The Forgotten Heiress

Disclaimer: I don't own KHR.

i. Shamal

It's never shameful to stretch your hand to someone…

Because they'll be the ones holding you in your darkest hours

"Sawada-chan" a black-haired boy called and approached a seated brunette who was busy reading her book. While her right dominant hand was holding her book, the other non-dominant one was holding a carton of orange soda. She took turn sipping and then reading with her eyes never leaving her book even when called.

The class grew quiet. In a certain class—1B to be exact—this was a normal occurrence. The black-haired boy, known as the kendo club president—Kensuke Mochida, took fun bullying and ordering the social outcast of Namimori Gakuen—Sawada Tsukino. Ever since she turned him down when he asked her to be his girlfriend, he began making her everyday life miserable. It doesn't help that he, Kensuke Mochida of the elusively prominent Mochida family, had control and authority over the school and that every student in school obeyed him in fear of being the next target of his brutal bullying. Thanks to his family's influence, everything he wished sails smoothly. It was to his surprise so to say that the stoic yet beautiful brunette refused him. No one did. No. No one dared.

"Are you ignoring me again…Tsu-ki-chan?" he spelled her nickname sweetly as he picked up a few locks of her hair, smelling them as if to tease her but the gesture didn't even made her move…or flinch for that matter. He smirked, releasing her hair and letting it fall back on her shoulder. This was why he loved messing up this girl. Her lack of emotions and care encouraged him to bully her more so as to bring that delighting yell and cry he wanted to hear. He wanted her to beg, to grovel down on his feet…all of that just to let her know that no one should ever have the guts to refuse or deny him because he is absolute. And no one should stand above him…ever.

"I know you're a cold-hearted woman….but don't forget…" he harshly grabbed her chin so that his eyes would meet hers. He smiled even more at what he saw. 'Ah. Her eyes are always so empty…. I wonder how they'll look like once she begs and cry in pain.' He thought while staring at those soulless amber eyes. He lifted his other hand, letting his fingers touch her lips and smearing the lip gloss on them. He then licked his finger sensually and tasted the sweet flavor of strawberries and cherries. "I'm the king of this school and…. you" he leaned forward, closing the gap between their faces to the extent that they could feel each other's breath on each other's skin. "are mine…"

Every student in the room fell into deeper silence. They pity the brunette. Even though their classmate was being sexually harassed in front of them, they can't do anything but to watch and stand by idly. They can't even report anything to the teachers, let alone the authority in fear that Mochida would turn them as his next victim. All of them turned their backs on as the black-haired boy slowly pulled the ribbon off the collar of the brunette's uniform. They all clenched their fist, trembling in anger, shame and helplessness. They didn't want this. They didn't want to turn their backs against their classmate…especially her… But what can they do really…when they are all spineless cowards who can't stand up against Kensuke Mochida?

"Iie [1]." A hand grasped Mochida's wrist before he could even unbutton the second button of the brunette's uniform. Mochida looked at the hand clasping his own, surprised. He slowly turned to the brunette who had held his wrist tightly in her own. Who knew that someone as fragile-looking and vulnerable like her would have a strong grasp like that? "You're not the king of this school…. And either do you own me…"she slapped him so hard that it left an angry red mark on his face. His eyes widened. She slapped him. She actually slapped him. He touched his swollen cheek, now feeling a thunderous sting under his fingers. 'To think she actually…. did that….' He blanked out. She actually dared to slap him! His hand curled tightly with his nails digging the surface of his skin. Not a single person did that to him! His eyes narrowed dangerously before launching his hand and roundhousing the girl.

Instead of avoiding the hit, the brunette chose to receive it and she was violently punched squared on the jaw that her body was thrown to the other side of the room, hitting the door. Everyone gasped in shock as they saw blood tickling down her face. Some started to cry, while some only stood as they hold themselves up from intervening.

"What is happening here?" the door opened and a teacher stepped in and saw Tsukino on the floor, bleeding. Mochida smiled to himself before lifting his head to face the teacher. He gave her an apologetic look, "Nothing, sensei. Sawada-san suddenly tripped that's all. She's always clumsy like this." He explained in a good-boy tone. The teacher narrowed her eyes suspiciously and looked at the other students for confirmation. They flinched under her glare but more so under Mochida's do-as-I-say glare. They then nodded, unable to find their voice to tell the truth. They didn't want to lie. Actually they wanted to say everything to the teacher but under the glare of Mochida, they were unable to do so. To think they'll betray and abandon Tsuki more than this….

The teacher pushed her glasses to place before sighing. She walked over to the girl and winced at brunette's obvious broken jaw and bleeding head. Without a word, she carried the girl out of the room and headed for the infirmary. She was no fool. She knew Mochida was lying. No one gets a broken jaw and a bleeding head just by tripping. Something must have happen before she heard the commotion. Her eyes dropped on the unconscious brunette. The girl was indeed pretty. Her skin was as white as snow and her hair was soft and lustrous. Her face was small like a child giving out the natural instinct to like and protect her. She also has impossibly long, dark and thick eyelashes. These weren't caused by mere cosmetic that every teenager and women seemed to use. These were natural. Too bad her face was now smeared with blood and blue and purple bruises started appearing on her jaw.

She arrived in the infirmary and asked the doctor to quickly attend to the girl. After the examination, it was clear that the girl did have a broken jaw and received a major blow in the head just like her initial diagnosis. The doctor already called the nearest hospital for an ambulance since he can't conduct further examinations with few tools. Few minutes later, the ambulance arrived and took the still unconscious brunette in a stretcher. The teacher didn't go with the rest of the hospital staffs as she still has to do something here. Perhaps paying the principal's office a visit might be a good start.

She took out a stick of cigarette from her pocket, lit it up with her lighter before heading back to the building. As she was about to enter the building though, Mochida was there, leaning his back against the wall. The teacher stopped walking and cautiously eyed her student as he turned to face her with a sickening smile. "Sorry, sensei. But whatever that is that you're thinking…." He pulled something from his coat and pointed it to the woman. "I suggest you don't do it…" His finger played with the trigger before a loud resounding sound echoed as he let one bullet astray. The teacher fell down immediately and he turned back to the building, laughing maniacally. He licked his lips, 'See this Sawada! I'm the king of this school! No one could stand in my way! Not even you…'

Her initial reaction was 'it is cold'.

Her eyes fluttered open and the first thing she saw was white. 'Where am I?' she asked to no one in particular but herself. She looked around, trying to discern her surroundings. Everything was so white that she can't see a thing. Just then a strong gust of wind blew, making her hair stray away from her face. She closed her eyes out of reflex and when the wind was gone, she opened them again only to see herself in a meadow. She stood on her feet, feeling the soil, and realized one thing. She wasn't wearing anything. 'So that's why I was feeling cold…' she concluded. But having no clothes was the least of her worries right now. She looked around her, searching for an exit somewhere but found none. All that was there were these small and pretty white flowers which name she didn't know. She gave a sharp intake of breath, introducing the misty yet invitingly sweet scent of the flowers in to her system. The action though made her feel lightheaded that caused her to stagger in her footing and to eventually lose her balance. She fell on her knees, feeling them getting weak all of the sudden.

"Ara [2]… seems like I have a visitor…" the voice caught her surprise and she looked around in search for its source but found none.

"Are you perhaps looking for me, little miss?" Tsuki abruptly turned her head and saw a kind-looking blonde man behind her, smiling.

Tsuki blinked, 'Just who…?'

The blonde man opened his eyes only to flush deep red as he realized that the girl in front of him was naked. He abruptly turned around, feeling his cheeks turning abnormally hot. Just what was he getting so flustered about? So he saw a girl naked—it wasn't as if he hasn't seen that befo…. He put a hand over to his mouth. 'Urghh… how perverted!' he scolded.

The brunette watched the man getting so flustered about something. She didn't get why was he acting so strangely. Had she done something wrong?

But….

She stared at his back.

It's strange but she feels comfortable and safe having him here. Even though they just met, it feels like he won't do her harm at all.

She slowly reached for him but was equally surprised when they both heard a loud growl. Tsuki found herself flushing as she clutched her growling stomach, deeply embarrassed as to why it has to be right time that she was feeling hungry.

The blonde turned, surprised by that sound, only to look away again when he realized that she was still naked and he was looking at her rather inappropriately. He reached for his cloak and hastily removed it before putting it on her shoulders while trying hard not to look at her body. He felt her eyes on him but didn't say anything. "Y-y-you must be hungry…" he said after sometime but only to stutter pathetically. 'Nice. Out of all the times…' he sighed mentally. Why can't he act normally in front of this girl? He was doing fairly fine dealing with women who even dressed so indecently just to seduce him. It even doesn't have to do with her being naked. He had seen…. He reverted his eyes again, feeling a messed-up and indecent picture coming in his head. How embarrassing…his thoughts are.

The girl, now clad in his cloak, didn't like how he was avoiding her. Or rather, was avoiding looking at her. She hasn't done anything to deserve this treatment. She reached for his face and forced him to look at her. She could faintly hear someone quoting that whenever you're to speak to a person, look at them. To not look at them is rude. The action though, only made the blonde even more flustered than before which she really can't understand why so she gripped it firmer, "Stay put, please." She told him in a small yet determined voice. The blonde looked at her, eyes slightly widening. He can't understand why he suddenly felt calmer when she spoke. And that wasn't all. Even though her hands were relatively smaller compared to his own, they were so warm and soft against his skin.

Tsuki, proud of her work, let go of him but her hands were caught on as he held them and placed them back to where they left. She looked at him, surprised by what he did, but saw a serene smile on his face that immediately sweep away her worries. She watched him opened his eyes and saw for the first time that they were blue—just like the color of the sky. 'Kirei [3]' she thought, mesmerized by the beautiful color of the blonde's eyes.

"It's strange." The man spoke, bringing back her attention to him, "I don't know you but why do I feel like I've known you for so long?" Tsuki can't help but agree with the blonde. She did felt that. The moment they laid eyes on each other, they knew that they were bounded by some connection that neither of them can explain. The immediate comfort and safety she felt was the proof of this. And there was something else forming…. Was it trust?

"Just who are you?" the blonde asked. Slowly, everything around them was beginning to disappear and before she knew it, she was swallowed by a bright white light that caused her to shut her eyes close out of reflex. The next thing she knew when she finally opened her eyes, she was lying in the hospital bed.

She looked around her and saw tubes and needles pricked to her skin. There was even one on her upper lip. 'A dextrose?' she thought. She tried to rip it out but before she could do it, her fingers came across something. Under many bandages, she could feel stitches on her jaw and traced them from the right side of her jaw to her chin. She mechanically opened her mouth, only to close them back as she fought a hiss of pain directed on her jaw. She felt sting in her eyes but willed herself not to cry because of pain.

"I won't touch it if I were you, little miss..." her head shot up and saw a dark-haired man wearing a white coat. She immediately concluded that he's the doctor. He smiled at her a little before taking the stool with him and sitting beside her bed. She wanted to ask him who brought her here but a spark of pain in her jaw prevented her to do so. The doctor didn't fail to notice it and he sighed, "You should rest your jaw. As much as I wanted to ask you things, little miss, you just had three surgeries just to fix that broken jaw. A few major bones were dislocated but I still needed to stitch them altogether twice just to make sure that those stitches won't come off. And because of that, I'm afraid the healing process would take much longer. I advise you not to put unnecessary pressure on it. Hard and solid foods and speaking too much might rip off your stitches since it's still fresh so from now on, you'll be taking liquid foods and as much as possible, do refrain yourself from talking. It'll be better if you don't speak at all for a few weeks." She felt her body getting number and number—the doctor's voice seemed fainter and fainter as time passed. So this caused her in the end. For the first time, she felt grateful that she has no parents or was under some people's supervision. She didn't want them to see her like this.

The doctor stayed with her for quite a while before announcing that he has to go and met up with his other patients. Tsuki watched him leave. A gust of cold wind suddenly blew inside the room that sent shivers to her skin underneath the thin clothing she wore. She turned to look at the opened window beside her hospital bed where the suspected wind came in. She saw birds flying across the wide blue sky freely. She envied their freedom. They could fly as high and as far as they wanted to without anyone stopping them.

She had been so apathetic about the world around her—accepting everything as how the world was and never questioning its real intentions. Despite the bullying and maltreatment she had to receive every day, she accepted them and never fought back because she thought she was strong enough to survive by the end of the day. But that thinking of hers was very naïve. She had underestimated her limits. Clearly, she wasn't strong enough to stand up and move on like nothing happened. This was proven true by what happened earlier. She should have let that bastard pass but his way of bullying today was already harassment. She cared less of getting wet, having her stuffs thrown and ripped out to shards and her chair full of vandalism. That was nothing. She can take that a hundred times. But to sexually harass her with those filthy hands of his? That was another story. He had crossed the line. And she wasn't regretting that she stood up on him and slapped him. Hard. He needed to learn his lesson.

But despite standing up to that self-proclaimed tyrant, misfortune always chase to her till the end. She had enough of this. She had enough of this wide and cruel world.

She felt her eyes getting glassy.

For the very first time in fourteen years, she learned how to cry.

And how hatred tasted like.

A certain nineteen-year-old blonde and Italian Mafia boss looked up in daze. He has been doing that for the past three days. He would just stare aimlessly at something and before he knew it, that's all he did the whole day. This weird act didn't go unnoticed by his guardians especially his red-haired bestfriend and right hand man. At first he thought it was just a quirk of the blonde—he might had been restless and stressed with all the paperwork he had to do—but to go stare in daze like that for days, something was already wrong. Very wrong. He had enough of this crap and so he marched straight to his boss' office one morning to demand what was happening.

The blue-eyed blonde looked at his right-hand man, confused what had brought him angry again, and surprised to learn that he was the cause of it. What did he do now? He frowned, "I don't know what you're talking about, G. There's nothing wrong with me."

G glared at him, "Really? Is staring in daze all day and keeping that behavior for days not wrong at all? Don't fuck with me, Giotto! I know something's wrong with you. You're clearly not yourself these past few days. And it's not only me who noticed your weird behavior."

Slowly, realization dawned him and hit homerun. 'Oh. That.' He thought. He resignedly sighed, leaning his back and shoulders against the leather chair comfortably, before looking up and stare at the ceiling. His bestfriend deserved to know the truth, seeing that he had been worrying about his strange predicament for days. He must have been causing him trouble too, as well as the rest of his guardians. But would he even believe him if he told him that the source of this was because of a dream he had three days ago? That he was like this because of a girl, nonetheless? He could clearly imagine the red-haired hitting him, seeing that he was out of himself because he had been daydreaming about a girl.

Breathing in deeply, he began, although hesitant at first to share that particular dream but finally eased up, "I had a dream." He had been thinking about this for days that narrating it came out smoothly for him. "I was in a meadow full of flowers of baby's breaths. In the middle stood a giant tree. It was the best spot there." He smiled at the memory before continuing. "I always had that dream of that place. But I was always alone. So it surprised me that someone was there before I came. Or for that matter, why was someone there in my place in the first place." He thought of the beautiful brunette with long hair and ocher eyes once more. Now that he had the time to think about it, she was indeed really pretty. He didn't notice it before since he was too flustered to even think straight. "I didn't know her. But it's strange how I felt completely comfortable with her presence. Like I'm compelled to her. Something tells me I know her. No. That I should know her, but I just can't remember meeting someone like her in the past." He trailed off, before looking at the red-haired ready for a sermon but he didn't received one.

G had listened to his boss intently. At first he thought it was going to end like an absurd and sappy fairytale with him meeting a girl who's either real or not in a dream, but after seeing Giotto so worked up and clouded by this dream, he began rethinking again. He crossed his arms across his chest, closing his eyes as if to think, "Let's clear out one thing first." He opened his eyes and shot a serious look, "She's real isn't she? The girl you met in your dream." Once he received a nod from him, he continued, "If you felt that way then I can't contest to your intuition, Giotto. You, of all people, know that your hunches are really true. But setting that aside, care to tell me why you're so worked up with this girl? I don't believe that you're thinking about her too much because you only feel like you know her."

The blonde avoided his gaze, suggestively hinting that the latter had nailed it right. But what's the point of hiding it from him now that he knew so much. Sighing, he began, "You're right. That's not the only reason."

G snorted, already guessing what he was about to hear, "Right. I knew that much. So…bringing back to the main point, what will you do now?"

Yes. What shall he do now? He pondered at the question given to him. He can't stay like this forever. He might as well forget about the whole damn thing and go on like nothing happened. But if he were to forget about his encounter with the brunette, wouldn't that be disregarding the first emotion he felt for the first time? He wasn't immune to the laws of attraction and how strange it worked. And, he certainly didn't want to forget about that feeling now that he experienced it. "I want to find out who she is. It's not by mere chance that I saw her in my dream. Not when I feel like I've known her."

The red-haired smirked at the blonde's resolute answer. The boss he knew as a child never gives up even if given a success probability of less than one. That's why he continued serving him despite the hardships that meets their way. "Alright. We'll search for your girl."

Her stay in the hospital should have been peaceful if not for Mochida who's taking his sweet time visiting her. He didn't do anything to her—probably because nurses were there to look after her. But despite the lack of physical tormenting, there's the verbal tormenting. He knew she can't talk back to him seeing that the wound he made was still fresher than ever. It was even more appalling that he was acting like he was her boyfriend or anything because he acted so kind to her in front of other people. He would even bring her food and presents. But she knew very well how much of an actor he was. Luckily though, the hospital she was in had visiting hours so he only had few time to come and visit her. And he can't do as much as question the hospital's policy despite his family's influence.

The doctor who operated her was the one who visited her the most. He wasn't presented the visiting hours limit so he goes in and out of her hospital room whenever he wanted.

She learned that his name was Shamal. He was Italian and had lived there but one day he received a job offer from his closest colleague here and had accepted the work temporarily, leading to his relocation. She also learned that he was the closest pervert as he reads his 'magazines' whenever he thought no one was looking. He is also picky with his patients, claiming to treat women only. But even though he openly flirted with any other women, strangely, she was an exception. He treated her differently. He treated her like she was a child that is needed to be supervised by an adult.

Whenever he visited her, he would bring strange stuffs with him. Once he brought a box of colorful papers and told her how he saw this book about folding paper cranes and had wanted to try and do it. She knew how to fold them so she taught him. In the end, they ended up folding a thousand of it, each with variant colors of red, blue, yellow, green, orange, violet and indigo, and had it tied with a string.

Other things he brought were a 3x3 rubix cube and a shogi board. She didn't know how to play them so he taught her. By two days at most, she had already solved the rubix cube fifteen times in a row which impressed Shamal so he brought a tougher piece—a 6x6. Since she already knew the mechanics, the 6x6 ended up solved in a day, nineteen times in a row. Playing shogi on the rather hand was tougher. She was well introduced to the mechanics of the game. It was basically a strategic game. She must play her piece carefully and think of moves two to three turns ahead if she wanted to win. At first, she lost her first to third game, but after the fourth, she improved rapidly and ended up winning against the then disgruntled doctor since then. It seemed like this girl was more skilled and a fast-learner than he expected.

After some time too, they got bored with board games with Tsuki always winning against Shamal much to his dismay. And here he was beginning to teach her the game but before he knew it, she already gone ahead of him. He should probably consider practicing so as not to be left behind.

It had been two months since she was confined. Today was Sunday—a warm bright morning of spring. Shamal had taken his much deserved day-off so Tsuki didn't expect to see the perverted doctor today. She reached for the table beside her bed and got a big brown paper bag. Saturday night, Shamal had brought her a big puzzle to solve. It has probably a hundred or more tiny pieces but Tsuki wasn't exactly the kind of person that is easily disheartened by numbers, more so, big numbers. She laid the box of puzzle on her bed and started putting the pieces piece after piece. There was no hint as to how the puzzle would turn out once finished, which should definitely irk anyone who is solving this, but not her. She thought it was the hidden fun in the game. Besides, she wasn't the type of person to appreciate a thing without challenges laid to figure out and dissect.

Yup. Another eventful Sunday….

Monday came and Shamal greeted her with a rather 'good' news. He told her she was recovering smoothly and given another set of days, she can be discharged. It should actually make her day but then she remembered that once she was discharged, she will go back to the 'normal' routine she had been doing before the 'incident'. She didn't want to return to school, likewise meet that lowlife and be feasted with his constant bullying. She liked being here in the hospital. Strangely enough the smell of antiseptic and medicine calmed her better than her staying in her house with nothing but an endless stretch of deafening silence. She also liked the perverted doctor's company although she won't be as honest as to say that to him because she knew he would tease her about it, and it was never a good thing to be teased by the perverted man because he can get so annoying to the point that she wished she didn't brought out the thing. Thinking about it, it was quite strange how the doctor would make her forget her problem for the meantime. Perhaps it was because she had been too preoccupied by the things he brought that she never realized that she was indeed enjoying for the very first time, if memory serves her right. Seems like she grew attached to him than she expected.

"Now, now… don't tell me you actually finished the puzzle I gave you last Saturday. Heck it's only Monday! I've been only away for a day, you know…." Shamal muttered in mixed awe and disbelief at the finished puzzle in front of him. Well, he did expect that much from her but…. Wasn't this too much? Just how skilled was this girl really?

Tsuki stared at him blankly but behind that apathetic face, she smiled a little. She finished solving the puzzle right before dinner time yesterday. It wasn't really a tough challenge since once she figured out what was the picture, putting the pieces together was now easier. And before she knew it, her hands had put all the pieces together and ta-da, it's done.

The perverted doctor sighed in defeat, "Remind me next time to buy you the hardest piece…. Seriously kid, are you some kind of a genius or what? Anyway…" he looked at her. In a flash, he was in his professional mode, "How are you feeling? I would like to see how the stitches are coming up and how's your head faring since the last check up. It really is a good thing that the shock didn't wholly affect, likewise permanently damaged your brain but I like to reassure again before I finally patched you up." He instructed her to sit still while he begins removing the bandages around her jaw line.

The removed bandages left dried blood in them which was understandable because since the operation two months ago, only twice was it unwrapped and since the last time, it was still as fresh as the first.

After all the bandages were unwrapped, Shamal took a good look at the healing skin around her jaw, noticing right up the faint crisscrossed scars marring her pale skin due to the surgery stitches. This caused him to frown. He was obviously upset with what he saw. 'This frail-looking girl… to suffer such state…' Tsuki didn't fail to notice this so she tugged his coat to catch his attention.

The perverted doctor bowed down a little, his eyes meeting her warm chocolate brown eyes. He watched her lift her right dormant hand and do some sign language. 'Is everything alright?' she asked silently.

"Yes." He forced a crooked smile out of the corners of his lips, "The stitches are healing quite well as it should be." Tsuki knew he was covering the real reason on why he was upset. She has this uncanny sense or what she used to dubbed as 'intuition' of knowing lies from truth. And it was because of this that she saw how fake and ugly was Mochida's personality behind that sincere-looking façade.

She shook her head, 'Don't lie, Shamal-san. I can read lies from truth so lying won't have effect on me.'

Shamal sighed. Well that settles it, he supposed. What was the used in hiding something from this young lady anyway? Nonetheless, he was afraid that by telling her that these scars might not be erase would upset her. That these scars might be permanent… He remembered the day when he heard her crying after he broke down the news to her. He didn't left her room immediately when he went out of her door. He knew she won't lose her control and breakdown carelessly in front of him, so he waited. And it came…. Perhaps if she could scream, she had screamed. Perhaps if she could cry loudly, she would cry as accordingly. But she only cried softly. Since then, he never brought back the topic to her instead he entertained her with lots of things like games and toys. And before he knew it, he had treated her like she is his daughter (if he had owned one really). Perhaps if he were to have a child, he would probably wish to have one like Tsuki. A sweet, gentle girl that he would like to protect… even if risking his own expense

"You…" He smiled, "When you can speak again, I would like to hear how this happened to you." Her eyes widened a little, utterly surprised by what he said. She was about to protest when he ruffled her hair lightly, "Don't be stubborn. You're not exactly alone in this anymore, kid. Not after you got me involved as well…." He grinned.

Tsuki stared at him, completely dumbfounded by what the doctor said. The words he spoke echoed repeatedly in her head and before she knew it, her eyes suddenly felt glassy and hot only to realize that her tears were building up from the corners of her eyes.

No one had ever said that to her. Not once in her whole life. She had walked to this world alone for as long as she can remember. The day she woke up from her house with no memories of herself except her name and that she owned a house was all she can remember. All of that… and she had nothing more. She had felt cold for a long time but now a tingling warmness squirms inside her little heart like an invading worm through a membrane, pushing its way through the small hole.

Her bangs shaded her eyes. 'You're weird…Shamal-san'

The dark-haired doctor scratched the back of his head, feeling sheepish. Was that really weird to say?

'But, thank you…' she tapped his hand for him to read out her sign language. He blinked…twice… before smiling a little. So being weird was a compliment… He chuckled at the thought before continuing his examinations and replacing her bandages for newer and cleaner ones.

Somewhere in a downtown area of Sicily, a magnificent grand white house stood in the middle of a ten-hectare rose garden. The columns remind one of those from ancient Greece, and the touch of modern architecture blended well with the gothic and intricate cravings and design. A high iron wall barricaded the whole land, keeping the house completely isolated from the rest of the world.

A man of his early twenties stood, watching the roses in full bloom with half a glass of White Russian in his hand. He has light blue hair like the color of the sky and heterochromatic eyes—on the right of golden ochre and on the left of forest green. He wore black buttoned long-sleeved dress shirt and straight-cut pants completed with polished pair of shoes. The color of his clothing deeply compliments the paleness of his skin as it glistened when in contact with light.

Accordingly, another man now of his late thirties approached the blue-haired man, bowing as a sign of acknowledgment and respect to the younger man. "Sorry to interrupt while you're watching the roses, Blood-sama. But Cher-sama has finally arrived and wishes for an audience."

The man addressed as Blood smiled, "Audience granted." Once the older man left the garden, Blood took a delightful sip from his glass. So Cher was finally home. He smiled a bit more. She must have completed the mission he gave to her fourteen years ago. If one should take a closer and keen look, the green pigment of his left eye was slowly diluting into gray before it completely turned to red just like the color of blood.

"Val!" a white haired girl ran towards the blue-haired man whom she called Val and hugged him from behind, her arms around his waist. Blood—or Val hugged her back around her shoulders and neck. He waited for her to release him and when she did, he turned to look at the sixteen year old white haired girl and smiled. He put his hand under her chin, tilting it up before he leaned down his head to seal her lips to his. The kiss was long and passionate. He slid in his tongue inside her mouth in which she responded as openly as he did. They were cut short for the need to take in air. And once they did, they stared at each other eyes. Gold and red to blue. "Welcome back Cher…" He ran soft kisses on her forehead down to her nose, to her jaw, neck and finally her right hand. The girl, in turn, looked appeased by the affection.

"You haven't age since the last time we've met. And like before, you smell of roses and wine, ti amo…" Cher said, lifting her hand to brush her fingers against the cool skin of his cheek.

"I would say the same, my Rosa…" he held her hand that was on his face tightly, "You're beautiful just as I remembered…"

Cher cleared her throat softly, "Enough flattery to my expense, Blood-sama. I'm not your fiancée, please do remember…"

Blood gave her an innocent expression that gives off a feeling that he doesn't know what she meant by that which she sighed before removing her hand from his face. She dropped her informal act in a slit of second and a serious gaze grew in her face, "I've completed my mission. And just as Blood-sama predicted, the candidate for the next Vongola head is still alive. The men assigned to assassinate that young heir fourteen years ago failed to do it. I've exterminated those incompetent fools. The family doesn't need useless garbage like them…"

Blood gave an amused look, "I see… that person is still alive…"

"Yes. And I presume the others have learned of this information and are on the move as well…"

A butterfly flew in front of the bluenet. He stretched out his hand and the butterfly drapped on him, "Not when we get to her first…" he muttered with a sinister dark smile. He smashed the butterfly with his hand, crippling its wings, until it slowly dies.

Dictionary Check:

[1] Iie – "no"

[2] Ara – "oh"

[3] Kirei – "pretty"/"beautiful"