No matter how many times I look at our photo altogether in one single place, we really do like a picture-perfect family. So it's ironic how it looked somewhat pretentious, and I hate the fact that it doesn't mean anything to them, just as how it means so much to me.

And as the downpour came across the window of the veranda, I've realized how the day has been grieving relentlessly...

Yet, on my own, I walked straight to my grandparents' room to put some incense. It doesn't seem like the rain is going to stop soon. However, the house was left empty, the lights are off, and the windows are now closed. But this void blankness that was left inside stood still as it resembles a pitch black room that submerges everything when the sun finally meets the moon.

Every glimpse of this forsaken place that used to be called our home started fading, and in the blink of an eye, the sky was already dark.

"Auntie... Are you sleeping? Have you eaten yet?"

Inside this old worn down house lies two people living under the same roof, one of them was a seventeen-year-old high school student, which is me.

"Get lost, Vincent."

On the contrary, that other person was this old wench. Her name was Fidesse, the youngest daughter of my grandmother. She's probably around in her 30s now, but she's a bit trivial if you ask me. Everyone often calls her crazy for acting the way she acts now, but I still don't get why she's being like this.

"Auntie... It's been about a week after your mother passed away. I'm sure she'll appreciate it if you just... visit her own grave, just for once." I mumbled on the other side of the door.

Still, it gives me shivers whenever I heard her menacing laugh and monotonous replies, I can even hear her say it despite the loud rainfall. This has always been bothering me ever since I moved into this household. "I don't give a fuck about that witch."

"But she's your mother..."

Not in a single bit have I known anything about our family's past.

I... never knew a thing why everyone's been acting so hostile towards my late grandmother, who just died a week ago. Not even my mother nor my aunties came at her burial. They just paid off the remaining expenses and didn't say a single word, let alone shed a tear.

"I don't have a mother." She said.

I think it's also quite obvious how aunt Fidesse—no, not just her but all the Donovan's... have their own unwanted resentment towards grandmother.

It always makes me wonder why they hate her so much.

I can't even imagine my own grandmother, who showered me with love and attention, to be someone they called 'witch'. Just how much hatred do they have against her?

"I'll be leaving your dinner on the floor. Please, eat them." What I'm doing right now was simply pure courtesy. After all, she's still my aunt regardless of how she treats me, so I can't just leave her alone.

But for now, I'll be temporarily staying at this old house. I might just also decide to live here once I turn eighteen, since I can't handle living together with my parents. They weren't always at home to begin with. Plus, this house was grandma's home. I don't know if that makes me in the least prig. But regardless of that, I want to continue living my life at this almost seemingly lifeless house no matter how strange it is, because this was the only good memory that I have left with my grandmother. And to be honest, I've always felt bad for her. I'm sure she only wanted to do what's best for our family, yet I can't just figure out what's really the main cause of it... I want to know the reason behind their remorse.

"Excuse me? Is there anyone home?!"

Just then, I was upstairs when I heard the doorbell rang nonstop. I was a bit surprised when a visitor suddenly came. It wasn't a usual sight for me to see visitors after grandma passed away, that's why it made me flabbergasted.

When I went to see who that was, there were unfamiliar faces that I've never once seen before. "Oh, hello... How may I help you?"

"Is this the Donovan Household?" The young lady, who most likely to be on the same age as me, asked politely. I then nodded in response to her question, and she gave me a warm smile in return. "Good evening, mister. Sorry for the sudden intrusion. My brother and I came all the way here the moment we heard the news about grandma Cella... We sincerely apologize for what happened. We'd like to give our deep condolences." Her genuine reaction and apologetic face made me stun for a brief moment while she hands out a basket full of flowers.

In response, I grabbed them earnestly as I felt a bit moved from their presence. "Come on in first. It's already late, have you eaten dinner?"

"Not yet, actually. The two of us came from the city, and we got a bit lost along the way, so..." The guy behind that young lady who called herself 'Rubini' replied, he's probably her brother.

"Then stay here for the night, I'll prepare some dinner, so suit yourselves." I smiled as I welcome them inside. "Oh, what do they call it again... welcome to my humble abode."

It's true that I haven't met or seen them once before, but they look too defenseless to be a robber. At least, I'm certain that they weren't up to something shady.

"Mind if I turn on the lights?" Rubini tried gesturing the light switch.

Right... It became a habit of mine living without any lights on, so I forgot to turn them on when they came in. "Go ahead."

And after a few minutes of rushing myself to cook whatever it is in the kitchen, I finally made dinner that is good for three. Normally, I would cook only for my aunt and me. But since I haven't measured their sudden appearance, I have to cook another set of meal for them.

"Is sweet pork, curry, and beef steak enough? I'm sorry. I was in a rush, so I didn't actually know what to cook." It's slightly embarrassing...

"N-No! Don't sweat it! We're not picky with food. More than that, thank you so much for your hospitality."

"You were my grandma's visitors. It's only natural for me to welcome you in her house. Although, I have a lot of questions to ask, but I'll save that for later. Let's have dinner for now." Both of them must've agreed to my proposition without any second thought. Just by looking at them, you could already predict that they came from a very long trip.

Must be exhausting for them to travel through the north.

"By the way, are we relatives?"

It's been bugging me for a while now...

"Sad to say, we're not. Our relationship with Grandma Cella weren't anything blood related, but she used to take care of us when we were still little." Rubini's brother explained. It's not that surprising. Grandma has always been fond of kids. "I'm Red, by the way."

"Oh, i-it's a pleasure to meet you then... I'm Vincent. I'm grandma Cella's grandson." I tried not to stutter while introducing myself, but I still did. Damn, I can't help to not stutter whenever I talk to people I just met. "After we eat dinner, you could put some incense and pray for her tomb in the other room. You could also pay her grave a visit tomorrow, since it's already late."

I'm not very sure myself... but I've always been curious of almost everything that revolves around me. Someone could even use it against me and stab where I'm most weak. Yet, If I were to say how curiosity affects my daily life, it would sure be worth a thousand words.

And just like that, we all finished eating dinner. Everything ended pretty well, too, after those two give their prayers to my late grandmother. I'm also done preparing the mattress inside the guest room and was about to lead them there, when a curious question suddenly caught my attention, allowing me to pause.

"These girls on the painting beside the family photo... who were they?" Rubini's eyes were as much curious as I am.

The painting that she was talking about was the sacred painting of Madame Cella's three gorgeous daughters.

"That girl on the right was the first daughter of Madame Cellaria, Lady Lucille. She was my mother. The one on the left was the middle child, which is Lady Vaness. And the one sitting on the chair was Lady Fidesse, the youngest."

Looking at this painting made me curious to the bone. It's the younger versions of my grandmother's daughters... when they were still maidens over the vivid flower fields.

"They all look so gorgeous... Lady Lucile's bright smile, Lady Vaness's fierce grin, and the sweet charisma of Lady Fidesse... I've never seen a painting looks so powerful." Red was stunned and amazed from their enticing beauty, but those smiles... I have never once witnessed those before. It only existed on this wall painting, and that's what makes me curious about their past. A question that is so trivial, yet what in the world happened to those beautiful maidens that they started blaming their mother for almost every misfortune in their lives? "I wonder if they still smile like that."

"Yeah..." They're like an enigma that I can't solve. "I wonder, too."

To be continued...