7 A Bloody Warning

What?

He agreed so easily?

'Isn't he your subordinate?' Raven was stupefied at first, but seeing those eyes that revealed nothing, she had a feeling that this elder brother of hers was not joking. No...could a person like him even joke?

Out of all her siblings, the original owner feared this particular elder brother more than anyone.

''Really?'' Instantly, the stupefaction was gone. Raven's eyes sparkled in delight. She definitely was not like the cowardly original owner. This was the answer that she wanted to hear from him. That man's voice was very irritating to her ear, like a crying pig, and it was quite tempting to slit his throat right now.

Regrettably, Raven inwardly sighed, knowing that she couldn't do that. Her new body was very weak, and looking at the average-looking man taller and stronger than her petite figure, Raven knew she would be a goner.

''Young master!'' The viscount's son stared at Izer in disbelief. The arrogance in his eyes dimmed, and he felt a sense of betrayal. ''H-How....''

''Raven is a Langston, Jerald. Your insult to her is an insult to father.'' said Izer, who rarely spoke to anyone. His red eyes that never shifted from Raven, moved to the viscount's son, whose name was revealed to be Jerald.

''B-But young master, she directly called your name.'' A bit stunned, Jerald tried to laugh his words off. Why was the second young master suddenly behaving this way? In the past, he never paid attention to his siblings, much less of the weakest among them. Many had secretly and boldly tarnished her name, like he did now. The grand duke never complained, and the second young master was the same.

''Her actions were insolent to the heir, and her mother....''

''Jerald.'' Izer interrupted. The eyes that were dull a moment ago had an intensity that Jerald was very familiar with.

Faced with that gaze, Jerald's eyes shook and he gulped whatever words that were about to spill from his lips. If one could look closely, his forehead was particularly shining because of the sweat starting to appear.

''Forgive this lowly one for saying such things, my young master.'' Saying that, his head was lowered in surrender. The heart in his chest pounded against his ribcage. His knees almost buckled to the ground.

This person could get rid of him if he wasn't careful.

'If it wasn't for her...' Jerald glanced at the little girl with blame.

Raven returned that glance with a provocative smile. Her eyes caught the tremble on his legs. On the inside, she was laughing. To survive in a world like this, one must not be weak. The original owner did not understand such simple thing. If she did, an ant who thought of itself as a dragon like this man would not be a problem to squash like an insect he is.

''Big brother, I think someone is not in agreement with your words.'' She chuckled aloud, turning to her elder brother who returned his gaze back to herself.

''F-Fourth Young lady's words are a bit....'' Laughing nervously, Jerald's heart jumped. Why was unaware that the fourth young lady could be this troublesome?

''Did I refer to you?''

Raven's question immediately shut the arrogant Jerald up.

''Fourth young lady, The family dinner....'' The head maid reminded softly. She decided this was the right time for herself to intrude in the conversation of people with higher status. She and the fourth young lady have been standing in this hallway for a while now. No one was stupid to find fault if the second master arrived late, but the fourth young lady was the different.

Also, for the second young master to be taking the hallway that leads to the outside, he must be under the order of the grand duke. The family dinner was a compulsory event. It was not avoidable for anyone, even for the favored second young master, unless the grand duke was involved.

''Hmm.'' Raven hummed, letting the head maid know that she was aware.

''We will be going now, big brother.'' She said to her elder brother.

''...'' Izer said nothing in return, and only gave a nod.

In response, Raven smiled sweetly. Someone's gaze stung her face, and her eyes briefly sighted average-looking Jerald. His expression was distorted, his eyes displaying his resentment towards herself. Raven guessed that he was hating herself right now. Not that she cared about that, but people lower than herself needed to know their place.

Her status now was comparable to a princess from a fairytale. People lower than herself status-wise should give the respect that she deserved as someone higher than them.

The original owner should be glad that someone like herself replaced her in this world.

''I hope this young master will remember his mistake. Regardless of my background, my father is the Grand duke, and my mother is the Sixth madam of the Langston Family.'' As Raven spoke, she began to walk. When she got to the middle of Jerald and Izer, her words resumed with the same sweet smile. ''It will do you good to remember that, unless one might not know when death knocks on the door.''

''.....!''

Jerald suddenly sucked in air. His eyes snapped down in alarm and caught the trail of blood flowing down his leg. His eyes saw a silver cutlery knife inserted into his skin. Jerald felt the pain erupting, but his anger was more because someone as weak as Raven did this to him.

''Y-You....!'' His enraged eyes were on Raven. How dare she! To his surprise, the remaining of his words did not come out. His throat felt tight and squeezed, like something was choking or someone was strangling him.

''Ha....'' Jerald's fingers went to his neck as he released a tiny sound. Even if there was no hand around his neck, Jerald did not stop clawing at his neck. He wanted that thing around his neck to get off.

'Young master!' Jerald screamed for Izer's help in his mind. His frightened eyes were on Izer who stared at him for a moment, and then shifted his gaze to the person below them, as if he was blind to what was happening.

''I am Langston too, you know.'' As Raven's faint voice came, the light in Jerald's vision narrowed. He was becoming lightheaded, and before his body collapsed, the tightness around his neck suddenly disappeared as if it was never been there.

''Huuuk!'' Jerald collapsed on his knees. His hands circling around his neck, while he heaved out harshly. After a moment of calming down, his dizzy gaze rose, trying to look for the little figure, but there was no sign of anyone in the hallway.

The second young master had left him, and the fourth young lady had also gone with the head maid.

Jerald was unreconciled that things did not go in his favor, but he did not dwell in his anger too much, knowing that something else was more important.

'What was that?' Jerald wondered, rubbing his sore neck with a terrified expression.

*****

'Again.'

The head maid was tempted to glance at the fourth young lady walking behind her. That uncomfortable feeling of fear hovered over her once more. It was as if the aura of the death followed her because of this person. She felt unsafe with someone deemed weak by others and herself for the first time.

What happened to the Young master Pussett was something the head maid was very familiar with. Not the fact the fourth young lady stabbed his leg...well to be honest, the head maid was surprised that someone as weak and frail like the fourth young lady did something like that.

However, that was not took her attention the most. It was how the Young master Pussett seemed to be gasping for air. She had witnessed something like this with the Grand duke and the Second young master.

'She's a pureblood, after all.'

The Langston family, specifically the grand duke was feared by the whole empire because of one thing.

The power to control beings of the underworld.

Beings that many knew as Demons.

What Jerald, the Young master Pussett experienced, was a demon holding him by the neck. Raven was unaware, but the head maid fully knew that a demon was in their midst.

The person who might have summoned them was the fourth young lady.

Why the head maid did not suspect the second young master was because there was a rule that demons were not to be summoned in the main manor without permission. This was only known to the second young master since he was the only child that could summon demons.

The rule was set by the grand duke, and the second young master was not one to break rules. The rest of the children were not pureblood, and so, the Grand duke never said a word about this to them.

'His excellency must have sensed something.' The head maid thought. There were demons summoned by the Grand duke all over the main manor. The head maid knew the reason why the fourth young lady always hated coming here was because of them.

The pureblood running in her veins allowed her to sense them without seeing them.

''Fourth young lady, we have arrived.'' Stopping at the large golden double doors, the head maid nodded at the knights, who opened the two doors for them.

''Thank you, head maid.'' Raven smiled at her before walking ahead into the room filled with the aroma of delicious food.

If possible, the head maid lowered her upper body more than before. The discovery of the fourth young lady's awakening made her to be more cautious than ever. If careless like the Young master Pussett, her life could end without her knowing.

''Enjoy your dinner, Fourth young lady.'' Out of curiosity, the head maid rose her head and stared at the small back from the tiny space between the closing doors. The back of someone who might be a Grand duchess in the near future all because of that power.

To her surprise, the fourth young lady turned her head to the side, her crimson eye meeting her gaze with that same grin that rarely left her lips from the beginning.

''Have a good night, head maid.'' The door shut the head maid out of the dining hall after those words.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: How are you enjoying the story so far? Please leave a comment down below. I hope my writing has improved. Please let me know what you think! As always Vote Vote Vote and post soon!