The Silent Heir

Chapter 24

'You look prettier when you smile like that.'

"...Damn it gobs..." Lucy muttered softly as her ears slowly reddened. The realization did not hit her until now. Lucy was cleaning up the guest room as she tried to distract herself to no avail. No matter what she did, Lucy could not shake the memory from her head.

"I am not pretty. I am... an ugly freak." Lucy whispered dejectedly when Seth's words whispered inside her head once more.

'You are still beautiful in my eyes sister Lucy.'

Lucy reddened again as she stomped as quietly as she could to the ground. His words did not lie. Seth's words held no lies even if Lucy desperately wanted to. Even with the help of power, Lucy could find no lies within his words. Like sister Emma and the others, Seth was one of the few who did not look at her that way.

He looked as if he... cares for her? Seth cares for her? The slow realization made Lucy terrified once more. Emma and the others were a massive risk Lucy miraculously won. Getting attached was something Lucy longed for but was too afraid to try as often as she once did.

Her family pushed her to this point. Kier had ruined her to this point. To the point of cynicism. Yet Lucy could feel the budding hope slowly growing within her.

"Maybe this time... just maybe..." Lucy whispered as she was both terrified and hopeful.

She could feel the imminent danger rising from her chest. Her instincts were screaming to the utter foolishness in which she was about to partake. It was foolishness. Trusting someone so much you barely know for a week might as well be reckless.

Just one wrong misunderstanding could ruin everything... and yet Lucy did not seem to mind. She in fact... longed for it? Lucy was so stunned by her conflicting feelings that she failed to notice Iva bumping into her.

The clothes she carried almost escaped from her hold as she was too small to carry everything. "Ah, sorry Iva. Here let me-"

"I'm fine." Iva moved out of the way before Lucy could touch her.

"You need help,” Lucy said as she moved closer“I can-"

"I said I'm fine." Iva glared as Lucy hesitated for a while.

Iva tried to pick up the clothes that fell from her grasp but soon found herself unable to reach them as she was too small. "...Are you sure?" Lucy remarked as Iva clicked her tongue.

"Just grab what had fallen and give it to me." Lucy nodded as she picked up the clothes.

"Now give it to me." Iva said but Lucy made no move to give it to her and began walking ahead of her. "Hey! I said give it to me!" Iva complained as Lucy replied.

"Just let me help you with this one. You clearly needed it." Iva's eyes widened before it glared in hostility.

"Just like what you did to my father?" Iva spat the words out like venom as Lucy paled.

"I-I'm just trying to help..." Lucy trailed off, finding no words in her tongue.

"Like you helped me?" Lucy could offer no rebuttal as Iva's words hammered her heart. "I’ve already had enough of your help. I don’t want it." Iva muttered bitterly as Lucy was assaulted once more by guilt.

"...I'm sorry..." Lucy softly whispered as Iva turned to glare once more.

Her eyes were burning to the brim with anger and hostility as Lucy felt more and more guilt crushing her shoulder. Lucy thought she would continue to lash out, only to see the anger in her eyes die down and was replaced with melancholy and grief. Eyes watering in longing for her dead father.