I Wish To Die Peacefully

Chapter 4: Good Morning

LANDON

"You have no idea how exasperated I was. I'm at my wits' end. She wouldn't say a word, it was so frustrating..." Greyson rambled on and on as he paced in front of my desk impatiently. It had only been an hour and a half after I arrived home with Brandon and yet the first thing our youngest brother did was bombard us with the matters happening in the mansion for the past weeks.

I was originally planning on returning to the mansion in the first place and Brandon had some things to settle regarding his new duty as a knight thus even if Greyson didn't send an urgent letter to the capital, the three of us would still end up meeting at home.

"If it was so difficult, why haven't you written earlier?" I answered. "And do sit down. You're making me dizzy," I added with a sigh.

I looked at Greyson whose forehead crinkled as he frowned. He forced himself to sit on the nearby sofa. "Well... I thought I can get everything in order without your help... Since I know both of you are busy," he murmured lowly.

I couldn't help but heave a sigh. Greyson had always been a hard-working child. May it be now or when he was younger, he did everything in his power not to bother his two elder brothers. Despite his occasional mischievous and playful nature, he knows when to take things seriously. He just turned seventeen and hadn't graduated from the Magic Academy yet but he was more reliable than other young men around his age. As the third son, he took it to himself that supporting Brandon and I was his role in the family and the Dukedom. This worried me, especially after Father died.

My younger brothers chose different professions in order to balance out the power of our family and make use of their innate talents at the same time. Embarking on different roads might cause us to drift apart and as the eldest son, I wouldn't want that to happen. After all, we're the only family left to care for each other. Brandon, Greyson and I had always been close since childhood, thus I am confident that I know them best.

I am also confident that it wouldn't take something trivial to make Greyson send an urgent letter and ask us for help. I scowled, remembering the contents of the letter and listening to Greyson's continuous rants. He must have been so stressed. I have never seen him ramble on like this before.

To hear that Ava is causing trouble by attempting suicide multiple times, I have to admit I was surprised. She had always been quiet, perhaps a little too quiet, thus I never expected for her to cause this kind of trouble.

I do not hold fond memories of her for I had always disliked her since she was adopted. During our childhood, it just wouldn't sit right with me that a strange girl was brought in to be our sister. If she was of noble blood, perhaps it would've been a lot better but she was of commoner descent and one that we don't know the origins thereof. She ruined the atmosphere of the mansion with just her existence alone and Father wasn't exactly fond of her either.

No one in the house liked her and I was sure she was aware of that yet she shamelessly stayed and even got herself adopted after Mother died. Father did not want to ignore Mother's last will thus we couldn't have a say in the matter as well. I would say the girl was cunning. Even at her young age, she knew the advantages of staying in a Duke's household.

As I grew older, I learned how to speak less and think more. My general image of Ava was still the same but as the years passed, she did as she was told and stayed out of the way. She didn't even attend social events and merely stayed holed up in her room all the time. If you don't keep her in mind, she might as well not exist. She lived that quietly, thus I didn't mind her existence either.

So why is it that she's acting up right now, I have to admit that I felt strange and also curious.

"And so?" Brandon suddenly said, his rough low voice interrupting my thoughts.