17 Chapter 17: The Playdate

SOPHIA

My brothers had been busy today with the preparations for the Albrecht children's arrival tomorrow. I was glad that they let me help. For the first time in a long time, I was able to spend the day with all three of my beloved brothers. We shared a nice afternoon tea afterward and I watched them talk enthusiastically during dinner as they report the preparations for the playdate to our parents.

After taking a night bath, I turned in early for the night so I can be well-rested tomorrow.

"Let me brush your hair Milady," my maid Millie said, making me snap out of my thoughts.

I sat on the chair in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection as she combed through my hair.

"Are you excited about the playdate tomorrow Milady?" she asked, smiling at me through the mirror.

"I am. But I get the feeling that my brothers are much more excited about it…" I told her, smiling back. "You know; I've never seen them work so meticulously to prepare for a simple teatime. They usually don't care about such things…" I commented.

At that moment, I saw Millie pursed her lips to hide a grin. "Who knew that the first and second young masters can be so supportive towards their younger sibling's infatuation…" she murmured.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, blinking in curiosity.

I recognize Millie's change in facial expression as the brush stopped midway through my hair. It's the kind of expression she has when she's dying to share some gossip. I encouraged her to continue with a nod.

"You're aware, aren't you Milady, that the first and second young masters regularly visit the third young master's quarters every time they come home from the Academy nowadays?" she told me with eyes shining.

"Yes… I was wondering what they were talking about. Brother Landon said they were just catching up and spending quality time with each other… 'Boy talk', he said, so they can't include me," I answered.

"Actually, we've been suspecting something about it because of what little Timmy told us…" Millie said. By 'us', I know she's talking about her and the other maids. Timmy is the name of the servant boy currently assisting the coachman. "Little Timmy was there when the third young master ran into the Albrecht duchy's children some months ago… He told us in detail about what exactly happened that afternoon."

"What did he say?" I asked, intrigued.

Millie kept eye contact with me through the mirror and continued brushing my hair as she talked. "Well, on that day, it was Young Master Greyson who approached the Albrechts first. The lady's hat was blown away to the busy service street and the young master even ran to the road to retrieve it for her. It scared Coachman Samson to death, he thought the young master would get run over by a carriage. Timmy said that after that Lady Ava seemed to have lost her footing and Young Master Greyson went to her rescue…" she narrated.

Even though months had passed, I remembered the day in question since it was my first day out with Mother after the long sessions of therapy to regain my memories. I do remember Brother Grey looking quite spaced out on the way back home and even though Mother and I kept him waiting for a long time, he didn't get angry. "Brother approached the Albrechts first and even offered help without being asked?" I remarked, quite surprised.

Millie nodded. "To add up to that, Michael, who's serving Young Master Greyson, told us that whenever they go out and pass by the store where he met the Albrecht young lady, he would always stare out the window as if entranced. Young Master Greyson's personality had begun changing since then and he became quite quiet. He started studying more and playing less. And oftentimes, Michael said, Young Master Greyson would spend hours just sitting by his window and looking out with a faraway look in his eyes, very uncharacteristic for a boy his age. I myself have caught him in a daze some days before. If we think about it, the first and second young masters started to frequent Young Master Greyson's room around the time he met the Albrechts in the Plaza. The three of them also started to be interested in the Albrecht duchy right after. And so, we started to talk among ourselves and came up with a guess as to what's sparking their uncanny interest in the Albrecht duchy," she said. She was about to open her mouth again when I stopped her.

"Wait, don't tell me," I remarked, reaching out a palm toward her. I had a sudden realization upon registering the details of the circumstances in my head.

"Do you mean to say… that Brother Greyson might have a crush on Lady Ava?" I said, and as soon as I said it, it was as if a puzzle completed itself in my mind.

I clasped my hands together as I felt my excitement rising. "It all makes sense if we think about it like that! Brother Greyson has no one to confide in about such a personal matter except for Brother Landon and Brother Brandon whom he respects so much. And perhaps, because they cared about Brother Greyson, my first and second brothers are going out of their way to help him find a way to see Lady Ava again! That explains why they're suddenly befriending the Albrecht young masters that they weren't so fond of before!" I remarked, making my own conclusions.

"That's exactly what we thought as well, Milady!" Millie replied enthusiastically. "Young Master's strange behavior, his sudden change in personality and demeanor, frequently looking dazed, along with the state of disorientation and asking so many questions about the Albrecht duchy; it's only logical to think that Young Master Greyson had fallen for Lady Albrecht. To think that our youngest young master would be infatuated this early in his life; if it's true then it's such a wonderful thing, don't you think Milady?"

"It is wonderful! How come I haven't realized it before? It's so inconsiderate of me to not notice what my brother is going through… They kept dragging me into the picture too, saying that I want to befriend Lady Ava, but they might've just been hinting at me to play along and help them out," I said and clasped my hands together again. "Oh my gosh, tomorrow just became an even more special day for me. We'll get to see if we're right about our assumptions," I added.

Millie and I giggled and she resumed grooming my hair as we talked more about the pieces of evidence that supported our conclusion.

Mother and Father came afterward to tuck me in bed as usual and it took such self-control for me not to tell them about what Millie told me.

"What to do, I can't sleep… I just can't wait until tomorrow!" I murmured to myself excitedly.

~~~

BRANDON

Today is the day that I will finally get to meet Lady Ava Albrecht. I had been filled with nervousness and anticipation since the moment Father told us that the playdate between us and Albrechts had been set officially.

My brothers and I didn't hold a particularly-long meeting last night. We agreed that the three of us needed to be alone with our own thoughts before today. I don't really know what my brothers expect, nor whether they wish for Lady Albrecht to be our Ava or not.

I personally wish for Lady Albrecht to be the Ava that we know. I truly do. She already suffered so much before… Leading another life filled with misery would be too unfair. Even though it's a shame that we couldn't be the ones to help her, her safety and happiness are what really matters the most.

Since the day that so-called god made me witness Ava's final moments and made me feel the pain she went through as she died, I have never been the same. I kept on having nightmares about it. I've dreamt of myself experiencing the same death over and over again.

As if that wasn't enough, I was also tormented by the memories of how I treated Ava in the past life; memories that had been buried by time and forgotten as I became an adult.

Perhaps it's a side-effect of being a kid again or maybe it's that god's handiwork but I have started to recall each childhood memory vividly. I remember all the bad things I had done and every hurtful word I said.

The guilt must be worming its way inside my head or perhaps what I'm experiencing is divine retribution. I was never punished for all the wrongdoings I did to Ava; I admit to that.

Who knows what the real reason may be for all the nightly tortures and nightmares, but if this is my punishment, I'll gladly embrace it. I deserve to be tormented. I shouldn't be one to complain after inflicting so much pain on the innocent Ava.

I stood in front of the mirror and straightened my tie. Then I frowned at my own reflection.

"If I was given the chance to make it up to her, I'll do anything," I told myself. "If only I was given a chance…"

A knock on the door disturbed my musings. "Young Master, it's time for the guests to arrive," a maid informed from outside the room.

"Alright. I'll be going down in a minute," I called. Smoothing out a collar, I heaved a huge breath. "This is it… After months of waiting…" I told said and went out of my quarters.

As I descended down the grand staircase towards the front doors of the mansion, I saw Lottie looking out of a window and began skipping in excitement. "They're here!" she exclaimed, looking over her shoulder at me.

The sound of carriage wheels and horses could be heard muffled from outside. Brother Landon and Greyson were already waiting by the front door and Lottie ran out to join them. I also hurried to stand by their side.

The Albrecht brothers got off the carriage first. Lennox and Alistair stood by the door of the vehicle and extended one hand each. Two small hands landed on their open palms and Lady Albrecht finally came into view; a doll-like little girl resplendent in a flouncy light blue dress.

Her long red-blonde hair set with jewels and little braids shone like gold as the sunlight descended on her. When she stepped out of the carriage and lifted her head, I was met by the familiar face I always saw in my dreams every night.

As I moved forward impulsively, I bumped into Brother Landon and got a glimpse at his expression. I could tell that we have the same thought. Appearance-wise, there was no room for doubt that Lady Albrecht is the spitting image of the young Ava. Grey was right about that.

Brother Landon seem to pull himself out of his thoughts and mustered a smile. "Greetings. Welcome to the Krauser residence," Brother Landon said as he stepped forward.

"My, how hospitable of the Krausers to welcome us firsthand. It's an honor to be here," Alistair answered and we all extended formal greetings to each other, the boys bowing and the girls curtsying.

As I stood upright, I took a closer look at Lady Albrecht. In my mind, I asked a question that I dare not say aloud. 'Is it really you, Ava?'

Suddenly, our eyes met and she gave me a bright smile. As if caught red-handed, I averted my eyes guiltily. The young lady gave a look of mild surprise at my sudden reaction.

Brother Landon had said before that we could not rule out the possibility of Ava regressing in time with her memories intact just like what happened to us. However, Lady Albrecht genuinely looks like someone who had met me for the first time. If she's indeed Ava, she must have lost all her memories. If she remembers me as I remember her, she wouldn't look at me in such a friendly manner.

"Unfortunately, Father and Mother are busy, thus I'm the host for today's event," Brother Landon said as we led the Albrechts inside the mansion. "Let's resume with the introductions in the guest lounge. We prepared refreshments to replenish your energy from the long carriage ride," he added.

He acted as if seeing Ava didn't faze him, or perhaps it really didn't faze him. Among the three of us, Brother Landon is the most complex. Even though we're siblings, I couldn't follow his thought process most of the time when it comes to really important matters. He's the type to hide most of his strategies, and he won't share his ideas with anyone unless it absolutely has to be shared.

I recalled the brief conversation we had with Grey before we went to bed last night. Brother Landon said that just having the same appearance isn't enough for him to believe that Lady Albrecht is the Ava we know. He wants to confirm more similarities between the two girls for him to be convinced.

The similarity in appearance can be considered one; the same birthdate as the second. I asked him how he would be able to dig up more information when our knowledge about Ava itself is limited. Because we didn't exert the effort to personally get to know her, we know very little about her. Brother Landon only said that he has a plan but didn't go into detail about it.

When we reached the prepared guestroom and the servants were dismissed with an order to stand by outside the door, Lady Albrecht finally had her long-awaited introduction.

"We introduce to you our beloved little sister. This is the famous Vivy that everyone had been curious about," Alistair said.

"Greetings, Lords and Lady of the Krauser duchy… My name is Ava Adrienne Albrecht. It is an utmost honor to be of your acquaintance," she said with perfect enunciation and an equally perfect curtsy. Now that we were only a few steps apart, I began to notice that her youthful face was a bit different from what I remembered.

She looked petite but her cheeks have a healthy flush and roundness about them. Our Ava had always been quite thin, and we found out through Sir Pearson's health examinations that there wasn't any evidence of her reaching a normal weight throughout her stay in our household. It's amazing how much upbringing can change things. If we had accepted Ava earlier into our family and given her a good life, would she have turned out like this?

We watched as Lottie curtsied back and introduced herself as well. She then approached Ava and held both of her hands. "My, you're even prettier than the rumors say! Can you be my friend Lady Ava?" Lottie said with a bright smile.

"It would be my pleasure, Lady Sophia. If you allow me the honor, you'd be my first friend here in the capital," Ava answered and smiled back.

"Looks like you already hit it off with the pleasantries… Our Vivy here have been feeling nervous about how to socialize with ladies her age, but her worries were meaningless, don't you think so, Lady Sophia?" Lord Alistair said with a friendly smile.

"Ohh, she is wonderful from the get-go, Milord... Not many young ladies our age can pull off the introduction she just made. I'm sure she'll be popular after the social debut," Lottie answered with excitement.

"It seems like Lady Krauser is far more pleasant and mature compared to your brothers… You recognize good things at first sight too…" Nashiel commented as he casted a glance at us before looking proudly at his little sister.

Lottie giggled at his remark. "Well, my brothers are not so bad when you get to know them on a personal level," she said as she fondly touched my arm with one hand and Grey's arm with the other.

At that moment, I finally noticed how quiet Grey was. He barely said anything the whole morning and even excused himself early during breakfast. At the moment, he's quietly staring at Lady Ava, perhaps a bit too intently.

Amidst the small talk between Brother Landon, Lord Alistair, Lord Nashiel, and the two young girls, Lennox Albrecht seemed to have noticed Grey's blatant stares towards their sister and a frown darkened his face. He then deliberately stood in a position where he could obstruct Grey's view and I gently nudged at Greyson to get his attention.

"You're staring too much," I whispered near his ear. Only then did Grey clear his throat and looked elsewhere.

A minute later, we all sat around the tea table and Brother Landon called for the servants to bring in the tea and refreshments.

Thanks to Lottie's random chatters, there was no room for silence and the conversations poured in naturally. Brother Landon also did a good job as a host. Thanks to us hounding Alistair and Lennox at school for the past two months, it wasn't hard to come up with small talk. Grey and I joined in the conversation with Grey in the lead asking whether Lord Nashiel would be taking the Academy's entrance examination on the same year as him.

Despite our anxieties regarding the event, the playdate was rather smooth-sailing. I began to pay attention to Lady Ava's behavior, comparing her further to the Ava I know.

As I observe Lady Albrecht closely, it's blatant that the two Ava's were polar opposites when it comes to behavior. Same appearance, different vibes…

The Ava I know could barely hold a conversation. She always had her head down, her eyes staring at her own feet. Her shoulders were always tensed up and her hands clasped in front as she maintained the perfect posture. When she looked at people, there's always an air of unease and intimidation about her. She always acted like someone was always out to get her… Well, she wasn't really wrong considering how we treated her. Back then, we noticed and criticized even the smallest of her gestures. Thus she never really learned how to relax in front of other people.

Lady Albrecht on the other hand looked comfortable dealing with company. She quietly watches when others are talking with an air of interest, and she could answer fairly well when being spoken to. She always maintains eye contact with everyone around the table. Her emerald eyes looked bright and sure of herself, like pools of aquamarine basking under the sunshine; the Ava I know had hollow eyes, like dark pools of seawater under the storm.

Meanwhile, Lady Albrecht had begun to mention the coincidental meeting they had with Grey four months ago and apologized for her behavior back then.

"I couldn't help but feel timid at that time, Lord Greyson… The capital is so big; so different from what I've seen my whole life; and everything was just so overwhelming. I was still adjusting to the changes in my circumstances… I hope you forget that embarrassing first impression…" Lady Ava said with a bashful expression. Her cheeks flushed pink as she looked at Greyson with anticipation.

"No, Milady… I completely understand… Please don't mind that incident any longer…" Grey answered immediately, unable to hold eye contact with her.

"Thank you," Lady Ava smiled, then Brother Landon announced for the final dessert to be brought in.

The moment I saw the dessert, I finally understood Brother Landon's words last night; about having a plan to dig up more information to compare Lady Albrecht to our Ava.

It's true that we know very little about Ava. Even so, there were details about her that showed up during the seven years she lived with us; seven years is not exactly a short amount of time.

One of those details was revealed during an incident that happened when Ava was about ten years old. Thanks to my renewed memories, I remembered every detail about it.

"Oh?" Nashiel said as the desserts were placed on the table one by one. "Isn't this a papaya fruit?" he added, addressing the parfait in front of him.

"Indeed, Lord Nashiel. Tropical fruits are hard to come by but we happened to procure some from a recent shipment. I hope this suits your tastes," Brother Landon remarked.

My hand slowly clenched into a ball as I looked at Brother Landon with surprise. Right from the other side, I could see Grey looking at him the same way.

Just what on earth is Brother trying to do? I'm sure he remembers that Ava broke into hives after eating papaya before. She was then diagnosed with an allergy to the rare fruit.

Is he planning on making Lady Ava eat it to see if she has the same allergy? Is this his so-called plan?

~~~

LANDON

I've been thinking a lot since the moment it was assured that we would truly meet Lady Ava Albrecht today.

No matter how much I thought about it, there was just something that doesn't sit well with me about Lady Ava being the daughter of a Baron. It's quite uncharacteristic for me to go with my gut since I usually go with facts. The story was backed with concrete information that would make it hard for people to doubt it, but still, I couldn't put the gnawing uncertainty aside.

After we heard about the date of Lady Albrecht's birthday, I told myself that I must compile concrete facts about the Lady to properly compare and contrast her with the Ava we know. With the little information I have on our Ava, it would be hard to properly discern if the two girls were the same person. However, one or two coincidences can happen, but too many coincidences would mean something else.

Personally, I know of several concrete facts about Ava from her past life that was procured from my experience of living with her under one roof and from Sir Pearson Radcliffe's reports during her therapy sessions. I have to consider her current age; thus I can't make use of everything.

For example, the scar on her ankle that was discovered by Sir Pearson cannot be included as an identifying factor since Ava got the scar at age eleven. After wracking my brain around every detail I could remember about Ava, I was able to narrow down the identifying factors into five.

One of them would be her birthday. Two, the fact that she's ambidextrous and can use both hands interchangeably with everyday tasks like dining, writing, and etiquette. Three, she has a birthmark of two moles behind her right ear. Four, she has a diagonal scar on her nape nicked by scissors when her mother cut her hair to be sold to a wigmaker when she was still in the brothel. And five, the fact that she's allergic to the papaya fruit, diagnosed from the time she ate it with us when it was served for dessert during my fourteenth birthday celebration.

We have checked number one since they do have the same birthdate. About the birthmark and the scar, there won't be any way for me to confirm for now, certainly not during our first meeting. About being ambidextrous, it won't be easy to spot such detail instantly. Thus, I was left with the papaya allergy.

I made the servants scour every market to find the fruit and fortunately, they found some. I did hesitate a lot to go on with this plan, but I have to proceed with it. I must know if Lady Albrecht is Ava. Having the allergy is strong enough evidence for me to conclude that they're the same person.

I still have a lot of questions unanswered.

Just how much of the circumstances changed from the past life? Did Ava's identity really change? If she is still a child from the slums during this life, then the Albrechts did something to fabricate her background. Or perhaps is it really true that she's a Baron's daughter? Is she a totally different person, or is she still the same Ava but born with different circumstances? Does she have no recollection of the past life or did she pretend not to know Greyson when she bumped into him?

I have to get answers and I know I won't be able to get them easily. Thus, the questions must be answered one at a time, even if it's slow and painstaking. I cannot rest until I find every single one of the answers.

Thus, I went on with the plan and had physicians stand by in case Lady Ava has an allergic reaction similar to the Ava we know.

Since I know that Brandon and Greyson would be against the idea of potentially harming Lady Ava, I kept the plan from them.

Still, I have to see this through. I have to see for myself.

When the parfaits were served on the table, I looked at Lady Albrecht intently.

The Ava we know was aware of her allergy to papaya. If she had memories of the past life like us, she would know it's harmful to her health. If she refuses the parfait, that would be enough grounds for me to be suspicious of her. Lady Ava was brought up in an orphanage. It should be her first time seeing this kind of fruit. She has no reason to refuse to eat it.

If she eats the fruit willingly, there could be two scenarios. If she turned out fine after a few minutes of consuming the fruit, then it's possible she's not Ava. If she eats it and has an allergic reaction, then the hypothesis of her being our Ava would be stronger.

Now, all I have to do is stand by and observe.

~~~

AVA

As the parfaits were being brought out, one thought instantly crossed my mind.

"Landon Everett Krauser… You didn't change at all."

The divine siblings watching right across from me all raised their eyebrows. They had been tagging along since the start of this so-called playdate. A playdate, my butt… This is more like a strategic war, a fight of wits between me and the Krausers. And just like I expected, my main enemy is Landon.

Among the three Krauser boys, he's always been the cautious one, the doubter, the overthinker. It was not a miscalculation on my part to think that he won't be easily convinced by the circumstances that the Albrechts prepared for me; not when he had knowledge of the past life.

"Sheesh, that boy is trying to kill you…" Vegzyn commented as he stared at the parfait being placed in front of me.

I smiled at the maid who assisted me and mumbled a thank you. "I doubt that my death can bring him any benefits…" I answered Vegzyn telepathically.

"What do you think he's trying to do then?" Ohsus asked with a smirk.

"I think you know that more than I do, Your Divinity… Can't you read his mind directly?" I answered in my mind as I also paid attention to the conversations around the table.

"I can, but I want to know how much you got right," Ohsus answered matter-of-factly. "Consider it a test from me. Perhaps I'll reward you if I like your answers," he added and snapped his finger.

Everything froze in place. Ohsus stopped time like what Vegzyn did before.

I slumped in my seat with a huge sigh and crossed my arms over my chest. "Well, thank you for the kind offer but I won't be accepting any more rewards from Your Divinities unless you tell me the nature of the reward beforehand… I'll answer your question for now. We can talk about rewards or whatnot after this stupid playdate is over," I told him.

"Go ahead then," Thegarae remarked. She floated majestically mid-air as if she had an invisible couch under her.

"Don't mind if I do," I said and started off with my deductions. "I had enough time yesterday to prepare for this war of wits. I spent the whole day trying to put myself in the shoes of the Krauser boys to somehow have an idea of what they might be thinking. From their perspective, we all went under a time regression. Upon returning to the past, they found themselves in familiar circumstances and their life events were accurately coinciding with the timeline they could remember. It would be logical for them to assume that I was in the same circumstance they knew I was in the past – an orphaned slum girl roaming the alleys half-dead. Contrary to what I hoped, they seem to be more than interested in my matters considering all the occurrences so far. I have to accept that even if I don't want to since all the facts are staring me in the face. I assume they also tried to look for me half a year ago."

"You're right. They did try to look for you," Thegarae confirmed. "It was quite amusing," she added, giggling.

I heaved a sigh at the verification before continuing with my narration. "After failing to find me in the alleyways of the Capital, it won't be strange for them to be mind-boggled upon meeting a girl who looked so much like the Ava that they know but with a totally different background. If I were in their shoes, I'd find it suspicious as well. After considering all the factors involved, there would be three possibilities that would come to mind to explain what they had seen and heard so far."

"One would be that the birth and origin of the girl Ava had changed completely from the start which can explain how I surfaced to society as a Baron's daughter; it's the same identity but a different fate. Second, Lady Ava Albrecht might not be the Ava they know and she's merely a girl who coincidently has the same name and appearance; a different person altogether. This is the most unlikely conclusion but it's not impossible. And third, Ava regressed to the past with memories intact and changed things deliberately like what they did to change Lady Sophia and the Krauser couple's fates."

"Something had triggered the changes, but what exactly was that trigger? Discovering that can uncover the truth. Landon Krauser might be considering this meet-up as a quest to discover the answers to his questions and unravel the mystery of my identity."

"The mystery cannot be untangled all at once; Landon knows that. He can only work on it a little at a time. He must have a lot of questions but I assume that he has only two of them in mind for this playdate. One, am I the Ava he knows or not; two, do I have memories of the past or not? He's trying to find more hints to properly answer those questions."

"The Little Duke of the Krausers is shrewd enough to deserve his position. He isn't someone to be underestimated. I expected that he'd cook up some schemes and strategies to find useful hints, but I didn't expect he'd choose this method – something that can possibly put a little girl in harm's way. He's as cold as ever," I ended the narration staring at Landon Krauser's face. He wasn't being obvious about it but he was on the lookout for my expression.

Ohsus seemed satisfied with my answer. "You weren't lying when you said you know the Krausers enough to not trust them…" he commented.

I answered with a shrug. "I was a coward in the past life but I wasn't deaf, blind, and stupid," I told him and paused for thought. "Scratch that. I was pretty idiotic in the past… I admit that," I added and the divine siblings laughed.

"You're brutally honest even when commenting about yourself," Thegarae remarked.

"I have to be realistic, not idealistic. I have to accept my flaws to fix them," I replied. "Anyway, even though I'm being put on the spot right now, I can't help but admire the strategy that Landon Krauser chose. By merely bringing the papaya fruit on the table, he can derive facts from it by observing my reaction. After all, the Ava from the past knows about the allergy."

"I thought so as well," Vegzyn said matter-of-factly.

"Says the guy who commented earlier that Landon is trying to kill me," I retorted at him and he made a face.

"Whatever, smarty-pants," he snapped back.

I smirked at his reaction and picked up the parfait spoon. I tapped the edge of the parfait glass with it.

"What do you think would be wiser to do? If I refuse to eat this, it can lead to a suspicion that I remember the past life like the three of them. If I eat it and break out in hives like what happened before, I'd give out the fact that I am the same Ava who was their adopted sister in the past life. Whether I eat it or not, I'd end up losing a card…" I remarked.

"Well, don't ask us. You have to pick a choice by yourself. That way it'll be more interesting," Ohsus commented.

"Ah yes, I'm a fool to even ask you," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"What're you going to do then?" Thegarae asked eagerly.

"Please be quiet, I'm trying to think," I answered and Thegarae sulked.

I closed my eyes and spent a couple of minutes in silence. Making up my mind, I placed the parfait spoon back in its original position and turned to the gods. "Can you unfreeze time now?"

"Sure," Ohsus said and snapped his finger.

Everything moved again.

"Tropical fruits are hard to come by but we happened to procure some from a recent shipment. I hope this suits your tastes," Landon Krauser said, finishing his remarks that were cut off midway by the time freeze.

"I've never eaten a tropical fruit before… This looks yummy," I said, picked up the cutlery, and scooped up a spoonful of the papaya fruit's flesh. But as I was about to eat it, someone took hold of my wrist.

Startled, I looked sideways at the person. It was Greyson Krauser. He was looking at me with wide eyes full of uneasiness.

I faked a look of surprise and blinked at him. "Lord Greyson?" I asked with an equally surprised tone.

~~~

Meanwhile, as the playdate was underway

PEARSON

"The Krauser residence sure is gigantic… Our manor seems like it's just half the size of the main house," I thought to myself as I looked around the massive hallway. Father walked in front of me and by his side is the owner of this property, Duke Colton Krauser.

I was planning on visiting the apothecary in the Central Plaza but since Father was also going out, he took me with him to attend to his business so that the carriage doesn't have to take multiple trips.

"We'll go into the matter further in my office," I overheard Duke Krauser say to Father.

"I understand Your Grace," Father answered before turning to me. "It looks like we have to stay longer… Do you want to go ahead to the apothecary or will you wait for me?" he said.

Duke Krauser also looked at me and smiled. "It looks like we had dragged the boy everywhere today… I also didn't anticipate that my talk with your father will take this much time. Are you tired?" he told me.

"Oh, it was my honor to be here, Your Grace… Thank you for the concern; I'm perfectly fine with waiting," I answered, bowing a little.

"Even so, I'll order someone to take you to the sitting room. You can wait there comfortably," the Duke said then looked as if another thought crossed his mind. "Perhaps you should go and join my children in the guest lounge instead… The Albrecht children happen to be here today for a playdate with my sons and daughter… They won't mind Pearson since our families belong to the same faction," he added.

"The Albrechts Your Grace?" Father commented with a shocked tone. "That's quite surprising…"

"I thought so as well before. But now that they have a little lady in the equation, even the Albrechts cannot set aside societal responsibilities. Their daughter needs her family to assist her so that she'll be able to adjust well to her new life. Duke Albrecht happens to be quite concerned for his little daughter," Duke Krauser replied.

I know from their words that they're talking about Lady Ava Adrienne Albrecht who became quite a celebrity after her dramatic adoption to one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom. I wasn't personally invested in the matter; gossip does not interest me, but it had gotten so famous that you'd hear about it even if you don't want to.

So the famous little lady is here today… I better not mention a thing about this to my siblings or they'd bombard me with questions.

"Is it really fine for my son to join them? Won't the Albrecht young masters dislike an uninvited company?" Father asked the Duke with a worried face.

"Don't worry. I'll apologize to Duke Albrecht myself if they happen to be displeased," Duke Krauser answered and ordered a maid to escort me to the guest lounge. I excused myself politely and followed the maid's lead.

I never expected to stumble into quite a predicament the moment we reached the destination. The voices inside the lounge sounded urgent and I could hear a little girl sobbing. What on earth is happening inside?