Pride & Humility

IX

Beta: TaintedLetter

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For an entire week the Elric brothers stopped by every day at the greenhouse to go through Elizabeth's research. They were dedicated students, soaking up everything Elizabeth could teach them with ravenous hunger. They were quick to praise her, too, marveling at how much she had already discovered and advanced the field on her own.

Their praise made her feel warm and bubbly inside. It was a pleasant feeling.

It wasn't as nice as having Selim praise her, but far from bad.

By the end of the week they had already devoured about a quarter of Elizabeth's notes, and were raring to learn even more.

Unfortunately when they showed up at the greenhouse at the end of the week, they had glum looks on their faces.

"We're being called away to take care of a problem back in East City," Edward explained with a sigh and a headshake.

"Huh? How come?" Elizabeth asked, genuinely surprised. "Aren't you two too young to actually go out on missions for the military?"

Edward's face screwed up while Alphonse fidgeted uncomfortably. "Nope. Dog of the military and all that. You haven't been sent out?"

"Papa wants me to stay here to complete my research," Elizabeth quietly admitted. "I-I'm not allowed outside Central without permission."

"Your Papa has that much sway?" Edward asked, raising both his eyebrows. "Who is he?"

"Führer King Bradley," Elizabeth answered.

"Yeah, that'll do it," Edward deadpanned. "So you're the führer's kid, huh?"

"O-Oh, not by blood," Elizabeth said. "Papa and Mumma are fostering me until I'm sixteen. I'm the heiress to the Luxanna family, but I'm too young to legally control those assets."

"Assets?" Alphonse repeated.

Elizabeth pushed down nonexistent wrinkles in her dress. "Yes. The Luxanna family is an old, prestigious family that owns several weapons manufacturing businesses, mining towns, and part of the railway."

Both brothers seemed to be giving her a look of clear disbelief.

"You're a—you're a real heiress?" Alphonse spluttered.

She nodded. "Yes. At the moment, Mumma—Katherine Bradley—is handling all of Luxanna's affairs on my behalf."

"What's it like?" Alphonse asked.

Elizabeth didn't know how to answer that question. What was it like? Living in the Luxanna household meant absolute misery, and pain. She understood that what she had gone through was paramount to torture and extreme child abuse, but she didn't think the brothers would care to hear about such unpleasant things.

She couldn't bring herself to lie and say good things about it, either, though.

She settled on for abruptly changing the subject with a forced smile on her face. "You'll both be leaving for East, huh? Who gave the orders?"

Both boys seemed surprised at her response to their question, but wisely neither decided to question it. Edward answered, "Jackass named Mustang."

Elizabeth searched her memories before she recalled the dark-haired man who had pitied her previously. "Oh, him?"

"You met him?" Alphonse inquired.

"A couple of times," she said. "Papa describes him as someone with a lot of ambition."