“Pia, don't worry about me, Mother is just grieving and we must understand that this situation is just too hard on her”.

My Sister said with a slight pain in every word she utters,

My Dad ran away from our house because of a huge debt he made after spending money from gambling. and after he left us with a huge amount of debt my mother started drowning

herself more in work and alcohol, my mom is a well-known **********. She would often go home

cleaning herself more, and we repeatedly hear her saying,

"I'm dirty, i am so dirty"

again and again, we know how much our mother sacrifices herself for us, she wasn't able to get any jobs as she wasn't able to attend school because of her status,

but one

day my mom got severe injure, the wounds on her face were deeper than she thought, and it left a huge

scar on her face, the result became hard on her, the pub owner decided to throw my mother away and that

left us to starving all day, my mother became so miserable that time that whenever she gets drunk she

would beat my sister up, I was never beaten or at the very least my mother was never able to beat me because of

how my sister would always protect me, My sister is twelve years old now so young yet so mature.

“Niña!”

Mother shouting calling for my sister,

“Yes, Mother/”

while she hurriedly came to my mother she still smiled painlessly in front of her,

“Buy me alcohol,”

My mother said while lying on her couch lazily,

“But we don’t have any money mom, and we must pay for the loan sharks bef-”

Niña got interrupted

before she even finishes her words,

“I don’t care if those loan sharks were to come, it’s your father they should find, that filthy coward ran

away because of those people threatening to kill him, and left me with two baggage who still can’t work

as a ********** at their age”

As mother bicker with hurtful words, Nina got terrified with her last words,

scared that her future would be like our mother,

“Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and buy me alcohol!”

Mother shouted in front of her face,

waking my sister up from her terrified reactions, and she immediately ran outside the door.

While I was playing outside I heard my sister coming from the door,

“Pia!” Niña shouted,

“huff puff” while panting,

“Yes, sis?”

I asked while wondering why she was panting,

“Let’s go earn some money,”

she said while smiling,

We earn money by asking some penny from strangers on the streets, it’s the only way for us to earn

money well sometimes we don’t earn much to buy alcohol, but because my sister is good at having

patience we would come home with alcohol and bread, sometimes there are people in our town who

gives us soup to eat, they often protect us from weird strangers too, we can’t work as a cleaner of some

pubs, as our mother always warned us to never get near at pubs.

“Yes, we earned enough for three pieces of bread and one bottle of alcohol”

Niña said with a cheerful

face,

As we have bought our dinner, on our way we saw 5 knights standing outside of our door, and then we

saw our mother coming outside the door talking with a man who seems to be rich, they were smiling at

each other faces as if they had something they agreed on, our mother spotted us and called us with a

smile and a hand waving for us to come near them,

“What is it, Mother?” Niña asks while looking at the fair man who smiles at her,

“Say hello to Duke Jerome Montage of the west, he wanted to see how beautiful you are” Mother smiled and said words

that is out of character,

It is so weird for my mother to act so out of character, however, she was also like this back then, she was

so kind to us and would smile at us.

“G-greetings, Your highness Duke”

Niña greeted with a commoner bow,

“What a nice lady you are, you sure are so beautiful as you also have a great blonde hair”

The

duke smiled appreciating and stating a compliment to my sister,

“You look exactly what your mother did,”

The duke said,

I saw my mother clenching her fist as those words were said by the duke,

The duke saw me hiding behind my sister, peeking at them while they made their conversation,

“And who might this young lady be?”

The duke came closer to me and looks at me,

Niña tried to hide me more and my mother called her,

“Niña”

she looked at her with a smile that seems to threaten her,

My sister stopped hiding me, and the duke decided to take a closer look,

“She is also beautiful just like her mother and sister but-'The duke said and brush my bangs that was hiding my right eye he took a close look into my eyes and had a very focused look,

"her eyes are astonishing what a beautiful yellow eyes"

the duke in this close view is handsome with a skin so smooth and so pale and a brown hair that compliments the rays of the sun that is setting,

“Yes, Duke her name is Pia and she is my second daughter,”

Mother said as if she is boasting about one

of her treasures.

“I see, and how old is she?” The duke asked,

“She is…” my mother stopped not remembering her own daughters' age,

“S-she is six years old, my lord” Niña said,

The duke looked at me and whispered, “I love those two different eyes of her”

I heard the whisper however I do not understand why he would say that with such fascination in his eyes as if he wants to lock me up in a chest,

“Is that so?, well Miss Penelope thank you for the hospitality but I must go now,” The duke called my

mother by her name and left while smiling at us,

“Yes, Your highness Duke Thank you for visiting” We all bowed at the duke while the he entered and left with the carriage,

The duke is gone now however our mother looked at us and she is still holding her smile.

The Next Day, My mother kept up with the gentle attitude, we woke up with a food on our table, so many and yet it made Niña wonder,

"Where did you get the money?"

Niña asked Penelope,

"Oh these are yours, so eat plenty and later we will be shopping for your clothes"

Said Penelope (Mom) avoiding Nina's question, while Niña just goes with the flow not wanting to annoy Penelope,

"Can I come too?"

I asked wanting to also buy fancy clothes and a doll,

Penelope looks at me and smiled happily saying,

"Oh yes we'll be buying yours soon too"

I pouted as I know they will not bring me along with their shopping, and I'll be left alone in the house.

We finished our breakfast, and Penelope called for Niña so that they could leave now,

"Remember pia to not open the door for strangers, unless it's me"

Niña told me to be careful and continued leaving the house with Penelope,

The day was normal and boring, it's pretty much about how I only waited for them to return home, and then the sun was starting to set.

"We're home, Pia!"

I heard my sister calling for me and I immediately ran towards the entrance,

"Sister! Welcome home"

I smiled at her welcoming her,

"You mustn't run like that, it's not good for a lady to be seen running like a beast in the wild!",

Penelope said,

"I-i'm sorry, I reacted too excitedly"

I apologized for not wanting to see our mother being angry again,

"A-ah we bought new clothes!"

Niña sets up the mood again and pulled me away from the entrance, we left heading towards our room,

"This here is your shoes, mother didn't want to buy one for you but I insisted on letting her buy one for you"

My sister smiles warmly giving me a shoe that is most likely to be a gift,

"Uh listen pia..."

Niña was hesitant,

"I will be leaving by tomorrow and I might not be able to get in contact, so I just want you to know that I won't be able to protect you now"

Niña was saying these things while tears from her eyes were slowly falling across her cheeks, her nose became so noticeably red, as to how her pale white skin always stood out with her darkish blue hair,

"But mother did promise that she will protect you for me, I do know that I still cannot trust mother as to how she treated us before, but I don't have anyone but you and her as my family",

Niña wanted to know if she is making the right decision,

"I need to trust her on this, and I will make sure to pray that you will be healthy"

My sister still believes in god, funny how in that situation many would think that God has abandoned them and will start to lose faith over time. yet my sister's thoughts were different was different, she loves honoring God, and would always share some words with the other children in our town.

"Yes I'm fine with it"

I smiled knowing that she will be leaving, I know that it was hard for her to make this decision and I also had to make a decision that will not hold her future back,

"Don't worry about me because I can take care of myself, you've taught me plenty of things"

I want my sister to see that I'm independent and that I can take care of everything, although I can't do it as well as her I shouldn't be selfish enough to make her stay in this house where we can't even eat any decent food.

"Thank you pia"

Niña hugged me right and cried, we slept next to each other as it will be the last day we will be having our bonding.

The next day, there were 6 knights and the carriage was the same as what the duke who came a day ago with,

However when the door opened the duke wasn't there but there was a different person,

"I greet the lady"

He bowed gently like a professional,

"I am Count Zachary Wilson, and I am an aide of Duke Montage. And I have come here to escort the lady as to what his highness ordered me"

He said brilliantly,

Now this man has a broad shoulder as if he can wield a sword and a book at the same time, he has a brown hazelnut eye with a black hair and a dark tan skin,

"Good morning Count Wilson, What an honor to meet you!"

Penelope continued complimenting the count as you can hear some greedy intent in every word hers,

"Madam back away, I 'm only here to escort the lady and I am sure you are aware of that"

The count said while glaring at her looking down on her soul,

Penelope was left frightened as she didn't want to make the count angry because she knows she will lose big time,

Meanwhile, Niña walked outside, and her hand was held to walk inside the carriage, I saw how nervous she was because of her gulping and he hobby of biting her lips, my sister is leaving and now I will be left alone in this house,

we had our farewells, smiling and crying at the same time,

I will make my sister proud and meet her again once we grow up, so she can see how I was able to get through the life I have to endure now.

As the carriage left, Pia and Penelope were left alone in their house, my mother hurriedly came in, and as I came in I saw her lying on the couch again while drinking,

"I guess it was just an act"

I said while whispering.

The next day,

I left home asking for a penny on the street, as I saw a man with a robe I approached him asking for a penny,

"Can I have a penny, please? I need to feed my siblings they are starving at home"

Whenever we are asking for money from strangers, we would build up a lie that is so tearjerking and will make people wanna pity us, and they will end up giving us a lot of coins,

People who wear robes are often travelers nobles, assassins, or a criminal. You'll get lucky if you were to get travelers and a noble, they give coins often but sometimes nobles will push you away if you are too dirty, if you get an assassin or a criminal it will sometimes not end up good or you will just be ignored,

The person wearing a robe stopped and looks at me, I couldn't see his face as in how the robe, the only thing I can see was a long dark black hair, he started to take my bangs off in front of my right eyes,

"What a treasure, you should be more careful kid, I know every noble that will fancy eyes like that",

I didn't get what he meant about my eyes, he gave me three silver coins and left,

I didn't know that those words were a warning that will come true.

It's been 5 years I am 11 years old now Niña left when she was 13 so I know my sister is 18 years old by now, she has never sent any letters just like what she had said,

"Pia go grab me another drink",

My mother is the same as usual, however, she goes to a gambling place late at night too, as a lot of people have said

"You become what you hate",

she used to hate our father for becoming an addict to gambling eating all of our money just for a single bronze coin in return, in the end, he still left.

The money that we received from the duke ran out, because of all the loans we had to pay, the more I think about how can mother still be alive after all the unhealthy food she kept on consuming, She should have died,

While I was walking in the alley I heard people speaking so loud that it was hard not to listen to them,

"Remember the daughter of the **********?",

"There are a lot of brothels in this town, and many prostitutes have children why would I know?",

"The ********** that was abolished because of a huge scar",

"Oh yeah, that woman",

I know that the person they were talking about was my mother, however, it didn't make me angry as I don't care about her, as I continued to walk the other lady continued with her conversation,

"Yeah, do you remember her beautiful daughter sold from the duke 5 years ago?"

"Oh yeah Niña, what a gorgeous child I do remember her!"

When they had mentioned my sister their conversation immediately caught my attention and I stopped by a wall where I can just hear them but won't be seen,

"A maid of mine works from the duke that bought her, and I heard a news that was only going around that manor about Niña",

"What so niña is alive what a relief"

I said in my thoughts delighted by the news that the lady would tell,

"I heard that Niña Committed suicide...",

I was left shocked I couldn't process anything, I was just so confused if I'm hearing it right. If it's

just nonsense, if I'm just…dreaming,

I continued walking toward home saying,

"She's alive, My sister is alive"

Over and over again, maybe if I say this repeatedly, God would bring her back,

"Hahaha"

Is there really a god in this world that would bring someone back alive?

I was laughing all the way home, laughing and crying how can my sister end her life like this? was it so painful that she wanted to escape, did she forget her promise was she not happy? Did

she died feeling… lonely?

Standing in front of my home I was feeling so angry I wanted to blame someone for her death,

"Oh right mother sold her, this is her fault, she sold her!"

I came inside the house to see my mother lying unconscious on the couch, she was peacefully

breathing as if there wasn't anything in the world she needs to worry about,

I slowly approached her having this bloodlust, wanting to kill her, I need to no she deserves to

be killed, how can she sell someone else's life just for her alcohol?!,

As I was approaching her all the thoughts in my head were just saying,

"Kill",

I didn't think much I didn't think of what will happen after I kill her, I didn't think of her kindness

before, I didn't think much of her as my mother who once gave me life and who once loved me,

As I was about to wrap my hands around her neck, A sudden knocking on the front door was heard,

I headed towards the door and saw a man, the man was so familiar however I cannot remember him,

"Hello miss, I am here on behalf of His Highness Duke Montage,"

My eyebrow raised as I heard the name "Duke Montage", as I was about to blow off my mother Penelope suddenly appeared beside me,

"Oh my hello, you're the aide of Duke Montage right?"

Penelope said,

"Yes ma'am, I am Count Wilson and I am here as per his highness's orders"

The count replied,

So this guy was also the guy who took Niña away, that's why he's so familiar,

"Please come in"

Penelope invited the guest in with greedy intent, staring at me like she was saying to not make any mistakes in front of the guest,

"No ma'am I am only here to make another deal that the duke requested for you",

The Count declined Penelope's invitation and proceed to do her work,

"The duke wants you to sell your other daughter, which is pia"

The atmosphere became tense as their stares were putting pressure on me, my mother didn't hesitate,

"And how much will he pay this time?"

She answered the count as if she was selling a kind of slave,

"The pay would be 100 gold coins"

The count immediately replied as if he didn't care about Penelope not being hesitant,

"The duke really pays well"

Penelope whispered as I heard her, I started to clench my fist wanting to puke at how her actions are so disgusting,

"Would you mind raising it a little, this is my last daughter and I thought of her to be more valuable, so I cannot just sell her away"

Look at this disgusting creature, who would have thought that God still let her roam around this life,

"The highest pay we can give you is 150 gold coins, consider it as a tip as per your first package wasn't enough to satisfy his highness",

The count directly responded to Penelope putting an end of their money talks,

"Haha fine"

Penelope backs out and agreed to the deal, the count hands a bag of gold coins,

"When will you take her away?"

Penelope asked as she wanted to rush the process already, it looks as if she had to go somewhere,

"We will be escorting her to the duke now, enjoy the money, Lady Penelope",

The count smiled and bowed, as he called the knight with his hands signaling to come and take me away, the knights immediately carried me,

"What the- I hate you, Penelope, how can you sell me like this!! I'll come back here and I'm going to kill you!!"

Shouting these words towards Penelope, full of hatred and killing intent,

Penelope was only looking at the bag full of coins not interested in every word I said,

The knights took me in the carriage with the count inside,

"Here as of today, you must act like a lady",

The count said while giving me a box, as I opened it saw a shoe a dress and a ribbon,

"These are exactly like my sister's dress when she left"

I thought.