Esme watched from the side.

  'Good job, Lily.'

  Inwardly smiling, Lily praised her precious maid and tucked into the rolled omelette seasoned with unique spices avaible only in this mansion's gardens.

  'Dearest sister is struggling, commanding Lily to care for her was the right choice.'

  While pinpointing Alora's emotions and thoughts due to the mask was difficult, understanding her communication difficulties and this odd sense of naivety was clear as day. Each time someone spoke to her, she flinched ever so slightly.

  Whenever she moved her fingers, they'd hesitate.

  Whenever she took a step, it awkwardly hovered between proper etiquette and severely cking self-confidence.

  ...

  At this point, it was harder to determine whether the real monster was Alora or her sister, Esme.

  Yes, Alora was intelligent.

  But that was entirely due to the prerequisite of being reborn.

  Esme, on the other hand, had no such advantage.

  It was straight intelligence.

  Smarts beyond the average capabilities of a 5-year-old.

  'I wonder how dearest sister will eat through that mask?'

  But it was precisely the innocence of a 5-year-old that prevented her from seeing any further.

  Curious, Esme focused her gaze on Alora's mask.

  'Lift it? Through it?'

  Curious, so, so curious.

  ...So curious she had failed to notice the abruptness of Alora's proceeding movement.

  It was quick.

  Like a vague blur.

  Nom~

  A couple of chews.

  Gulp.

  Alora's movements were too swift to capture as she ate the food.

  'Aww...'

  And Esme was left disappointed, prodding at her food with a slight pout edging on her lips.

  -----

  After an oddly long time, Esme and I finished our food simultaneously.

  Free from the curse of etiquette, the rest of the kids pounced at the opportunity to start a conversation with us...

  I stared around at the silent kids.

  Or not?

  They were staring at me.

  In an attempt to smooth over this stiff situation, the silver-haired boy, Hild... Hildesomething, whatever he was called, spoke up.

  "Ahem, you are Lady Esme's sister, correct?"

  In response, I confidently:

  "Yes..."

  ...???

  Where's the confidence?

  "It is of great honour that I welcome you to this breakfast on a lovely day such as this. I won't introduce you to our full names, as it may overwhelm you, but welcome."

  His mannerisms were stiff, sometimes switching between formal and informal manners of speech, befitting a child.

  We're the abnormal ones.

  "Thank you..."

  ...No, not we.

  "My name is Hildekar. May I know yours?"

  Me.

  "La-"

  Hildekar's eyes twitched, "La?"

  "S, sorry..."

  It's Alora.

  Not ______.

  "A, Alora."

  Biting my lips, I looked to Esme; why am I looking to her for help?

  From the child?

  The grip on my pants tightened; pathetic.

  But what did I expect?

  From me?

  From this thing?

  From this creature?

  It should never have come-

  This thing-

  Never-

  Out-

  Outitshouldhaveneverhavecomeoutneverhavecomeoutitshouldn'thave68,524,32168,643,122nevernevernever-

  "Alora?"

  Tender.

  Soft.

  And squishy.

  The fat-filled, mellow palms of my sister y on my thigh.

  "...Yes."

  "I'm okay." I smiled at her; an invisible, dim smile hidden beneath yers of masks.

  -Lies-

  It's not.

  -EyesLiesSpiesHeartsDiesgivemetheheartonthetable-

  Okay.

  Reaching for the furthest pte, the untouched pte;

  I picked up the heart.

  Here.

  I passed it to them.

  "Alora?"

  I smiled back at Esme with a fttering smile.

  "I'm okay!"

  This time, joy fluttered with my voice, revitalising the dead atmosphere within the gazebo. That's right, I brought the gazebo back to life.

  But why?

  Why is no one talking to me any longer?

  Why are all eyes ignoring me?

  My eyes twitched to the right, to the maid, Lily, as she called herself, wiping the floor beside me.

  She was cleaning thin air; it's where I passed the head.

  Looking at Esme, I found her eyes...

  Worried.

  She's worried?

  ...Oh yeah.

  I'm not talking to anyone.

  No one's talking to me.

  It's natural to be worried, right, mother?

  "Right?"

  I asked.

  ...

  Hearing the answer, I responded with relief, "Thank you."

  The hand on my thigh tightened, squeezing me to the point where the flesh began to mould itself to the shape of her chubby, cute fingers. Perhaps her hold was powerful enough to bruise the skin hidden beneath my pants.

  "A, Alo-"

  Esme bit her mouth shut.

  In turn, I looked straight into those bzing golden eyes.

  Those lovely, endearing eyes;

  At the horror within.

  ...Is there something scary around?

  ...

  ...There is?

  ...

  ...Where?

  "A, a, alora-!"

  ...

  ...Oh...

  My lips cracked beneath the mask:

  It's me.

  So that was your goal, mother, right?

  ...

  Hehe...

  ...

  I'm smart?

  ...

  ...Thank you.

  Creak-!

  The chair creaked across the gazebo's wooden floor as I pushed myself back. Distancing myself from Esme's hand, which was now left to hover hesitantly in mid-air, I stood up.

  All eyes were on me again.

  In response;

  Ignoring the children's voice.

  Ignoring their voices.

  I averted my gaze from Esme's mencholic eyes, from the pain threatening to shred my heart into pieces.

  I swivelled on my feet.

  Stepped over the location Lily had been incessantly cleaning since I passed the head along to the one who asked:

  ...And left.

  Another chair groaned from behind as I stepped through the peaceful gardens. With light shining upon me, with leaves dancing about me, and with the scent of flora and fauna flooding my nose;

  I walked away.

  But the one chasing me didn't want me to.

  Grip.

  A small hand csped the back of my shirt.

  "Alora."

  ...I took a deep breath to ease my nerves.

  "Yes, sister?"

  Behind me, Esme took a step closer; uncaring of the gap that I had intentionally pced between us, she broke through my personal space and-

  Pomf~

  Warmly, she stuffed the top of her head into my back.

  "Do you not want my company?"

  My heart skipped a beat. The head resting on my back also flinched at the very words they had uttered.

  Her voice was lower than usual, quieter than usual.

  "I do."

  But.

  "Then why?"

  Because I do.

  "If you would rather have a quiet breakfast solely for you and I, I can arrange that."

  Precisely because of that, I don't want to.

  Esme's words crackled with the faintest slivers of pain.

  I don't want you to see me like this.

  "I can't. With or without your friends, I can't." Not that I don't want to, but that I can't. Please understand, sister, because I want you to live a wonderful life:

  I can't drag you down with me.

  "..."

  Esme was silent.

  Slip.

  The fingers pulling at my shirt retracted.

  Swish...

  The head clinging to my back retreated.

  "...Sorry."

  Uttering so, I stepped forward, away from the one I wanted to be with.

  A crash of strong winds abruptly rushed through the trees, fpping my clothes and fluttering my shoulder-length golden hair in the wind.

  I'm sorry that I went along with your whims.

  I'm sorry that I gave you hope.

  My right hand csped my left elbow; I shrivelled up.

  Something foreign gripped my heart.

  I don't know why I'm like this.

  I don't know what this feeling holding my heart is;

  But I'm sorry.

  I walked off.

  Without so much as a gnce back, I ran away.

  Tap-

  I was walking.

  Tap-

  Yet I was also running.

  Tap-

  My steps grew louder.

  Tap- Tap-

  And louder.

  Tap- Tap- Tap-!

  Till.

  Grip!

  Till I realised I wasn't hearing my steps.

  A hand grabbed my shoulder and-

  Swish!

  -turned me around, forcing me to face what I had been running from.

  Her taller stature hovered before me;

  And her eyes-

  I saw no sorrow, mencholy, disappointment or anger in them.

  Merely:

  Lifting her arm, she grabbed my mask—my defence. Instinctively, my arm retaliated; it shot upwards to her hand, to push it off-

  But then I saw.

  So I didn't.

  I let her.

  Latching it off, her face drew closer, allowing her a clear view of this creature's face.

  But she couldn't see it.

  For she had closed her eyes.

  Closer and closer, till the pounding of my heart was all I could hear and feel.

  Her face filled my view, and stunned-

  Chu.

  -her lips pecked my cheek and hastily retreated; warm.

  Latching my mask back on, she reopened her eyes. Esme's face was flushed red, redder than the blood flowing through my veins.

  "D, don't think I'll let you get away that easy."

  Hopping on her feet, Esme turned away and ran like her life depended on it. A trail of wind and the aroma of flowers trickled into my nose, tickling my heart.

  And I...

  "Pfft!"

  I ughed.

  "Pfft!!! Hahahahaha!!!"

  Curling over my stomach, drawing out a ugh I hadn't felt in years, a ugh that could drown all the agony of the Curses flowing through my body:

  I ughed, ughed, and ughed some more.

  For god knows how long, kneeling over in that floral pathway, my ugh echoed endlessly along the chattering, swaying trees. I ughed my guts out to the point of dry heaving, it was a brutal, relentless fit of ughter.

  Patting my chest with a smile lingering on my lips, I slowly adjusted myself to normal.

  But I feel better.

  I might have relied on Esme-

  Actually, it's more so Esme one-sidedly pressing her ideals on me, but nonetheless...

  My mood had drastically improved.

  The quagmire of thoughts, the jumbled mess encompassing my brain all day long, has cleared up enough to relieve me momentarily.

  "Did you pn for this, mother? To improve my sanity—to maintain the perfect bance?"

  Swish~

  Ripples of chestnut-coloured hair entered my vision. It arrived from above me, behind me.

  Two arms reached from behind and overpped my body. Drawing me into a hug, mother's head leaned over and brought her ocean-blue eyes into view. She ran her slender fingers across my chin, staring deep into my soul through those frigid lenses.

  Yet, it was peaceful—drowsiness threatened to overtake me.

  Opening her lips, she softly whispered:

  "No."

  Her smile spread.

  "But isn't it curious?"

  She pyfully tapped my lips.

  "Yes, mother."

  Satisfied with my response, she stated, almost cryptically:

  "Blessings and Curses, my sweet Alora, Blessings and Curses..."

  Her breath halted as her eyes drifted elsewhere.

  "...Curious, is it not?"