HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! MAY THIS YEAR GIVE IS US HAPPINESS, NEW BEGINNINGS, AND ABUNDANCE! ATTRACT LOVE AND BLESSING!

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"Where is my mama?" Alicia sniffled with her snort spread on the cheeks. When the head maid, Paris, saw her crying, she couldn't leave her alone and took her back to her chamber.

"Mama is still working on something, but she'll be here soon," Paris said, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and dampening it before wiping the child's face. "Perhaps she'll bring cookies again, do you want your favorite? I'll tell Miss Annalisa what you would like."

Alicia shook her head, "Not mommy! I want mama!"

Paris frowned with confusion, "Mama?"

Alicia's tears fell again as if she lost someone again, "I-I want mama…"

Paris was unsure who she was referring to because, aside from Annalisa, there would be no another woman she could refer to as Mama, except-- "Mrs. Leila?"

Alicia nodded. "Mama... Mama needs me..."

Paris embraces her into her arms after wiping her tears on the child's cheeks with new clothes in an attempt to console the little miss.

"Mama…"

"Miss Alicia, why do you refer to Miss Leila as your mama?" Paris inquired quietly.

Alicia tried her hardest to comprehend why, but she couldn't. "Here, it hurts when big sister Carla calls Mama," she said instead, pointing to her chest. "It hurts when Mama is the only one who notices them. Isn't she also my Mama? Carla is my older sister, and Kai is also my younger brother!"

Paris was taken aback, unsure how to answer, and worried about what Annalisa was teaching her kid to the point that it was confusing the child's thoughts and causing her trouble. She feels sorry for the little child.

"Well, Miss Alicia, I'm just a maid… I can't stop you from calling your mommy or mama anything you choose. But if you want me to advise, I can attempt to explain things to you," Paris remarked as she stroked the child's hair.

Alicia nodded while biting her lower lip.

"Then, Miss, may I ask what you mean when your chest aches?" Paris asked softly.

Alicia pondered before responding, "I see Mama sad, it hurts... I want to see Mama, it hurts... Whenever I see Mama, it hurts... And... When I see big sis and li'l bro with her... I don't like them... But I like them..." Even, she couldn't understand these confusing things she's saying but it is what she felt.

Paris thought for a while before responding, a child's brain is much complex than adults as they are still learning about the world and themselves. "You mean you're envious of them because they hang out with Miss Leila?" She asks to confirm the child's feelings.

"Jealous?" Alicia tilted her head to the side.

"Jealous like, you also want the same item she has, or someone she has," Paris thought how to describe it to her to what she can understand. "You wish you were in the same place as she is. Do you want to be with Miss Leila as well? Is that it? "

Alicia poked her chin with her eyes confused, "I don't want big sister things, I want to play with her... But I guess I also want to be with Mama..." she looked down as she bit her lip "But I also can't..."

"Is it because Mrs. Leila isn't interested in playing with you?"

"Not that," Alicia said with a shake of her head. "I can't because I want to cry every time I'm around her... Like, sorry... I think I'm a bad girl for reasons I don't understand, and I'm sorry to her... But I can't tell her... I'm scared..."

Paris couldn't understand what she was saying and reasoned that perhaps a tiny toddler like her had become aware of their family's predicament. Thinking about Miss Carla's plans to put his father and mistress in jail, Paris reasoned that Miss Alicia could think almost the same.

'Children's growth is mostly determined by their environment and parental instruction,' Paris thought, '…and I hope my children will live properly or be happy. I'll do everything I can to help...' She sighed.

"Miss Alicia, you are not a bad girl." Paris brought her to her embrace once more and strokes her hair, "It's not your fault what happened around here. You are only a child, and a little girl like you should be allowed to explore and enjoy new experiences. So you're not a bad girl after all." As Alicia became weary of crying, her eyes slowly fell with her head falling on Paris' shoulder. Paris kissed her forehead and said, "You listen well, I know you're a good girl."

Alicia remained silent with thoughts wandering in her mind, 'But I'm a wicked girl... Something bad happened to Mama and my sisters... and it's my fault.'

'If only... I hadn't listened to Mommy before...'

Alicia was taken surprised by her confused thoughts, 'What listen?'

'I don't remember...' Her thoughts finally went into slumber.

Meanwhile, Li Shun and Par-chan are traveling quietly via the secret passageway, carrying a large box.

"Are you sure Annalisa isn't here?" Par-chan inquired, a little cautiously. Should we do it while she isn't in her room and instead in the mansion?"

"Can you tell me when she last left the mansion?"

"When exactly did she ever leave the mansion?" Li Shun responded with a scoff, "It's fine." He shrugged, "I removed her room key when she put it away earlier. If we lock her door, she'll have to look for a spare. Mrs. Paris has the other spare keys. If Annalisa ever returns, she'll buy us some time."

"Well, let's double-check first before continuing," Par-chan grunted with the weight of the package. "We might lose our heads if we get caught because the butterflies aren't here."

"Yeah, let's double-check the perimeter," Li Shun agreed with a nod.

They halted in one of the passageway's doors and opened a box containing a weapon... a replica of the Aruka.

Before entering the door to Annalisa's room, Par-chan takes a look at the hole. She dashed inside and quickly locked all of the doors and windows, except the one leading to the hallway. "Clear." She stated.

Par-chan assisted Li Shun in bringing the fake Aruka inside. They quickly removed the original Aruka and replaced it with the phony. They put the actual Aruka in the passageway as soon as they replaced it, and they eliminated their tracks as Lulu instructed to them earlier.

All doors and windows are restored to how they were, and the door to the secret passageway is closed once more as if no one ever entered the chamber.

"Well, our mission is complete," Par-chan exhales heavily, her nervousness.

As he placed the Aruka in the box, Li Shun added, "We still need to hide the Aruka and bring back the key."

However, they had no idea that by touching the Aruka with their bare hands, their connection to Yuxi, Carla's butterfly, was instantly severed.

And Yuxi is well aware of the situation.

"The link is broken, master," Yuxi reported to Carla when they returned to Carla's space. "Should we hunt them?"

"It's okay," Carla said, kneeling on the pile of salt with her bare knees soaking in chilly water. "The mission has to work out. Go use Alicia's portal and put another link secretly at them again. Make sure you don't get caught."

"Yes, master," Yuxi said before disappearing into the grass.

"Carla, stay focused," Leila whispered as she meditated beside her, her eyes closed. "Feel the anguish,"

"Yes, mama,"

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KircheLeaf
Volume 2 The Divorce

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~ END of CHAPTER NINETY- SIX ~