Chapter 7

"What are you doing here, Beth?"

The sudden voice that closed to her ear interrupted her mind. In shock, she turned towards the voice though her face changed into calm.

The brown hair man identical to her, light color skin, blue color eyes, pink lips, wearing a formal sleeping attire, masculine smell sat next to her. Stared straight into her soul with straight-line lips.

"Big brother?" Called her.

The usual stoic face pulled a very rare smile on his face; meant for his Elizebeth only.

"Big brother." Elizebeth quickly leaned towards Demien and hugged his neck and clung over there. Her face buried into his neck, inhaling the soap smell of his brother. "Big brother. My lovely big brother. My number one big brother." Called her again and again.

"Yes, Beth. Big brother is here." Demien hugged his lovely sister and put her lightweight on top of his laps. Hugged her tiny waist.

"Missed you."

Scoffed happily. "You were not there to greet me this morning."

"I'm sorry, big brother." She raised her head and looked into her brother with teary eyes.

Demien just shook his head. He kissed her forehead before guiding her head into his neck once again. Let her rest her head over there as he patted her back again and again in an attempt to lull his sister.

"It's okay my baby. Do as you like. I'm more than happy to indulge."

"Erm!"

Demien just kissed her head again.

Then, nothing came out from both of their mouths again. Fell into complete silence and appreciated the night. Both of them appreciate the presence of each other. Elizabeth tightened up her arms around Demien's neck while Demien adjusted his sister on his laps to make her comfortable.

She wandered inside her brain the road to laze around. Her first mission to be the lovely girl in the family was a mega success. Everyone paid extra attention to every tiny bit of her well-being that's including her weakness and pain.

Most of the part, however, still was a riddle for most of them as Elizebeth was not a weak girl as they presumed. She lived for the entire 26 years before she died. She survived poverty. To hide her weaknesses was a small deal.

Now, for the next step, she must obtain all the wealth into her possession before she took off to some other place. She needed to find a good hideout far away from the Kingdom, she had to search around for all the information.

Should she ask her father to survey around in the pretext of traveling? Her father should let her leave for a while right?

"What are you thinking, Beth?" The husky voice vibrating inside his body.

Elizebeth shook her head and just tightened the hug without saying anything. She had no intention to leak her true motive or hell broke loose. She doubted her father would let her leave if he ever sniffed even a tiny bit of her thought.

Demien kissed his sister full of love. Subtly studies his sister. Elizebeth might be his younger sister but she was a deep person. He studied his sister when she was still the newborn and her sister was exceptionally good even when she was just a tiny little toddler.

She was smart. Always obediently listened to his words and answered him in gibberish when he asked. Watching his sister growing up, it felt like she hid something from him. Sometimes her words were too grown for her to utter.

Was he too paranoid?

He kissed his sister again. Patting her back without rest but sometimes glanced at her. Her eyes still round and cute. She's still wide awake it seems.

"Are you sleepy?" The tiny voice asked Demien very cautiously.

"No. Not yet."

"It's already late at midnight. Baba should sleep."

Baba!

Demien could not help but grin on top of her head. Burying his nose into the hair and inhaling the rose fragrant of her hair product. Baba was a cute call between him and Elizebeth. It was undeniable that it's his nickname she made up.

He's the only brother of three to have a special nickname. The rest could not have this. They still lack in the pampering department, he thought. This was his privilege that no one could obtain, the finest nickname.

"Baba?" Elizebeth moved her head swiftly just to stare at his brother's handsome face.

Demien just smiled and put the head into his chest this time. "No. Not yet. I'll sleep when I'm sleepy."

"But it's midnight? Baba has to go to the academy tomorrow."

"I'm aware. Baba always sleeps late, worry not."

For countless times, she detached her head from his brother and looked into her brother's eyes. Tried to see whether he was lying or not. Her mouth moved clumsily to say something yet shut her mouth.

"See! Baba is not lying." Demien kissed her cheek. "You need to sleep, Beth."

"I'm not sleepy." Her round eyes blinked.

"Baba too."

"Academy?"

"Maybe Baba will take a break?"

She tilted her head, her long wavy hair swayed one side following her flow. "Take a break? No! Dada will be angry." She buried herself into his neck. "No! Dada will be angry at Baba! Dada can't be mad at Baba!"

"I know. Dada is so scary when he is angry, right?" He felt the rush of the nod at his neck. He chuckled. "So Beth should sleep if Beth wants Baba to sleep. Beth sleeps, Baba sleeps, Baba goes to the academy, Dada is not angry." He spoke a kid language to have the same level of communication.

"No. Not sleepy." She whined.

She was too smart to his liking. Demien sighed lethargically. "What should we do?" Whispered Demien as he picked Elizebeth while he stood and hugged her again.

"Where are we going?" Elizebeth blinked in curiosity. Her green eyes were still round and big.

"Do you want to drink something sweet?" He smiled yet again.

Elizabeth beamed and nodded exuberantly.

"Chocolate milk and marshmallow?"

"Yay!" She jumped inside the hold.

The usually stoic young teenage boy this time burst a laugh.

"Baba's chocolate milk is delicious."

"You like it? Should Baba do it for you?"

"YAY! Beth loves it." She raised her head just to kiss his brother's cheek for a reward.

'I know you love it when I kiss your cheek, my slave brother of mine.' She snickered inside her mind.

Truth to her belief, the rosy color coloring his white skin brother. As fast it appears, it's gone instantly as well. Only a brief of seconds. Still, she was satisfied to be the one who could change her brother's expression. It was a personal accomplishment.

They were alone without sir Derrick. She didn't even realize her brother had released Derrick from her side. She was too focused on planning her next step to have a slacker life.

Demien still sometimes glanced at his sister in his arms. What Derrick told him before swam around inside his mind.

"The young lady worries about her condition. She wishes to be a star because wanted to be freed from her misery. We need to treat her insomnia, young master." Derrick spoke in hushed intertwined with a tearing voice. Wiping his nonexistent tear from his cheeks.

Demien clicked his tongue inwardly. He should discuss this problem with his father soon. He couldn't see his sister suffer in silence.

Soon, they stepped inside the dim light kitchen. Demien put down his sister carefully on the soft chair near to him before he rummaged inside the kitchen to find all the ingredients to make chocolate milk for his dear sister.

"Will I fall asleep if I drink this?"

Demien almost halted his movement yet he didn't. It was a sensitive question that both of them know the answer too well. Chocolate milk was just to soothe her stomach, not going to put her into sleep as usual, sadly. He just wanted to have quality time with his sister. That's all. He couldn't lie to her.

"Okay." She understood the silence between them. "It's okay."

The mood slumped instantly. Elizabeth just waited patiently on the chair while Demien pretended to ponder over the snack for her.

"Do you want cookies or marshmallows?" He changed the mood by diverting the attention to something else.

"Cookies!" She quickly answered him with a cute voice.

She tried to soothe her brother too. Understood how much her brother favored her and she knew her brother suffered as much as her. He tried to understand her misery by experiencing the same thing. In this case, he tried his very best to be awake together with her.

"Please wait for it, my beautiful lady." Her brother skillfully prepared all things she wanted in his happy expression.

She followed her brother's movement with her eyes, inside her heart, she was pondering something quite sometimes before she mustered all the courage and spoke very carefully in a tiny voice.

"Baba…"

"Yes, baby?"

She bit her lips, hesitated.

"Yes?" Demien looked up from his work. Put a smile on the hesitant sister to reassure her.

"Will you let me sleep with you?" She spoke in tiny font. Almost none ears range.

"Really?" His brother perked. Seemed his ears working mysteriously.

She clumsily nodded.

"Okay. We will sleep together today." He approved it easily. It's pretty much what Demien aimed for tonight.

Elizebeth gripped the edge of the table happily. Showed her expensive smile to her brother. "Let's sleep together today." She repeated to herself.

It's time to admire her brother's sleeping face.