Aylin hesitantly trailed behind me as I was walking with Lilith. Due to certain circumstances regarding the lack of willing guides in the Fivindus family, Etros had just asked Lilith to temporarily take care of the both of us.
Lilith then stopped in her tracks and, because I had my gaze on Aylin the entire time, I bumped into Lilith and Aylin tripped over me, and we both landed on the floor.
"Hey! Why did you stop so suddenly?"
I peeked around Lilith and saw a familiar face standing there in the corridor. It was that blue-haired girl from the library of Landia who I scared away. She was pushing a cart full of books and seemed to be struggling a bit.
"Good morning, Lady Marlowlia."
Marlowlia's shoulders flared up the moment she heard Lilith's voice, and her body stiffly turned around to see who it was behind her.
She stared at all of us before trying to push her cart away hastily, as if trying to get away from us as quickly as possible. But even with her entire body pressed against the cart, the wheels wouldn't budge. I looked down at the wheels and saw they had been caught in the carpet, but Marlowlia just kept pushing until the carpet caved inwards and the cart got turned over, spilling books all over the floor.
We all stood quietly as Marlowlia hurriedly tried to pick up the books, flustered. Aylin and I went over and helped her pick up a few books and put them onto her cart, and I dragged the piece of carpet stuck in the wheels out, and Marlowlia zoomed away.
"Isn't she in a hurry?" I asked, brushing the dust off of my hands.
"Who was she?" Aylin turned towards Lilith.
"Well, she is Etros' brother's daughter. Her name is Marlowlia Fivindus, her father is Gertrude Fivindus. I think I have met her sister and brother a few times before, they both attend the royal academy, you might have met them before."
"Fiviana?" I asked.
Lilith nodded and continued telling us about the Fivindus family as we walked. Apparently, Fiviana's family handled foreign affairs such as immigration and diplomacy with other cities.
They told me that their part of the family weren't fighters and weren't involved in any royal schematics. Aylin walked closer to Lilith and asked her if the rumors about the Fivindus family being assassins were actually true.
A slight chuckle came from Lilith, and she said that for decades the Fivindus family had been under subordination to the Royal family. But it was for a very strange reason why they decided to follow the Royal family.
"What strange reason?"
Lilith puckered her lips and put a finger on her chin.
"What reason now, I do wonder."
"Hey! You can't just say that and expect me not to be curious."
"To answer your first question, yes, the Fivindus family is responsible for some political assassinations, most carried out on orders by the Royal family. But I doubt Etros would haphazardly kill innocent civilians, the Royal family would need a heck of a good reason to convince him to do so."
Aylin seemed a bit worried.
"It's not that uncommon actually, most kingdoms kill political rivals to avoid power struggles."
"I don't think that comforts her, Lilith…"
Lilith stopped again and I bumped into her again.
"WHY DID YOU STOP THIS TIME?!" I said, rubbing my face.
Marlowlia was standing in front of a door, frantically knocking. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes were strained as the knocking intensified.
Once Marlowlia saw us, she took a step back from the door and Lilith greeted her again before asking what it was she was doing.
"My sister locked herself in her room and she is refusing to come out."
Fiviana locking herself in her room? She didn't seem like the type of person who would have a rebellious phase, but I guess she is at that age.
"Is it Miss Fiviana?" Lilith asked.
"No, my other sister Eirlys."
"My, I didn't know you had another sister," Lilith said, visibly shocked at the news of a Fivindus that she hadn't met yet.
"I'M NOT LOCKING MYSELF INSIDE OF MY ROOM! IT'S JUST YOU ARE PROBABLY GOING TO FORCE ME TO CATCH UP ON MISSED CLASSES! YOU PROBABLY GOT A BUNCH OF BOOKS READY TO SHOVE UP MY ASS!"
Someone screamed from inside of the room.
…
…
…
The sounds of birds chirping and the wind rattling the leaves echoed throughout the corridor.
Marlowlia had a flustered expression on her face as she was fiddling with her index fingers.
"Can't you just take one class?" Marlowlia asked softly.
"SUGGESTION VETOED!"
Marlowlia slowly started to push her cart away in defeat and left the corridor.
Later that day, Lilith barged into Etros' office and slammed both of her hands onto his desk. Etros was sitting there comfortably smoking his Cuban cigar while Lilith was complaining to him about not telling her that his brother had another child.
"I didn't know myself, he barely tells me anything, nevertheless the women he has sex with."
"So you are telling me this one is an illegitimate child?"
"Not implying that. Simply, I don't know what that guy is up to most of the time. Wouldn't be shocked if he was sneaking out to mess with other women."
Lilith sighed before crashing down onto his sofa.
"You are a terrible clan head, you do know that, right?" Lilith said, putting her feet onto the sofa's armrest.
"And you know you are totally a spoiled princess, right?" Etros said, taking a puff out of his cigar.
"Then how about you come here and spoil me even more?" Lilith said, pulling the piece of fabric on her shirt to reveal her skin beneath.
"I wouldn't want to get into more trouble with the Yunestra family, and even though you have a very tempting body, you shouldn't offer it to an old man like me."
"Aw come on, any old man would be down in one go," Lilith said with a sly grin.
"Maybe an insane old man, I'm good, thanks."
Lilith pouted before chuckling a bit and turning over onto her stomach.
"Anyways, about your brother's daughter, how about making her a guide?" Lilith said, kicking her legs.
"Marlowlia? I doubt she would accept such a job."
"Not her, the one that you haven't heard anything about, Eirlys."
The sound of the cigar pressing against the metal tray and Etros putting his cigar into his drawer echoed in the silence as Lilith watched him with puppy eyes.
"How old is she even?" Etros asked nonchalantly, ignoring Lilith's gaze.
"No clue."
Etros ordered his secretary in and asked him to fetch his brother. After a few minutes, his brother Gertrude came into the office, visibly agitated and sweaty.
"Since when did you exercise, brother?" Etros asked with a look of surprise.
"It was just a slight jog," he said while panting a bit.
Lilith sniffed a few times and felt a familiar odor coming from Gertrude. She smiled innocently and decided to stay quiet.
"About this child of yours. You do have a child by the name of Eirlys, am I correct?"
"Yes, brother."
"How old is she?"
"19 years old."
Lilith's eyes lit up in excitement and she threw a glance at Etros, who was trying to make eye contact with her.
"So, Gertrude, tell me a bit about your daughter."
"Oh… well…" Gertrude seemed a bit hesitant talking about his daughter.
"So?" Etros urged him.
"She is quite withdrawn, all of my daughters are, but she is a bit special, if that makes sense."
"I see, you are dismissed now, thank you for your time."
Etros could immediately feel Lilith's eyes burning on him and turned around to look at the spoiled little girl.
"It means we can make her into a guide, right?"
Etros sighed and asked why Lilith wanted her to be a guide. While kicking her legs and bopping her head back and forth, she responded that she seemed interesting enough.
A piece of paper slid onto the table with Eirlys Fivindus' name written for the position of guide. Lilith tried to reach out for it just for Etros to snatch it back just before her hands could touch it.
"Just promise me one thing, Lilith." The tone of the clan head suddenly became serious and the atmosphere tense.
"What is it?" Lilith batted her eyelashes.
"One time is fine, but a second time won't happen."
Loxes from the breakage affiliation filled the room as Etros' hand turned pale, with his veins turning green.
With a sudden motion, he grabbed Lilith's throat and held her up against the wall.
His fingers clamped down onto her carotid arteries and started to crush her windpipe.
Lilith's body hung limp as she casually stared at Etros with a deadpan expression.
His hand then suddenly let go and Lilith fell onto the couch, with the paper landing beside her. She coughed and held her throat, feeling the sunken and red marks on her skin.
Etros stayed quiet and went back to filing documents as if nothing had happened. Lilith got up from the sofa with the paper in her hand before thanking him for his time and closing the door behind her.
"For his daughter… hm…" she touched the handprint on her throat again.
"Is this what it means to get angry for your child?"