𝐎𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐈𝐛𝐦𝐥𝐚𝐝)

Chapter 13

Luciana stare at them for a while after Phileo told them about the truth before she stands up from the couch and taking their attention.

"I'll excuse myself first since I'm not qualified to know about this." Luciana said. Leonia was about to stop her but Phileo dismissed her.

"... Lucy, meet me in my office later." Phileo said. "... Yes, Father." Luciana said before walking out from the room.

Luciana stop in front the door and looked down at the ground. "... It's true. Leonia is Father's relatives." Luciana thought as she feel sadness come over her.

"... What should I do...?" Luciana thought with her tears falling. She started to walk to her room alone with a small sniffle.

Varia of the black beast.

"Was a novel that I enjoyed reading in another world." Leonia thought.

The Lord of the North, Duke Boleoti and his eternal companion, Countess Varia Albaneu. The adopted daughter of Duke Boleoti become their child and build a happy family.

Their love story and family moments together.

"But..."

One night at the orphanage, Leonia quickly open her eyes in shock. She sit up and looked at the children who also asleep beside her in surprise.

Leonia didn't know what was happening to her. "When I was woke up, I wasn't noble or some aristocrat like in those romance fantasy novel, but a penniless orphan?!" Leonia thought in shock.

At the day when Phileo and Luciana visit her orphanage, Leonia was searching for a wood when she noticed something at the carriage.

"... The black lion?!" Leonia thought in shock when she saw the logo.

"I knew that was the world inside the story the moment I saw that door. That's why I took that first gamble." Leonia thought as she remembered the time when she stopped Phileo and Luciana.

"Working as a maid for the Duke would've been much better than rotting away in that orphanage." Leonia thought.

But...

"Leonia Boleoti. That's your new name."

"It seems that you're my niece."

"I never expected this of events."

Leonia looked at Phileo in disbelief. "N-Niece... Is that good?! I don't think this was in original story... But, more than that," Leonia thought.

"Are secret like this normally told while playing after breakfast?!"

The evening when Leonia meet Cara to ask her about her birth mother, While, Luciana go to Phileo's office like he ordered her to.

Luciana wait at the outside door with trembling hands. Manuce looked at her in worried but he can't ask her anything and just give her times.

Luciana slowly knocked the door as the familiar voice from inside told her to come in. Manuce wait for Luciana at outside while Luciana enter the room.

"... You're here." Phileo said as he put down some papers at his hands. Luciana stand in front of him and nodded at him.

"Do you know why I'm told you to meet me here?" Phileo asked her but Luciana didn't answer it right away.

"... I don't know, Father." Luciana slowly said as she continued to looked down. "... Lucy." Phileo call her name make Luciana held her head up to looked at her father in front of her.

"... I know, I adopted you because of that so called aristocrats told me to search my successor. And I did. You're the one that I'm choose." Phileo started to explain to her as Luciana already know what will come soon make she hold her breath slightly.

"But now, Leonia is here." The moment Phileo said that, Luciana feel her heart slowly break.

"Leonia has the beast fang but you don't. Leonia has Boleoti's appearances but you don't. That's why I thought that..." Phileo said staring at Luciana's eyes without any emotions like always.

"Leonia will become my successor and Duchess of Boleoti from now on."

Luciana can feel the several emotions come over her. She gripped her dress tightly and trying to control her emotions that come over her.

"... I understand." Luciana said continued looked down.

"It's finally happening. I'm not anyone special at here anymore." Luciana thought as her hands started to trembling.

She can see that it's coming but she didn't know that it will be now. The anxiety started to appeared in her body but she managed to hide it from Phileo.

"... Then, what about me?" Luciana slowly said looking at his eyes. Phileo stare down at her before looked away.

"... I don't know what to do about you yet. I'm still thinking about it." Phileo said as he cleaned the paper on his desk.

"I'll give you some time." Phileo said and dismissed her like always. Luciana bowed at him and quickly walking out of the room.

Luciana tried to breath normally because of her anxiety. Manuce noticed it from beside when she get out from Phileo's office.

"... I-I need to take a fresh air!" Luciana thought as she quickly walking to her room and leave Manuce alone. 

"My Lady!" Manuce quickly called for her. "Don't follow me!" Luciana yelled at him and looked at him with teary eyes.

Manuce froze when she yelled at him and the tears at her eyes. He only looked at Luciana from behind when she quickly walking away.

Luciana walked past the servants in hurry. She can feel their eyes over her make she fastened the pace until she arrived at her room.

Luciana quickly locked door and that's when she lost it. Luciana looked at the mirror and stare at her reflection.

Luciana stare at her light blue hair and grabbed it harshly. "... If... If my hair was black, this will never happen..." Luciana said to herself.

She let her hair go and touch her slit red eyes. "... If my eyes were black, this will never be happen... Just why...?" Luciana slowly said with her tears continued falling.

"This is all Leonia's fault... If she never appeared in front of Father, I'll still become the successor." Luciana thought in anger.

The anger slowly vanished away when Luciana remember the time Leonia played with her together. Luciana slowly slumped in front of the mirror and cried like a child.

"... Just... Why not me?"