CHAPTER FIFTEEN

When she heard the news, Leila dropped the book she was holding with a thud.

She was frozen shock, didn't know what to do or what to think as her mind flew out of reach. It wasn't until Senpai slowly pushed her off the seat, when she finally found the strength to step forward, and another, until she found herself running.

Relying on the memories she had now remembered, Leila zoomed through the hallways startling some servants along the way.

After a few turns and corridors, Leila ran down the few steps of the main staircase, one that led to the east wing where her room was located.

At the main hall, where the entrance door was located, there was a giant staircase where the uppermost was a large floor divided into two small staircases. One that leads to the East Wing and the other to the West Wing.

Currently, Leila stopped on that large floor of the giant staircase, panting heavily as she watched a scene of her mother, embracing a handsome man in white luxurious but elegant clothing wearing a stern expression, accompanied by a slender pretty woman with white-blonde hair, like the duchess, and eyes of pink carnations

When the duke saw her, he immediately froze with surprise. However, Leila's attention was solely on that pretty woman beside him, who took one look at her and gasped.

One moment she was on top of the stairs, the next thing she knew she had her sister tightly hugged between her arms. "Liese!"

"Onee...chan." Leila felt her stiffened with shock, then her whole being warmed when Lieselotte's arms tightly wrapped around her. "Onee-chan!"

"You're alive, you're okay!" Leila sniffed, traveling her eyes on Liese's familiar lovely features, which now crumpled as she burst into tears before hugging her once again. "You're okay."

Their sobbing eventually affected everyone in the room. The ducal couple stood together, laughing while crying; the head butler, Taylor, stood nearby wiping his face with a handkerchief.

Leila's personal maid Misa, and another girl dressed up also as a maid, huddled together with a tear-streaked face. Even Senpai's eyes were glistening and red-rimmed.

As the two sisters tightly held each other, Leila felt Liese laugh despite crying so desperately. "Nee-chan, you're crying." She teased.

"No, I'm not." Leila replied in a sulky voice, while Liese laughs again and attempts to wipe her face, Leila bats her hand away, "Stop it, I'm not crying."

"Then, what is that?" Liese pointed on her tears.

"My eyes are just sweating. They have hyperhidrosis."

"Since when did you have the body that gets sick easily? Not to mention, you're immortal.

"Shut up, you're ruining the moment."

"Aww come on, just admit it." Lieselotte said, she teasingly poked her sides. A major tickle spot for Leila.

Leila couldn't help but release a squeal, she furiously bats her sister's hand away. "Stop that! Can't we just go back to what we're doing ten minutes ago?"

"Alright, alright." Liese laughs, their arms pulled them against each other once again.

***

"Aaah, today is really a good day."

Duke Amaryllis let out a satisfied sigh after he took a sip of his wine. It was already evening, so the whole family sat on the large dining table surrounded by lavish feasts, delicious-looking desserts, and refreshing drinks.

After the whole sobbing scene that happened at the main hall, where his eldest daughter was finally returned, alive and well, and his family was once again complete. He had never felt happier in his life.

He glanced softly at his wife, who sat beside him looking as happy as he is, watching their two daughters chatting and laughing at each other's stories.

Even when Leila was very young, she very much doted on Liese like she's the most important person in her world. But after she came back after being missing for two years, that behavior of hers seemed to have worsened. Now, she follows Lieselotte around like a duckling after its mother, even more tightly and stubborn than the last he had seen her.

However, even the duke himself can't help but wonder that something has changed with both his daughters. It was something more intimate, more mysterious...it's like they shared a very strong bond between them, other than sisterly love.

It wasn't a bond you often see between couples of course. It was more like their destinies were firmly attached to one another. Like Leila would never be Leila without Liese, and Liese would never be Liese without Leila.

It was just a mere feeling, but the more he watched his daughters, the more it gets stronger.

Even with his capricious behavior, it was unusual that he found Leila's story suspicious. The Dwelling is a very dangerous place swarming with monsters that are so strong they appear in legends.

Yet his daughter, even if she was a natural-born female warrior, not to mention a bearer of his blood which hailed from ancient and powerful ancestors of their family, could not possibly get away with just a mere memory loss.

The duke shook the thoughts out of his head, it's too early to be suspicious, and his daughter just came back! For now, he would not meddle with Leila's affairs and just enjoy the night of his daughter's return.

Meanwhile, completely immersed in their own world, Leila and Liese kept a safe distance between their parents and had a fruitful talk. Some of the topics they discussed, they hid with laughed as a precaution to avoid attracting suspicion from the ducal couple. After all, little did their parents know, the sisters were having an in-depth discussion about certain sensitive things.

Yes. Sensitive things like remembering memories of their past life.

"Do you remember when you used to catch me waking up with tears on my face?" Leila asked, keeping her voice low.

"Yeah, though after some time I stopped seeing them. Your work always gets you up on strange hours, and most of your missions often require waking up too early in the morning."

"Didn't you ever get curious why I was like that?"

"I did, of course. But even if we were close and best of friends, there are still things that can't be shared between us. I wanted for you to come to me of your own accord and tell me the reason why."

Leila smiled, holding a lump of bite-sized meat stabbed on the fork towards her. Leila's dotingness left satisfied as she watched her sister took the meat out of the silverware and chewed on it like a baby bird. "Well, the truth is, after I was injected with the serum that made my body abnormal...it triggered memories of all the past lives that were said to be sealed in my soul. Of course, at first, I thought they were just dreams, but after some time, they became more vivid--more realistic, it came to the point I can feel it in all senses."

Leila relied on her memories and sliced her steak according to etiquette. "Would you believe me if I told you, I've seen all these people before? That I know what may happen in the future?"

Liese swallowed what she was eating and took a sip of water, "You were many things, but you were never a liar. Whatever you say, Onee-chan, I will believe it. No matter what people say."

"It great to see you grew up so well." Leila smiled, patting her sister lightly on the back. "I'm proud of you."

Liese shrugged, "We grew up with special circumstances, and not all of them are good. After what happened, when it struck me that I was killed by my own ignorance, I realized everything that you did to me. You were working hard for my sake, you never forget to remind me to be suspicious of everything---of everyone, and I was a fool to think I found you annoying sometimes especially when you were being too overprotecting. It was the biggest mistake I've ever done."

"Shh, don't say that. Not everyone is perfect." She glanced at the ducal couple who were talking to each other. "I wasn't blaming you for what happened nor I was ever mad at you. If ever, I was mad at myself for allowing those sons of bitches to take advantage of me. You only wanted a normal life, one I couldn't give you."

"I'm not going to regret choosing you over my relatives." Lieselotte hmphed as she took one of the frozen fruit and cream desserts. "Even if I was offered the chance to repeat my life, I would definitely still choose to go with you, despite everything."

There was a silence that went past them as the sisters took their time to finish their meals. even amidst the quiet atmosphere, not one of them find the situation awkward. Rather, they even welcomed and enjoyed it.

Leila wiped her mouth with a napkin, "I was prepared to meet you, even without your memories. How come you remember them?"

"I'm not sure why either. Before I woke up, I had a dream that I was conversing with someone." Liese's brows furrowed as she concentrated on the blurry memory. "I couldn't see his face because everything was covered with bright light, I only knew it was a male because he spoke to me."

"Spoke to you? What did he say?"

"Uhh...I think he said something about getting even with someone. I'm not sure who's he referring to though."

Leila fingers rested on her chin, "Hmm...getting even with someone, huh."

Duke Amaryllis cleared suddenly his throat, "My wife, what do you think about holding a party for Leila?"

The sisters stopped with their chat to join into the discussion. The duchess beautiful features lit up, she placed her hands together, "My, that's a wonderful idea."

Liese claps excitedly. "Oooh! We could do a masquerade party!"

"Or a gold and silver themed one!"

"Mother," Leila politely butts in. "I heard there would be a grand ball hosted by the royal family in three months. I don't think it's a good idea to hold a party before that."

"Oh dear," the duchess turned towards her husband. "Is this true?"

The duke sighed, obviously annoyed at the mentioned party. "Yes, Queen Roselia insisted it. Apparently, the envoys from Kratos would be attending the party."

"Are they here for the treaty?"

"The treaty is one thing but," the sisters watched their father's handsome face contorted into disgust. "The queen can barely hide her glee, and just that, makes the whole thing too suspicious for just a party. You know how she is whenever she's happy."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I always find her repulsive since you-know-what."

Lieselotte chimes in, "What this 'you-know-what'?"

The duke flashed her wife a nervous look. For the first time since Leila saw her, the duchess who was always smiling, had a half-annoyed, half-angry look on her face. "Come on, Mom. Don't leave us in the dark."

"Um..." Father hesitates, then the duchess immediately butts in. "That bitch used to chase your father when she was still unmarried, and even now, I still catch her eyeing him every chance she gets."

"Mom!" The sisters both exclaimed, Leila blinked. "I can't believe it. Did I just heard Mother saying the b-word?"

"Wife, we're in front of the kids."

"What? I will say what I want to, and right now just thinking about her pissed me off!"

While the duke tries to calm his fuming wife, Lieselotte leans into Leila, who sat next to her and whispered. "Just giving you a heads up, Mom's pretty awesome."

Leila grins, "Of course she is, where else did we inherit our balls?"

Liese lets out a bright laugh and rested her head on her sister's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, Onee-chan."

Leila smiled and rubs her sister's arm, "I'll take more than that to keep me away from you. And after everything that happened, I need to make sure you stay single, so I'm sticking with you tighter than super glue."

"Till Mr. Right comes?"

"I don't know, I'm traumatized--and tenacious."

Liese could already imagine what her sister would do, but now she knew what Leila's intentions were, she didn't mind anymore. "Oh, boy."