I know what you don't (4)

"Why do Lize want to enter the magic forest?" Kyle sighed, his mouth twitched with the constant flattery and cute face around him. Moving from one brother to another to appease them with the green eyes.

"Eliz…" Indulf caught the sister when she passed by and hugged her.

"Elizebeth wants to enter a magic forest. Elizebeth has a friend." She slapped Indulf hands and ran away to the corner while pouting.

"There's nothing to see over there, Eliz." Indulf pouted too.

Elizebeth turned her cheek away from Indulf. It was her first time she did it.

"Eliz…" To say Indulf was shocked was an understatement. He couldn't operate to be the receiver end. "Brother?" He turned towards Demien at the sofa and Kyle who sat beside Demien who watched the interaction.

"The magic forest is a dangerous place. There's nothing to explore. Brother can help Elizebeth at home if Lize has anything to ask."

Elizebeth's stomach felt like it's full of bricks. Her brothers were blinded by prejudice. They always viewed that humans had the highest intelligence while in fact, they were far from it. Instead, they were problematic and greedy. Constantly hunger with money, killing everything. The consciousness was long gone.

Demien studied his sister. The frowns on the lips weren't prominent but he saw on the awkward smile. She strangely expressed her dislike for her best ability even though she was covered with a smile.

"Eliz… Can you stay with us tomorrow? You don't have to go to the magic forest. There's a lot of dangerous being out there, lurking around. And they will BAM!" Indulf shouted dramatically as if he wanted to scare her but Kyle was the one flinched and Demien twitched his brow. "They will kidnap you."

Elizebeth blinked and watched Indulf miserably as her brother tried to scare her. She told herself that her brother was joking around and not actually an idiot. She tried to breathe slowly and evenly, but her lungs stuttered with unreleased anger.

"Cute kids easily get kidnapped." Supported Kyle out of nowhere. Floored her to the floor.

She tried to be patient, calm, and brilliant. She tried. She was talking to her brothers, not some enemy.

"True, true. It's scary, Eliz." Indulf nodded enthusiastically.

And she failed. "What part 'Elizebeth has a friend' you don't understand?" She fumed. Her lips twitched a few times to control her tone.

They flinched and sat upright. Their brain malfunctioning, automatically blocking their smart retort and shut their mouth to not escalate her anger.

"Is anti-intellectualism the new trend of elitism? There's nothing wrong with a human to seek more knowledge and enjoy the beauty of the world, especially when it was given out on a bar of silver, free platter. I don't know, are you feeling left out or something? Or as a part of humans tells you they are not worth your ego?" She launched her attack, full blast.

"Intellectualism? Elitism?" Indulf moving his lips, speechless. The words didn't exist from his dictionary and were too grown up for her.

Kyle's cold eyes gaze onto her. "Curiosity kills the cat, baby."

"Yes," Indulf agreed again, nodded his head. One looked, they were afraid his head would fall off.

"I just learned that is detached from the ending 'but satisfaction brought it back'." She replied proudly.

Kyle malfunctioned for the second time and Indulf took a few glances to hear the next retort from his brother but met with silence. She was winning in this argument as long as Demien didn't interfere. One word from him, she had no choice but to give up.

She added, "which also means perhaps that risk is worth it." The idea came soon into her mind.

"Eliz…" Whined Indulf.

Elizebeth scratched her skin, "It's not as dangerous as people make it out. It's far more beautiful than a normal forest, even." Okay, she lied, a little, but who cares?

Demien narrowed his eyes, Elizebeth's reaction was weird. There's something out of place on her.

"Why do you want to go there?" Indulf asked at last.

"Because I want to surprise Mama." scratched again.

"Why has it got to do with mother?" Indulf couldn't connect the dots.

Elizebeth shrugged as she turned to Demien in a split second. The smile changed into something else. "I don't know. Brother Demien knows though." Said her mischievously.

Demien startled. This time his sister tried to pull him into the argument with her lead. No matter where he looked, it was her winning game. The sudden attention from his other brothers made him proud of Elizebeth. She played them and beat them in their own game.

"Will mother be happy?" He started.

She nodded while scratching.

"Okay then." He gave up.

"Yes!" She ran towards her brother and fell into his arms.

Demien smirked. She only came to him when she won. His unpredictable sister. "Why are you scratching your inner arm, Beth." Questioned Demien as he snatched the sharp nails away from Elizebeth's smooth skin.

"I'm stressing out. I'm itchy. I'm allergic to stress and annoyance." She said monotonously.

Demien smirked again, chuckling inwardly. Tried to conceal his laughter but the vibration of his body gave it away. "You are allergic to stress and annoyance, baby?"

"In a nutshell." She sneakily glanced at both of her brothers before looking away in annoyance.

Demien couldn't control it anymore and laugh out loud. She had a knack to attack people in subtle ways. He patted her head.

"Hurm, I'm going now. Meet brothers tomorrow. I want to see mother." Without sparing any glance at her brothers, she ran off to the door. Leaving without her kisses as usual.

"Eliz!"

"Lize!"

Called Kyle and Indulf in unison with the same pity intonation. Their hands stretched towards her.

"Bye bye." She waved them goodbye and pushed the door.

"That's our punishment." Demien smiled apologetically at the closed door. "She knew about mother. How did she know?" He's thinking alone.

"Brother. Why did you agree?" Kyle protested.

"Beth said mother would be delighted. I'm doing this for mother." Demien answered them truthfully. The secret that no one knows except his father and him. And now, his sister too.

"Mother? How is mother involved in this discussion?" Kyle blinked while Indulf just shut his mouth as the youngest in the room.

"Everything," he sighed. "I guess it's time for me to tell you the truth." He said and reached over to pat his brother's head.

"My Lord," Emily called her.

"We are meeting the duchess. I have something to prepare for her." Said her right after he left the room.

Meanwhile, Derrick and Ojas looked around. They felt the intense gaze upon them and turned into sharper when Elizebeth came out. They already searched around the area for confirmation but they found nothing so far. Yet, the intense stare was there still.

Elizebeth could feel it too and she knew this was the same stare she felt sometimes ago. It brought no harm but it's still felt creepy to be the target. "Hey, demons! Don't play with me. I have nothing with me." She screamed into the vicinity. "My brothers' rooms are fair game though."

"My Lord." Emily calmed her down while Miley trembled behind Derrick. Clutching the hem of his clothes, looking around as well.

After the celebration that night, Miley started to open up to Derrick and both Derrick and Miley treated each other like a brother and sister respectively.

'She feels it too.'

Derrick and Ojas were startled. They followed her gaze towards the trees exactly where the feeling was directed to.

"I have a crappy day today. I don't intend to be your prey. Go away." She walked away with arrogance floating around her. The rest followed her steps as she didn't instruct them to do further action.

"She is cute." The sparrow chirped on one of the branches.

"She is cranky today." The crow commented in a dry voice.

The sparrow chirped loudly as if it was singing to the wind. The sound of rustling leaves drowns it's talent, however.

"Tomorrow. She will meet Logan tomorrow." The crow murmured.

"We should ask Logan to be ready. She might have brought her whole squad too."

The crow paused and took a moment to consider. It has been a long time since they received a human let alone a group of humans into the magic forest. He's not interested except for Elizebeth.

"Don't control the forest tomorrow." Commanded him.

"Why?" The sparrow was confused with the sudden order.

"It's time for them to taste the real world." The calm voice sounded eerie to the ears and horror. The sparrow tilted its head from left to right without an immediate answer.

"You are planning to prank her brothers."

The crow scowled. "Human is intelligent? Let's see how they handle the problem."

The sparrow gasped. "You demon. They will be your brother-in-law in the future."

"Who cares about the future? We should care about the present. They challenge us, we accept with an open heart. Easy peasy."

The sparrow glanced towards the closed door for the first time since he slumped over to the mansion, illegally. It's full of nothingness and a dry feeling. It scanned the entire area but it seemed only maids or butlers occasionally walked by doing their chores.

"I will do as you said." It agreed in the end. Secretly anticipated the prank more than the crow.