Chapter 22

Alice walked on the reddish carpet of the mansion with heavy footsteps. Still forcing a smile on her face, as expected, it was nearly impossible for her to totally forgot about the existence of her maid, especially what that maid had sacrifice especially for her survival. She can't help but had her smile twitched in grief as she strode in front of the door where her uncle currently in wait. She awaited in front of the door and stared at the tall, wide door forcing her emotions not to show. She greatly knew how accurate her uncle was when he started to read someone's expression. The door opened and at the other end, there's her uncle Rael looking outside the window with a stoic expression.

"It's been a long time uncle, how have you been?" instantly greeted by Alice as she entered the room.

She greeted him as normally and cheerfully as she always do. However, Rael seemed preoccupied by something that he didn't respond in a way Alice was expecting. Ever since she was young, Rael would sometimes visit her and brought her extraordinary gifts beyond comprehension. A toxin of a poisonous lizard, an exploding mana crystal, a corpse of a four-legged spider; he always present her every rare yet dangerous materials he got through his expeditions. Alice knew his uncle for being quirky and weird but still she knew that he also loves her as if she was her own daughter. That's why currently as to where she stood, she was being enveloped by his uncle's very uncomfortable gaze. He remained stoic as he looked at her. He rolled his eyes all over her body, from head to foot as if he began assessing her entirely.

"U-uncle? Is there someth-," she was cut off naturally.

"What happened?"

"Pardon?" Alice twitched in surprise.

She was caught off guard by her uncle's sudden question. She was getting ready to speak but for some unknown instances, words seemed like it can't find its way out. Her lips began to shake as she also reciprocated her uncle's gaze. Her uncle was displeased by the current situation and she greatly knew that.

Her uncle followed up and asked, "What happened? Why are you here? Why is your state like this? What in the world happened?"

Hearing her uncle's words of concern, Alice immediately bowed her head down and unknowingly, tears began to flow as she tried to speak again.

"We got betrayed ...," Alice whispered.

"What?"

"Viscount Ingrid ...," Alice flopped onto the floor and cried a river. "Viscount Ingrid betrayed us *hick*. All families involved in the noble faction *hick* were all killed."

Rael heavily sighed and murmured, " I see ..."

He faced her with his back and with an enraged expression, he said, "So that what happened, haha, that old bastard."

Rael bafflingly laughed and added, "Interesting ... So this is your plan all along. You can't kill me in war so you decided to throw me away to some unknown place so that you can keep me in check if ever you decide to destroy the faction."

Without turning back, Rael followed up another question.

"How about your family? How come you're the only one in here?"

Alice remained silent even after hearing her uncle's question. In an instant, Rael immediately understood the meaning behind her silence.

"So they're dead ...," Rael paused with a heavy sigh and as he tried taking another glance at her, he immediately knew how rough it was for her to come all the way to his mansion.

Without questioning how did she ended up like that, Rael decided to just let her rest as he said, "It seems like you had a rough time coming here. I'll prepare a room for you and it's better if you take a bath now. We can't afford the only survivor of the dukedom soaked in stinky mud."

Alice stood up and while clenching her worn out hands, with such a desperate look in her face, she screamed, "Uncle please save Amy, please I beg you ..."

She kept repeating the same words as if she was a broken recorder. With sobs and cries in between, Rael felt the desperation of her wanting to save Amy. Rael almost gave in however, at that exact moment, he finally realized what he wanted to do now.

With such a cold voice, he replied, "Alice, I'll be straightforward with you so be sure to listen."

"You are now the mistress of the family's dukedom. Your mother and father sacrificed themselves in order for you to escape; same also with that Amy you are speaking of. Remember, you survived the wrath of the royal family but that will not stop. If ever they came to find the existence of your survival, they will not stop until they wipe out every existence of the Graciano and that will not only includes you but also me."

"If ever that happens and I can't even dare to protect you anymore, what do you think will happen if you are still the same weak and faint-hearted Alice? The feeble Alice who can't even protect herself and the important people around her?"

Rael's word were harsh but at some point, it conveyed the reality that must be done. Alice immediately understood the words that her uncle was trying to convey.

'What uncle was trying to say was, "You can't be so soft in such a trivial matter like this. This is just the beginning."'

'I know, I know that but still, it's just ...'

Rael walked in front of her and as he stood in front of Alice, he slowly enveloped her inside his arms and whispered, "You need to be strong. Remember to always let their sacrifices be your strength to push forward. Don't let their deaths be in vain. I will support you in every way that I can and I will protect you until I breath my last so I hope for you to do the same thing. Protect yourself and always be the proud Graciano everyone knows of."

With such a soft reply, Alice whispered, "Yes uncle, I'll do that."

Meanwhile, outside the room, a certain person was seen standing fully covered with blood as if she showered from it. Her expression was nothing. She had this look in her face as she eavesdrop to the heart to heart talk between the uncle and the young lady. She was there plainly standing but the passing maids doesn't even looked like they can see that person. They just continued their way gossiping to each other with such an innocent smile.

As this person kept on continued eavesdropping, a faint smirk was seen on her face as she mumbled, "This is why I totally like you, my lady."

From the left corridors towards the room, Schilder was seen walking in front of the room with such a suspicious look in his face. He continued walking even before the passing maids will soon ran his way. What shocking was that he just went through the maids who was busy chatting like some sort of ghost.

"Did you have fun sister?" Schilder said as he walked towards Pollux, the person standing outside the room.

Pollux just brushed a look at him and replied, "Talk about yourself, Castor."

"Is it that fun serving a mortal several times weaker than you?" Pollux sarcastically said along with a mocking look in her face.

Schilder brushed a sneer and throw the same question at her as he said, "What about you? What's so fun about serving a mortal who doesn't even have the capability to protect itself?"

"Perhaps, you are having some sort of fetish of saving someone weaker than you? Are you finally crossing the bridge androgyny?"

Pollux brushed his joke with a heavy sigh and replied, "It's been a long time since we've seen each other and your mouth is still as dirty as it was before, huh?"

"Has it been 150 years?" Pollux added.

Schilder immediately replied and said, "It's been 157 years in exact, sister."

Schilder scanned her entire state and just frustratedly sighed as he added, "Sister, I know you concealed yourself but for pete sake, have some modesty."

Pollux was totally covered in blood as if she's some kind of monster. She didn't even bother changing nor use magic to clean herself. In the first place, she didn't even mind it at all.

Pollux was totally clueless about what he was speaking and just had this confused look in her face as she replied, "What are you talking about?"

With such a stern expression, Schilder bluntly said, "Just to inform you again, sister, you are a female."

"I know that though?"

Schilder momentarily closed his eyes and frustratedly sighed as he slightly looked away from her.

"Forget it, I gave up. Even if I remind her several times, she just won't understand."

He quickly took a glance at her acting so innocently clueless and immediately added, "Right, she's a blockhead after all."

While Schilder was having his time losing hope towards her sister, Pollux suddenly thought of something that she instantly asked his brother about it.

"Ah, right! Did you see it?"

As the two had their eyes locked, Schilder immediately understood what his sister was trying to point out.

He just nod his head as he said, "I know but what are you trying to do about it?"

"I wonder ...," Pollux just gave an odd smirk as she replied.

"What's with that unusual answer. It's not so like you."

"Is that so?" Pollux just smiled but at that exact moment, her smile seemed like the sincerest of all.

Silence stood out for a couple of seconds without any one of them dared to speak.

Pollux just sneered hopelessly as she murmured, "You're right, it's not so like me."

"Why am I like this?" she added.

***

The surrounding hid itself behind the sudden thick fog. After dodging the sudden ambush, Jaycee immediately froze from his standing that made Denver extremely shocked. It was a rare sight for him seeing Jaycee totally anxious about something. Jaycee had his eyes quivering as he fixed his sight at a certain location.

"What in the world is this," Jaycee whispered.

Although barely seen, surrounding them was around a hundred of ape-like monsters trying to conceal themselves in the thick fog. And standing on top of a branch of the tallest tree few meters away from them, a woman with glistening silver hair riding the mild breeze was seen with such an odd smile on her face.

"I finally found you, my cute little tiger ..."