''....Yes…I accept the life and death battle, father.'' Raven replied a moment later. She didn't avoid the grand duke's piercing but probing gaze, and welcomed it all with a smile hanging on her lips. She also could feel the gazes from her siblings and their mothers on her small figure. The sixth madam was included as well.
''Hibro, reschedule the life and death battle between the fourth young lady and fourth young master in the place of the succession battle. Hibro will visit your manors to tell you of my decision about the day.'' The grand duke referred to his butler standing as silent as dead mouse just behind him. ''And Raven…'' the grand duke called out once more.
''Yes, father?''
''You need to improve on your dining etiquettes.'' The grand duke's words pointed out Raven's sitting position. Again, his action left everyone in the dining room bewildered and somewhat defensive. If the second young master was around, it wouldn't have been surprising to them when the grand duke spoke to him.
However, this time around….
He was speaking to the weak fourth young lady, an embarrassment to the Langston family. The Grand duke was not one to casually speak to any of his children. Only the first and second young master have the privilege of speaking with him alone without the help of their mothers. Something must have happened for the grand duke to speak to the fourth young lady. Him speaking to her was also the same as acknowledging her existence in the family….and the succession battle.
'Very controlling.' Ignoring the inquiring gazes of others, Raven remarked in her heart, while sitting upright on her chair.
'Not my taste.' Her new father's way of having everything in his order left a bad taste on Raven's tongue.
It was sour, not sweet. Definitely not her taste.
*****
''You weakling!'' It didn't take a second before Edwin ganged up on Raven once they stepped outside the dining hall, leaving their mothers with the grand duke.
''...''
Raven was trapped behind his taller but tiny figure. This fourth brother of the original owner was definitely not a patient boy. Anyway, she predicted that he would come look for trouble, but what exactly did she do? She only defended herself against his troublesome and shameless mother, yet he was angry that she didn't suffer?
What kind of concept was that? She, the actual innocent one, should be in misery, but he and his mother shouldn't?
Should she gouge the malicious eyes fixed on her? No one who stared at her like that have lived to their old age in her former life.
''Who do you think you are? Do you think you have become important because father spoke to you? Even if you can participate in the succession battle, you will be the first one out. Just watch!''
'I wonder about that…' Raven stared boringly at the boy yelling in her face.
'Yuck…his saliva.' She felt something moist on her face. Her entire being almost shuddered in disgust. Immediately, she pushed her way out of that enclosure. It seemed she needs to pluck that pink tongue of his as well.
He truly lived up to his nickname 'Goby-fish boy.'
Behind the livid Edwin, Raven saw the children of the grand duke passing by with no intention of helping,which wasn't a surprise. She should also be on her way as well.
''Hey! Where do you think you are going?!''
Raven stilled and glanced at the hand on her shoulder, stopping her in place.
''I am still talking!''
Raven subtly inhaled a deep breath.
'One.' She began to count how long she could sustain the control on her true self that was threatening to break through the barrier. Raven was a very impatient person, who hated waiting for anyone, unless she was willing and not forced.
''I'm not done with you!''
'Two.'
''Are you deaf? You think you can ignore me because of father?!''
'Th—'
''Fourth brother, leave fourth sister alone.'' A new voice intervened with a bit of mockery. ''You are in father's manor, not on the streets gallivanting like a bandit.'' Raven moved her gaze to one of the grand duke's twins behind Edwin.
''This does not concern you, Estelle!'' Edwin barked back to the twin sisters.
''Ha! I am just trying to help you, but you don't seem to appreciate the efforts.'' Estelle, one of the twin sneered. ''Father will decide a day for you and fourth sister's battle. Why can't you be a little patient, fourth brother?" She snorted lightly.
''Like I said…hey!''
Raven was not interested in listening to a conversation with people that treated her like an invisible person. Not looking back, she walked away from Edwin's clutches and the twin sisters.
''He didn't even hold his back…'' Raven mumbled, only audible to herself about her shoulder that was aching after she released herself from Edwin's grasp.
Edwin was a child with strength and agility of a grown-adult.
Raven knew this from her memories of him bullying the original owner. Now that she has experienced this, she knew Edwin's power was no joke. Her shoulder seemed to have been crushed under those tiny hands.
''Look at what you did!'' Her ear caught Edwin's yell. She immediately hastened her steps to create a long distance between them. The boy should not think of coming after her unless she might teach him a lesson.
'Eegan, Izer, Ian, Iona, Estelle, Estella, Edwin, Raven.' Listing the names of her siblings in her head, Raven chuckled, noticing that the original owner's name did not rhyme with others.
Like she didn't mean anything to the person that named her.
'The grand duke and sixth madam.' Raven thought of the two people that were likely to have given the original that name.
Raven.
The name of a black bird.
Did they see her as a bird?
A bird that was trapped in the cage they created for her?
''Even If she is their caged bird, they didn't give her proper care…'' Raven noticed how no one asked of her health. After entering the original owner's body, she had fainted on the battle grounds, yet none of them bothered to show concerns.
One of them even greeted her with a thrown plate and challenged her to a life and death battle.
Another asked if she wanted to accept the challenge…No, practically force, because even if she denied his challenge, Edwin would have found a way for her accept regardless of her choice.
Nothing was about her health.
'And people said I was cruel....' Raven chuckled lightly. The original owner must have really suffered, and Raven could experience that because she was in her place.
All of a sudden, Raven's walk came to a stop in the quiet hallway. She raised ahead up to a particular area of the wall, her gaze engrossed and conniving.
'Hm….' She recalled the gazes she felt at the entrance of the main manor. Now that she thought of this, was it not strange that she felt a gaze from a wall? Like the person, the assassin was inside a wall.
Was that even possible?
Assassins hid in places that are not very visible to the human eye. That did not mean they could become one with the wall.
'Unless…' Raven remembered how something struck her mind during the moment her gaze came in contact with the grand duke's gaze.
'I wonder….' While in thoughts, Raven's ears were sharp to catch the sound of footsteps heading her way. Instantly, she knew that Edwin and the twins were almost near her, and she wasn't in the mood to be playing with delusional children.
'I'll think about this later.' Raven decided in her heart and removed her gaze from the wall before leaving in haste.