"Louise."
"Beatrice."
The sisters looked at each other, daring one of them to speak as the silence filled the room.
"How's Henry?" Louise questioned.
"Oh, he's great! He's with our four children at the moment. How's your husband? Is it true he's into other men?"
"That's none of your business." Louise spat.
"I was just trying to have a civil conversation with you."
"Well, don't. Just go back to helping mother. You know how much she needs you after father passed."
"..Right.. I'll go do that.." Beatrice murmured before leaving in a rush.
Louise sighed as she stayed in the empty room, "If only I married Henry instead.."
"How is your marriage to the rival gang?" Alice asked her oldest sister curiously one day.
"Well, we're in debt just like Grandpa from our Mother's side."
"How so?"
"They're just not giving the money we deserve. And it doesn't help that my mother in law is cruel.."
"What did she do?" Alice questioned.
"..when one of my children passed.. my fourth child, Sigismund.. she brushed it off, and told me to focus on my job instead of mourning."
"I can't believe she did that!"
"..me neither.. but that's just the kind of woman she is.."
"Did you tell Mother?"
Vicky shook her head no, "She's too busy with her own grief and keeping the Mafia Empire strong."
"I see.. how are your other seven children?"
"Ugh, don't get me started! I already have a couple headaches because of them! You know when I had my first son, Wilhelm, there were delivery complications!? We had a maid who was supposed to alert the doctor, yet she just waited while I was in pain! And then the physicians hesitated to examine me! It's like they wanted me, and my son to pass away! Luckily, the doctors came in time to help me with the delivery.. but my son's arm failed to develop properly.. His left arm is fifteen centimeters shorter than his right. Fifteen centimeters! I have attempted to cure him with animal baths."
"..animal baths?"
"Supposedly if you put internal organs like intestines of a recently dead rabbit around the arm it would help it go back to normal."
"..did it work?"
"Unfortunately, no.. So, then Wilhelm underwent electroshock sessions to revive the nerves on his left arm."
"Did that work?"
"No.. none of the different treatments worked on him.."
"Maybe you should just accept that he's different than other kids?"
"No! My son will be normal one day!"
"Um, okay.."
"He might have disobedience problems sometimes, but he's not as bas as Charlotte."
"What's wrong with Charlotte?" Alice asked as she tilted her head slightly to the side.
"She's temperamental, a compulsive gossiper, and a nasty prankster!"
"..do you think she could have had an heredity abnormality illness like porphyria?"
Vicky laughed, "My daughter is fine. She may have a few problems, but she is normal."
"..I didn't say she wasn't.."
"All my children are perfectly normal! A couple may be a bit off, but they're all normal!"
"Of course, they are. I believe you, Vicky."
"You do?"
"Yes."
"I'm so glad!" Vicky hugged her younger sister, Alice in relief.
"You know?"
"Hm?"
"I've gotten some troubles in my marriage as well." Alice murmured.
"You have?" Vicky questioned in shock.
"Yes. Not as bad as yours, but.. my husband.. he's always busy.. he doesn't share the same views as me.. and it's just lonely being with someone that doesn't have a connection."
Vicky nodded in understanding.
"So, I decided to gain an intellectual companion."
"Good for you."
"He's an Atheist."
"Seriously, Alice? An Atheist? Out of all the intellectual friends you could gain, you decided to have an Atheist as a companion?"
"I know the ones that believe in religion will be angry at me for siding with him. In fact, I encouraged him to write a book with conflicting views."
"Alice.. how could you? By doing so, you will eventually be isolated."
"I know, I know.. When the day comes, I will involve myself with arts and science. Instead of being a part of those tiring social protocols."
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
"The time I'll get a break is when I follow father's footsteps."
"Please don't say that, Alice. You should try to live as long as you can."
"And I will. But I don't know why I have a feeling that out of all of our siblings, I may be the first to go."