Chapter Ten: Jealousy, a Small Lesson

David beamed with a broad smile. "Wonderful! You two are truly gifts from God."

With that, he took a photo and then handed over the gifts he had prepared for them.

Louis felt a bit awkward. Before regaining his memories, such praise was easier to accept, but now, after awakening to his past, being praised like this stirred a peculiar sense of shame within him, as if he wished to slip through a crack and disappear.

Yet, there was no way around it. After all, he was still a child now and had to learn to accept it. Besides, to relive childhood was actually a dream many longed for but could never grasp.

Emma, on the other hand, maintained a joyful smile throughout.

She accepted the gift box and thanked him politely.

The family began to carve the turkey and cut the cake. Though none of them truly believed in Christianity, it was Christmas after all, so they offered a few casual prayers.

Louis had always harbored a misconception about America—turkeys that looked delicious were actually far from it. Their meat was dry and tough, chewing like wood, and seasoning rarely penetrated well. Aside from their size and the amount of meat they yielded, they didn’t compare to ordinary broiler chickens at all.

Of course, trying them occasionally was still a nice change.

Louis nibbled sparingly on the turkey, focusing instead on the cake and the grilled meat, which was coated generously with cumin and chili powder. The meat was juicy and bursting with flavor, quickly becoming one of his favorite dishes.

David grinned widely, grilling as much as Louis ate, occasionally slicing off a piece of turkey, dipping it in sauce, and handing him a glass of water.

Meanwhile, he praised, "Louis has been so sensible lately—not only helping with chores but also doing well at school. This is a reward for you..."

Emma, who was quietly eating cake beside them, gradually lost her smile.

She was angry.

Her eyes fixed on her accomplice and "friend," who was now stealing her share—unforgivable!

This wasn’t the first time he had done this.

She needed to teach him a lesson.

But just then, Louis looked over and skewered a piece of turkey, placing it on Emma’s plate.

David’s face lit up with satisfaction, while Emma bit her lip and said, "Thank you."

Under the table, her left hand clenched tightly into a fist.

Louis glanced at her but paid no mind to the hostility in her eyes. She thought Louis was stealing her father’s affection, but in reality, this was just David’s sympathy for Louis—the "orphan"—and a reward for his help lately.

Had she observed more closely, she would have noticed that her cake was the only portion with fruit, and she hadn’t been given grilled meat simply because she didn’t like it.

But she wouldn’t pay attention—or rather, she did notice but refused to accept it.

Because Louis was encroaching on her father’s love, her interests were being violated!

***

Soon after, Christmas ended. Emma turned eight, and Louis was seven.

After finishing her meal, Emma returned to her room, while Louis helped wash the dishes before heading upstairs.

Upon reaching his room, Louis first checked the strands of hair wedged in the doorframe. Seeing none had fallen, he opened the door and entered.

He opened his gift—a neatly crafted, smooth peachwood short sword.

"??? He noticed?"

Earlier, Louis had inquired about peachwood and even spent his saved pocket money to buy a charm made from it from an old man in a nearby shopping district. He hadn’t expected David to remember after just one mention. Judging by the source, it seemed to have come from Chinatown.

David was truly a good man. Yes, this antisocial bone-deep girl who ultimately killed your daughter—leave it to me to set her straight!

Waving the short sword, Louis didn’t rush to sleep. He didn’t believe that Emma, once having acted maliciously, would simply endure it; she was bound to make a move.

At one a.m.,

Click.

The door creaked open slowly.

A foot stepped lightly inside.

The next moment,

Snap.

The lights flicked on.

Louis watched with interest as Emma tiptoed in, holding a music box.

“Emma, are you here to give me a gift in the middle of the night?”

Emma froze, then took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Yes, yes. On a holiday like this, I think an older sister should give her younger brother a present."

“Oh, really? I hope you’re not planning to give me a gift and then tell David I stole it,” Louis said with a smile, stepping forward to close the door.

“No, how could you think that of me? Remember, I was the one who convinced Dad to take you in. I would never do such a thing,” Emma said, though her steps quietly retreated backward.

Louis rolled his eyes, unwilling to play along further. "Emma, I’m not here to compete for Dad’s love, nor will I stay in your family forever. So there’s no need for you to harbor ill intentions toward me. Consider this a warning. Next time, I won’t be joking."

With that, Louis stepped forward and patted her shoulder.

Suddenly,

Emma’s vision blurred slightly, and faint voices echoed in her ears. The voice seemed to come from deep within her heart, carrying an undeniable authority.

She appeared to have a hallucination—her father coaxing her to sleep. Yes, I should go back to my room and sleep.

One step, two steps, three steps...

She staggered out of Louis’s room, making sure to close the door behind her.

Watching her leave, Louis glanced at the faint traces of hallucinogenic powder beneath his fingernails and nodded. It seemed he was not far from mastering his distraction technique.

***

As the sun began to rise,

At six in the morning,

Bang!

Emma suddenly sat up, staring at her room with eyes wide in terror.

In her dream, she had a nightmare—returning to the Emilia manor, trapped in a cramped room, engulfed by darkness and fear... Hands of shadow reaching out from all directions...

Soon, she calmed herself, but her expression darkened.

If—if her memories were accurate—last night she had gone to the next room but was discovered. After a brief conversation, he had warned her.

Then... she lost consciousness and inexplicably woke up in her bed, sleeping until now?

Could it have been... a witch?

The terror of being imprisoned and threatened at Emilia’s place returned with a vengeance.

Clutching the blanket, curled up on the bed, she stared blankly, her long hair tousled—looking exactly like a frightened child.

At this moment, she finally realized she had made a grave mistake: inviting into their home someone as cunning as herself, who also knew her other side... a wolf brought into the fold...

***

Morning came.

Bathed in sunlight, enjoying breakfast, Emma beamed a big smile at Louis, who returned a gentle one, fully understanding.

David, watching this scene, was pleased.

Good. Truly good!