Episode 3

My brothers were really nice to me. My three older brothers are always away for work but Samuel and Timothy are always at home. They both decided to train at home to keep me company. And I'm slowly learning the ways of the Arkanoth. The servants were really polite and respectful but I still haven't seen father.

Maybe he doesn't want to see me, I sighed. Wow, my mood suddenly went down the drain.

"Penny? what's wrong? Is something bothering you?" Samuel suddenly asked. He was still holding his sword. He's 10 years older than me which makes him look like a giant to a 5-year-old girl child like me.

Strange thought. I'm a 5-year-old and yet I think like someone older. Is this because I was raised poorly by my mother??

"No. Would father ever like me?" I asked.

Seeing my reaction, they suddenly laughed out loud. Did I say something funny?

"You don't have to worry about that. Besides, you don't have to do anything," he laughed.

"Ahh... Penny, father is coming home tomorrow. You should prepare a small gift for him," Timothy smiled.

A small gift?

What should I gift him though?

"You don't have to think about it. Just a small and simple gift would suffice. When we were younger, Samuel and I would bring him dead frogs as a gift. Back then Daniel and Valentyne would bring him branches or twigs and even our elder brother, Mychaell would bring him dead animals," Samuel laughed.

W-What???

"Ahh... I remember the good old days' brother. Father would have no choice but to accept those disgusting gifts," Timothy laughed.

Thinking about a gift for him is quite hard.

"Now, now... Don't pressure our little sister," I turned around as soon as I heard a familiar voice. The last time I saw him was last week and I've been missing him since.

"Mychaell!" I jumped up and ran to him as fast as I could.

"You didn't visit me yesterday, even though you promised," I pouted.

To be honest, I've been getting comfortable as the youngest and most loved sister of the Arkanoth family. But I'm slightly afraid of meeting the Duke. My fear of him was mainly caused by the rumors that surround him. They said that the Duke was quite a terror and that even his own children fear him, except for his favorite children.

Ever since I entered the House of Arkanoth, I slowly learned that the Lord has a lot of children. He wasn't quite fond of children but he didn't want to abandon them either. He only put them in mansions inside the estate that was far away from the main mansion where he resides together with his favored sons, and now, where I also live. I found out that those children only got half of his traits which is why he didn't want them around him.

I was lucky enough to inherit almost all of his features, from golden hair to golden eyes. Although they were fed and dressed well, they were almost abandoned by him. He showed no love nor affection to them.

"Father made me work overtime that's why I couldn't come home. I'm sorry," he said as he carried me in his arms. "I'm going to supervise the Ironbane knights in training, would you like to come, little Penny?" he asked.

I nodded abruptly. I've always wanted to see them train.

"Will Valentyne and the others be there too?" I asked.

"Yes, except Valentyne. He'll rather be doing paperworks than train with us," he sighed. "Timothy, Samuel... would you like to join us?"

Timothy and Samuel hesitated first but agreed in the end.

We walked towards the huge backfield of the mansion. It was my first time going there and from here, I could see the mansions of the other children, my other siblings, from afar.

"Mychael? What are those?" I asked as I pointed to the mansions.

His expression turned sour and his grip on me tightened.

"Is there something wrong, Mychaell?" I asked as I stared at him in the eye. His look in his eye was deadly and I really felt shivers.

"You must never approach anyone from those houses. After all, they don't belong with us in the first place," he said.

I suddenly felt that I need to obey him or else.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***