Chapter 5

Ah.

I see.

You lived like this...

All the memories were of torture and abuse... Torture infringed on her by Paul...

On some, I could hear her begging for mercy... With her own voice. However, it was a childlike voice... She once could talk.

Sigh... I'm crying...

Fortunately, the son of a b*tch had me grabbed by the back of my neck and was forcing my face into the water. At the very least, He won't be aware of my tears and pain.

Some water entered my lungs. He lifted my head, I gasped for air and coughed water with difficulty over my hardened expression.

With his other hand, Paul grabbed my face, squeezing it and turning it so he could look at it. Now, his expression was calm, and his eyes looked at me with some kind of affection, pity, longing...

'Crazy...'

He stared at me for what I thought was an eternity. He leaned his face closer to me. Grazing his pointy nose on my cheek like caressing it. He kissed it, pressing his lips with force against my cheek and letting out a long breath from his nose.

Now it was I who froze the body because of his actions.

'Why? How could this happen to you? To ... you... No. It is to me now, too.'

I averted my eyes. I can't afford to look at him. A huge disgust was growing inside me.

He slowly distanced his face from mine, but, sadly, not far enough...

I could still feel his breath on my face.

"Marianne. You agreed to go to the Ball. Do you know what that means?"

"..."

"Other men will know of your existence and your beauty..." — Paul faintly touched my face with his fingertips, trembling. But he still kept squeezing my neck with his other hand, keeping his hold on me, and added. — "Now, you might even receive marriage proposals from those pigs... No. I'm sure you will get them..."

"..."

"... It's already late... Father won't back down on his decision... So... Marianne... my little sister... My Marianne.." He placed his face under my ear and inhaled deeply. Taking in my scent. Sorrowful...

'Perverted bast*rd.'

I decided to not move and just see what happens. I can't talk so it's the best way to go for now.

"It's all right. I will protect you, Marianne..."

Finally, he let go of my neck. But then, he hugged me tightly, as if trying to comfort me. 'Hah... my head hurts like hell...'

"Marianne. My cute sister... you are gonna catch a cold... Oh dear... let me dry your pretty face..." — Paul started acting worried about my current state. The one produced by him.

"..."

"That's it! Now you should go and rest so you won't get sick, Alright?" — Said the man with a beaming smile. Letting me leave his d*mn bedroom.

'To think things like this happened to a "nobody" in the novel...'

Dazed by what I had experienced...I arrived at my room unknowingly. With my mind a blank, I entered and sat on the fancy sofa.

'It's soft.'

I raised my head and I met my face reflecting in the mirror. No expression.

'Heh...Now we are a bit synchronized.'

The tasteless joke made me smile slightly.

'Oh...'

My face was lightly smiling too. Our face. Filled with an unknown emotion, my lips parted, letting out my inner thoughts.

"Y..ou.r ...sm..ile i... be..aut..iful.."

A hoarse voice left my lips... it wasn't loud... not even enough to consider it a whisper.

But I could hear it. Her... Our voice... it was still there... and our smile too.

'...that's right... we are one now... Marianne...'

I lifted my eyelids to look in the mirror once again. The little smile was still there.

'It's a pleasure to meet you... I'm Elizabeth. I died too... And now I live inside you... hehe... let's be soul friends!' — Chuckling inside, I added seriously — 'This part of your soul that's still in our body... I will protect it and fill it with beautiful happy expressions. So keep up with me...Call me Eli... I'll call you Anne.'

An awkward introduction, but... How touching.

Anne cried to my words. A beautiful tiny smile and a tear as big as a pearl showed me her soul. I know for sure she is crying with happiness.

'...So cute! Fufufu~...'

After saying this in my head, I quickly became serious again.

Now, I'll have to look more into her life. 'Hmm... I don't think all of her memories will come to me. Let's give up that option since it's more troublesome. But. If there are more people like Paul in her life... it won't take long for them to show in front of me...'

Considering in silence I decided on what to do.

'Okay! In that case, I'll just wait and see' — I nodded.

'Great! That part is solved. Huhu~'

My eyes caught a glance of the desk I had yet to register completely.

'I almost forgot! Anne! What do you have hidden in there~?' — I said while wiggling my fingers stiffly.

But then, I halted. No. Anne did.

'Humph... as if you will stop me!'

I forced the body to move. If there's something I like, then, they are secrets or things people don't want me to know about.

'You are naive, Anne.'

I opened the drawer and took out the fake base. There was a letter... And a... oh? Ohoh~?...A JOURNAL!!!!

'Oh! Anne! You are a maiden! Truly an Innocent. Young. Maiden!' — I said in excitement.

I never had a journal or diary... I acknowledge her effort since I know it isn't easy to do.

Okay... let's calm down. I looked in the mirror. No expression again.

'So it's a one-time thing?' — I pouted on the inside.

'Just you wait, later you won't be able to erase the smiles from your face Anne. That will be my payback.'

Tch. I can only glare at her with my eyes. Doesn't even look like a glare! It's like I'm trying to see what's far away!

Grumbling about my restrictions, I took the letter first. Since it's faster to read.

[Father]... was written on the envelope.

A realization flashed.

'Oh no... Don't tell me this is what I think it is...'

I let a short sigh out. Frowning inside, I opened the envelope and took out the letter.

[Father.

I am terribly sorry.

Please know that your warm and caring attitude towards me always made me happy.

I love you.

I am sorry. I will end it all here.

I love you. I love you.

Marianne.]

"..."

The ink was smudged. Dry uneven circles of what I believe were tears... covered a big part of the letter.

'...Is this why you wanted to stop me, Anne?' — I thought... looking at the mirror. No expression.

She didn't die.

My girl killed herself.