Chapter 57. How to terrify a houseguest in 10 seconds

We were taken back to the kingdom in chariots, but even as Eldoria’s houses came into view, I couldn’t bring myself to let go of Anna. The moment we arrived, all eyes were on her—accusing, whispering, judging. They blamed her for everything that had happened. And Anna, with her quiet nature, couldn’t even defend herself. Especially not against Lorraine, who strutted around like confidence and deception were her birthrights.I tightened my grip on Anna’s hand. "Let’s go to my place. It’s not safe for you to go home right now. Who knows what they’ll try?"

I didn’t even know where her house was, but l felt she’d be safer at mine even if it sounded selfish of me.

She hesitated only for a moment before nodding. "Okay... if you insist."

Without another word, I led her through the bustling streets, away from the prying gazes. The whole time, I could feel the tension in her fingers, the slight tremble she tried to hide. She was nervous—tomorrow, the teacher said she’d be summoned to the Duke’s house. Whatever awaited her there, it had her on edge. I needed to make her feel safe.

The moment we stepped into my house, a warm, mouthwatering aroma greeted us. Spices, roasted meat, and freshly baked bread. Mom was cooking.

"I’m home," I called out.

The sound of a ladle clattering against a pot made me chuckle. Mom spun around, her eyes wide with surprise. "Asher? You’re back already? Weren’t you supposed to be gone for a week?"

Then her gaze flickered to Anna, and I caught the slight narrowing of her eyes.

"And not alone," she noted.

I laughed. "Mom, don’t give her that look."



Mom wiped her hands on her apron and extended one to Anna, greeting her with a soft expression. Anna greeted back.

"Mom, this is Anna, my friend. She’s a new student from the Zephandria Kingdom. And Anna, this is my mother."

Mom’s lips curled into a knowing smile. "Welcome, Anna."

For the first time since we left the chariots, Anna looked a little less afraid.

"Thank you so much, Asher’s mom." She bowed slightly, looking genuinely relieved.

Mom chuckled. "Please, just call me Lena."

Short for Onalena, but let’s be honest—she was just too lazy to make people say the full thing.

"Come sit over here," I said, leading Anna toward the dining hall—only to be greeted by that damn hound—Rex.

At least he was normal dog-sized now. But the moment he saw Anna? He ignored me— his master— and approached her, wagging his tail like crazy, licking her legs like she was his long-lost soulmate.

Anna crouched, giggling as she patted his fluffy head. "Wow... you have such a cute dog!"

"What? You also think it’s cute?"

Unbelievable.

Then, just as I was processing this nonsense, I heard that familiar mischievous giggle.

"You have good taste, girl. Rex is the cutest thing in the world."

I turned around. And of course, it was her.

Sharon.

Wearing an oversized T-shirt that was practically a dress and a pair of shorts so tiny they were probably illegal.

Before I could react, she launched herself at me like a missile, squeezing me in a tight hug before planting a big kiss on my cheek.

"Brother dearest! I missed you so much!"

Drama. Queen.

My eye twitched. "You literally saw me this morning, Sharon."

She just smiled sweetly. "I can’t help it. You’re just so hard to get off my mind."

Good grief.

"Now, if you don’t mind getting off me before I suffocate?"

She finally let go, only to turn to Anna with a smirk. "Hey, little girl!"

This stubborn freak! Could she not greet visitors normally for once?!

Anna offered a nervous smile. "Hi..."

Sharon leaned in closer with a smirk. "We might have the same taste in cute things, but don’t think that means you can get close to my brother dearest."



Then, just like that, her expression darkened, her smile turning wicked. "Because if you do, I’ll chop you into little pieces and feed you to my adorable dog. You hear me?"

Anna stiffened, her face draining of color.

"Oh, shut up, Sharon!" I groaned. "Don’t scare her like that!"

She pouted. "But I was just joking—"

"Joking?! And here I thought you were the one getting bullied at school. Looks to me like you’re the bully!"

Sharon gasped, clutching her chest like I had mortally wounded her. But instead of defending herself, she grabbed my hands and grinned.

"That reminds me, brother dearest! We should take a bath together again tonight!"

...Excuse me?

I choked on my own breath. "What?!"

Anna’s eyes widened, her face turning bright red. "You guys... take baths together?"

Sharon beamed. "Of course! I even let brother dearest touch my—"

"SHUT UP!" I clamped a hand over her mouth before she could finish that sentence.

God, please strike me down now.

Thankfully, divine intervention arrived in the form of Mom, who strolled in carrying trays of food.

"Alright, kids, take your seats. Time to eat!"

My stomach grumbled at the mouthwatering aroma. Mom’s cooking was always the best.

We dug in, and for a while, everything was peaceful. That is, until Mom broke the silence.

"So... is your friend sleeping over?" She glanced between me and Anna.

"Mmhmm," I responded through a mouthful of food.

Sharon nearly choked on her drink. "In your room, brother dearest?"

"Yeah, is that a prob—"

"YES, IT IS!" She slammed the table, pointing at me like I was the scum of the earth. "You womanizer!"

I chuckled. "Oh, come on, it’s not like that! You guys are getting the wrong idea!"

I explained everything that had happened at camp—how Lorraine blamed Anna for everything.

Sharon’s fists clenched. "That bitch! That’s why I can’t stand her!"

I smirked. "You got that right, little sis!"

"I’M OLDER THAN YOU, IDIOT!"

Mom, however, didn’t laugh. Her voice turned serious. "This might be bad, son. The Duke and Lorraine’s mother... they practically have an affair going on. So of course, the Duke will always take Lorraine’s side. And to make things worse, her mother is one of the kingdom’s crime lords. She decides who gets punished. Your friend is fighting a losing battle."

Anna flinched, staring at her plate, suddenly not so hungry.



I exhaled. "I know that, Mom. But I’m not about to let them do whatever they want just because they have power. Nobody touches Anna. Or I’ll burn down the Duke’s castle."

Or was it a mansion? Whatever. I’d burn it all down.

Mom sighed, shaking her head. Then, after a long pause, she said, "Fine. But be careful, son. And pray to the gods who blessed you with power to lead you."

...Yeah, about that. It’s just a system.

For once, Sharon acted like a normal person. "Alright, Anna, right? You need to relax. Don’t let this get into your head. Let’s go take a bath. Then I’ll lend you some clothes, and we’ll go to my room to talk about girl stuff. Sound good?"

Anna nodded shyly.

Mom yawned. "Alright, do whatever you want. Just don’t stay up late, okay?" Then she gathered the plates and went off to bed.

The moment she was gone, Sharon grinned and leaned toward me.


"You know, brother dearest, I think you should join us for the bath. It’d really help lighten the mood."

I take what l said back.

She’s never normal.

TBC