[ Arc 01 - The Royal Family of Vampires. ]
Chapter 10 - Part 02 : The Day She Planned Her First Step to Get Along with the Triplets - From Sakamaki Ayato.
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Darn it.
Why all of the times Mother has to come in this worst situation?
... Don't tell me, is this one of her damn works?!
I quickly glared at the human girl being, which immediately she reacted in aghast to it. She shook her head from right to left as fast as possible, as if she knew what was the meaning behind my glare.
Hah, I see now. You're going to act like an innocent lamb, huh?
"Ayato!"
Mother's voice had made my body flinch in goosebumps, and with a fast motion, I looked back at Mother again. I could sense a dangerous aura coming from her frame along with her shadow that was big enough to cover the human girl and me.
"What did I always tell you to do when I'm having a conversation with you, Ayato?" Mother asked with her usual authoritarian tone. Her eyes darted at me in a cold stare as she did that.
"... I must look at Mother. I have to give my full attention to Mother only, not the other things," I said in a whisper, swallowing the bitter taste that came from the words that flew out from my mouth.
"That's right." Mother crossed her hands in front of her chests. "Now, care to tell me what's going on here?" Her twin emerald orbs narrowed as she glanced between the cherry blossom-haired girl and me.
"I was ..." I gulped and looked down to my feet.
Damn it, I couldn't tell the truth.
Her eyes immediately stopped at me. "Ayato, you're not studying again, are you?"
"No!" I quickly denied. My bare hands gripped the sides of my trousers tightly. "... I-I have studied before, so-"
Shit. Where did that lies come from?
I never even stayed in my room and touched my books, since I was talking to Raito and Kanato in Raito's room this morning.
Mother always checks my room. She will know that I lied to her, damn it!
"If that so, then why I didn't see you in your room?" She looked at me in skeptical, when suddenly her eyes widened in realization. "Don't tell me, are you lying to me?!" Mother's voice was louder than before. Her voice exploded in full of rage like a thunderstorm hitting the ground.
I knew it. She will get mad.
Fuck.
"How dare you lied to your own mother ..." She gritted her teeth, which somehow looked a bit more agitated rather than angry. "I never taught you to become an impudent child like this! Why can't you understand what your mother wants from you?!" She whipped her hand to her left side in disapproval, which created a strong wind that blew our hair to mess.
"Mo-mother ..." My body began to vibrate in fear by its own. I've never seen Mother burst in wrath to the point she let her strength out of control like that.
"Do I have to punish you for you to understand?!"
I widened my eyes at her words.
Her words had triggered my memory back to the past event as my brain began to swim into the depth of my inferior memories.
That day when she threw me into the lake. Despite my plead, Mother just stood still and watched me drown into the cold water. I could still remember her expression when she did that. From the up land, her face curved into a thin frown, almost flat as no emotion.
I tried to reach my hand to her, but she never returned her hand back to help me. I even cried and struggled to gain her attention, but it only leads me to sink deeper. All of my attempts were completely useless.
The horrible feelings scraped deeply into my memory very well. The heavy pressure exerted from the cold water; the unthinkable pain that erupted from the gagging throat; to the last of my eyes flickering in deliberate turns, letting it darkened slowly by itself from the loss conscious. Yes, I experienced all of that alone.
As I remembered my traumatic fragments, my surroundings began to spin. Everything became more vague as my past memories consumed my body in slow.
No, I don't want to remember that again.
"-yato ...!"
I'm scared. I feel weak.
"-you listening ...?"
I hate this feeling. I don't want to feel it again.
"-answer your mother ...!"
This madness drives me insane. It hurts, stop this for once-!
Tap!
A single tap on my shoulder sent me a shock through my body, waking all of my senses back.
"Cordelia-san, please stop. Ayato-kun ... he did nothing wrong."
My gaze falls to the human girl who stood beside me. Her face remained calm as her golden eyes stared at my mother in solemn.
Dirtybag ...?
"I saw Ayato-kun studying hard with both of my eyes. After all, I'm the one who asked him to study together in my room," she said with a smile.
Dirtybag ... how can you speak all those lies with a calm face? How can you smile brightly in this situation?
Aren't you scared at all?
Tch, I hate to admit this, but now that I see it with my own eyes, I have to agree with Raito's words before.
This human girl is really scary.
"... And if you're wondering why we are here, we are just taking a break from studying," the girl continued with her lies. "I hope this will help clear up our misunderstanding here, Cordelia-san."
Mother went silent for a while, then opened her lips and mumbled, "I see."
She slowly looked at Dirtybag and me. "Sorry ..."
What? Did Mother just-?!
Mother massaged her forehead in restless. "... I think I'm not in the right mind. I'm going back to my room, don't cause any commotion in here."
"Wait, Mother!" I ran to her and gripped the tip of her dress, which she responded with come to a stand in silence.
From the close distance between us, I could see her eyes that same alike as mine looked down in dim. There were two visible dark circles under her eyes. It was just like she didn't take care of herself lately.
That looks unusual ... did something happen to Mother ...?
There were many questions that I want to ask her, but I couldn't muster myself to ask her directly. And before I knew it, my hand had let her black dress go of its own as if following my hesitation.
"... Have a good rest, Mother," I said.
Mother looked into my eyes, her familiar orbs gleamed in an incomprehensible look as she did that. Before I could study the meaning behind her silent gaze, she turned around and replied back with a simple word, "Yes."
With Mother left the kitchen, I was left standing with the human girl in silence. The said human girl falls down to her knees and started hyperventilating out of sudden.
I widened my eyes. "Oi, what happened to you?!"
"Th-that was ... tense. It was scarier than the last time in the torture chamber," she said shakily.
"Huh? What the fuck are you saying?"
"I'm saying that tension from before has taken off years of my lifespan!" she yelled to my face. "Good thing, I managed to save both of our lives." her hands reached to her black-red frilly dress and began to tremble so badly.
"Oh."
I couldn't help myself but turned deadpan at her dramatic behavior.
I take back my words from before, she is not frightening at all. She is just fucking good at playing with her words and hiding some facts ... and kind of dramatic to the point of being called ... well, kinda eccentric.
Yeah, she is weird, really weird.
... But I can't deny her statement from before. Even she acts like that; she still has a point for what she said. If she wasn't there, I might get into a lot of trouble more than I thought.
And to think I got myself saved by that human ...
Fucking pathetic.
My teeth gritted together. "I don't understand. Why did you have to go far like that?"
Her golden eyes blinked twice. Slowly, she got up and dusted her dress off. "Why? Well, there are many reasons for me to do that. But mostly ..." A small smile formed on her face as she continued her sentence, "That's because of your eyes, Ayato-kun."
"Are you trying to fool around with Yours Truly now?"
"Oh no, that's not what I meant." She guarded her hands up in front of her. "Well, how do I say this?" She started to scratch the back of her head. "Hmm, the way your eyes shone back there ... they were telling me to help you."
What the hell did she mean again with my eyes telling her to help me?
Is she mocking on me ...?
Lowering my eyebrows, I voiced my mind, "Am I that pitiful to you?"
"What?" She looked at me in surprise. "I never think something like that-!"
"Bullshit," I growled. "Don't be a hypocrite with your own words."
"Ayato-kun, I think you misunderstand-"
"Listen here, Dirtybag. Yours Truly don't need any shitty pity from the like of you!"
"Yeah, okay. But I'm not-"
"Stop denying, would you? You think that Yours Truly is stupid enough to not understand that-"
"Brat!"
My eyes irked. What the fuck? Did she just call me-
Her golden eyes narrowed at me in sharp. "I had enough with keeping my patience to your bratty attitude. So, let me just finish my fucking lines first!" She took a long breath, then glared at me again as she poked my chest with her index finger. "I'm not pitying you at all, I'm helping you because I saw the situation wasn't going anywhere with you being out of hand state like that before, got it? So, stop accusing people when you don't know the truth!"
My eyes were widened. How dare she ...!
"I understand that you want to stand up by yourself, but I don't think that's the right choice when you're faced with that situation. There's a time when you need to stop from forcing yourself to handle things alone with your strength and realize that you need someone to help you. You were created not to be alone, after all."
This girl ... so annoying.
"So, you're trying to lecture me now like that Rotten Old Fool? Dirtybag, just who do you think you are, huh?"
"I'm not lecturing you. I'm trying to snap you out of your pride ego-"
Slap!
Before I could let my brain think in clear, my hand had flown across her cheek and sent her fall to the cold tiles.
I stood in there with my eyes turned into a blank stare. My green orbs stared at her small figure who stared back right at me in shock as she reached her hand to her swollen red cheek.
That fucking human, she really is getting on my nerves.
But then, why I ...
A glimpse of the same scene from the past appeared before my mind.
My hand that had slapped her started to quivering.
... No, that's not true, I'm not like her. I would never be like that woman.
Mother.
Suddenly, a fat man who emerged from the other side room rushed in to us with my favorite food, Takoyaki*[1], and called us in panic, "Ayato-dono*[2], Kori-dono! Please forgive me for making you wait, here is your-" He immediately went freeze as he saw the scene before him. "Wha-what's going on here?"
Tch, this is start to feel irritating ...!
I clenched my jaws and turned both of my feet to the kitchen door, which the chef quickly stopped me with his annoying question.
"Ayato-dono, where are you going?!"
"Shut up! None of your business, Fatty Ass!" With that said, I slammed the wood door right in front of his damn face.
The last thing I could remember was the wailing voice from that piggy chef, trying to call me in panic behind the door and ...
A foul smell of something rotten.
But I had blinded myself by choosing to ignore it and leave the door alone.
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~...~
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It had been three days since the day I confronted Dirtybag. I haven't spoken a single word to her since then, nor she tried to interact with me. Even when the two of us passed each other, we simply ignored each other's existence and didn't dare to make eye contact; we just walked by like nothing matters between us.
It feels like we are back to a mere stranger. Well, we are not related to begin with, though.
Yeah, that's right ... I never want to talk with that fucking thief!
This is what I want, right?
... Even so, what's with this unsatisfied feeling? Why it feels like there is a hollow created between my chests? When did this void grow inside of me? Ah, that's right, it started when I notice a little scar that I made on her cheek when I slapped her before. Whenever I see it, my mind throws me back again at that unnerving memories, my nightmares. It never stops to haunt me down.
It's not that I'm afraid of that girl's presence; fuck no, that girl is nothing compares to the great of me!
Feel bad for what I did to her? Hah, my ass! She deserves that slap for stealing everything I have and looking down on me!
I'm not to be blame here, so then ...
Why do I feel like a loser now ...?
It so complicated and unfair for me.
Damn it, forget it! I can't let this bother me any further, there still a lot of questions about Mother that still need to be solved in my mind-
And like a whip that slashed my head, my brain flashed me with my action from a few days ago that had ruined all of my chances to get the answers to my questions.
Yeah right, I had fucked up things. Great.
I started to mess my red mop and stared at the picture of my father in his formal vampire king suit, smiling to the camera like an "innocent" man on my history book; "The Great History of the Vampire Clan" book.
As if I could sense his smile and his golden eyes looking down on my current state from his "almighty" portrait, I groaned out of frustration and sent my history book fly across my room. "Fuck it! Who cares about that old fuckface anyway? He can just rot to dirt!" I cursed out loud.
Shit. I think my head gonna explode from just studying the revolution of that freaking Rotten Old Fool brought to the demon world's history.
"I need to clear out my mind," I muttered to myself as I stretched my muscles that went stiff from studying for too long.
I decided to walk out of my room and have a little tour to this mansion. As my mind made my way to the dark hallway, my green orbs caught a glimpse of dim light that crept from the small gap under the library door.
Heh, that nerd boy still studying this late? As diligent as ever, huh?
My smirk widened when my great brain found an awesome idea to tease him.
With a carefree move, I kicked the library door open. "Yo, Table-ware Otaku! Still studying?" I greeted my brother, which later in a few minutes, I found out my guess was wrong.
The figure that stood with a book in their hands wasn't my bespectacled brother like I thought before.
I blinked in shock. "Mother?!"
"Ayato?!"
The thick book from Mother's hands falls down to the dark brown tiles in one thud. Thanks to my increased vision ability, I could see the title book from the place I stood.
"... 'How to Love and Take Care Your Beloved Children' ...?" I read it in a whisper.
Mother started to grow panic as she bent her body down and scrambled her book to her hands as fast as she can.
She hurriedly stood straight with her back on mine and coughed. "What are you doing in here, Ayato? I thought that you were studying in your room?" she asked with her cold tone.
"Um, I'm just taking a break ..." I answered her truthfully, still with bewilderment attached on my face.
"Hmph, I see. Then, go back to your room and read your books again!" she said that with her back still facing me. Um, Mother ... why did you still act strictly, masking your own embarrassment? Did you forget that your child was a vampire that had increased vision ability? I could still see your ears were turning red from here, you know.
"I was going to, but ..." My eyes couldn't help but followed the pastel-colored book in her hand. "Mother, do you always read that book every night?"
"N-no, I ...!" She suddenly started to stutter. "I just ... I just found this book by a chance! Yes, that's what happened!" She finally turned her face at me.
I stared at her with my eyes telling her that I'm not gonna believe her petty lies.
At long last, she sighed and gave up. She signaled her hand for me to come closer to her, which I did obediently without much thinking.
"You're right, Ayato," she said. "I come to this library every night and read this book." She put the thick book on a wood table beside her.
"Why?" I asked suddenly.
"I have been thinking this lately that I have never really good at showing my love to you, Kanato, and Raito." She looked to my eyes. Her eyes were clear as a light forest with no lies hidden from it. "So I thought, maybe ... maybe, I could change the way I showed my love to you all."
My lips were apart in shock. "Mother, you never really hate us ...?"
"So that what you get from my past actions?" She closed her eyes. "I understand that I have mistreated you and your brothers, but I have never put a single hatred to my children in my heart." She opened her eyes again and looked at me with a tender look. "The three of you are my love children. How could a mother that had given birth to her own children come to hate them?"
I looked at her in disbelief. Is this really how Mother's feel all these times?
I want to believe her, but ...
My lips began to shake. "Then, why? Why are you trying to avoid us now?!" I went silent for a moment, then a mocking smirk made their way to my face as I recalled the topic conversation that she always talked about these days. "Oh right, that human girl you always talk about. You just want to replace us with her, right?"
"Ayato-"
"Your love to us is just nothing, but a spare side to you." I cut her off in flat. "You don't see us as your children, but some mere tools that you can use for your selfish needs, right? You think that I'm fool enough to not notice that? Is that what you think-"
Suddenly, Mother pulled me into a hug and buried her head in my back.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "... I'm sorry to avoid you all this time. I don't know how to face you properly after everything I had done to you and your brothers." Her hands gripped my shirt tightly. "I'm sorry for not being the best mother you want me to be. I made a lot of mistakes in the past. And I know it's already too late for me, but I have come to realize that I had taken the wrong step; it was thanks to her, Kori."
Dirtybag ...?
"If she didn't tell me that day, I would never have realized my wrong doings until now. For that, I'm indebted to her."
So that's what happened, it makes sense now. But still I ...
The memories of how she always slapped my face and kicked me to the ground when I couldn't beat Shuu and Reiji in academic skill started to play like a broken tape.
I bit my lips. "I cannot forgive you."
"That's right, you don't have to forgive me, Ayato."
I glanced at her in surprise. "Huh?"
"If I were you, I couldn't forgive myself too; I cannot turn back for what I did in the past, but there is one thing that I want to do for you, at least for once in my life ..." She pulled me from the hug for a moment and stared at me with a sincere smile.
"I want to support you and your brothers to the end of my life. I want to see you become someone great in the near future with your brothers."
My heart shook at her words.
"I believe the three of you are more precious than everything I have in here."
No, stop it. You're being unfair here, Mother.
"I want to see all the three of you grow in bright."
If you keep saying that, I cannot see you again with the same bitter look.
Her words which escaped from her lips had made me gone silent, I couldn't counter her back. Tears started to form at the corner of my eyes. I tried my best not to shed my tears that have formed on my eyes.
"Ayato, I have always forbidden you from crying. But this time, I allow you to cry on my shoulder. So now, go spill your tears, let them out for once." She pulled me back to her gentle embrace and started to pat my back. "Mother will stay here, hearing your cries till the end."
"I-I'm not crying! I'm not a child anymore ...!" The words that came out of my mouth contradicted my action as my tears began to flow down on my cheeks.
Before I knew it, I had started to cry like a normal child would do. Mother stayed like her promise, and stroked the back of my hair in silence.
And all that's left to remember from that night was a little light started to form in my shattered heart.
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~...~
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Time passed fast. It was already in the morning before we realized it. Mother and I were still in the library; she waited for me to wipe off all of my tears from my eyes.
"Ayato, I have a request for you," she finally said as she saw me had finished with rubbing my tears off. "I want you to keep this as a secret between us. Not even Kanato or Raito have to know about this."
I quirked my eyebrows. "Huh? Why?"
She sighed. "I want to approach them as naturally as possible, yet I don't know how they will react to it." She closed her eyes while biting her lips. "... Will they accept it or not?" Her eyes opened again, but this time, it radiated her fear and concern. "I think I need a little time before facing them."
... You don't have to be hesitant like that, Mother. I know they will forgive you anyway. Because I can see how much they love you dearly; their love for you is greater than mine.
But eventually, I nodded at her request anyway and-
That's when an unexpected event came to this room.
Bam!
The library door slammed opens in wide.
"This better be Sebastian's room. Sebastian, are you in-"
The soft pink-haired girl stood in shock as her golden eyes met with four emerald orbs. An awkward silence took a moment between us as we continued to stare each other in shock.
"Uh, it seems Sebas- I mean, Cebastiel isn't in here. Guess, I'm wrong again, haha." She made a nervous laugh as she slowly closed the library door with a long low creaking sound.
"Hey, Dirtybag-!"
Damn it, if what Mother said was true, then that girl didn't do anything wrong! Kgh, I want to curse out loud for my foolishness, but now I need to apologize to her!
"Wait!"
She didn't hear me, or maybe she pretended not to hear me.
No, this won't do, I need to reach her ...!
I glanced at Mother in hurry. "Mother."
As she knew what I mean, she nodded. "Yeah, go."
With that, I quickly teleported behind the pinkette girl and grabbed her shoulder. "... Oi, Kori! Don't you hear me? Yours Truly said wait!"
The girl winced in surprise and looked back at me. She quickly put her smile that felt a little bit off and asked, "Is there anything you need from me, Ayato-kun?"
This is my only chance. I can't mess this up again-!
"Look I ..." My eyes looked at her white bandage on her cheek, then at my feet. "Jeez ...! That is ... my bad, okay?!" I blabbered out my words without order.
She blinked. "I'm sorry, but what?"
I scratched my cheek lightly. "Yeah, that is ... that slap on your cheek from the other day before ... my bad." I turned to the other side as I felt my cheek became red. "That's why I just said that ... it's my bad ...!"
She roomed her eyes to my figure for a moment, then smiled. Her hands quickly rummaged throughout her dress pockets, which earned a question look from me.
What the fuck is she doing ...?
After a while, she got her item she was searching for.
"... A lollipop?"
Wait, isn't that Kanato's lolli-
Slap!
I stumbled back in surprise. The human girl had suddenly slapped my cheek hard with that giant fucking rainbow lollipop.
"What was that for?!" I roared.
With a big toothy grin, she twirled her candy in her hand and said, "A cheek for a cheek. Now that we are the same, I can accept your apology."
What in the world was this girl even thinking in her head-?!
"I also want to apologize for calling you 'brat' that day, so ..."
She grabbed my hand and put her treasure weapon on my palm.
"Here, you can keep it."
I blinked and continued to stare at the item in front of me in dumbfounded before I scowled at her. "I'm not a big fan of sweets like that Hysteric, you know."
"Yeah, sorry for that." She sent an apologetic smile to me. "But well, you see ... you can still use it for 'something special' to him, if you know what I mean." Her lips shaped into a devilish grin for a few seconds.
My smirk widened.
Heh, to think this goody two-shoes looking girl suggested such an idea like that so freely, she really knew me well.
This girl doesn't seem that bad, huh?
I reached out my hand to her. "Oi, give me your hand."
She tilted her head. "Um, why ...?"
"Just give your fucking hand already, idiot!"
"Okay, okay! Not need to be hostile, alright?" She put her small hand on my palm. So, is this what it feels like to hold human's hand? It feels ... warm. Surprisingly, relaxing.
"You said that you were searching for that Stony Face's room," I said with a smirk etched on my face. "Be grateful for Yours Truly will escort you there!" I puffed out my chest.
"That's really nice of you, but ..." she started to chuckle. "Stony Face? Really? That nickname you mean is for-"
"Yeah, that boring butler."
"Aha, that suits him well." She shot me with a smirk. "Good job for bringing that nickname idea."
A smug grin crossed on my face. "Heh, of course! Yours Truly never fail to give everyone who lives in here the best nickname ever!"
The girl laughed without blame at my words. Her smile was bright like a ray of sunshine shining down on my face. That's when I realized that it was the purest expression she had ever made for the first time.
... Maybe, her arrival to this family wasn't that bad like I thought before.
Without she is noticing, a genuine smile crept into my face as I continued to stare at her. And before she had a chance to look at my expression, I quickly wiped my smile and replaced it with my usual mischievous grin.
"Ready to barge into Stony Face's room?"
"Yes, I am!"
Translation Note :
1. Takoyaki*[1] : A tasty dumpling ball from Japan. It was made of octopus and batter fried together.
2. -dono*[2] : An old style of respectful honorific, but considered slightly less respectful than -sama.
TBC
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