My Wonderful Second Life

Chapter 36- Broken scissors

"Because I got it." replied Jenni as she lunged to my side, trying to take the scissors from me.

I dodged her in time, my hand grasping them tightly. Feeling the blades on my skin. Yet it was not the puncturing of my palm that hurt. When I saw those cold blue eyes looking back at me, another type of pain filled my heart.

We continued to stare at each other in silence until Fanny came searching for me, the little spider in her hands. Her happy, and ready to scold me, face grew dark as she noticed me and Jenni, and the heavy air around us.

"Why would you, a lady of another house, get a pair of scissors that clearly belong to the Rivera family?" I asked. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Fanny's mouth open, her head moving as she glanced from me to Jenni, who remained calm and collected. Silent. "Why?!" I repeated, louder this time.

Jenni sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. As if I was acting like the child I appeared to be. It made my blood throb with added strength. "Lulu, the Rivera got punished for their crimes against the crown. They were stripped of their title and status. The higher families of the empire took their assets and distributed them between each other." She tilted her chin in the scissors' direction. "Those were assigned to me."

I laughed, making Fanny gasp. Jenni remained unemotional, however, showing no signs that she cared for the weight of her words. Because I knew. I knew it was not that simple. I knew it was not a coincidence that Jenni had gotten the same scissors Lady Raphaela used to threaten me. The same scissors that tasted my blood.

I shuddered and my knees got weak because I knew and that hurt.

"What were their crimes against the crown? Who punished them?" I asked, my voice trembling.

But I didn't need an answer, only a confirmation of my blame. This land, the glorious and blessed land of the Sun, was harsh to those who defied the crown. Very few nobles could survive without their titles or money. Without their honour, most would have taken their life, leaving behind their family in ruin. For Raphaela, it would have been a life of misery and loneliness. A life I put her in with my lie.

"Where are they, Jenni?" I asked when I left those damning thoughts. Jenni had yet to reply to any of my previous questions, choosing instead to look outside the window as the birds chirped in a melodic song. "Where are they?!"

"I do not know where they are or what happened to them." she replied without turning her head away from the view. "What I know is that you must not concern yourself with those people." she finished her point, behind her calm something akin to disgust boiling to the surface.

I pulled the scissors down and unclenched my hand, examining the redness they had caused. Jenni's words echoed in my mind. They troubled me, and they kept me from listening to Fanny's calls as she approached. She said something, but I couldn't discern what it was. I lifted my head, and I fixed on Jenni's elegant posture, on her coldness, on her lack of feelings. And I shuddered. Because I did not recognize her. My sister and my friend.

"You do not know. But someone does." I said, watching her turn her head, panic plastered on her features.

However, I did not stick around to hear her answer, neither did I stop when I heard Fanny's pleas. Instead, I marched to the Duke's office, the scissors still in my hand.

I burst into the room, pushing the heavy doors open for the first time since the incident with Lady Beatrice. The room carried too many difficult memories, yet this time they couldn't stop me. The aides, who were by the desk inspecting the duke's work, turned their attention to the doors to see who was disturbing them. Initially, they had their brows creased and the edge of their mouths set on a tight line, until they realized it was me and their annoyance got softened into a pleasing smile.