The Lady Of The Future - Chapter 6

*knock knock knock*

Alfina who was in the middle of eating a toasted bread, heard it, didn’t even think for a second, stood up unhurriedly and walk to see who’s outside.

*enngk*

Upon opening the door, a handsome man was seen. Due to the sunlight, it was hard for Alfina’s eyes to adapt and recognize immediately who the person was as she had been to 5-year seclusion. She just knew that the person was good looking from his clothes to his body build and his cherry lips.

“Who?” Alfina asked while blinking her eyes to adapt.

“…” Since the other party remained silent, Alfina had no choice but to forcibly recognize the person.

Looking at it carefully, she seemed to know this person. Ah! It’s second brother, Louis.

“Second Prince!” Alfina unconsciously uttered the moment she recognized him.

“I’m just Second Prince to you now huh Alfina?” dead-monotone, Louis replied.

Alfina immediately recognized her mistake, “Ah, second brother.”

After staring for a bit, Louis couldn’t help but ask, “Can I come in?”

Alfina didn’t say anything but make way for him. Unnaturally, Alfina let him enter and clumsily get another plate and toast and drinks for Louis. While she busily did that, Louis observed Alfina’s little world. The place was lit enough but it was obvious that there were no signs of going outside. In conclusion, Alfina never left outside her mansion. Though there were signs of regular cleaning, still, there wasn’t any sign of stepping out to the world.

This made Louis glared dangerously, “You never left your mansion?”

Unconsciously, Alfina jumped out in fright and slowly answered, “…yes…”

“Not even once after 5 years?” Louis’s tone was gravely low.

“Ha-hai…” After she nervously put down the food in the table, Alfina tried to awkwardly change the topic, “You’re awfully mature now ah second brother.” Alfina started. Then she noticed his weapon belt, “Wow in just 5 years you’re already a knight!” Though she already learned how to adapt to the world by changing the tone of her voice, she still cannot feel anything.

“Is this what your freedom was for? Live in seclusion? You could do that in your mansion back in the palace. Why are you bringing that habit even in this ‘freedom’ house?!” Louis angrily reprimanded.

Alfina stopped mid-action and looked back at Louis. Though Alfina thought earlier that Louis matured but seeing this immature act again, she couldn’t help but reply using her rational understanding. “Though I cannot feel why this situation angers you, I think there’s a need for an explanation for me.” She started.

“Good. Explain.” While his arms were crossed, he watched Alfina took her seat.

“You should probably know-”

“I don’t know anything. You never let me understand a thing. If not for mother explaining your monstrosity, I won’t; probably in my whole life, know that you’re suffering to an inborn disease.” He interjected and scolded her.

‘What’s up with this brat ah? Didn’t he learn a thing or two on etiquette? He was even a knight at that. I should try to learn how to comfort my older brother next time. Having a brother like this is a headache for sure.’

(Elvin: If you know then you should just teach him yourself!)

Alfina’s action suddenly became that of Royal Etiquette. Louis couldn’t help but felt the momentum of Alfina. During this time, he was thinking, ‘How could this person suffer from unfeeling? Look at her and how overbearing her presence was! It’s totally bullish!’

Turning the atmosphere into something serious, Alfina slowly made her stance, “I would like to make Second Prince Louis understand that the moment I was born with this disease I had been empty. The moment I got questions on my head I seek an answer. But most of the questions are unanswered. Though I just learned that it was a piece of common knowledge, I was prohibited to know such simple things. I know that I am different from everybody. I understand that. Those questions are the only reason I’m still alive. Without any second thought, I was declined, denied by Royal Mother. I did everything in my life. I’m just bringing my life back to its steady pace. It’s not selfish, it’s for the sake of surviving.”

For some reason, Louis felt like he wasn’t talking to Alfina. Each word she said was like someone already said those before and she was just re-enacting it. It felt the same as when talking to AI robots. They know what to say because someone said it before, and they recorded it in their data archives. This answer being spoken by his beautiful little sister was painful to him.

For the first time, he felt like crying. Even anger was deprived of his little sister. He felt bad that she was deprived of her access to this information, but this was the only way they could make her stay, even for a little bit more years.

“Do you meant what you said?” Louis closed his eyes in order to feel her voice instead of looking at his poker-faced little sister that speaking like that of a puppet.

Alfina learned how bitter smile works and so she did, “I cannot feel anything. But at least I could understand what it means. That’s why I’m saying it.”

Silence overcame the atmosphere. Louis felt conflicted as he knew that Alfina wouldn’t mind since she couldn’t feel it but felt that he really went overboard this time. After some time, Louis remembered the reason he was here…

“Alfina…” Louis went to get her attention.

Alfina was trying to get a toast but she was startled, the toast fell, “Hm?” She still answered.

Louis grabbed a toast and gave it to her. He deeply inhaled before saying, “… mom left.”

Like nothing, Alfina replied nonchalantly, “Oh? Where did she go?”

“Mom died.” Louis seriously died.

“Oh?”

Louis was startled by her reaction, “That’s just your reaction? ‘oh?’ Are you kidding me? Even logic says that reaction wasn’t right!”

Alfina softly said, “I know.”

“So you know-” Louis was cut-off

Alfina replied again more clearly, “I mean, I know, mom died.”

“Wait what?” Louis’s face was ridiculous.

Patiently, Alfina responded again to Louis, “I said, I know mom died. Last week.”

Louis felt confused, “How?”

“You guess?”

“It’s impossible for someone who never left the house to know…” Louis’s voice faded and suddenly his eyes kept on widening, “… You’re a monster after all!”

Alfina’s poker face seemed to get colder as Louis continued to stare at it, with a monotone voice, Alfina robotically said, “You know that there’s a superstition about the parent and children being connected right? Scientifically, it’s bullish. But genetically speaking, you came from the genes of your parents, therefore, you would know by feeling whom your real parents are. Thinking about it, that’s also a bullish reason. But to us, with the condition of ‘Unfeeling’ it was much obvious.”

Louis couldn’t help but say, “You’re spouting nonsense. Mom already said that you’re not a monster, how could you have superpowers.”

“Great! You still have your brains with you.” Alfina clapped to express she was happy Louis’s brain has yet to left him a bit of cells.

“F*ck. Stop messing around! This is a serious talk. Your humor is very out of place. You should try learning society and their interactions.” Louis impatiently ‘hmph’ at her.

Alfina seemed to be enlightened and replied, “Good suggestion second brother, maybe with that I could lessen your discomfort as a very sociable friendly person. Hm-hm, time to go back to my lab and search to where I should do-”

When she said that, Louis suddenly grabbed her arms.