Inside the private room of Vera and Veda’s mother, the air smelled faintly of medicine, warm water, and blood hidden beneath perfume. Snow tapped softly against the glass windows while the fireplace crackled weakly at the far side of the room.

Astraea stood with her arms crossed and one leg over the other, leaning lazily against the wall beside the bed.

"You still look this beautiful for someone close to death."

She scoffed lightly after saying it, though the worry hidden beneath her eyes didn’t escape the room.

Aroura, who sat against the pillows of her sickbed, laughed weakly before coughing into a white cloth. The maid standing beside her quickly supported her shoulder while adjusting the drip connected to her thin right arm.

"That’s too mean, Astraea. This is exactly why you can never keep a man."

Her voice came out strained and soft, but there was still warmth inside it.

Astraea narrowed her eyes immediately.

"Aurora."

She walked closer and pulled the woman’s cheeks gently like an older sister teasing a child.

"Watch your mouth."

Despite her words, she still laughed.

The room quieted for a few seconds after that.

Astraea’s eyes slowly drifted over Aroura’s body.

The pale skin, thinner cheeks and weak fingers that no longer carried proper strength.

A conflicted look appeared in Astraea’s eyes.

"If only there was an Alchemist Sage in this kingdom..."

She clicked her tongue softly.

"Your illness would’ve been cured already, but the highest healer we have is just an Alchemist General."

She exhaled slowly and looked away.

"The Flora Alchemists in this family can only keep you alive for so long, and even if we request support from the Count families that specialize in healing paths..."

She shook her head.

"The money would be insane."

Astraea’s voice lowered.

"I still don’t know why my idiot brother now refuses to spend more on your treatment. If we just force it, you could live longer."

Aurora smiled softly after hearing that.

"Astraea... if only you treated everyone else this kindly."

She raised a weak hand and touched Astraea’s cheek gently.

"You would’ve had a stable marriage."

Astraea’s eye twitched immediately.

"You really can’t stay quiet, huh?"

The two women laughed together quietly, even the maid standing beside the bed smiled faintly. Then Aurora slowly held Astraea’s hand.

"I’m fine, Astraea. I’ve already accepted death, so please stop worrying about me."

Her smile looked calm.

Too calm.

The kind of smile people made after crying for too long alone.

Then...

The door suddenly opened.

"So, this is where you were."

Elder Fredricks entered the room with his hands behind his back and his usual smile that never reached his eyes.

"Father?" Astraea frowned immediately. "What are you doing here?"

Fredricks ignored her question at first.

His gaze drifted toward Aurora slowly, and a grin spread across his old face.

"Aroura dear..."

He walked toward the bed.

"You still look stunning even with your sickness."

"Hehe... thank you, Elder."

Aurora bowed her head slightly.

The two maids in the room immediately kneeled after Fredricks entered.

"You’re this sick yet still elegant."

Fredricks sighed dramatically.

"Valentine truly doesn’t deserve you."

His eyes narrowed slightly, looking at her chest with a perverted gaze.

"And I heard the funds for your treatment will soon be reduced. Which means..."

He smiled softly.

"You’ll die soon."

The room became colder after those words, even the maid beside the bed lowered her head harder.

Fredricks slowly reached his hand toward Aroura’s shoulder.

"Let’s make a deal."

Aurora blinked once.

"Ehn?"

"If you decide to serve me behind your hus..."

Smack!

Astraea grabbed his wrist instantly before he could touch Aurora.

The pressure behind her grip made the old man’s smile disappear immediately.

"Hold it, old man."

Her voice turned cold.

The killing intent spreading from her body made even the maids flinch in fear.

"Get out."

Fredricks stared at her for a few seconds, then he slowly pulled his hand away.

Marks from Astraea’s grip remained visible on his skin.

His expression darkened for a moment before he clicked his tongue and turned around.

When he stepped outside...

He suddenly noticed someone standing beside the door.

Little Vera.

She stood there quietly with both hands behind her back. Her expression remained blank as she stared at him.

Fredricks paused, then smiled again.

"You were here when I entered, and you’re still here."

He bent slightly to match her height.

"Waiting to see your mother?"

"Yes."

Little Vera answered immediately with the same unreadable face.

"Well, your mother is currently busy with my daughter."

"I know."

Fredricks blinked once.

"Then why don’t you follow gr..."

"No."

Her answer came instantly.

Still emotionless and still flat.

Fredricks’ smile slowly faded.

"No?"

He glanced toward the room behind him, then back at Vera.

He knew clearly Astraea would kill him herself if he dared touch the child.

"Tsk..."

He clicked his tongue. "She’s almost like a robot." Then he left.

Little Vera quietly watched his back disappear down the hallway, her expression never changing.

It’s obvious what the old man is thinking.

Reading people had never been difficult for Vera, not because she had some special ability...She just simply understood people naturally.

During growing up, the family quickly noticed the difference between the twins.

Veda was bright, energetic, friendly and easy to love.

Meanwhile Vera barely spoke, barely reacted and even barely smiled.

It wasn’t because she understood emotions too well.

It was because she herself barely understood what emotions were supposed to feel like, almost as if Veda had taken all the emotions for himself while Vera was left behind as an empty shell.

A doll watching the world happen.

After several minutes passed, Astraea finally left the room.

Her personal maid opened the door for her before bowing.

Astraea looked down and saw little Vera still standing there patiently.

For a moment...

She stared quietly, then suddenly...

"Kyaaa!"

Astraea grabbed Vera and lifted her into the air happily.

"My little cutie!"

She rubbed her cheek against Vera’s soft face repeatedly before kissing her forehead.

"You waited all this time just to see your mother? You should’ve entered earlier and played with us."

She smiled brightly before placing Vera back down.

"Sadly, I have to leave now."

She bent slightly and poked Vera’s nose gently.

"I’ll see you later."

Astraea left; her maid bowed respectfully toward Vera before following behind her.

Little Vera watched them leave silently before entering the room herself.

The moment she stepped inside...

Aurora began coughing blood violently again.

The maid beside the bed quickly cleaned the blood with a white cloth while holding out medicine water.

"Young Lady Vera."

The maid bowed immediately.

"Vera?"

Aurora turned quickly.

The moment she saw Vera walking toward the bed with her small calm steps, her tired eyes softened instantly.

Vera climbed onto the bed quietly.

"Mum... how are you?"

Silence filled the room briefly.

Then...

"My child is so cute..."

Aurora covered her mouth like she wanted to cry, even the maid nodded slightly in agreement.

"I’m fine, my baby."

She rubbed Vera’s hair slowly.

She says she’s okay.

Vera thought quietly.

But her body says something different.

"Where’s your brother?"

Aurora glanced toward the door hopefully.

"He’s playing outside with his friends."

"Hmmm..." Aurora smiled weakly. "Why don’t you play with them too?"

"I don’t want to."

"Why?"

Vera stared ahead calmly.

"It’s boring."

Aurora and the maid blinked.

"Their games are boring; their jokes are boring and their faces are boring."

She sighed quietly.

"I don’t understand why Veda enjoys playing with children."

The maid and Aurora exchanged awkward looks.

Aren’t you also a child?

The thought crossed both their minds together.

"Well, it’s good to enjoy your alone time with mummy. Although, your two brothers barely want to come see their mother anymore."

Aurora pouted lightly while complaining, though the smile on her face looked weak and tired.

Again...

She’s saying that.

Little Vera stared quietly at her mother with the same unreadable expression she always carried.

To other people, her face looked empty and cold, like a child who couldn’t understand emotions.

But Vera could see it clearly.

Her mother was lying.

Not in a bad way...But in the way adults lied when they wanted to protect the people they loved.

She’s the one who doesn’t want us seeing her like this.

Vera’s eyes slowly moved toward the blood-stained cloth resting beside the medicine bowl.

The smell of iron still lingered in the room.

The coughing, the weak breathing, the trembling fingers.

Even the maid standing beside the bed looked like she was barely holding herself together.

Then Vera suddenly spoke.

"I heard you’re going to die soon."

The words came out flatly and direct, like a knife cutting through the warm atmosphere of the room.

The maid’s eyes widened instantly.

"Young Lady Vera!"

Her voice rose in shock, even Aurora herself froze slightly.

The room became quiet except for the crackling sound coming from the fireplace.

Aurora slowly looked down at Vera.

At those plain eyes staring back at her.

"Ahhh..." A weak laugh escaped her lips. "You really do look like me..."

She touched Vera’s cheek gently.

"But you took even more from your father."

She paused slightly before smiling bitterly.

"No... you’re even more straight-faced than him."

Her fingers brushed through Vera’s hair softly.

"And smarter too."

Then suddenly...

Aurora pulled Vera into a tight embrace that the movement startled even the maid.

"I’m sorry, Vera..."

Her voice cracked instantly.

"I won’t be able to watch you and your brothers grow up..."

The tears she had been suppressing finally poured out uncontrollably.

"I failed as your mother." Her body trembled more while crying. "I’m sorry..."

The tears soaked Vera’s clothes slowly.

Vera quietly looked toward the maid standing nearby.

The woman herself had already begun wiping her eyes repeatedly with her sleeve, trying hard not to cry loudly in front of her young lady and master.

The room had become filled with sadness and if it was anyone else, they would have cried, or gone into panic, but Vera simply sat there quietly within her mother’s embrace.

I still don’t understand what I’m supposed to feel.

That thought crossed her mind calmly.

She understood that her mother was sad, she clearly understood that death was painful, she also understood the fear hidden inside Aroura’s trembling voice.

Yet...

None of it properly reached her heart.

Vera didn’t move, didn’t cry, didn’t even hug her mother back.

She simply remained there while Aurora continued crying into her shoulder.

That had always been Vera’s life.

She could easily read the true emotions hidden inside people.

Whether it was Fear, Hatred, Love, Disgust or Despair.

She could see all of it clearly, but understanding how she herself was supposed to react...

Always felt impossible.

Everything around her constantly felt distant.

Boring and empty.

Sometimes she wondered if maybe she was simply lazy toward life.

But deep down...She knew that wasn’t true.

Not even close.

Then the day finally came.

The day Aurora died.

The mansion became quieter than usual that morning.

The servants moved carefully through the hallways, while her close maids cried openly.

Even the atmosphere itself felt heavy.

It was almost as if everyone had already known this would be the day she died.

The burial ceremony...The Scholar’s Bow...

Started the very same day.

Snow slowly fell from the sky while the members of the Ashenlocke family dressed in black stood around the burial grounds.

Veda cried loudly.

Bale cried even harder, he was still too young to fully understand death, but he understood enough to know their mother was gone forever.

Their cries echoed painfully through the ceremony grounds, even several servants and distant relatives wiped tears from their faces.

But...

Vera stood there quietly beside the coffin.

Still.

Straight-backed and expressionless.

She never cried.

Not even once.

The snowflakes landed softly on her dark hair and shoulders while she stared at the coffin silently.

"She can’t even cry for her own mother."

The whispers began.

"She’s heartless..."

"Are we sure that woman was truly her mother?"

Another voice whispered quietly behind the crowd.

"A monster hiding inside a child’s body."

The whispers spread slowly like poison and more of the adults stared at Vera strangely.

Some with discomfort, some with fear while some with disgust, but Vera heard every single word without reacting, because even then...

At that young age...

She already understood something terrifying about herself.

She knew she loved her mother.

She truly did.

But no matter how hard she tried...

Her body simply couldn’t express it the way normal people did.