"No!"
Irene’s voice was raised before she could stop herself. The softness in her expression slipped for just a second before she caught herself quickly, pressing a hand over her mouth as she hurriedly stopped herself from continuing her outburst.
But it was too late. Her voice was too loud and clear for them to ignore.
The girls beside her looked at her, and even Erika stared at her in surprise, definitely wondering what had happened for her youngest daughter to react uncharacteristically. Irene had never raised her voice. Never done it before, even when someone bullied her. Her tears would flow, and she would silently swallow any grievances she suffered.
It was this very same reason that their entire family tried so hard to protect her from any harm. They were always worried she would find herself dragged by someone with malicious intent.
"That... I was just shocked that Aisha would say that. After all, Mother already allowed me to stay in Grandmother’s room after my birthday."
Aisha, however, wasn’t fooled by her excuses. The panic that briefly flashed across Irene’s face was satisfying to see.
To be honest, she didn’t expect Irene to have such a deep attachment to that room.
Aisha, understood why, of course. After inheriting the memories stored inside this body, she knew exactly what that room represented. It was different from the dozens of other rooms inside the mansion.
The easy wing had originally belonged to their grandmother, Seraphina Novalis.
Seraphina had been one of the most celebrated guides the empire had ever produced. She was an S-rank with a purification rate of 86 percent, so that entire fleets from other planets would venture to their planet to request her service. Her skills made her indispensable and were constantly away to be deployed to the most dangerous outposts where cosmic corruption ran thickest.
Years would have gone by before she could visit home. Despite that, whenever she was home, the easy wing would be the room where she stayed. All her belongings and materials she got from traveling far away were placed inside her room.
And before she’d been called away on her most recent deployment, their grandmother had told everyone her intention of letting Aisha live there when she wasn’t around.
But Aisha Novalis disdained the room. To her, who grew up with nothing but the finest, the clutter and unidentifiable objects in her grandmother’s room were not worthy of her attention.
The Novalis family also thought they shouldn’t let her live there. After all, Aisha was nothing but a D-rank. Who knows if she ended up doing something that would end up ruining their grandmother’s things and offending the old lady?
And it was only when Irene awakened and received a high rank as a guide that they finally allowed someone to stay there. What the matriarch of the family had said before was completely forgotten. All they could think about was giving Irene everything she asked for.
Anyway, both daughters are her grandchildren. The old matriarch will surely favor the youngest who succeeded in her footsteps, right?
After Aisha’s actions, which brought only disappointment and shame to their family, they no longer even consider that room hers anymore.
Erika’s gaze flicked helplessly between her two daughters. Irene was looking at her with gentleness and affection that no other child had given her. On the other hand, Aisha stood on her side with an unnervingly calm demeanor.
Between the two, Erika softened her heart toward Irene.
However—
"Mom," Aisha called her.
Erika turned her gaze to her and heard Aisha say, "You remember your promise, right?"
"Promise...? That’s right. I did promise you’ll get to choose what room you want to stay in." Erika responded as though she had finally set her mind on fulfilling her side of the promise. She then turned to Irene, who looked shocked and crestfallen, and gently patted her head. "Irene, why don’t you stay with me in my room?"
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