𝐄𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝐋𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊

【 Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ４ 】

      Wow. My gaze drifts upwards, following the magnificent architecture all the way to the sky, I don't think I'll ever cease to be amazed by this building.

       I return to my senses and decide I might as well enter the building instead of just gawking at it. Pushing the grand doors open I step inside of the Joestar mansion, marveling as I see my own reflection in the polished tile floor.

"Hello there Annie." Jonathan's voice gives me a small shock as I look up, embarrassed that he caught me admiring his house, again.

       I'm reminded of yesterday's events when I get a closer look at his face, the bruising around his eye now quite prominent. A wave of guilt washes over me, seeing the pain he's in. The fact that I left him after the fight was over plagues me, even though he told me to leave him. "Hey JoJo. How is your eye?"

"Better than yesterday, thank you for your concern." He replies, "What're you doing here?"

"Well," I don't want to hurt his feelings, but I wouldn't feel right if I lied to him, "I'm here because Dio offered to teach me a little bit about chess."

"Oh," His smile fades only slightly as he tries to hide his disappointment, "I hope you have a good time."

Seeing this reaction dampens my mood even further. I'll make it up to him soon, I promise. "See you later JoJo,"

I head up the grand staircase, once I reach to top I look to my left and to my right down two long hallways. One leads to the east wing and the other to the west. I randomly choose left and start to wander, looking at the expensive art pieces hanging on the walls.

Now that I think about it, I actually don't know which room is Dio's . . . .

A door that's a crack open catches my eye. I carefully peek inside to find no one in the room. Whoever's room it is shouldn't mind—seeing that they carelessly left the door open—so I enter the room. My eyes search for any object of interest, when they land on a small book sitting on a desk in the corner of the room. After approaching the desk, I realize that it's a journal.

       It would be invasive to read it; after all, I don't even know whose room I'm in. I couldn't possibly do it. If the roles were reversed I wouldn't want someone reading my journal, or looking at my sketchbook. I couldn't possibly. . . .

       My fingers brush over the leather cover. It's just sitting here. Door ajar, journal out in the open; whoever's room this is, they brought this upon themself. At the top of the first page I spot Dio's name.

I most definitely should not read this. If he finds out, what would my excuse be? Could I even come up with a lie he would believe? But I'm just itching to see what secrets he's hiding!

Curiosity overwhelms me. I peer down the hall to make sure no one is coming, then, I turn the front page and begin to read the first entry.

May 7, 1882.

I've just finished putting away all of my things into the room Lord Joestar has given me. He gave me this notebook, saying that it's healthy for a youth like myself to journal about my day and such. I didn't expect my father to send me to a nobleman's home, but I'll be sure to be on my best behavior. This is a wonderful opportunity that I've been given and I'll make it worth Lord Joestar's while—

"You know, it isn't courteous to look through someone's personal belongings, especially in their own room when they're not there." I look up with jolt and snap the book shut. My hand slowly places it back on the desk. Dio leans against the door frame with his arms crossed, meeting my eyes with a chilling glare.