1 The Beginning

"Liz, why are you still here? We're going to the dinner party in thirty minutes. Uncle also said not to be late since it's important."

Today's works have finished with the help of my brother, Edward. Ever since our parents passed away in an accident, we have been taking care of each other. Ed graduated from the university back then, and I was already one of the board directors in our family company. Both of us were also helping the company and spent no time showing off our lavish lifestyles.

"Can we just not go? I feel tired."

The dinner party this time has another meaning. I think that my uncle wants me to get married as soon as possible or he'll matchmake Edward with one of the ladies right there. Both of us don't have that much spare time to go on dates, but we can actually have it if we want or put some effort into it. Well, we just don't to do it because it's troublesome.

"At least show your face for a couple of minutes, and you can leave," Ed suggests as he ties his necktie.

Edward already changes to his formal attire, and I feel like he doesn't want to change his mind at all. He will keep urging me to go, and I don't want to hear him blabbing about it a whole night. Even though he seems determined to go to the dinner party, I know that we also share the same brain cell: we can just do it fast, as long as I show my face to the public.

"Then, wait for me."

I walk to my dressing room like carrying a boulder on my back. I don't want to meet those insincere people with their honey words and thorny hearts as they get close to me. They think the most expensive perfume can hide their fakeness where in fact, nothing can conceal how hypocritical they are.

"You look eager to go to the dinner party. Amusing." I chortle as he quips those words to me. He must assume that I considered a lot of things when I chose a dress, styled my hair, and did my makeup.

"A short showdown must be done on a grand scale."

Strangely enough, it's raining heavily on a summer night. The road is slippery to the point that it can cause some mishaps. As I worried about that, an accident indeed occurs.

"LIZ, WATCH OUT!!!"

Edward screams while holding my hand tightly. I am too careless this time. I could just stop the driver before going on a high speed on a tricky road and a stormy day. On purpose, he definitely crashed the car to the guard rail until our car rolled over to the cliff.

"I'm sorry, young miss and master, but I have to do this under Sir's order..."

'Sorry? You're killing us right here!'

I can't say anything else, since the glass from the car was stabbed right through my neck. My mind is also fuzzy, and the summer night is freezing. They again don't say anything else, even if I still can listen to their faint breathing. I guess that we won't come out alive since the road we were taking before was somehow quiet and deserted.

This had been planned by our uncle. I knew he never wants me, a woman, to take over my family's business, but I have the capabilities. I didn't achieve it in vain. I work hard for this, with the help of Edward.

'Damn! I trusted all of you!'

Yes, I trusted him because he is my uncle. I put my trust in them because they are my family, even though they are so demanding.

'Damn it! Damn it!'

"L-Liz..."

'Edward?'

"L-Liz, a-are y-you t-there?"

'Yes, I'm here, Ed!'

I want to respond to him, but I can't. I start to cry, tears of bitterness and regret. I should have just let Edward nagging me for not coming to the dinner party. In that case, I presume it would be okay rather than this unfortunate death.

"I-I k-know t-that w-we w-won't s-survive a-any l-longer, b-but I j-just w-want t-to l-let y-you k-know t-that y-you're t-the b-best s-sister i-in t-the w-world. Y-your l-look t-today r-reminds m-me of m-mother. I-I'm g-glad t-that w-we're g-going t-to m-meet t-them s-soon."

Ed stutters at his remarks on every word. He tries his best to express his feelings at the last moment. We never point out our feelings so explicitly before, but listening to him now makes me shed tears. It's unfair because I can't utter the same words to him because of my condition, but if... just an if...

If I get another chance, I just want to be with my family. Or if it's too much to ask for, I wish to tell Edward that he's also the best brother in the world.

═════

'What is this? Wait, am I crying loudly?'

"Congratulations, My Lord Duke and Duchess Rocher. The babies are a pair twin."

'A pair twin baby? Duke and Duchess?'

'This is troublesome. I didn't think that I would become a baby.'

I open my eyes and look around me as I wail non-stop. Right beside me, there is a peaceful and adorable baby, and I guess he is my twin. When I look at him, I want to stop crying as they wipe me with warm water and wrap me with a warm cloth. I wonder if he is Edward, but rather than that, the baby is too quiet.

'He's not dead, is he?'

"But, I'm sorry to inform you. The Young Master seems not in good condition. The Young Lady is in perfect health, as we can see. We need to do a check-up on the Young Master."

The midwife takes me and my twin to the bed, close to the raven hair woman and the platinum silver hair man. All in all, they are my parents, the duke, and the duchess. And I'm the daughter of the duke family.

'Well, another high-status family...'

"Oh no, what should we do with her? I think she's the reason why our son isn't in a perfect shape. She's a bad omen. She shouldn't be a daughter of ours."

My eyes twitch as I listen to my so-called mother utterance. I can't believe she says those things to her own daughter, who barely breathes in the open air for an hour.

'I can hear you, and please don't assume that it's my fault!'

"I see. Platinum silver hair, too, just like our son. This will be difficult."

'Hello, Duke? Or should I say, Father? Just because I also have silver hair doesn't mean you can say that I'm a bad omen. I'm your daughter!'

I stop crying because I understand what they are saying, and I'm furious and infuriated.

'Oh no, I think I'm going to know what will happen in the future...'