
"Miss is truly magnanimous! Thank you!" Carol smiled gratefully and knocked her head on the ground again.
"Indeed, indeed. Now that I think about it... It has been some time since you've last seen your family... How about I let you meet them? I'm sure they'd be delighted!" Evelina clapped her hands joyfully.
"What... Miss... W-what do you mean?" Cold sweat dripped down Carol's forehead. "My family...? What did you... What happened to my family!"
"What do you think?" Evelina smiled. Her tone seemed so relaxed, it sounded as if she was simply talking about what to eat.
"B-but... You promised me that... How could you! You promised that they wouldn't be harmed as long as I do as you say!" Carol gritted her teeth as tears streamed down endlessly.
"Oh Carol, I thought you were a smart person. Sometimes... Some Promises are just meant not to be kept. Let me put it bluntly, your family's dead." Evelina snickered.
"But... How... Why? I did everything you said. Everything!" Carol screamed.
"Hahahahaha! Oh Carol, your family has been dead for years! They died on the first day you decided to seal that deal with me!" Evelina laughed unrestrained. She seemed to treat this as a joke!
Poor Carol... She would have never thought that on the day she sealed her deal with Evelina, she too sealed her family's fate.
"...." Carol was speechless. She didn't know what to say. She could barely comprehend what Evelina was saying. All she did was stare at Evelina in horror.
"I mean why would I keep them? If you escaped from me... How could I let you have your way? So I killed them as soon I could." Evelina sighed with a sick satisfaction in her eyes.
"No... No! Please m'lady! Give me a second chance!" Carol screamed and begged. But she knew it was too late and there was no use fighting.
Suddenly, she felt hands around her that covered her mouth with a handkerchief. While the other hand choked her.
She struggled fiercely while her eyes never left Evelina, who was smiling in front of her.
"Stop your futile resistance Carol. It will only make it more painful." Evelina, in a careless manner, brushed through her hair with her hand and sighed.
Eventually, Carol felt her sight turn blurry and everything around her faded to nothing.
************
Seeing Marie laugh, Angelina felt slightly envious. Marie is always so carefree... She's a little jealous...
Marie doesn't have a goal. She just wants to have fun and live peacefully. While she still had so much to deal with. For example, that strange dream.
What was that dream all about? Was it really some type of sign? Or was she overthinking this...
But remembering that dream, where her perspective was just behind herself, makes her spine chill.
The sounds of loud footsteps pulled Angelina back to reality and out of her thoughts.
"What's happening?" Angelina turned to Marie. Marie went outside the dining room and was able to ask another servant. The answer she received terrified her.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Angelina began to feel worried.
Marie stiffened and refused to tell Angelina. "Uh... Miss... This is none of miss's concerns! Why don't miss continue your meal?"
"Marie. Just tell me." Angelina set down her spoon and fork.
"I ..." Marie was still reluctant.
"Marie." Angelina frowned.
"Carol committed suicide!" Marie, in a panicked state, screamed. She was clearly scared.