A Brand New Life NaNoWriMo

Sofia's light brown eyes gazed blankly at the the two people before her; one was her father, and another was his mistress. And sitting beside her was her grandmother. The stern old woman looked exhausted, a far cry from the confident posture she always had. Eerie silence filled the living room, despite the fact that all of them have something to say to each other, save from the woman beside her father, of course.

Not that she has any place to talk anyway. She's merely a mistress who ruined other's marriage. Simply, a shameless woman.

The first one to broke the silence was her father. His eyes were pleading as he looked at both women sitting opposite him. "Mother, Sofia. Please allow me to remarry. I love her." The woman besides him nodded her head, while linking her arms with her father, her head rested on his shoulder.

Something about that scene ticked her off, but she kept her composure. Crossing her arms, she said mockingly, "Dearest father. It's a wonder why would you ask for our permission when you tend to do the opposite of what we want. If we didn't permit it, you would still continue with your plan of marrying her. am I correct?"

Then, she stood up and leaning slightly forward, her fingers forcefully tilted the red haired's chin up, so that the woman's eyes met her light brown eyes. So that she could see the dangers hidden beneath Sofia's gaze.

"She's not exactly what I would call ethereally beautiful. Hair, face and skin, those are common in this area. There's no difference from our maids I would say." Then her voice silky and malicious. "So what did she have that caused you to ruin your family, daddy?" There's no need for any answer however, as a few seconds later did she exclaimed, "Oh, wait. I think there's something charming about this mistress of yours." Her voice turned cold suddenly, causing the other woman to shiver in fear. "The ability to be shameless enough to ruin one's family. Don't you think so, everyone?"

Her eyes darted towards her father's wavered gaze and the woman's haunted eyes, then to her grandmother and the rest of the servants. Her grandmother seemed distant, her mouth formed a frown but sadness was evident on her face. The servants; the old butler who has served her family for months looked downcast, but he's the only one who keep an eyes on the key figure of the family, while the other servants merely bowed their head.

All of the servants knew to not mess with the young lady. Unlike her mother, she was cruel enough and tempting her fury would definitely lead to an early grave. The young lady was quite a handful when she was young, and she was still a handful as she grew older, until the Madam's death.

The moment the madam's cold and lifeless body lay five feet off the ground, something in Sofia Cunninghum's eyes changed. At first no one noticed it, but only a week later did everybody in the mansion were aware of the fact that the young lady changed drastically. She no longer the spoiled and unlawful Cunninghum's heiress; no, she was much more mature, more dangerous, and more cold.

Silence filled the room once more, causing Sofia to scoff. They truly are a pitiful couple. Can't handle a simple threat.

How...pathetic for a couple who was said to share true love towards each other, and would even face a fiery ocean for each other.

Lies. All lies.

She let go of the woman's chin suddenly, and called for the butler. "Bring me a towel Joshua, and a bowl of water as well as a soap. I'm afraid that my hands would be tainted after holding a filth." She shot a pointed stare towards the other woman, and proceed to sit down. It didn't take long for the butler to attend her, and a minute later did she cast a glance towards the couple. Usually, her grandmother would scold her for such an unlawful behavior, but this time, she was surprisingly quiet.

"Well, father? For these 10 minutes I only heard my voice, but I do remember asking your opinions. So, where's your previous bravado now, father? Or perhaps your bravery only come out when it's my mother you're facing?" She spoke those words slowly and clearly. "Your wife, the one that you obviously betrayed since three years ago. For a former maid."

No one could miss the absolute disgust in her voice. Neither her grandmother, nor the couple, nor the servants. Everyone with a pair of eyes and ears could see her revolting expression.

Albert Cunninghum gritted his teeth, a part of him could hardly believe such a display from his only daughter that was fed with a diamond spoon. But the reality was not that pretty. The distance in her eyes was as clear as the day. However, that's his daughter. The one who control the family is him, not her. He at least have some sort of an authority towards his daughter, so he spoke, "Behave yourself, Sofia. She'll be your stepmother soon."

The definite tone in the room shocked everyone, saved from the grandmother granddaughter duo. Octavia Cunninghum finally opened her mouth to speak, her expression was solemn. "Are you sure about this, Albert?"

She has raised this child of hers for years, so she could see the picture clearly. He would marry the woman no matter what they say. Whatever they did to stop this union was useless. Her eyes then made its way towards her granddaughter, who was clearly seething.

"I know you won't change your mind. Fine then." That statement of hers cause Sofia to turned her head towards her grandmother, disbelief was evident in her eyes. The couple on the other hand seemed to be pleased. "However, I will leave this house. You're my son, Albert, but I thought of Diana as my daughter. Living with you and act like nothing happened in this family is not something I can do."

It's enough that her final words towards her deceased granddaughter was hurtful, she won't betray Diana's memories anymore. With that, Octavia Cunninghum retreated back to her room, and closed the door.

She has made her decision.

Only by leaving this house, would she get her peace.

Years went by since she has seen those familiar gates. Was it 6 years? She can’t be sure as she was too young at that time. Her gaze wandered to the person beside her, who had long fallen asleep during their journey. Mia Cunninghum was clearly exhausted, it’s as if she’s grown a few years since Diana Cunninghum’s death. Long has gone the woman who bore an aristocratic aura no matter where she go, and frowns and disapproval that often marred her sharp face. In contrast, she seemed almost like any normal old lady, well, a stern normal old lady.

Sofia recalled the moment she was offered the chance to escape her reality, by none other than the woman beside her. It shocked her, as the grandmother that she knew usually did not approve whatever it is that she did, that Sofia has already given up trying to impress that woman, accepting the fact that she was not her grandmother’s favorite person. However, that assumption was not exactly correct, as she was saved from the moment of despair by said woman.

The sounds of glass breaking rang clearly in the bedroom. What was once considered as an elegant and chic place of slumber had now turned into a huge mess. Pieces of vases and glasses scattered on the floor, along with books, mirrors, a rather elegant looking music box, and others. None would’ve believe that the room was owned by the spoiled daughter of the Cunninghum Family, who was fed with silver spoon ever since the day she was born. And, in the center of the chaos was a black haired girl, wearing a white nightdress, fury etched on her face, and a hint of aggression can be seen on her eyes.

It was clear that she was too engrossed in her emotion that she failed, or perhaps ignore all the sensation of pain she’s suffering under considering the fact that her feet was now a bloody mess, with a small fragments of glass stuck within the skin. The wayward pieces from the vase she threw mere moments ago has prickled her feet, both of it, that it was quite abnormal that she has yet to scream in pain or cry. In fact, she did scream, but it was of fury rather than pain. A pain of the heart, clearly supresed the physical pain from her wounds.

The sound of soft knocks on the door startled the young girl, causing her to finally realised the current situation she’s in, and the chaos before her eyes. But, this is what she wants, isn’t it? Sofia walked towards the door, barely managed to stop herself from crying because of the pain she’s under, and opened it. Her signature glare was on her face, as she prepared to attack whoever that bothered her in this time of night.

She expected servants or even the old butler, but when the familiar figure of Mia Cunninghum greeted her eyes, she couldn’t hide her shock. “Grandmother?”

Her grandmother said nothing, as her eyes wandered to the bedroom, where all the chaos could clearly be seen by her sharp eyes, and the bloody stain on the white carpet brought her gaze towards her granddaughter’s feet. Sofia could see the change in her expression, the sadness in her eyes and the fact that Mia Cunninghum’s body was shaking.

“What are you doing? Sofia.” Her voice was low, as her eyes met her granddaughter’s. Before she could answer, she felt a sharp pain on her left cheek, her eyes stared blankly at the shaking hand that was currently placed on her shoulder.

“Whatever you did, it won’t change anything. Do you think that your injury would caused your father to stop his plan? No! He’ll be worried, yes, but he won’t cancel the wedding. In contrast, the mistress would be extremely delighted that you’ve fallen into this state! That she succeed in breaking both the mother and daughter to pieces!” Sofia could see tears in her grandmother’s eyes as she spoke painfully. “Do you want that?”

No. Of course she didn’t. She wanted that woman to suffer, not happy. Now that the reality has been stuffed into her face, Sofia felt empty. If she break, if she showed weakness in front of that woman, would it mean she lost? The battle? The war? Clenching her jaw, she replied, “No. I don’t want her to win. I want her to suffer in agony. I want to kill her.” There’s certainty in that voice.

Desire to destroy, to hurt, and to torture.

She wanted the woman to face the same thing her mother did moments before her death. The pain she’s feeling, because of the betrayal of the one she thought was her true love. But, whatever she did right now, would it bring her to her objective. Without batting her eyes, she knew. It wouldn’t make her suffer. It was the complete opposite of what Sofia wanted. But what should she do? She didn’t want to live in the same house as the woman, who acted like her stepmother and the madam of the family.

What was once belong to her mother. She couldn’t do it. She’ll break if she continued to stay in this place.

“Grandmother…” Her voice was pleading, tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, “Please, save me.”

She didn’t want to be here. She couldn’t be here and see all those lovey-dovey scenes of the new couple. It would broke her.

Mia Cunninghum could only sighed and told her to wait, closing the door. After a minute, she came back, with the head butler in tow. The old man’s eyes widened as she looked at the condition of the room and the young lady, as he quickly performed a first aid kit on her wounds, while carried her to the empty guest room near them. The bedroom, unfortunately, can’t be cleared in such a short time.
As she was forced to lay down, with her grandmother sitting beside her bed, and the butler currently stood by the door, a glass of milk was on the tray he’s holding - she heard her grandmother’s voice, firm and resolute. “We’ll leave this place and this country all together.”

The statement shocked the butler, while Sofia just stared blankly at the ceiling, as she spoke, “And where are we planning on going, grandmother?”

The old woman stood up from her seat as she patted her granddaughter’s cheek lightly. “Crealan Kingdom. The place where you was born in, Sofia. We’ll start a new life there.”

She turned her head towards the old butler who she knew of his loyalty. “Joshua, pack Sofia’s stuff, whatever can be salvaged. We’ll go this Saturday. Sofia’s wounds, need time to be healed.”

With that, she exited the room. Silence filled the room, now that there’s only two occupants in it. “Miss Sofia,” The butler started hesitantly. “My loyalty belong to Madam Diana, and you as well. So please, trust me. I’m not sure about the other servants but I do know of mine. My loyalty belongs to you, Madam Diana, Madam Mia. Only the three of you. And, please drink this before you sleep.” After that, he left the room as well, leaving Sofia to ponder on his words.

The sounds of hooves pulled Sofia back from her thoughts. She could hear the sounds of people conversing from inside the carriage, indicating that they have arrived at the gates. Fortunately, it didn’t take that long for the identification process, as they were originally a Crealan Kingdom citizen. Years went by since she has stepped foot in here, but unlike others who were brimming with excitement when they came home, Sofia didn’t bother to open the window to take a peek outside. Instead, she pat her grandmother’s hand lightly, and said, “Grandmother, we have arrived.”

That’s all it need for the old woman to open her eyes. Sofia saw her grandmother slightly opened the curtains of the carriage; and what greet her eyes is the crowd of people, smiling and chatting,, purchasing and selling, with variety of vegetables, fishes, and others in front of each shop. “This one is not the noble streets, right?” She remarked. It has been long, yes, but Sofia can’t remember the noble street that she used to frequent was not like this. They were more…composed, and the shops were a bit extravagant. They didn’t show their products like this, as their shops were big enough for customers to come in.

“Yes.” Her grandmother answered. “You better get used to this, Sofia.”

Sofia knew that they didn’t bring any of the servants with them to Crealan Kingdom. However, she was under the assumption that her grandmother had hired new servants, so she didn’t exactly mind, but that didn’t appear to be the case. Sofia was greeted with an absolute empty mansion, which astonishingly cleaner than she thought it would be. The lack of occupants however, did rose her brows a bit.

Mia Cunninghum on the other hand, seemed relaxed. She strode inside the mansion, as if there’s nothing wrong with the current situation, leaving only a few words to her granddaughter. “Carry the luggage, Sofia.”

“Me?” She repeated. “Carry the luggage?” Her eyes then wandered to the luggage that had been placed next to the carriage. Truthfully, it’s not that much. Sofia only has seven bags of her own, as the others were either destroyed or torn. The carriage driver who stood beside her also seemed shocked by the order. Sofia’s glare however sent him quickly on his feet, taking all four luggage in one time. It’s took a while before Sofia let out a resigned sigh, as she took two of her bags on her own.

They arrived in the evening, but it was night when Sofia confronted her grandmother about the lack of occupants in the mansion, other than the two of them. “I don’t want my peace to be disturbed.” She answered simply as she sipped her tea.

“Fine then. So who’s the one that will cook our meal from now on?” She was a bit taken aback when she was greeted with plates of dishes on the dinner table. It’s not what she was used to, but it’s not that bad.

“For tonight, and tomorrow, I’ll cook the dishes. But after that, it’ll be your responsibility.” The tone that Mia Cunninghum used was final, and it was evident that she won’t take any excuses.

Sofia could only gaped in astonishment. She shot her grandmother an incredulous look and said, “Grandmother, you do know that I never even stepped foot into the kitchen since I was born, right?”

“Well, you can start get used to it starting from tomorrow then. I can assure you that we won’t have any help for quite some time.” Then, she said in a low voice. “Even your father’s mistress can cook, and your mother as well. Why can’t you?”

The message in the words were clear. Her father’s current lover, has a skill that surpassed hers. And that’s what Sofia hates the most, and Mia Cunninghum knew it. Gritting her teeth, Sofia replied, “Fine then. I’ll cook.”

She saw her grandmother’s lips quirked up into a small smirk. “Good. I’ll look forward for it.”

Sofia resumed her meal again, as she didn’t feel like continuing her conversation. Her grandmother however, didn’t feel the same way. “By the way, do you wanted to continue your study? At Crealan Crystal Academy.”

“As Crystallites?” She questioned. Sofia had never thought of that before, as her only focus was to get away from that house, away from that woman, away from her father, and away from the painful memories.

Mia Cunninghum nodded. “Yes. I’m talking about Crystallites. Your friends, Celeste Black and Iris Robinson, will be there as well.” The names her grandmother mentioned were not unfamiliar to Sofia. No, she has known them well, as they’re what the others considered as her goons. To be specific, her close friends during her time at Petite Quartz. It’s been a long time since she has met them, so Sofia wasn’t so sure whether or not their friendship was still the same.

“I’ll…think about it.”

Crealan Crystal Academy, was known for its capabilities to produce variety of talents, ranged from scholars, knights, entrepreneur, and others. A lot of nobles sent their children to that academy, as the graduates of Crealan Crystal Academy were very famous among the citizens, and it’ll make them easier to find jobs. Commoners particularly, were doing their best to obtain the royal scholarship, as the academy fees was quite expensive for normal family. Crealan Crystal Academy, has three stages. The first one, was Petite Quartz. This stage was mandatory for all citizens, as it taught basic knowledge regarding the system of Crealan Kingdom and other subjects. While both commoners and nobles partake in this stage, there’s a hierachy that one must follow, and usually to avoid any conflicts, they were basically separated. Only top 50 could make it into A- Class, while the rest entered B- class, C- class, and D- class. Most nobles usually entered the first two classes, as they were being taught since they were little. Commoners were more tolerant about their children education, as they didn’t have a family prestige to uphold. They just wanted their children to get proper education, without forcing them too much. While Sofia herself did attend Petite Quartz when she was little, she didn’t continue her study as Middle Azurites, as she already move to another country because of her father’s business.

Attending the mandatory Petite Quartz for six years started from age 8, and Middle Azurites for three years, as well as Crystallites for another three years. As Crystallites, one did not exactly have a specific age requirements, but usually nobles would sent their children there when they were 18 years old. The higher you study, the higher your value in Crealan Kingdom. So of course people would wanted to reach Crystallites. It could increase their prestige, for either nobles or commoners, and you could work at the Crealan Castle.

Sofia too, have to admit that she did care about the prestige of being a student from Crealan Crystal Academy, as she was the heiress of Cunninghum Family, and would be the one who managed it in the future. However, if her father truly married that woman, Sofia’s future was unknown. If a heir was born, then it’s highly likely that she won’t get the wealth of the Cunninghum Family. After all, that scheming witch won’t let it, as it could ruin her plan of obtaining the whole Cunninghum wealth for herself.

Right now, she was alone. There’s no mother to support her anymore, and her future was bleak enough. That’s why it didn’t take long for her to made her decision. She won’t let herself being humiliated by someone who had done the same thing to her mother.

Who cares if she had zero friends? As long as she ignores them, no one would bother her. That’s what she believed, and that’s how she’s going to survive as Crystallites.

A part of her truly wondered whether or not her grandmother has gone senile, when she woke Sofia up in the morning and assigned her to buy groceries. She recalled being taken aback as she stared at the basket her grandmother provided, and the list on her hands.

“Grandmother, you want me to buy all this?” She repeated, her eyes widened in shock.

Her grandmother snorted in return, as she handed her what seemed to be a purse. “Yes, of course. Here’s the money. I’m sure that’ll be enough. Now, get ready, and here’s your…clothes for your shopping spree.”

Shopping spree? Were these chores also called shopping spree? Sofia truly doubted it. Her eyes then darted towards a rather common outfits that Sofia never wore. Her complaint however, were easily shut by the older woman.

“We currently didn’t have any servants to order around, unlike others. Do you really want people to know that the Cunninghum heiress were doing chores just like common people?” She could felt her grandmother’s eyes burning into her as she said the words slowly. “Personally I didn’t exactly mind, but you did care, Sofia. Am I correct?”

Tch. Her grandmother sure knew her well, despite their cold relationship in the past. There's one thing that Sofia Cunninghum cared about the most, after her family and their prestige - her pride. Sofia knew there’s only one answer that she could utter at this moment. “Yes, grandmother.”

That’s what brought her to this noisy marketplace, with her hair being styled in a bun, and her oversize hat. She truly hoped that no one would find it weird, despite the fact that she had felt few glances were sent her way. “Middle-class district, huh…” She muttered as her head kept turning left and right, watching the stores and the sellers. It didn’t took her long to remember the items on the list. But, the true problem did not lie in her memory regarding the list.

No. It’s the fact that she didn’t know what some of the items were. She was too proud to ask her grandmother to draw the pictures for her, and what was this? Catfish? Wow. Was it cat with fish tail or something?

She only ate the dishes, how was she supposed to know the ingredients to make it? She never even stepped inside the kitchen! Sofia bit her lips as she evaluate her current problems. She could just asked each store whether or not they have the items, but she didn’t want to create such a humiliating scene. Definite not.

“You know, standing like an idiot won’t solve anything.” An unfamiliar voice rang behind her. A male’s voice. Sofia truly hope that he didn’t mean her, as she was not stupid. No. She’s definitely not someone who can be called an idiot.

However, it seemed that luck wasn’t on her side this time, as she felt the list have been taken away from her, and a boy with black hair stepped next to her, reading the list that he just stole.

Did she just practically got robbed in the morning?

Sofia could only blinked as the boy uttered the name of the items one by one.
“Flour, oil, tea bags, fish, herbs?” The boy then turned towards her, his eyes were flicked with amazement and slight amusement. “This is quite simple, you know.”

“Are you blind? There’s no fish in that list!” She responded, though her voice was still composed, as she wanted to avoid any unwanted attention. She has memorize that list, and she was confident that there wasn’t any words that spelled ‘fish’. Wait. There's one -catfish. But she has yet to identify what species it was.

By the way, who is this boy? She never recall ever meeting him. From his appearance, he was around her age.

“There’s a fish in here, lady. This one, it’s a type of fish, you know.” He said, while pointing at the fifth item on the list - the catfish. Then, he showed her an unimpressed look, as he shook his head in disbelief.

Really. Right now, Sofia was tempted to punch the boy, but she figured it won’t do her any good, except to curb her rising temper. Sofia she forced a smile on her face, as she muttered, “Yes, of course. What I said is nothing more than a joke. A simple joke, surely you have heard of it, right?”

It’s a joke. She's not some idiot who didn’t even know the name of a simple fish. Of course you knew, right? If the boy sensed the murderous aura around her, he'll said yes. But unfortunately, that's not the case.

Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “Actually, you never stepped foot in this market, right? Can you even cook?”

"How insulting. What makes you think I can't cook?" She shot back. Yes, maybe she can't, but that's because she have yet to cook. It's not impossible if she suddenly managed to make a decent dish on her first try.

She was after all, a genius.

The boy however, still had that suspicious look on her face, before letting out a sigh second later. "Right... let's say I believe you. So?" He crossed his arms, and stared at her. "Do you need me to accompany you in your... errands? Before you say anything, I must say this. It's very clear that you had no idea about what to do in this market. " He pointed at her face, then at her body.

"You're the only one wearing such a suspicious huge hat in this area, and your body is stiff. It's evident that you were lost and the sight of you really screams 'Awkward' and 'Suspicious'." He said that while raising both his hand.

Sofia gritted her teeth, as she has never been treated like this before. But, she didn't have a place to cry anymore, as her grandmother would probably told her to be mature. Adding the fact that the boy only spouted true facts to her face, she decided to accept his offer.

She didn't have any other choice anyway. But....

"Fine. You'll accompany me, but with certain conditions. She put up three fingers in front of him, as she said," First, never ask for my name, as I prefer being anonymous. Second, I'll pay you, as I did not want to owe anyone. And third, never speak of this encounter with anyone."

She stressed on the third rule, as that's where it started to go wrong, in her opinion. She won't put it passed people who knew her identity to not make fun of her for 'behaving like commoners'.

The boy rose his brows, before giving her his answer." Fine then. I didn't exactly have anything to do, anyway. Although I would have done it without any pay, you seemed to not want that." He offered his hand to the girl, which make Sofia narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not going to link my arms with you." She didn't even know him, and if she did that then it would seem like a date, which was completely untrue. But surprisingly, the boy laughed.

"Who do you think I am? I'm asking for the basket you're holding. When we're done, it will be heavy. Despite how little you think of me, I am at least, chivalrous enough to not let you carry all that by yourself when you're clearly being accompanied by me."

A bit embarrassed because of her misunderstanding, she shove her basket to the boy, before walking on her own.

"Hey, wait!" Rang the male voice behind her, as she heard him running towards her. This boy, seemed amicable enough - that she has no qualms on accepting his help, although under a few rules. But what should she called him again? Boy? That fair enough, but it makes her sound older, like a sixty years old woman calling her grandson. That boy was her age, definitely need a new name.

But, this was the first and the last time they'll meet, right? There's no need for a nickname. With that thought in mind, she followed the boy who now had walked in front of her, his finger pointing at one of the store.

It turned out that her decision was correct. It didn't take long before they managed to purchase most items in the list.

They were at the last store, the 'fish store', as Sofia called it. She felt someone's stare bore into her, and begun to feel irritated.

"What?" She snapped. "Weren't you going to ask him about our purchase?" Sofia crossed her arms as she returned the stare with her own.

"This time? No. I have done most of the purchase. Your purchase. I'm going to let you handle this one." He quirked an eyebrow and asked, "After all, you're the one who'll cook this dish, right?" The challenge in his voice was clear as the day.

Damn. Sofia swallowed her sarcastic words, as the hawker looked at them worriedly. However, his smile was a bit weird.

"Fine then. I need a.... catfish?" Even she didn't know whether or not that's correct. "Is it a mix breed between fish and cat?" That question was supposed to be for her ears alone but it seemed that the boy had heard. The hawker, however did not. Thankfully.

Sofia ignored the boy who cast her disbelief gaze before facepalmed, muttering something akin to "Poor fish" and "Slanderous statement" and "Can she even cook" and walked towards the tank that was pointed by the hawker.

Her eyes widened in shock at the fishes who were swimming inside the tank, as she exclaimed, "You want me to catch it alive?"

She shot the hawker a cold glare, making sure that her silent message reached him. And considering the fact that he was sweating right now, she believed he understand her fury.

"I can prepare it for you if you want." He stammered, while the boy pulled his companion back to his side and whispered to her.

"If you're brave, then you can catch it yourself. If you're not, then the fishmonger himself would do it." He shook his head as he blocked her gaze with his hand. "There's no need for you to silently kill that man with your glare. There's not much fishmonger in this marketplace that sells fresh fishes like this, and I don't want to be seen as an associate of a murder."

Dramatic much. Sofia rolled her eyes at the boy. "Fine." Wait. She arched an eyebrow. "Fishmonger? Is that what they called? I thought gossipmonger were the only one that came with the word 'monger' ".

The boy stared at her like she was crazy, before face-palming once more. "Not this again..."

Five minutes later did they came out of that store. The boy brought Sofia to what it seemed to be a cafe. Not exactly what she was used to, but the atmosphere was quite like home. Welcoming and lively compared to the one in nobles District.

Sofia paid him quite a hefty sum of money, as the boy was so astonished that his mouth was half opened as he gaped at her.

"W-wait! This is too much. I can't accept this!"

"No. This is not much, " Sofia said, confusion was evident in her eyes.

"You're saying that this is not much?" He repeated. He looked at her with amazement, before resting his chin on his palm, his face seemed thoughtful. A few moments later, he nodded.

"Alright then. I'll accept this, but you have to accompany me to one more place. And I'll pay for our drinks."

Sofia agreed, as she didn't lose anything by giving him her permission. With that, they left the cafe, and he then brought her to the area where they sold cooked foods.

There were many foods around her, that she found herself gaped in shock. Seeing her frozen state, the boy pulled her alongside him and brought them to one of the stall, that sell skewered meat. She saw the boy ordered fifteen skewers before bringing her to the other stalls.

They ended up with a few more foods in their hands. "You're buying a bit much, don't you think?" Sofia said towards the boy who is currently eating one of the 'Kebab', as he called it.

"Well, you can say that. Though I have to say, it didn't cost me much, considering the amount of money you gave me." He turned his head towards her. "Do you need my help to carry all this?"

Sofia's eyes wandered to the basket he's holding, and a few more bags hanging around his wrist, before looking at her own hands, full of bags of food as well.

"But..." It's dangerous to bring him with her. He'll know her identity if he accompany her, but she didn't exactly have enough strength to carry her own things.

The boy however, seemed to understand her worries. "I'll close my eyes if you wanted me to. I just wanted to carry this stuff for you, considering the money you paid me was a bit much compared to my service for you.

If he closed his eyes, then the problems solved. It didn't take a minute before Sofia nodded. "Alright then."

"I have to say, I'm quite impressed. You actually managed to buy the correct items that I asked." Her grandmother stated, as she looked at the groceries before her.

"Do you underestimate me, grandmother?" She asked slyly. Inwardly, she thanked the mysterious boy that help her, as he practically save her from her 'walk of shame' in front of her grandmother.

"I never underestimate you. But your surprising performance did bewildered me a little bit." She stared at the fish that Sofia bought, and added, "You also managed to correctly asked for the fish to be cut off. I had thought you'll come back without the fish."

So she did underestimate her. Not that she's wrong of course. Sofia did received a little help from someone, even if he was an obnoxious boy. Despite her guilt, Sofia maintained her smile. "As I said, I'm a genius." Frankly, her grandmother was correct with her assumption. If she hadn't met that boy, she'll take a much longer time to finish her errand and perhaps only bought a few things.

However, her ears did suffer a long lecture from the boy, and she can't accept the fact that she can't talk to the sellers when they asked her. Compared to her overconfident state when she entered the marketplace, when facing the sellers, she found herself unable to talk. It did a bit of a damage to her pride, unfortunately. She didn't know what she was feeling.

Shy? Perhaps. She vividly recalled the scene where she embarassed herself in front of two unknown people.

"Hello, darlings. What do need today?"

For the first time, Sofia found herself speechless, as the boy continued to nudge her, and spoke, "Tell her. Why are you so quiet? "

Despite his support, Sofia still can't move her mouth to say something. She felt... awkward, and so little. Her false bravado before had gone, and it was replaced by some unknown feeling.

Thankfully, the boy help her to talk to the lady, as Sofia found herself shaking slightly.


"Well. I'm sure you can cook it by yourself?"

That, took of the smile on Sofia's face. She forgot about that.

"Of course, grandmother."

Sofia found out much later, that sometimes it's not good to be overconfident. She found out that geniuses, also have their own weakness. That thought comforted her as she strayed at the pitch black creature on the pan, that was once a beautiful fish she bought hours ago.

Now did she understand why that boy sneaked some food that they bought at hawker stall next to the basket before he left her house. He already predicted that this will happened.

Six pieces of kebab, a whole grilled fish and a loaf of bread.

Fine. She owed him this time. She'll find that boy later, after she was sure she won't be embarrassed by the fact that her previous claim of knowing how to cook, when it had been proved otherwise.

When Sofia finally made her decision, her grandmother wasted no time in handling her transfer, which amazed her.

"You're quite swift, grandmother. " Her praise was sincere, although she can't exactly say she was amused by the fact that she have to go to the academy soon. She was rather fond of her holiday.

Her grandmother snorted in return. "Of course I am. Did you actually looked down on me, child?" Sofia shook her head and picked up the admission paper, her eyes were skimming each words, which truly indicated that she'll be joining both Celeste and Iris soon.

She has yet to talk to them as she was a bit busy with her new... chores. However, if they were the same people Sofia knew years ago, then they'll surely won't be pleased. Not that Sofia could blame them.

The true reason why she hasn't visited them was because of the fact that she didn't know whether or not they'll still be friends. Yes, they have been friends for years, but she could say the same for her separation from them. It's a bit awkward to face your long time friends, who you had lost contact with because of the distance and her being busy.

'Are we close friends? Acquaintance? Or mere strangers?'

Those words always haunted her whenever she thought about them. She's not sure where they stood anymore, and the thought of them not accepting her did scared her a bit.

She wanted to say that she didn't care, but that would be a total lie. She did care. They were best friends since they were little, and Celeste and Iris always supported her even when they knew she was wrong.

It's hard to forgot about them. Especially after what she went through - her mother's death, her father's betrayal and later, his remarriage, the future stepmother and the possibility of her being thrown away.

Her grandmother was a welcome presence, but she's not exactly the companion that Sofia needed, as she was a bit cold despite the gradual changes in her personality. Sofia knew that her grandmother would felt a bit awkward about being someone who 'comfort'.

Her eyes darted towards the white uniform that had arrived during her errands. The symbol of Crystallites, a shining blue crystal proved to her that this was not a dream. She'll meet her friends a few days later, and she can't even provide an escape for herself.

It's been days since her...utter failure at cooking. Day after day, she failed to produce a simple dish and had bought the food from the hawker stalls, while pretending that she cooked it. Whether or not her grandmother believed her little lie, well...that's remain to be seen. She merely ate the dishes without saying anything, so Sofia thought she was safe for now.

If Sofia did serve that pitch black fish, that would certainly be an exception. Sofia could guarantee it, as she did taste it - her first dish, because she was under the impression that despite its horrid appearance, the taste was okay.

Well, that assumption turned out to be really wrong. Just like its exterior, the inside of the fish taste weird as well. She's afraid that even stray cat wouldn't want to eat it.

The only thing that comforted her was the fact that she had showed some sort of effort, and had been humble when asking for help.

Her pride sure has forced her to be a shameless liar. Tricking old woman like that, Sofia could only shook her head. Who would have expected Sofia Cunninghum to lie to her own grandmother, and took another's work as her own? Yes, she did feel guilty for that, but it's not like she'll lie forever, even though she was half-tempted to do so. At least she was learning from her mistake. And she did asked for help this time.

"Their second meeting, happened the very next day after that disaster. The obnoxious boy leaned back against the tree near the entrance of the marketplace, as his eyes darted into her approaching figure. He quirked his brow, as he saw her opting a different shade of red on her cheek. And of course, she wore the deepest shade of lipstick on her lips.

A very unusual makeup. Sofia knew that, but if she didn't do this, then there's a chance people would find out. Even her grandmother seemed a bit amused by her choice of style.

"You know, you can just go...normal instead of wearing that hat on your face and that make up of yours. You'll attract more attention if you did that." He squinted his eyes at her face and shook his head. "It's not good for your skin as well. You're around my age, aren't you? If this continues, people would say I'm dating a suspicious woman."

"I do not answer questions about my identity." Sofia responded monotonously.

He clicked his tongue, and then shot her a rather teasing smile, which she responded with a swift kick on the leg. Lightly of course. He was, after all, her benefactor. If he didn't sneaked some food yesterday, both she and her grandmother would go hungry, or perhaps not, as her grandmother did have enough ability to cook decent dishes. Like what she did in the morning.

"Oh, by the way, what happened yesterday? Did you managed to cook a decent dish?" He casted her a suspicious look, seemingly confident that she would fail in her attempt. Speaking of her cooking...

The image of the pitch black fish came into her mind.

Sofia shuddered at the thought. What was that pitch black creature anyway? It was not even edible! She has tried it of course, as she felt that perhaps the dish was delicious despite its...horrid appearance, but it didn't seem to be the case. Thankfully, she didn't cook all of it. Only one part as a tester, as she was a bit wary if somehow that fish turned out to be bad. The rest she has stored in the fridge.


'Don't judge a book by its cover my foot. The taste is as black as its appearance.'

Despite her... acceptance about her lack of skills in the cooking department, Sofia was not sure whether or not she wanted to admit it in front of someone else.

"It's fine." No it's not. "The appearance... may be a little lacking.." It was pitch black. "But the taste is fine." Just like a burnt ash.

Her pride and her conscience kept battling each other. But Sofia still had a smile on her face, despite her heart cursing her lies.

"Yeah... Right." The boy had a suspicious look on her face, but it seemed that he let her go. For now, at least.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you." He said suddenly, as he shot her a rather guilty expression. "I'll continue my study as Crystallites, so perhaps I won't be here as much. And I can't really help you with your groceries on certain day, though we can arrange some days for us to shop."

Oh. Crystallites? Sofia's eyes widened slightly at the revelation. "As a scholarship student?" She asked.

Surprisingly, he shook his head. "No. I pay for it. My family is quite well off, though its not as much as the other family in Crealan Kingdom."

"Oh."

Sofia bit her lips, wondering whether or not it's a good idea to tell him that she'll be at Crealan Academy as well. But...

"I see. Good luck then." That was her reply. She had faced enough in the past, its too early for her to open up her trust once more.

Their current relationship is safe. She knew that they were more than mere strangers to each other. Are they acquaintance? Friends? She have no idea. But she could say she was comfortable with this relationship, whatever that is.

A flash of white pulled her out of her thoughts. Sofia eyes then darted to the uniform that she would wear tomorrow. It was quite pretty, to say the least. Not that it's surprising, of course - Crealan Crystal Academy was the only place that Crealan citizen to gain knowledge. It's been a long time since she had steeped foot into that academy. Sofia bit her lips. Was she feeling nervous? Perhaps. But would she let it affect her? No.

She need to make sure that her aura was enough to deter any pests tomorrow. Her appearance, her knowledge, her mannerism, her expression. She need go make sure all of it will be perfect perfect - befitting of a daughter of Cunninghum Family.

She shouldn't expose any weakness.

No need for unnecessary feelings.

She need to appear formidable. Strong. Flawless.

She could feel eyes following her everywhere, even after she has sat down into an empty seat. However, she had to maintain her composure, despite the fact that she detest all the attention on her. However, she couldn't deny the irritation she's feeling right now. Fools. Did they think she was some kind of a display for them to see? She enrolled the same day as them, not in the middle of the year. So why did she become a topic of discussion among others?

Male and females, were watching her with hawk like eyes. Some even dare to whispered with the others. Despite her indifference, Sofia could listen to their conversations.

And her assumption was correct. They were talking about her.

'Who is she?'

'I've never seen her in Middle Azurites.'

'New student?'

Ah. So that's what it is. The rest of them came from Middle Azurites, while Sofia was not. She was a black sheep among them, it seemed. She didn't missed the sharp glances that were directed to her - it's evident that some had found her to be a new target. A new subject to be tormented.

Idiots.

If she was easy to deal with, then she won't have such a horrid reputation during her times at Petite Quartz. But still... she can't say she was not amused by if they somehow did attempt to try her. It's been a long time since she had her fun as well.

The chatters stopped as their teacher came in. An old man, though the glint in his eyes sure have hinted a lot of experience behind them, despite his amicable face. "Welcome, Crystallites. I'm your new Professor, you can call me Professor Schneider. I'm going to be the main Professor for A-class. If you had any questions, you may ask me. Of course, I believe that as most of you did study in this school for nine years already, I believe there's nothing that you didn't know.

When he said most, she saw his eyes wandered towards her. Even the others had move their gaze towards her. Sofia however, remained indifferent.

"Alright then. You may start with your basic introduction. From the left table, please."

She have to say, the number of people in this class had not reached her previous expectation, not that she had any experience to begin with. She could hear the rest of Crystallites speaking their name one by one. It didn't exactly took her attention, until she heard two familiar names.

"Celeste Black."

"Iris Robinson."

It took Sofia a lot of control to not turned her head and gaped like an idiot. No, it won't do her any good to do that, especially since she have gained a lot more attention than what she used to. She knew they'll be here, of course. Her grandmother had told her. But that didn't mean she was entirely prepared to face them.

The rest of the Crystallites, yes.

Her close friends, not really.

However, she couldn't deny that her heart was beating faster when it's almost her turn. And it did, the moment the person next to her finished, she stood up - a mask of aloofness marred her expression, as she spoke, "Sofia Cunninghum."

Then, silence filled the room. The hostile gazes that were directed towards her, the curious looks, the indifference- all of it changed into an expressions that could be described as shock, and she ignored all of it, focusing more on the Professor. She didn't even glance towards both Celeste and Iris.

She wondered what their reaction would be, but unnecessary curiosity could bring her doom and unwanted sadness. That was what she wanted to avoid the most.

'I truly have changed, aren't I.' She mused inwardly.

Before her mother's death, she would snapped easily, and threw some sarcastic responds towards those who dare to gaze at her. But right now, she was more than capable of ignoring them without getting angry.

It's true what they say. Maturity truly started when a person has faced enough experience on their own, not by age - but by experience. She learnt now that there's no need to react to every single thing that she dislike, but she should just ignore them all.

For maturity, she had paid quite a heavy price.

But, it did help her to get through all this.

When the bell rang, Sofia wasted no time getting out of the class, like some people who seemed to be too hungry to stay longer. But, she have different agenda, which was to avoid unwanted attention on her, and finding her own peace. A secluded place, that's what she need.

But, while she did managed to find the place suitable for her peace, she was not alone. Five girls, which she recognized as the people that gave her hostile stares throughout the class were aproaching her. Their approach however, was clearly far from what one could called friendly.

"Sofia Cunninghum." The middle one, which she assumed to be the leader, called.

"Do I know you?" She replied simply, leaning her back against the bench while crossing her arms.

Were they trying to intimidate her? Showing off their power? Wow. Fools sure are fools. Intimidation only worked when a person has a weak heart, or far too kind for their own good. Sofia however, was neither.

She could see the other girl clenching her jaw, but she then let out a mocking smirk. "I already introduced myself in the class, but it seemed that you had forgotten. Are you old enough to start forgetting? If so, you better pack your bags and went home, don't you think?"

Sofia merely snorted in amusement. "Oh no, I can assure you that my memory were still intact. However, it appeared that it didn't consider your name a waste of space for my brain. That must be the reason for me not knowing you." Her lips then quirked up into a smirk. "And, if you're implying that my appearance is akin to an old woman, perhaps you should get yourself checked. You either have a problem with your eyes, or perhaps you have a severe hallucination caused by that ego of yours."

Stab. Stab. Stab.

How she missed this hobby of hers. It somehow managed to give her the peace she need. And perhaps some kind of entertainment, as the girl's face turned different shades of red, along with her followers.

"You damn Cunninghum!" She turned towards the rest of the followers. "All of you! Hold her." She told the other girls, who proceed to approach the lone girl sitting on the bench.

"I dare you to try and touch her."

A new voice rang from behind them -leading them to stopped on their tracks. Even Sofia, who had prepared to kick the one who approached her paused in her action.

Sofia's brown eyes met two pair of eyes, one pair of black eyes and the other, blue eyes.

"Robinson. Black. I don't see there's any reason for you guys to interfere with our business. Scram, will you?" One of the followers snarled.

"Yes. We didn't even bother you. What right do you have to bother us?" Added another.

Their warning however went ignored, as both Celeste and Iris strode past them, as Sofia suddenly found herself sitting between her friends.

The first one to answer was Iris. She smiled sweetly at them, as she said, "Oh. Didn't we tell you? We already choose this place as our sanctuary. So right now, it's you who bother us." Despite her sweet and lovely demeanor, Sofia, who knew her for so long, could feel the murderous aura around her.

Surprisingly, among the three of them, Iris was the most dangerous. And the strongest. Those who dare to underestimate her would definitely fell in shock when she's done with them. Most people would choose Celeste as the one they fear the most among the three, but the other two knew despite their attitude, the only one that could surpassed them was Iris.

A girl who has a sweet and polite smile on her face all the time, also packed a few good punches for those she dislike.

While her other friend use the soft method, the other one didn't. Celeste Black on the other hand remarked snidely, "And as you can see, or perhaps you don't, having you as a part of scenery would surely ruined our appetites. Why don't you go to the place beside the gate as your meeting place? That place suit you well, don't you think?"

The place besides the gates, isn't that... the only place where they threw the trash? Sofia couldn't help but let out an amused grin at the secret meaning of it. And from the looks of it, other than the leader, all four girls standing opposite them had confused expressions on their face.

The leader on the other hand, was livid. Fury flickered in her eyes, as she gritted her teeth. After a moment, she let out a sigh and ordered her followers to go, not before giving the other three a warning.

"Better watch your back from now on. Cunninghum, Black, Robinson. After all, accidents are prone to happen in the academy, don't you think?"

With that said, she left, leaving Sofia with the friends that she avoided a few hours ago. Silence filled the three of them, an awkward silence. For Sofia, at least. Celeste and Iris on the other hand, seemed comfortable enough to eat their food. Their only interaction was when her friends handed her a drink and a food, but that was not exactly what she would say a proper communication.

No words being said. All three of them ate their food in silence. For five minutes, the atmosphere between them was truly awkward.

After Iris offered to throw away the rubbish did Celeste finally opened her mouth, breaking the suffocating silence. "Iris was definitely not pleased. That's the same for me as well. Sofia." Her brown eyes darted towards her sharply. "Why didn't you tell us?"

The accusation in her tone was clear. The sadness in her eyes was evident. It did make the other girl felt guilty. It's not exactly fair, especially when they had her back during her childhood. But before she could answer, Iris had come back from her small errand.

She stood in front of her friends, as she pat their cheeks lightly, causing both to raise their brows at the the sudden affection.

"I miss you guys." She declared.

While Sofia averted her eyes, Celeste found herself amused by the situation. "I'm with you for years already. Other than after school, since when did we ever separated?"

That remark earned her a swift glare from the blue eyed girl, which successfully shut her up. Iris then turned towards her ong-time friend that she hasn't seen for years. "Look at me properly, Sofia. You can wear your usual aloof mask, but I could see you clearly.

Light brown clashed with blue, as Sofia finally opened her mouth. "Sorry."

"For what? For ignoring us in the class? For not telling us that you're back?" Celeste replied. Iris however, stayed silent, as she gazed at her.

"I'm glad you're back. Whatever the reason is, I'm truly glad you're back." Then, she shot the other girl a smile, while wrapping her arms around her friend. "Welcome back, Sofia."

It was the first time that she felt welcomed again. The feeling of having a safe place for herself caused her to let out her first smile, since her mother's death. A real, sincere smile, free from any pain. "I'm back."

Celeste patted her back. "Welcome home." Then she patted Iris's as well. "We have a class after this. Don't start crying right now."

"As insensitive as ever, Celeste." Sofia remarked, as she saw the happiness on both of her friend's eyes, as well as the foreign feeling in her chest, which could be described as immense relief. For having her friends back, she supposed.

She felt very stupid for assuming that they didn't care about their friendship anymore. It seemed that the hardships she faced had truly turned her into a girl that didn't trust anyone. Truly, how low she has fallen. But right now, she felt like her heart was filled with happiness once more, and not pain.

They teased each other, laugh at each other, and chat.

It did make Sofia forgot the pain in her heart for a while. All those bad memories, the never ending nightmares. She did forgot about them.

In that moment, she had filled her minds with those fond memories and nostalgia of her childhood days, where her mother was alive, where her father have no one else other than them, and where her grandmother had her usual frosty eyes that glanced at her with disapproval. And when she only smiled at her blissful life.

"Miss Sofia! Madam Diana..." The maid stammered as she approached the young lady of the house. Sofia didn't appreciate being attacked like that, but the mere mention of her mother caused her to ignore it.

"What about mother? Can she finally stand up on her own?!" Sofia raised her voice, but there's no fury in it. Impatience, perhaps, but not fury. It's been two weeks since her mother had stayed in her bed, after she fainted one night. Since that day, she was paralysed and can't freely move without any help.

The maid however, didn't seem to be happy. No, she was totally petrified. "N-no, the d-doctor said that... that.."

"Speak clearly. I can't hear you." Sofia ordered, but something told her that whatever the maid wanted to say, it's not a good news. So Sofia threw her bag into the floor and rushed towards the room her mother was in.

"Mother." She called, her eyes widened as she saw her mother current state. She was... much weaker, than the last time Sofia saw her. It was as if... as if.... She didn't want to finish that sentence. If she did, then that mean she already lose all hope. Which is completely untrue. She can't lose hope now. Her mother... is the only one she has left. She turned towards the maids inside the room.

"Call the doctor. NOW!"

She took her mother's hand and placed it on her cheek, droplets of tears rolling from her eyes.

"Mother. I've called the doctor. H-he will treat you, and the pain will all go away." She whispered, as she clenched her hand tightly. She knew that her mother's condition was getting worse as days went by, but she didn't want to accept it.

Why did this happen? They were a perfect family once upon a time, so how did they turned out like this?

"S-Sofia. So-fia.," Her mother eyes soften as she gazed into her own light brown eyes.

"M-my daughter. W-where's your f-father?" She asked, her eyes were full of hope.

Sofia's blood ran cold. Her father had only visited her mother once. And it's not for over an hour. She was not sure whether the visit even last thirty minutes, and he even had the gall to bring that woman here at that time. Sofia remember her hand slapping her former maid, as she sat on the living room.

When her father found out, she got berated. Which she responded accordingly. "Why? A third wheel in my family deserved to be slapped. And.." She faced his eyes directly. "You're lucky that I still consider you as my father. If not, I can't guarantee whether or not you'll exit this house unscathed."

She snarled the words slowly, so that her father could understand her extreme displeasure towards his attitude. His wife was stuck in bed and he dare to bring in, no, to flaunt in his mistress at this mansion.

How shameless. It took a lot of self control for Sofia to not slap her father right here right now. Thats how the father daughter duo said their goodbye.

A day before Diana Cunninghum let out her last breath.

Sofia stared blankly at the cemetery, where her mother was buried. It was raining at that time, BUT Sofia didn't take cover. No, she was standing in the same place, ignoring the worried looks of her servants.

Then, her father familiar voice rang behind her. "Sofia.."

"You know father..." She interrupted. "Did you remember when I told you I still consider you as my father days ago?"

Despite her words, she didn't even bother to turn her face towards him. Light brown eyes stared blankly at the ground. "Right now, I'm not sure whether that's still the case anymore.”

Sofia’s eyes snapped open as she found herself breathing heavily, her hands shaking, her heart eating loudly. Her eyes were wandering around the room; the white wallpaper with pink flowers, a medium sized table, large cupboard, and her luggages. Sofia’s eyes widened in realization. She’s at Crealan Kingdom, far away from her father and that woman, in her old mansion, along with her grandmother.

“A nightmare again, huh?” She muttered. It was not even dawn yet, and she had been sweating. And…crying. Sofia stared at the mirror, droplet of tears on her face could be seen on her face. She could call it as a nightmare, but Sofia knew it was a fragment of her dream, from the reality. Everything happened in her dream was true, including her father’s siding with his mistress.

Even her words towards her father was true. Sofia has seen it all. Starting from the moment she and her mother found out about her father’s infidelity, and her grandmother’s stance about it, her mother’s unstable condition, the woman’s unusual confidence compared to when she was just a maid, the servants hesitance, Sofia’s own rage, it was all part of her reality. Her decision was also based on what she’s seen. In an ideal world, she wanted both, her mother and her father, to live happily ever after. But, an ideal world only exist in a dream. Real life was much more complicated.

There’s no fairy tales in real life, and even if there is, there’s an ending to that dream. And hers had come to an end the moment the revelation of her father’s infidelity occur. Her perfect life was destroyed. Her complete family was incomplete. The absolute trust within the family was broken beyond repair - father and mother, father and daughter, husband and wife, mother in law and daughter in law, and grandmother and granddaughter. All of it was broken, save for the relationship between mother and daughter. Sofia had made her choice long ago, and made her opinion clear. At that time, she had to make her own choice. Who would she keep in her heart, and who would be the target of her rage? There’s only three options lay before her.

One was her father, that had pampered her with everything since she was a child. Their relationship in the beginning was great, but they have become strained because of another woman who shamelessly destroyed their household. And her father had chose the woman instead of his family - his wife and daughter. Sofia would never forget that. She’s not even sure whether or not she could forgive her father’s mistake. A man who chose to indulge himself when his family felt into despair. If he suddenly regret it, would Sofia, the daughter could find it within herself to forgive?

Highly unlikely.

Another was her mother. She was the one Sofia truly loved from the beginning till the end, and even after her death, Sofia’s love never fade away. She was dead, because of the impact of being betrayed by the man she loved for years. In the end of her life, her gentle mother was filled with sadness, and vengeance.

The final choice, was the most strategic, yet the most cowardly. In this path, she neither chose her mother nor her father, but that choice, would be a sign of cowardice. Sofia Cunninghum never called herself as kind, but if it involved her family, she would choose with her heart. Not her pride, and her selfishness.

Sofia had made he choice, and she will live with it for the remainder of her life. Loving her mother to the point of destroying herself, and hating her father to the point of denying the relationship they had for the last 17 years of her life. The choice was not easy, but it’s the one she had to make.

After all, broken trust could never be repaired, just like how a broken mirror would still have its crack even after gluing it back together.

With Celeste and Iris by her side, Sofia felt much more comfortable becoming a Crystallite. She had consider the option of being alone, but it seemed that there’s no need for that. Her friends were here, and she found her comfort in them. Now that the entire school knew about her return, Sofia had been a target of scrutinizing glances for a week, and it still have yet to stop. Some however, were shaking as soon as she went past them. She was amused, yes, but Sofia didn’t exactly understand the reaction she’s been given.

“Am I that bad during our time at Petites?” She asked her friends once. “The last time I recall, I’m quite normal.”

The reactions of her friends were a bit over dramatic, especially Celeste. That girl had the gall to pretend she have a heart attack at her questions. Iris on the other hand, was initially shocked, but then she replaced it with a smile.

“I’m do understand your point Sofia, but even I can’t deny your reputation of being a despot during our childhood.” She answered easily.

Celeste let out a small laugh at the blue eyes girl’s response. “You’re downplaying it a bit, Iris.” She turned to her other friend, and grinned, “While the word of despot is correct, I would rather describe your time at Petite as ‘The Reign of A Tyrant’. Or ‘Petite Quartz and The Dark Age’. You’re not as kind as you described, Sofia.”

Her hand pointed at something - a nearby boy who shook in fear as they went past him. “I am confident that he didn’t shiver like that because of us, as we already past him so many times before. This is the first time he acknowledge us as some sort of a dangerous creature.”

“Dangerous sister, huh?” Iris mused before shrugging. “Well, I don’t mind. Hopefully my admirers also have that sort of thought and stay away from me.”

Sofia furrowed her brows in confusion, as Celeste frowned thoughtfully at the remark. “Oh yeah, I knew of that. Because of that so called admirers of yours, Iris, I remember being late for my appointment with my future fiancee, not that I mind of course.”

To Sofia, she said, “Don’t you know, Sofia? Our Iris was on her way of becoming future Madonna of Crealan Crystal. She had half the schools as her admirers, and every week she would bring back variety of gifts from the school.”

An amused makes its way into her face, as she continued, “While I do take half of the gifts, I’m truly uncomfortable with the amount of times we’ve been stopped because someone wanted to court her. They’re so annoying that even our kind Iris had complained about it once, despite the fact that they were her admirers. Honestly, it’s not like she would lose something.”

The blond girl could only sighed in return, while muttering, “Those gestures are nice, and I appreciate it. But, it has been so long that I couldn’t help but feeling annoyed.” Then, she smiled at her newly returned friend. “So, I hope they’re going to stop bugging me when they see I am with you.”

Sofia shot an unamused glance at her two friends, her eyes wandered on the building in front of them. She responded wryly, “So right now, you’re telling me that I’m being used as a shield? Brilliant idea, but I can’t say I appreciate being treated like a repel for bugs.” Despite her words, she smirked as her eyes caught a number of students began to fill the Cafeteria. “Well, lets find out should we? Whether or not Iris’s admirers consisted of cowards or idiots.”

When she decided to enter Crealan Crystal Academy as Crystallites, Sofia wanted to remained unnoticed, as she didn’t like to get herself involved in constant fights. However, she knew better than anyone that in this academy, power were the only thing that would help you to not be a victim of others, as you’re the one who hold the power. She has reigned as Queen at Petite Quartz, and had skipped her Middle Azurites. She had thought that she would remained nameless by others, particularly the troublesome groups, but it seemed that that’s not the case. Her name were still known, and her reputation remained even after a few years of absence.

Rule or being ruled.

It didn’t took a minute for her to decide. For someone as prideful as Sofia, in choosing between power that others fear, or silence that attract bad intention, it’s better to choose the former. Fear is a prove of power. If she had to, she’ll instill that fear once more, her previous plan remained forgotten. She had Iris and Celeste by her side, so right now, she’s not afraid, nor did she felt any hesitation.

What she wanted was to be on the top of the rank, to be a queen - a title she had left unattended for so long. She knew that there were a lot of people wanting to dethrone her crown, but she’ll never let it happen. If she need to be a manipulative woman, then so be it. Sofia was her mother’s daughter, and she knew of her beauty; unlike her friends, she was a cold beauty. There’s no innocent vibes around her unlike Iris, nor did she have a social butterfly vibe like Celeste’s, but she’s still a beauty. And that beauty of hers is merely a sizeable portion of what she truly is, intelligent, cunning, selfish, and manipulative. She didn’t have Iris’s astonishing strength, yet she knew and mastered her ability as one who makes others kneel down with her words.

For that power, she would do anything to maintained it. If she sensed her power dwindling, then it wouldn’t be a good time for those who challenge it at first place. That's why they decided to make a grand entrance at the Cafeteria today, to see whether or not the others were intimidated. As they walked inside, she could felt glances being sent her way ; confusion, fear, amusement, all of them at the same time.

It's still good, she thought.

The amusement were from those who shared the top spot in the hierarchy as well but chose to remain neutral. They have no regards to be in the top yet were far too proud to let themselves being in the bottom of the food chain. Some of them were her acquaintances, and others were those she didn't mind.

The stares were there even until the three of them has sat down, and ate their food. However, the three of them didn't mind it, opting to continue their conversation like usual, without mentioning anything about the attention they're receiving.

'They've improved their acting skills.' Sofia mused inwardly. During their times at Petites, Celeste was like her, a bit short tempered, while Iris was more of a shy girl. That's why they didn't get feared as much as her. Sofia admittedly was quite a handful girl during her childhood, and she felt a bit embarrassed by her past actions.

Only a bit.

"I truly miss this." Iris mumbled wryly, as she discreetly glance at her surroundings.

Celeste seemed amused by that declaration. "Being feared you mean? My, why would a lady such as yourself have that kind of thought?" Unlike Iris, Celeste blatantly shot her smug look towards the people who still had their gazes towards them. "But I do agree. It's quite refreshing."

Sofia snorted. "Suit yourselves." Despite her indifferent attitude, she too was amused by the turn of events, that she can't help but adding, "From what I saw, I guess you won't have any problems with your admirers, Iris." She has yet to formally meet her friend's admirers, but she was confident that at least, the numbers would cut down drastically.

Sofia had to admit, being Crystallites sure were tough compared to her time at Petite Quartz as well as her former academy equivalent to Middle Azurites. It's tiring, and the subjects were a lot more harder than she previously thought. She suppose that's why a Crystallites graduates were admired by others in the kingdom. Hopefully, she would managed to adjust herself soon, as she knew that her position as the daughter of a deceased wife would be dwindling, especially when her father had another child from his soon to be wife.

Sofia knew that her grandmother can't protect her for a long time, and Sofia refused to allow herself being protected when she's almost an adult. A frown made its way to her face as she thought about her plan for the future, and she was so engrossed in her thinking that she failed to sense someone walking in front of her until - they crashed against each other.

"Ouch." She said, rather monotonously, just as a reflex. It's not bringing her any pain anyway. However, she still raised her head to met the other person, and met a pair of amused black eyes. A male, that she identified as her fellow Crystallites because of the clothes he's wearing, along with the familiar badge on his uniform.

If Sofia didn't felt any pain, the boy she crashed against was less likely to feel it. The rather amused expression said it all. She couldn't recall ever meeting him, so Sofia already classifies him like the rest of her nameless classmates - under the 'Not A Subject Of Importance' class.

Before she could went pass him however, his voice rang besides her. "Why. If it isn't the famous Sofia Cunninghum." He stated, a mysterious glint flickered in his eyes. "Never thought I would met a lovely lady such as yourself in this humble hallway."

Sofia froze, before composing herself and gave the boy a side glance. "Good for you then," she said dismissively. "Perhaps this is our first and last encounter throughout your entire life."

With that she walked away, that she never realized the fact that the boy had murmured something after her remark.

"Doubtful."

The rather strange encounter had baffled her, yet she promptly dismissed it. She didn't exactly want to be a despot, so she could care less about those who didn't fear her. They're all mature anyway, and as long as he didn't get in her way, Sofia wouldn't bother him at all.

They had promised to go to the noble district for their outings. It was purely Celeste's idea, as she was too bored being cooped inside her house for a long time. Iris merely agreed, while Sofia was a bit curious regarding the place, as she has yet to step her foot there. Other than when she was getting her measurement for her uniform, she has never ventured too deep. So, she was rather excited for it.

For the first time after she returned, Sofia went to the marketplace alone, with no heavy make up, and oversized hat. The feeling of being herself was quite refreshing, she found. She did felt a few glances being directed at her, but it's nothing compared to before. She walked towards two familiar figures who were leaning their backs against the trees.

"I guess we ought to have given you a proper tour in this district, don't you agree Iris?" Celeste stated as she saw Sofia's approaching them.

"Yes, that's quite correct."

Sofia wanted to say that she was quite experienced without having someone to show her the way, but that would be a complete lie. Her episodes at the marketplace have prove that. So she merely kept her silence and allow her friends to pulled her towards their so called tour.

Which had ended up with five shopping bags, in each of their hands. For a moment there, Sofia had forgotten the fact that her future was still uncertain, as she blatantly asked for the bills to be put under the Cunninghum's account. But well, considering that she's technically the heiress, it's not wrong. Whatever might happen, it will be on the future. Not right now. The least she could do was using her father's money and indulging herself before he could give it to his new family.

She had heard that when one's parent married again, the fate of the children from the previous marriage were unknown. Some may be treated fairly, but others had to fight for it because of their new siblings. It's quite funny, especially when it was their right to begin with. Never had she thought that she would suffer under the same fate.

It's quite a sad ending especially when she had experienced a wonderful beginning at first. Despite the dark thoughts she had in her mind, Sofia still smile at her friends, who was still clueless about her circumstances. Yes, she has yet to tell them, not because she was afraid of their reactions, but it was Sofia herself that felt shameful to tell them. She was originally prideful after all. Even if it's her friends, she can't muster up the courage to tell them the truth. That knowledge was better to be kept by her, and only her. '

Perhaps, she could tell them at a later time. But not right now. She was afraid to acknowledge it herself.

"Do you know? My fiancee came again yesterday."

"Again? Wow. Do you have an admirer, Celeste?" Iris responded, excitement was evident in her tone, Sofia didn't blame her, as she was amazed as well. It's not like Celeste was ugly - she was rather pretty. It's just that she was quite fierce in nature, and had a sharp mouth. Someone like her, was bound to scare weak-hearted people.

Celeste frowned at the statement, and snorted. "Doubtful. I'm not sure under what intention did he harbor to visit my house almost every week, but I wouldn't say it's because of his feelings towards me. We have mutual respects perhaps, but there's no feelings in there." After a while she added, "Wait. Why am I the only one with a fiancee? You two were more suitable for this kind of romance, so why am I the first?"

She was so bewildered at that revelation, earning her a small chuckle from Sofia and Iris. The blonde girl was the first one to answer. "I don't know. My father likes to give me my freedom, as he told me that he wouldn't want me to suffer because of my marriage." That exclamation make Sofia flinched, but neither of her friends noticed it. "His concerns however was not unfounded. Have you heard of the scene last week?"

"Daisy Thorne you mean?" Celeste replied. "Yes, I've heard of her. Her fiancee was seen mingling with the girl from next class, right?"

That story, was very familiar. Sofia had gotten the front seat for that show, and she was too engrossed in watching that she failed to notice her friends were already by her side at that time. Sofia nodded. "From what I gather, she was one of the scholarship students. I don't know what her charm is, but she got a fan club with her." She gave her blonde friend a side glance. "Like someone I know."

Iris was definitely not amused by the statement, not that Sofia could blame her. Two months after becoming Crystallites, she was made aware that the girl, Alice Shamall had earned a lot of haters, especially when she made a move against their fiancee. Her exterior was like an innocent flower, from Sofia's opinion, but the fact that she held no regard towards others statuses made Sofia's suspicious. It was akin to the woman next to her father. Innocent, yet capable enough to destroy one's family.

So Shamall was dangerous, in her book. She'd rather not have any further communications with the girl, not that she had any to begin with anyway.

"What about you Sofia? Have your parents decided on your future partner?" Celeste asked.

Sofia hesitated, then straighten herself, so that she could hide the coldness in her eyes. "I have none. I'm not being told the reason for that, but I don't exactly reject it."

Ever since her mother's death, Sofia had some misgivings about marriage. She's afraid to love someone, and let her emotions overpower her being. She didn't want to be like her mother, who had love so much, yet didn't get anything for that love. She had seen her parents love towards each other in the past, and it honestly baffled her to see it changed.

'A man's love, can't be trusted.'

That's what she believe in, right after her mother was buried. Especially when she saw her father brought that mistress of his to her mother's grave. If not because of the numbness inside her heart, she would have punch the couple with her fist.

The disrespect that they've shown, disgust her. She could care less about the guilt that marred on her father's face, if he was truly guilty then he wouldn't have allowed the woman to be there in the first place. No, he shouldn't have start any relationship with that woman in the first place.

Sofia didn't even realize that the conversations between her friends had stopped, and that they were currently peering at her in curiosity. "Sofia?" Iris's voice pulled her out of her thought, as she finally realized what's happening.

"What were you thinking?" Celeste asked, a bit worried by her friend's lack of response.

"It's nothing." Sofia replied, as her brain thinking about a plausible excuse to give to her friends. "I just wondered about your fiancee, Celeste. I have yet to meet him, after all."

That, caused the said friend to frown, before she sighed in exasperation. "He's annoying. It's better for you to get away from him. But I'll tell you later if we had encounter him by chance." She added the last sentence rather grudgingly.

Iris couldn't help but responded, seeing the obvious displeased expression on her friend's face. "Why? He was rather lovely in my opinion." She turned to Sofia, and said, "Don't listen to her. That boy is a perfect gentleman to me. Before you ask, no. He's not my admirer, however..." She leaned in to Sofia's ears and whispered, "I'd say he truly enjoy teasing our darling Celeste."

With that, she gave her a wink, causing Sofia to shot an amused smirk to her other friend. " Well, if he's as lovely as Iris said, I would love to meet him."

Celeste merely rolled her eyes in return. "Doubtful."

"You seem happy today." Her grandmother said, as Sofia placed the food she bought from the restaurant on the table.

Sofia nodded. "I guess spending my days with Iris and Celeste had something to do with it."

Scratch that. Their outings had everything to do with it. She truly had fun; gossiping, shopping, laughing - the things she couldn't do at her former residence. She may have done the second one, but that's usually with her mother. She had failed to gain close friends at her former academy, but she did have a few acquaintances, and fewer friends. But they're not her close friends.

And perhaps her happiness had something to do with the fact that she wouldn't cook dinner tonight. Not that she'll tell her grandmother of course.

"That's good then."

They spent their dinner later in silence, as both of them found that having conversations during eating to be bad manners. But it seemed that tonight was a bit different. Sofia could see the resigned look on her grandmother's face, but she never mustered the courage to say anything.

But she didn't have to.

"Sofia." Her grandmother started, there's a slight pause of reluctance before she continued. "Your father had send his letter."

"Oh."

"In his letter, he said that he had married the woman."

Sofia paused, before opening her mouth. "I see."

Her voice was cold, as if the one that being mentioned wasn't her father. Her words to her father at the funeral played inside her head.

"He better not appear in front of me then." Sofia said. "After all, I wouldn't trusted myself with that woman. She may have, a few unwanted accidents in the future."

That's the final straw. For now, Sofia wouldn't share any sort of familial feelings towards the one she once called her father. Not anymore. And that woman?

She was serious when she said that. That woman better not show her face here if she wanted to be safe. Sofia would not hesitate to show her that the queen of this house was still her, and she might get physical to prove it.

Sofia was in no mood to do anything, let alone her homework. Her father had successfully ruined this day for her, and had managed to turned her smiles into frowns. Sofia was about to lay on her bed, before deciding to at least arrange her books for tomorrow. It was then that she realized the appearance of a pink letter between her books.

Her brows rose, and her interest was definitely piqued. It was enough for Sofia to abandoned her original plan to fall asleep as she opened the letter, and took out the paper inside it.

Just like the letter, the paper have a rather unique design; purple flowers and its stem on each edges, and a neat handwriting on the center. Sofia had originally thought it was some sort of a love letter - a humorous idea, really, but plausible. However, it had none of the flowery words she had expected, no. Her eyes darted towards each words, and at every words her eyes widened.

Scratch that. She would rather it be a love letter from some unknown admirer, compared to this. No, the letter was not even contained any offer of friendship in it, let alone something more than that. No, in the letter, there were four lines. Each line contained what Sofia had never expected it to be, as she knew it was supposed to be a secret only few know. The letter wrote -

'As the yellow rose entered the garden,
The petals of Gardenia had flew away one by one,
A black rose has bloomed,
And between it, is a lone Hyacynth.'

Sofia could barely focused in the class the next day. The letter has been bugging her mind, that she had failed to get a good night sleep, especially when she was adamant on getting some after her knowledge of her father's marriage. She knew that it's only a matter of time before the whole school knew about it. But still, she wanted to delay it as much as possible.

She still had time.

The letter, had been placed on her bag without her knowing. But if so, who did it? Albert Cunninghum has make sure that his infidelity to be hidden as much as possible. Other than the servants, only the family knew about it. They did know, but that didn't mean they approved of it. So the question still remained. If it was the student from this school, what was their motive? Sofia was confident that spreading the rumor would have been more beneficial for them than keeping it as a secret.

The message was quite implicit, but Diana Cunninghum was proficient in flowers and its language, and had taught Sofia about it. And that's why, even with a glance Sofia knew about the message that the sender wish to convey.

Yellow roses. Some may think it only convey the meaning of friendship, joy and happiness. A perfect flower for friendship. However, there is another meaning of yellow roses. Farewell. Separation.

If it wasn't because of the next messages, Sofia would have thought it was an offer of friendship, but black roses did not convey any positive meanings.

Gardenia, a flower who represents trust. Purity. Clarity. Innocence. Hope. Protection. All of it were good meanings, which truly represents a child. But, from the letter, it stated that the petal of the Gardenia flew away, implying that the purity, clarity, innocence, hope, and protection had fade away.

Black rose, despite Sofia loving its appearance she did know of its meanings. As far as she can tell, most of it were not what one would call a good meaning.

Hatred. Death. Despair. This were the meanings that were synonymous to the Cunninghum family's relationship. And ironically enough, in terms of romance, it implied tragic romance - suitable to describe Diana Cunninghum and Albert Cunninghum.

One had die with the knowledge of her husband's infidelity, while the other live with another, while knowing that his former wife's death had something to do with him, and hopefully, that guilt would last forever.

Sofia love the flower when she was a child as she love rare things, so it's quite laughable that the flower she adore represent her current life.

Hyacinth. A flower that was known for its beautiful appearance, known as a beautiful flower, it owned a rather intoxicating scent and came with variety of colors, and each colors conveyed different meanings.

The main symbolism of this flower would be sincerity. However, it also had different meanings. Jealousy was symbolizes by yellow Hyacinth, but its meaning was not known by many. White hyacinth would mean purity and innocence and purple hyacinth represents royalty, and also sorrow.

She may be paranoid, but Sofia knew that the sender was not under the intention of having fun when he send or sneak this letter inside her bag. Whoever it was, she knew they have the knowledge of her family's situation.

A dangerous thought, yes, but she can't simply ignore it.

She'll have to find whoever it is. She didn't know when did the person had the time to place it on her bag, except when it's time for break. She was always accompanied by Celeste and Iris, except for several occasions.

This problem, was far more complicated than she originally thought. Damn that old man! Sofia hope that she'll never see he rather again after this. He's truly shameless if he decided to visit her under the guise of being a good father, especially when his child's mother was betrayed by him.

It disgusted her, appalled her even.

She would've -

"Sofia." Celeste called beside her. Iris on the other hand, had her hands moving up and down in front of Sofia's eyes.

Sofia blinked before answering, promptly ignoring Iris's hand. "Yes?"

"The class is over." Iris had retracted her hand, and pat her on the shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." No. "Of course." Absolutely not. "There's nothing wrong."

Please help me.

The eyes of her friends were still full of concern, before Celeste stood up, pulling Sofia's hand on the way. "Well, come on then."

Their walk towards the cafeteria however, we're halted by a crowd. From the looks of it, they seem to be watching something. The expressions on their face implied that it's an interesting scene.

As they made their way through the growing crowd, Sofia's brow rose as she processed the scene in front of her.

'Ah. No wonder it attracted this kind of crowd. A good drama such as this, only hungry people would ignore it. Or perhaps those who didn't care about others business. '

In front of them, were the familiar scene of Alice Shamall and Daisy Thorne. She could see why the crowd was attracted by it.

"Them again?" Celeste mumbled.

"I'm honestly not that surprised." Iris replied.

"Me too. Considering the argument that took place last week, it's a given that it would continue this week." Sofia drawled, as she watched the confrontation that took place in front of her.

Actually she couldn't take her eyes of the scene, and that's the only thing stopping her from going to the Cafeteria. And it seem like that could applied to her friends beside her as well. Iris was displeased, but that displeasure was directed to Alice Shamall, who had two boys beside her, as if defending her from Daisy Thorne's attacks. A mere verbal attacks of course. Its not like the girl has any knife to stab the other girl with.

"You!" Daisy said. "What are you doing, going out with my fiancee?"

Wow. And outright attack. Sofia could hear Celeste chanting "Go, Daisy", "Get her, Daisy." and "Throw that innocent's mask off."

Clearly Celeste was not fond of the girl. The same thing could be said about Iris as well. While she just arrived here a few moths ago, Sofia too shared the same opinion, a it reminded her of the woman who had ruined her family.

" I- I didn't do anything. Please, I did not do anything wrong. Were just friends!" The other girl, Iris insisted. An expression of shock was on her face, and Sofia would believe it, if she was stupid. She has seen the same expression of that woman during her time as the Cunninghum's maid.

" Please forgive me, madam. " The red haired girl stammered, as Diana Cunninghum stared at her in disbelief, her eyes were flickered in cold fury.

"This is an antique vase that I value! What have you done?!"

Sofia at that time was about to descended from the stairs, but she had seen the entire scene with her eyes. And she also had saw the next scene that followed.

"I-" She continued. When the familiar voice of her father rang out from the door, Sofia saw the maid suddenly picking up the pieces of that vase, her fingers drenched with few drops of bloods. And droplets of tears falling down from her eyes. A huge change compared to her previous expression.

"What happened here?" Her father asked, as he made his way towards them. "M-master, I j-just.." The maid answered, but Sofia interrupted, "This maid had knocked off the vase that mother valued, the expensive vase that you bought for mother's birthday for your tenth anniversary, and mother was livid about it."

It's better if she answered it. If her mother did answer, then it was a rather 50-50 chance. Sofia could have imagine it but she saw the red-haired shot her a glare. "And it appeared that she was a bit lacking in terms of intellect when she chose to pick up the shards using her dainty fingers. Even I knew it would better and safer to use a broom." She stated, her face was void of emotion. After a while she added, "Mother was disappointed that your gift for her was destroyed by this maid, so it's better if you bring mother to the room."

After listening to his daughter's explanation, Albert Cunninghum lead his wife away from that scene, before telling Sofia to handle it. "I understand, father." She said.

Her eyes darted towards the maid, who halted in her attempt at picking up the shards. Sofia was truly amused. "Why did you stop?" She said. "I thought you're going to use your hand in cleaning the mess." She pointed towards the maid's hand and adding, "I'm not stopping you, but I'm not sure whether it was a smart move to do so." At this time, there were a few servants which had seen the scene, came back with their brooms. And they had seen the young lady of Cunninghum berated the newly hired maid.

"Well?" She asked when the maid had yet to continue her work. "What are you waiting for? Do you expect me to take the broom and sweep off the mess?" By now, Sofia's tone had turned dangerous, and it seemed that the people in the vicinity knew it. Some of the servants attempted to help the maid, but Sofia stopped them.

"You're not the one causing this mess. it's not your job to do this. It's hers and I would only be satisfied if she's the one who take responsibility." Her eyebrows rose at the expressionless eyes from said person. Compared to her innocent facade just now, this one was truly different. "Are you questioning me?!" Sofia said coldly, her voice rose slightly, and so did her displeasure.

It's only then did the maid continued her work, after grabbing a broom, no, snatching a broom from the other maid.

"Oh, now you've grown a brain." Sofia muttered, as she stood there until she was sure that the work has finished. She still remember the exact expression on the maid's face, and it seemed that her initial suspicion were true after all.


The familiar facade at that time, was what she's currently seeing. So yes, Sofia may not know who Daisy Thorne was, but she supported the girl. Crossing her arms, Sofia proceed to watch the ongoing drama.

"You did not do anything?!" Daisy repeated, her voice rose, and her face was getting redder. "You had interacted with Grayson intimately while making me as the bad guy!"

She pointed her hand at the girl, who was protected by the other two boys, whom Sofia suspected as her admirers, and one of them was already betrothed to another. The arguments, apparently stop when a black haired boy entered the scene.

"Grayson." Alice, called rather joyfully. Her eyes brimming with happiness as she clung to the 'Grayson.' Wow. No wonder Daisy Thorne was livid. Sofia too, would not be amused if her fiancee interacted with others this way.

"Don't worry. I'm here." Grayson comforted, not his fiancee, but the girl - Alice Shamall. Sofia clicked her tongue as she saw the gentleness in the eyes of that boy. She could even heard Celeste's disgusted sound and Iris's clicking her tongue in disapproval.

Nobody, would want their fiancee to interact with others like this. This was not a simple paranoia that was caused by overwhelming jealousy, but this was what they called, 'infidelity in open air.' Some of the boys watching actually gave the couple a sympathetic gaze while the rest of the girls were frowning.

Ah. This one- Alice Shamall was a common enemy then.

"You..." Daisy gritted her teeth watching the rather affectionate exchange between the two.

"Stop it." Iris's voice rang out, which surprised not just Sofia, but Celeste as well. The two of them watched as their friend walked to the center of the crowd, her eyes gazing at the couple. "You both are of age, you're no longer a child. And as someone who managed to enter as Crystallites, you ought to know that whatever you're doing was not proper, especially one which already have a fiancee." As she said that, her eyes were glancing at the boy in question.

"She had become braver." Sofia mused, her voice however was still low, that only Celeste who was standing beside her could hear.

"Yes. A far cry from the shy girl we knew at Petites, don't you think?" Celeste answered. "Somehow, I'm proud at her change."

"Me as well."

The voice Iris used was still soft, and the same could be said about the words she used as well. However, it seemed that the boy was not amused. "This is none of your business, Robinson." He stated, causing Celeste to glower. Funnily enough, some boys, whom Sofia suspected to be Iris's admirers, seemed to frown at his apparent dismissal at their object of affection's words.

From the corner of her eyes, Sofia could see Iris's hand shook a little. It caused her to take a step forward, before pausing, opting to watch what her friend was capable of. She could barely restrain Celeste's movement, by whispering, "Let's trust her."

The girl beside him, Alice Shamall nodded. "Yes, this was merely a misunderstanding. We didn't do anything wrong." As she saying that, her hand gripped the boy's palm tightly, very contrary to her exclamation just now. The fiancee of the boy, was about to respond, but Iris stopped her. Right now, Iris had opted a rather cold expression.

"I think that's your favorite expression." Celeste remarked beside her.

"Shut up," was her only reply.

"Oh, really. It's not my business - that statement may be correct." Iris responded, her eyes still void of any expression. "However, it's you who chose who hang your dirty laundry for us to watch. If you wanted to keep it a secret, then shouldn't you avoid making your infidelity so public? It truly disgusted me, appalled me even. Or do you think that doing such a thing won't warrant you disapproval from the rest of the Crystallites, who shared the same space as you?"

"You!" The boy gritted. He was about to strode towards her when Celeste's voice rang out after the silence.

"Do that, and I can assure you won't be using that hand of yours for a while." A not so hidden threat. A proof that Celeste was on the end of her patience. Not that Sofia could keep her calm as well, despite her indifferent expression. Iris may be strong, but she's weak-hearted. Fragile even.

The one that they protected, despite the fact that she owned a strength that could beat both Celeste and Sofia. Celeste's words however, was more than enough to divert the crowd's attention to the two of them. Iris's eyes widened as well, as she watched their expression. Sofia casted the couple her coldest glare, as she said, "I could assure you that her threat can be delivered. I may or may not help her of course."

If Iris wanted to play hero, then they were more than capable to act as a sidekick. After all, they always have each other's back, no matter what the situation is.

Fortunately, it was enough for the boy to paused his step, and there's a hint of fear in his eyes. Then, he, together with his partner, made their way out of the crowd, and Sofia pulled her two friends from it as well, as they continued their way to the cafeteria, not before Daisy Thorne stammered a "Thank you" towards Iris.

Iris shot her a kind smile before following her friends.

"I have to say." Sofia started, when there's no one else in their vicinity. "I'm rather proud of you."

"Thank you, Sofia. Me too, I'm proud of myself."

Crealan Crystal Academy Library, or known as Equinox Athenaeum was a subject of fascination among the scholars of Crealan Kingdom, as well as those from outside the Kingdom. Its akin to a heavenly gateway for those who loves reading, and a source of thousand years of knowledge. The building itself was quite old, but with constant repair and inspection, it's as sturdy as ever. For people of Crealan Kingdom, who valued their knowledge, it's a sign of prosperity.

Equinox Athenaeum had 7 floors, and only the Crystallites could enter all seven floors, as long as they show their badge as a proof of identification. For others, those who reached petites, a mandatory for all citizens could only reach level 2, while those who had middle azurite could reach until level 5. Just like the level, the higher floor the books were placed the more valuable they were.

"Your grip is too strong, Iris." Sofia said to her friend, who currently holding both her and Celeste's arm in a death grip. Despite the pain she's feeling, her expression was still calm.

The other girl who faced the same situation didn't have the same calmness as Sofia, in fact it was evident Celeste was wincing in pain. "If you continued this, we might broke our hands, leaving you in charge of our assignments, and you alone will finish it."

Iris frowned at her friend, before letting them go - causing Celeste and Sofia, to sigh in relief.

"You can't blame me. It's our first time entering beyond level 5 of Crealan Library, or Equinox Athenaeum, which were famous for its old books." She stated, as her eyes brimming with excitement.

Sofia handed the woman at the counter her badge, before turning towards her friends. "I'm glad you're excited for our assignment, but did you forget that we have three empty slots for our group?"

For this month, they were given an assignment, and each group must have six people. It's just a few hours ago since the class ended, and they have yet to find their team members. Apparently, they could have people from different classes as their group members, and because of Sofia and Celeste, none wanted to team up with them. Well, they have yet to ask, but when her eyes met the others, they lowered their heads. Sofia was not dumb enough to not take it as a rejection.

"Do we look like monsters or something? Even in Petites we never took their pocket money, so why're they so afraid of us?" Celeste wondered thoughtfully, rather than hurt, she seemed confused.

" Beats me," was Sofia's only reply. She could care less whether they have enough members or not. As long as they finished their work, she didn't mind anything else. There's no difference in numbers, all three of them were capable enough to handle it.

"It's fine isn't it?" Iris mused. "Just the three of us, together once more."

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Iris. You know, when you said that, I'm tempted to cancel my engagement with the Badeaux and live with you guys." Celeste replied, amused with her suggestion. She didn't seem to mind the idea as she proceed to watch the beautiful interior as well. "I have to say, Equinox Athenaeum sure was fascinating."

Sofia rose her brows at the apparent dismissal of her friend's fiancee, while Iris seem rather resigned by her friend's attitude. "Etienne Badeaux is a rather nice and lovely boy, Celeste." She said, but only her words were reproachful, and her attitude was not.

"I wanted to meet him." Sofia declared playfully. While she did wanted to meet Celeste's hated amour, her main intention was to rile her friend up, simply because it's quite entertaining to do so. They fortunately found an empty table as soon as they reached the desired floor, as she started their discussion.

"This one was supposed to be a field study, isn't it?"

"Yes, that is correct. however, it's regarding some sort of history. History of what, is what we need to decide." Sofia answered, as she flipped the pages of the rather thick book she randomly picked up.

"History was not that interesting for me, at least." Celeste declared, earning her a glare from her friends. She quickly backtracked at the obvious displeasure she's receiving. "I mean, to me. It's fascinating when you have enough interest for it of course."

"Sure." Iris replied slowly, shaking her head at her long-time friend. Sofia merely snorted, as she continued with her research, trying to find a suitable title for their project.

"Despite your obvious displeasure about the idea of having new members for our group, it's inevitable. We should find new members for our group." Her eyes flickered at Sofia and Celeste, as she furrowed her brows. I'd say that my admirers are out, because they've already finished with their recruits. Which leaves..." Her eyes glanced at Celeste. "Your fiancee, Celeste. Do you think he had a group already? Would he be willing to team up with us?"

The girl snorted. "Doubtful. "

"Well, I would say it's not a bad idea to try asking, don't you think so, Sofia?" She turned towards the other girl.

"Celeste should be able to do it." Sofia answered. "I'll find one as well." Her declaration however were met with dubious look from both her friends.

"And how would you do that?" Celeste asked. Even Iris looked curious.

"By asking them nicely of course," was her only reply. The devious light in her eyes however, was impossible to miss. Celeste paused before nodding slowly. "I see. So you're threatening them, huh?"

Iris looked thoughtful. "I would not approve it usually. But well, do your best. Use violence if you must."

"Sure."

Sofia did not intent on having just anyone entering their group. She knew the fact that she shouldn't be choosy, as they're practically the unwanted group, no, the most unwanted group. But she had set her eyes on someone.

Today, she had wore her usual get up to the marketplace - meaning that she's now wearing a humongous hat, but rather than wearing a thick makeup, as she was aware of the consequences of prolonged use of it, she hide her face using a satin cloth, around her hat. It was more than enough to do the job. She strode towards the usual meeting place, between her and that obnoxious boy, as she waited.

They have not agreed on the time, so she's basically have no idea whether he would come or not, but she rather took the chance. It's a 50-50 chance anyway. But it seemed her assumption was correct, as she glanced at the approaching male, who rose his brow as she processed her new appearance.

"This was much better," he started slowly. "But it seemed you're a highly suspicious woman." He glanced at her new look, before shaking his head. "Well, it's good that I'm actually here, don't you think? The very least we could do is acting like we have some kind of a secret rendezvous."

Sofia scoffed, but she can't deny anything. His exclamation was not unfounded, as Sofia herself would assume bad things about a woman who cover her face, and would nodded in understanding when she saw a male with that woman.

So, yes. Merely scoffing to express her displeasure would be enough as the answer. He accompanied her to buy the food for dinner, and a bit of shopping. Despite the fact that the marketplace can't be compared to the lavishness of the nobles district, it still owned a few shops that were fascinating enough for Sofia to take a look. And Sofia had noticed herself being followed, but she 'd rather assume it as an intent to make sure she was dangerous or not, so she dismissed it. Or she had been distracted with other things to dawdle on it much further.

Perhaps she had bought a bit much, as that boy watched her and her bags in morbid fascination. He paused, before saying, "That's quite a bit much for you to carry it all alone, don't you think?"

Meeting with her silence, he added, "And that must mean I would need to sneak into your house and help you with it right?"

Only then did Sofia opened her mouth. "That is correct."

Plan 1. Luring the enemy away from the crowd. Succeed.

He merely sighed in resignation, before saying, "Alright then. Lead the way, mysterious lady."

Plan 2. Bring the enemy towards one's place of comfort. Succeed.

The unsuspecting boy placed the bag on the counter, and turned towards her. "I guess we're done here, huh? Well, goodbye then."

Plan 3.

"Hey." Sofia began. Her eyes bore into that boy's behind the disguise she's wearing. "Do you already have a team for the Crystallites field study?" Her question was met with a confused glance, but nevertheless, he still answered.

"Not yet. Why?"

Threaten/ ordering/ convince him to do your bidding.

"Are you willing to team up with my group?" Sofia said as she took off her hat, smirking at that boy's widening eyes.

"Y-you!" He gaped in disbelief.

Sofia walked towards him, every steps she took exudes the confidence she had, as she said, "My name is Sofia Cunninghum, but judging from your expression, you had already known about me. So?" She tilted her head. "Are - you - willing - to - team - up - with -me?"

The boy went silent for a while, as he seem to wonder his options. "Despite the fact that you're using such nice words to ask me," he gazed at her rather unusual sweet smile. "This is a threat isn't it?"

"Yes." She answered easily, as if he's merely asking her about the weather.

"I guess. It's not like I have form a group anyway." His eyes met hers. "Damien Alderich."

Alderich. Sofia can't say she recall that name, but it sure seemed familiar. Shockingly, he shot her a wide grin. "I was wondering about your identity for so long, but I guess it's not weird for you to hide it. It would be a shock if someone found Sofia Cunninghum wandering in the marketplace, looking for groceries."

Sofia snorted. "Thank you for your understanding."

"With the catfish being a breed of a fish and a cat, " he stated, his eyes were glistening in mischief at Sofia's stiffened expression, as he continued, "And the question of whether the term fishmonger is even exist..."

"Stop." Sofia said as she raised her hand to cover his mouth, but he evaded her easily. "Come here, Alderich."

"Oh no, the great Sofia Cunninghum had such innocent questions. ." He rambled on as he avoided her attempts. "The other student body must be so shocked."

"Shut up!"

Succeed. With a little of embarrassment, especially when her grandmother had caught them in a rather scandalous scene. But it's fine, as she invited him for a tea, and listeninga s the boy unravel her secret, especially about the fish they bought at the hawker stall.

For the first time in a while, Sofia had hung her head in shame as she sensed glare coming her way during the tea.

That night, Sofia had found the letter once more. Without hesitation, she ripped the letter and took out the paper inside it.

As she expected, the contain of the letter was a poem. A different one of course. This time however, it did make Sofia smile.

In the midst of rain and storm,
Where most flowers had died and fall,
A purple tulip had leaned onto a sturdy Iris,
And when the spring comes, a Daffodil has bloomed.

"I found one member." She declared towards her friends. She pay a heavy price for that, however, but still, she found one.

"Good." Iris nodded, as she turned towards her other friend. "And you, Celeste?"

"He agreed. After bugging me for almost an hour, but yes, he'll join. " Celeste said begrudgingly. She looked like she had a rough day, which make Sofia more curious about her friend's fiancee.

"Good then." Iris smiled. "I've found one as well, which I'm sure you've already know. her name, at least. "

"Oh." Sofia rose her brows. "And who might this person be?"

"Daisy Thorne," was the answer she got.

That took Celeste 's interest. "Curious. But at least she's alright. Well, our group had finish with its recruitment process, so I guess we should arrange a proper time for our extra research, don't you think?"

"Well, yes."

Two days later, did they have their first ever meeting as a complete group. Celeste and Iris were curious about her victim, while Sofia was curious about Celeste's partner. However, they did greet Daisy Thorne as warmly as they can. Iris perhaps could be called warm, but Celeste and Sofia on the other hand, was rather stoic. Awkward.

But Daisy Thorne didn't seem to mind, fortunately. The two males of the group would be arriving much later, one was because her grandmother came by, while the other was a bit busy with the Professor's given assignment. But he'll come.

The former was Damien Alderich, Sofia's newfound market partner, while the latter was Celeste's amour, Etienne Badeaux.

The first one to appear was Celeste's fiancee. She could recognize him as her fiancee, not because of his face, she was merely watching Celeste's frown getting bigger until he stopped in front of them. however, Sofia did know of this guy. She had met him once when she crashed into him, and she remember because of the fact that he's not afraid of her.

" Fancy seeing you here. " Crossing her arms, Sofia greeted, while Iris waved and Celeste merely scoffed in greeting. Daisy Thorne was the one with manners, as she greeted him rather formally. The boy gave each girls his signature greeting.

"Hello, dear. It's a pleasure to have you finally inviting me to your group. A good idea to strengthen our relationship don't you agree?"

To Iris he said, "It's an honor to gaze at your face once more, Lady Iris."

To Daisy Thorne he replied, "I'm not sure whether I have seen you around, milady. But I suppose I ought to introduce myself properly, don't you think? My name is Etienne Badeaux, Cleste Black's one and only fiancee. A pleasure to meet a lovely lady such as yourself."

And to Sofia he greeted, "I have yet to formally meet you as well milady. I suppose a short encounter at the hallway didn't give me enough chance to admire your beauty. Please, do call me Etienne. And I hope to call you Lady Sofia if you give your permission as well." And he winked at her. Sofia merely casted the boy a cold glare, indicating that she was not very pleased with his action, but still, she returned his greeting.

"Sofia Cunninghum. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Etienne Badeaux."

Meeting Celeste's fiancee, Sofia had only one conclusion.

Celeste Black's mysterious fiancee, was a dangerous, privolous creature. She could already imagine the chaos of having this group in the future.