THE CONFLICT

Leon's POV

I stood there without a word, knowing that if I say anything, Olivier will be even angrier than he is now.

To his suprise, his younger brother was mad at him for cursing the woman he called 'mother', when he never called her like that.

[Just what did she do to make him obey her like this? Even jump into her arms like nothing happened.] He snorted to the fact that the evil mother has become loving and docile now.

[Just what is she planning right now. I can't even predict her anymore.] She would always show her true colours when she's with us. When there's social gathering, she would mask her true intentions in order to make a good impression on her image and her title.

He steal a glance in her direction. She was smiling with a sweet smile he had never seen before. She was laughing happily, with her cheeks flushing red due to embarrassment. [Those two idiots... I want one too...].

He gasped at the sudden thought. He closes his mouth with his hand in disbelief. He didn't expect to think that way. He keep repeating in his mind that she's evil, she can not be trusted, she's faking all of it, even now he doesn't want to acknowledge her sudden change of behaviour.

Again, he looked at her direction, this time, his gaze were locked on her eyes. His breath hitches in suprise. Her voice could be heard calling for my name. To my suprise, I didn't find it repulsive nor disgusting when she called me with my name...my real name.

He remembered the old memories. He was often called a masterpiece for the wealth in the Damburg House due to his rare orange colour of his hair like a burning sun and eyes like a colour of a precious gold.

She even sell her own son with a higher price to afford her financial problems. He was often tortured and used as an experiment. She likes to see the rare masterpiece on front of her eyes. So she did many bad things to him, in order to get him under her control, like an obedient pet dog.

His body was shaking with cold sweat. He clearly didn't like it. But what can he say about it? He kept it a secret for 8 years.

[When will this pain end? I just want to sleep...for a very long time...I just want this to end].

His last hope was destroyed when she tried to sell his organs, by an experiment called "surgery", but in order to do it, the patient need to stay awake when the organs were taken out of their body, one by one. They say it is fresh to be sold in a higher price.

When He found out her plans, he tried to escape but was captured and locked up in the basement. He thought his has met his doom. [She will carry out the plan tomorrow...I'm scared...].

"I don't care whoever it is....save me please...", tears left his eyes like a river. He sobs silently, afraid the noise will irritate whoever in the basement with him and punish him again.

NEXT DAY...

"What? Breakfast? Together?", even the guard was puzzled by the sudden request from the Duchess. He groan in frustration.

"Now what? A tasty meal before death? Sounds like being poisoned to death.", he scoffs with a sad smirk on his face. He gave up. He knew no one would try to save him. He was on odd with his brothers. So no one will even knew his death is coming near, nor save him.

They have never seen each other since birth. They were given separated house to live in nearby the Duchess Mansion. So that she can keep an eye on us.

Still evil as always, even after killing father without mercy. She didn't show any emotions at all. Just a creepy smile on her face. That was the last thing he will always remember, and that will never change his impression about her.

Or so he thought...

BACK TO THE PRESENT...

I snapped out of my flashbacks when I heard her footsteps coming closer towards me. Fear overtook me and I turn away from her hastily amd leave the room as fast as I can.

At the corner of my eye, I saw her lips moving in a words I could not hear properly as I was running away from her.

I made her day worsen today. She will punish me for sure again. Even with that odd change of her, but her stain is still intact with her. I can not agree more to that.

[But what if she's trying to comfort me?]. I stopped in my track. [What if she was trying to say something important? What if she's hurt by what I just said and wanted to scold me for what I did?]. Indeed, it is puzzling.

Suddenly the door of the dining room was opened. He was flustered enough because he doesn't want to meet the duchess now. Quickly, he hide behind a pillar and saw the duchess was walking to her chambers.

What caught him by suprise was her sad expression on her face. her face was twisted in pain, as if she was stabbed by an invisible force. Her head was hung down and she walks like a half-dead person.

[Why is she making that face? Did I made her look that way?]. I shook my head harder. [No, there is mo way she is able to make that kind of human face. She must be faking it].

I nodded unconsciously with that thought. When she was about to walk past by the pillar I'm hiding, I saw a crystal water fall down from her eyes.

Tears. She is crying...silently. The tear drops was clear like a shiny crystal falling from the sky, raining down the ground with a faint sound.

Although I didn't hear her sobbing, her face and tears showed it all.

She's clearly hurt with my rude attittude just now. For the first time, I feel bad for her. [Is this fake too?]. I wish for it to be fake as hell, but somehow, he wanted to believe what he's seeing right now is the truth.

Slowly, she disappeared behind the door of her chambers, closing with a loud bang. he didn't notice that he was following her from behind the entire time, until she enters her room.

"Hah, ridiculous.", he spit out those words as if they are filthy. But he didn't mean that. When he saw her crying, he felt a slap on his face. A new feeling emerge in his chest.

It suffocates him, but he didn't hate it. He like it. He loves the pain he's feeling. He wanted to make sure she's safe and sound until she reaches her room.

He realized that he was worried about her. Worried about what?

There is no answer to that question. But one thing he knew for sure.

"I don't want to see that face again...", he said in a lower voice. He is angry. But why? With whom? The reason she's sad was because of him. He clench his fists tightly.

"As much as I hate her, I don't want to see her making that face. It pains me.", of course I want to see her suffer, but not like this.

Just how am I going to do it?

He went back to his room with no answer to this question. He will find out soon enough.