“Raya, can I come in?” The voice was accompanied by several knocks on the door.
Maya had just finished her meal and immediately stood up straight. The voice sounded familiar. Lexa?
The girl answered enthusiastically, “Of course, big sister!”
Click!
After the lock was opened from outside, the door swung open, revealing Lexa’s expressionless face. She was carrying something in her hand, which immediately sparked Maya’s curiosity.
“What did you bring, big sister?” Maya asked, unable to hide her curiosity. Without realizing it, she scampered toward Lexa with a wide smile. Maybe because Garry and Axel weren’t there, Maya didn’t feel nervous or afraid.
The teenager was naturally quite cheerful. It was just that in her previous life, she hadn’t had enough strength to move this nimbly.
“Soup,” Lexa answered curtly. She held the bowl of soup out to Maya, and the girl happily accepted it.
Maya was actually already full. Very full, in fact. But this soup had been given to her by Lexa, her savior and the only person in this house who didn’t treat her harshly.
“Thank you, Lexa …” Maya said shyly. This was the first time she had called Lexa by name, so she felt a little awkward and worried she might get it wrong.
Even so, Maya felt fairly optimistic. Hadn’t Axel called this pretty big sister Lexa earlier?
“Lexa, you say?” Lexa lowered her head and looked at the flustered Maya, assuming she had called her by the wrong name.
“Good. I like that.” Lexa’s next words made Maya smile in relief.
She invited Lexa to sit on the edge of the bed. Meanwhile, Lexa’s eyes narrowed when she spotted the tray with the empty bowl on the nightstand. She could also clearly see the small piece of paper lying there.
When Maya noticed Lexa’s gaze, her smile widened. “Oh, right. Thank you for this food too.”
Lexa merely nodded and sat beside Maya. So she thinks that food was from me? How cute.
“Do you want some too, Lexa?” Maya offered after swallowing the clam in the soup.
Lexa shook her head once. “Finish it,” she said while watching Maya eat enthusiastically.
Hearing that, Maya obediently finished the soup Lexa had brought her. She didn’t notice Lexa’s lingering gaze at all. There was something deep in her eyes—though what it meant was impossible to tell.
“Do you like it?” Lexa asked in a tone as flat as her expression.
Maya nodded repeatedly. “I like it. The broth tastes great, and the clams are so che—”
Maya’s face went pale when she realized what she had eaten. Stammering, she said, “B-big sister, aren’t I allergic?”
“No. You have no history of allergies to clams or any seafood,” Lexa replied calmly. She seemed to deliberately leave her words hanging, making Maya’s eyes widen.
So … Lexa had deliberately lied about her seafood allergy at the dining table? But why?
“Tell me, did you really lose your memory? Or … are you not Raya?” Lexa deliberately grabbed Maya’s chin, forcing the girl to look at her.
“Who are you, to have the nerve to use this bastard’s body?” Lexa asked sharply.
Lexa’s harsh, pressuring question nearly made Maya cry. Especially as the grip on her chin tightened. Maya was confused and anxious. She was also afraid of being blamed for being in Raya’s body. All those unpleasant feelings churned in her stomach.
“I-I didn’t mean to. Please forgive me …” Maya whispered, her voice trembling as she held back tears. Maya truly hated how weak she was.
“Didn’t mean to do what? Be more specific!” Lexa ordered harshly.
Maya felt her courage eroding even further. She tried to look away, but Lexa wouldn’t let her.
“I-I didn’t mean to use Raya’s body. I suddenly ended up inside it. B-but I truly don’t know why it happened.” Maya sobbed in fear.
The thirteen-year-old even almost vomited from the turmoil of emotions she was feeling. Throughout her life, the only pressure Maya had ever felt was realizing that she would not live longer than her mother and younger sibling.
Aside from that, Maya’s life had been perfect. Even without a father and with the disease viciously eating away at her body, Maya had never felt deprived of anything.
And now, being inside Raya’s body, whose life was the complete opposite of hers, Maya felt shaken. Her mental state was utterly devastated.
“I really didn’t mean to. I-I’m sorry. Raya, I’m sorry …” Maya cried, sobbing softly.
Lexa released her grip on Maya’s chin. Her gaze softened slightly when she saw Maya crying and continuing to apologize. The teenager felt that everything happening was her fault. It was even possible that Raya’s soul had disappeared because of her.
“That’s right. All of this is your fault. So you have to take Raya’s place properly. Understand? Be the obedient younger sibling you’re supposed to be,” Lexa said as she pulled Maya into her arms. She stroked Maya’s long hair with feigned tenderness.
Maya nodded repeatedly. Her tears soaked Lexa’s clothes. “I-I understand, big sister …”
On the other side, Lexa’s eyes met another pair standing in the doorway with an incredulous expression. Their gaze seemed to say, See? I told you.
Maya was still sobbing when a servant removed the bandage from her head. She thought it was going to be replaced, but apparently not.
“You don’t need to wear a bandage anymore, Miss,” the servant said lazily.
The servant checked the several injuries Maya had sustained in the accident, then nodded in satisfaction when she saw that they had almost completely dried. After putting away the medicine box, the servant hurried off.
Strangely, this time the door was merely closed without being locked. Maya knew the sound of a lock turning by heart.
Why was this time different? Did Lexa want to test her again?
Maya pressed her lips together. She walked over hesitantly, then peeked through the peephole. There was usually a guard stationed outside. This time … there was no one.
Maya wanted to go outside and check what was really happening. Unfortunately, she didn’t have enough courage.
So Maya simply sat back down on the edge of the bed. Once again, her thoughts wandered to her family. How were her mother and younger sibling doing today? Did her younger sibling still refuse to eat vegetables?
“Are you done?” Lexa asked as she opened the door. This time, she wasn’t alone. Her twin younger brother was beside her—Axel.
As usual, Axel glared sharply at Maya. Maya immediately looked away. She nodded in answer to Lexa’s question.
Lexa looked pleased. The girl then walked toward Maya with long strides.
“Can we continue our introductions?” Lexa wanted to interrogate her ‘youngest sibling’ more thoroughly, but a servant had suddenly come to check Maya’s injuries.
“But …” Maya glanced fearfully at Axel, who responded with a fierce glare.
“Axel has the right to know. He’s your big brother too,” Lexa replied, giving Axel a brief look as a warning not to start an argument.
Axel clicked his tongue, then pretended to look out the window so he wouldn’t frighten his bastard little sister. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the padlock securing the window.
“So what should we call you?” Lexa asked, looking Maya straight in the eye.
“M-Maya,” Maya answered faintly.
“Maya, hmm … what a pretty name.” Lexa nodded, then asked again, “How old are you?”
Maya bit the inside of her cheek before answering, “Thirteen.”
“Oh? I thought you were the same age as that bastard. Turns out you really are just a snot-nosed kid, huh? No wonder you’re such a coward,” Axel retorted with a loud click of his tongue. He seemed somewhat annoyed by ‘Raya’ turning into a crybaby. Though he couldn’t deny that the current Raya looked adorable rather than irritating.
“Axel,” Lexa reprimanded, shooting her twin younger brother a sharp look.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.”
Lexa turned her attention back to Maya. “Then we’ll call you Maya.”
Axel nodded, looking as though he agreed. “I agree. Besides, it looks like that bastard is already dead.”