Dead-Dead?

Chapter 18 – Dead-Dead?

Author's note : Here's another chap for Friday. I also removed the 'system' tag for now, since it won't be appearing in volume 1, same goes for about the MC hair which different from the cover. Hint : Check the last sentence of the synopsis :)

"Let's go, we'll figure out the marking on your neck after the meal, during my daily exhaustion routine. Just point to the ones you want, but don't point too many like last night, okay?" Arston reminded Renica about their upcoming breakfast.

"Um, are you sure you don't want me to return this necklace to your sister?" Renica hesitated, holding the necklace in her hand.

"Absolutely not! If you keep nagging about returning the necklace, why did you even take it in the first place? And please, spare me from that Four-syllables phrase of yours," Arston responded, slightly annoyed.

Renica's lips twitched, but she chose not to argue further with Arston.

"Besides, we can't be sure if the necklace will still be visible once you put it back. The same goes for Mr. Kiki, whom you so kindly kidnapped," Arston added, teasingly.

"You're right, I'm sorry," Renica apologized, realizing her mistake.

"It's alright," Arston sighed, letting go of the tension. "Let's just focus on breakfast."

Downstairs, Lenfort, still feeling tired from the events of the previous day, scratched his head in exasperation. He watched as his two daughters bickered over trivial matters. Irvina, busy cooking in the kitchen, gave them stern looks, but her efforts to stop the argument were in vain. She hastened her preparations, swearing that the two daughters of her better calm down before she finishes with her cooking.

"Amanda, buttercup, did you hide your sister's necklace?" Lenfort asked his youngest daughter, trying to mediate the situation.

"No, Daddy, she's the one who forgot where she placed it!" Amanda quickly defended herself.

"I would never lose track of my belongings! Stop lying and give me back my necklace!" Anya retorted, accusing her sister.

"Oh really? What about that dress of yours that you left in Daddy's carriage, dear sister? You accused me of hiding it," Amanda fired back, reminding Anya of her previous accusations.

"That's different! I had too many things in my hands at that time," Anya justified herself.

"And what about your shirt that you mistook for mine?" Amanda pressed further.

"That's also different!"

Lenfort intervened, putting an end to the argument. "Alright, girls, enough. Anya, please don't accuse anyone without solid evidence. Daddy will get you a new necklace later."

Lenfort breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that he managed to diffuse the situation. He couldn't handle any more conflicts with his daughters. Moreover, he could sense the daggerlike glares from his wife moments earlier. He could barely handle the squabbles between the two girls, he might faint from another one joining the fray.

The argument ended with a humph from Irvina's younger version and Lenfort's female variant sticking her tongue out

"Well, it's fortunate that Dad was here to end it early. Otherwise, it could have escalated further. On the other hand, Mom would have enforced her sanctions. Either way, I benefit," Arston thought to himself, amused by the dynamics of his family.

"Good morning, Dad. You look tired. Are you okay?" Arston greeted his father, barely concealing a mischievous grin.

"Morning, son. Come, sit here next to Daddy," Lenfort beckoned, patting the chair beside him.

Arston chuckled internally, impressed by his father's resilience. If it were him, he might have already passed out from the ordeal".

"Well, teasing your dad is wrong," Renica scolded Arston, noticing his suppressed amusement. However, Arston only responded her scolding with a short glance and a blink.

"What does that mean? I hate it when people use complicated language or gestures," Renica murmured to herself, finding it difficult to understand the exchange.

The family engaged in small talk for a while longer until breakfast was ready. Irvina brought out the steaming dishes and the girls helped set the table. Today's breakfast consisted of toasted bread spread with a jam that tasted like a mix of blueberries and strawberries—sweet with a hint of sourness. There were diced vegetables dipped in a sauce made of butter, oil, and something resembling soy sauce, with thinly sliced onions adding a hint of sweetness and saltiness. The meal was accompanied by a common looking milk as a beverage.

Arston found the bread less enjoyable than what he was accustomed to. It was a bit too hard, lacking the fluffy texture he was used to. He speculated that the people in this world had not yet discovered the method to make the dough rise and reduce its density, resulting in a more tender texture.

The vegetables on the plate looked strange, with odd colours and shapes. Some had a texture similar to blue carrots but tasted like potatoes. Another had the flavour of cucumber but appeared pink and had a shape resembling corn kernels. Despite their unusual appearance, they tasted surprisingly good, thanks to the flavourful sauce.

The milk, although ordinary in appearance, had a rich, creamy taste. It was thicker than the milk Arston was familiar with, which tended to be waterier.

Arston squinted as he ate, judging the quality of each dish. Renica easily picked up on his cues and pointed to the vegetables and the milk as her preferred choices.

Upstairs, in Arston's room, Renica reached for the glass of milk and began drinking it without hesitation. Arston quickly stopped her.

"Hey, hey, don't drink it all," he protested.

However, Renica paid no attention and continued to drink the milk. A few seconds later, she apologized, realizing her mistake.

"Um, sorry, Arston, but I,," she confessed sheepishly.

"But I like it, yea, yea, Now I have to drink thick plain water because of you. You better leave some of the vegetables for me."

"But what about the tiny vegetables?" Renica wondered how she could eat the small cucumber-like pieces.

"Guess I'll be munching on flavourless corn kernels as well. But make sure you leave some of the sauce. Otherwise, next time, I'll be the one picking your food based on how good you are at leaving leftovers," Arston teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, okay," Renica agreed guiltily.

Arston poured some water into the now-flavourless milk to dilute it. He didn't want to drink a thick, plain substance—it was too unappetizing for him.

Once Renica finished her meal, Arston proceeded with his plan to remove the markings on her neck.

"Hey, it's not going to hurt, right?" Renica asked, seeking reassurance.

"It's a healing spell, so it's supposed to heal you dah. Just close your eyes if you're worried," Arston replied, trying to calm her nerves.

"But that's not helping at all!" Renica exclaimed nervously, though she closed her eyes as instructed.

Arston began casting the healing spell, focusing on the burn on his hand. He ordered the light in the room to envelop his right hand and then gently placed it on Renica's left hand. Despite her trembling, Arston reassured her and placed his right palm on top of her hand.

"Hey, stop trembling so much. It's done. You can open your eyes now," Arston informed her.

"Huh? It's done?" Renica opened her eyes and examined her left hand for any changes. "You said it was going to burn, but I didn't feel anything at all."

"I never intended to scare you, and I think I used the word 'might' instead of 'going to.' You scared yourself more than necessary, You trembled worse than someone who got struck by a lightning," Arston explained, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Renica felt a little deceived by Arston's earlier scary statement. She quickly moved on, eager to get rid of her embarrassment.

"Okay, Mr. Teacher, let's move to the next step," she urged him.

Arston repeated the casting of the healing spell, this time focusing on the black markings on Renica's neck. The marks were quite large, extending from the right side of her neck, across her throat, and to the left side. Arston carefully observed the patterns of the spirit neck's markings.

The area around her throat was completely black, likely caused by the perpetrator's palm. The slightly larger, separate black area on the right side indicated that it was a man's right hand that had caused the markings. Arston deduced this based on the width of the fingers—women's fingers were generally narrower.

The perpetrator must have been quite strong, as even though Renica was only four years old, her neck bones had already hardened to some extent. Her recollection of falling asleep and waking up in her current condition indicated that the assailant had broken her neck in a single, forceful grip. Regardless of someone's simplicity, every living creature will surely awakened from their sleep when their life was threatened, showing the instinctual response of a person facing imminent danger.

Arston placed his right palm on the left side of Renica's neck, determined to remove the markings. However, as soon as his palm touched her skin, Renica screamed in agony.

Alarmed, Arston quickly withdrew his hand. Renica's scream subsided, but she collapsed onto the bed.

"Oh no, is she... dead?" Arston wondered, fear and confusion filling his mind.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the living room, a small doll with golden hair sat on a table in the corner. Oblivious to everyone, a pair of small feline fangs started protruding inside the doll's mouth.