From the diary of Griselda Vargas-Beilschmidt

60

The cookies were delicious. But what else can you expect from Vati's baking? Honestly, Papa is an amazing cook, but Vati's got the baking in our household. And I? I've got tiramisu. Who does that in your family?

Gabe called. Said he discovered something about the ghost Gabriel from Spamano. But he didn't tell me yet. He said he'll tell me on the meeting. Ugh! He also said he's already decided what costume he'll have. Dammit! I haven't even thought about it! Welp, time to dig through dads' closet for something interesting.

Too bad Vati found me there a few minutes later and stopped me. There were some interesting shorts with a wurst pattern on them... I.. I shall not ask about it.

"What are you looking for?" Vati asked me.

"A costume! I need a costume for the meeting! Everyone will have costumes so I need to have one too!"

He asked what I would want to be, which I didn't know, but something cool, and he said I should go to Papa with this one. I did.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm cutting some holes into a piece of old white sheet that was sacrificed to my pizza costume. We'll dye it light brown later, and then paint something more on it. Papa is rummaging through my closet to look for suitable shirt and pants to wear under it. The shirt should be reddish, kinda to brown, to symblize the sausage on it, and the pants should be also brown, like the crust. It's fun, making it. And everybody likes pizza, right?

Vati looked at us weirdly when we announced it, but didn't forbid it. I just hope it won't be too realistic and the dogs won't try to eat it ^^'

Anyway, I also continued with my top secret project Holy Roman empire. I probably won't ever get much from Papa, and Vati seems like he doesen't know, so I decided to ask the most reliable source - Uncle Prussia.

"Onkel?"

"Ja?" he said, taking a sip of his beer.

"Do you know something about the Holy Roman empire?"

He spit the beer out in surprise.

"W-what has gotten into you? Why are you asking?!" he tried to sound normal, but it was clear something was off.

I shrugged. "Because I'm making a project."

"A project? For school?"

"Ja, um, nein, not quite. It's just... Papa mentioned him and I asked Ms Hungary and now I want to know more."

He got up from the couch and kneeled to be at the same eye-level as me and grabbed my shoulders. Not forcefully, but firmly enough for me to understand he's serious right now.

"Listen, Grissy. That's long gone, and it would do no good digging out old skeletons in the closet.

Huh?

"What I mean is," he continues, knowing I didn't understand "it would bring a lot of old memories that shouldn't be brought up and it would only be painful for us all. Promise me you won't research further."

"I-"

"Promise."

"Okay," I groan. He releases me and nods. Jesus. What was that about?! Why does he not want me to know? I smell family trouble from long ago. Hm.

Joke's on him, though.

I had my fingers crossed.