13 Barbecued to Ash

Sara sighed tirelessly as she roamed around the Villa. It was refreshing to move around the maze-like Villa, cracking the riddles on the abstract wall paintings decorating the wall. But, the fact was that she was tired and hungry. She hadn't even taken her lunch. Just then, her stomach rumbled and echoed through the empty corridor. Hearing it echo through the corridor, she chuckled and quickly made her way back to the living room.

The tiny kitchen was attached to the living room. It had a dull yellow color, but it didn't matter to Sara. The only different shades were on the cupboards at the side, which were four in number. Three of them were painted in marine blue while the last one had a cherry red color. Sara squatted down next to the red one and pulled open the door. Then, she put her hand inside in search of something. She smiled when she found what she was looking for. The next moment, she pulled out a dusty old book. She sneezed numerous times when the dust tickled her nose, to the point where her nose looked like cherry and teardrops filled the corner of her eyes. But, Sara smiled like a silly child and sniffed the old book. There followed another bout of sneezes as they echoed along the corridor.

Very soon, rhythmic footsteps echoed through the place. Within moments, Steward Leo was standing there. He saw the young girl sitting on the cold kitchen floor, and hugging the old dusty book, like a child coaxing her teddy bear to sleep.

The old steward sighed. This child... she knew how to find ways to torture herself.

"Sara", He called out with concern.

Hearing her name, Sara looked up and saw the old man approaching her. She stood up with a smile and waved the book in front of him, "Look what I found!"

Steward Leo sighed again, "Why sit on the cold floor? It's early winter. You will catch a cold if you continue being like this."

Sara smiled, "Uncle, do you still think of me as a child? Well, this book smells like my Mom."

The old steward sighed. Yes, she was still a child for him. He knew how vulnerable the girl was. To the outside world, she might be the almighty empress, cold, ruthless and invincible. But, he had seen the girl make mistakes and learn from them. Now, she had power, her position being unshakeable. If she stomped her boots, the whole city would shake. He had seen her ruthless side, the one that would give goosebumps or even worse. He had personally witnessed bloodlust sweep through her body. She had slaughtered pigs who tried to stand in her way and barbecued them to ash. She handled not only her parents' enemies but also her enemies with her bare hands.

A disturbing memory surged through the old man's mind. A teenage Sara was sitting at the center of the maze-like structure like the Goddess of Death, a sinister smirk gracing her young, petite face. Two swords shimmered in her hands miraculously under the moonlight, blood dropping with every second. In front of her was a row of dead bodies, floating on a pool of blood...

On the surface, she was trained like any other wealthy daughters of wealthy families. She learned how to dance, play piano, guitar, cello any various other instruments, making her the perfect young lady, the future matriarch. On the other side, she had learned combat skills, handling various weapons, from guns to swords, making her a deadly weapon of destruction. She was taught on the ground that her parents' profession was not easy, filled with dangers. This knowledge grew out like the ten hands of Goddess Durga [1] while at the center, her heart resided her extreme passion for science.

With a high IQ like her, she had mixed dance with science and combat with science. Everything she learned, she would find a connection with her beloved science.

Steward Leo snapped out of his daze when he heard the sound of tap water flowing. He looked up and saw the girl diligently washing some vegetables in a huge bowl.