Chapter 47 - The orphans and Rafiah

With morning arrive, I'm up early as usual, still not as early as Claude. Claude, even being a ghost can actually fall asleep albeit sleeping isn't necessary once you become a ghost. Strange, but if he said so

Since I'm task on watching and making the breakfast with them, I can relax for a bit more, since they still haven't woken up yet. As for Claude, he has start to clean the mansion. I guess a butler will always be a butler, even after one dead.

As the second morning yawn escape from my mouth, a scream can be heard upstairs. I can guess what's happening there, still, should just went there anyway

"Who, who are you!" [Elise]

"Sorry if I scared you" [Rafiah]

"Morning Elise, morning Rafiah" [Ash]

"Brother Ash, just who is this... wait a minute" [Elise]

Her scream actually woke the other as well, and now they slowly gather around, looking confused and drowsy at the same time. As for Elise, I bet he's thinking about 'that' thing,

"Is this what adults call as..." [Elise]

"Nope, you're wrong" [Ash]

"There's no such thing happening!" [Rafiah]

Thought so. Both of us quickly deny Elise bad guess (actually, wouldn't that be the logical guess here?). Rafiah keeps on saying "nothing happen" "nothing happen" multiple times, she really is quick to deny such thing. Plus, her reaction do make one want to tease her more. As for me, I deny it just because I don't want the younger group to learn about it. It's still to early fir them to learn about the adult dirty world

"Just clean yourself first, then we will start cooking" [Ash]

"Yes, we wil... Hmph!" [Elise]

"Ehh? Did something happen?" [Ash]

"Nothing!" [Elise]

"Hahaha..." [Kara]

(Bet it's because of the grilled cheese toast bread yesterday) [Rean]

(That lady, where did I met her?) [Zerolith]

Elise seems to be sulking for no apparent reason. Is she finally at her teenage age? Well, who knew. As for the other, they seem to know the reason, better ask them afterwards. Then, there's Zerolith, he has been staring hard at Rafiah for a while, not because of first love syndrome or something similar. I get the feeling that he actually have realized whom Rafiah is, or at least started to recognize her. With that said, they started to take their shower before moving into the usual morning routine

Well, it's not long until those task with cooking gather inside the kitchen. For today, how about some simple hamburger. It's easy to made and the kids sure love them especially Zerolith and Singa. Should make them more extravaganza, I wanted to please their stomach first, before dropping the bomb (the bomb being Rafiah wanting to apologize for her friend's behaviour back inside the dungeon). I wonder how will they react

At the dining table, Zerolith quickly gulp down the hamburger, gosh... he really is a quick eater

"Slow down a bit Zerolith, or else you will choke" [Ash]

"Wigtt (right)" [Zerolith]

"And don't talk when your mouth is full!" [Ash]

After breakfast is done, I ask them to wait for a moment, since I wanted to give Rafiah a chance to apologize. Before she started saying a word

"Have we met somewhere?" [Savel]

"You too Savel!" [Zerolith]

So not only Zerolith, but Savel also seems to realize something. The other are still confused by their statement, now then, how will Rafiah approach this situation

"I'm sorry, please allow me to apologize to all of you" [Rafiah]

"?" [Others]

"Rafiah, that won't do. You're only making them more confused" [Ash]

We might be around the same age, but gosh... I just realized that Rafiah is bad at communication, especially during an important situation. Still, this is one thing that she should tell those kids herself. Claude and I will only try to convince the kids to at least forgive her. I mean, sure those kids have the right not to, but it isn't Rafiah the one doing the firing back inside the dungeon, but instead one of her friends. Still, I'm sure it's just the same for the one on the receiving end, and I can't blame them for that.

As Rafiah is trying to think of a sentence to explain what's going on, Behe leaps onto Mara, asking for extra light mana, and that's when

"You, you're with them back inside the dungeon!" [Zerolith]

"By them you mean..." [Rean]

"Yeah, the one that try to kill us!" [Zerolith]

"It really is her!" [Savel]

Who would've thought that Behe leaping into someone can trigger back the memory. Well, we do meet Behe right after that incident, so I guess it's logical. Now then

"Rafiah, please explain it properly to them. You don't want them to have any sort of misunderstanding aren't you" [Ash]

"I will" [Rafiah]

"Explain? Explain what!" [Zerolith]

Zerolith sure is angry, can't blame him. Even Rean and Elise started to take more defensive role, as if trying to shield the other in case anything bad happen

"I'm sorry, I can't stop my friend back then, and almost got all of you kill" [Rafiah]

"If Brother Ash isn't there, we will be killed! Don't you realize that!" [Zerolith]

Rafiah simply nod. Zerolith on the other hand, keep on burning with hate and anger

"That's true, my friend back then only think of killing all of you, and I am powerless to stop them during that time. That's why, I have no excuse and only ask for your understanding, you don't even have to forgive me" [Rafiah]

"Nonsense, powerless? When you old follower are the one that causes it all in the first place!" [Zerolith]

"Zerolith..." [Elise]

"..." [Karon]

"..." [Farhah]

Rafiah once again become dead silence. She really couldn't find anything to reply. I should step in for now

"Now ther..." [Ash]

"Ash, can you please let me handle this alone? I'm the one responsible here and as such I would like to see it through the end myself" [Rafiah]

"If you said so" [Ash]

Even Claude who is trying to interfere alongside me just now fall back into silence. This is her request, and she probably won't get any forgiveness from them, but it's her wish, and as such, we would honour it

"Is there, anything that I can do?" [Rafiah]

"Do what? Even if you do something, people like you wouldn't understand how us, the non-human feels like. Being treated differently, being treated as someone from the devil clan itself! You will never understand that" [Zerolith]

"..." [Rafiah]

(Didn't understand the non-human huh...) [Ash]

"Calm down there Zerolith, at least listen to her first!" [Mara]

And now, Mara and Zerolith are at each other throats. Rean and Elise try to calm them both down, while Charlotte on a verge of crying before...

"!" [Ash]

"Sorry... sorry... sorry..." [Rafiah]

She suddenly took off her bracelet and revealed her true form. The angel and demon wing, as well as horn similar to Zerolith being revealed for them to see her true nature. Still...

"Sorry... sorry... sorry..." [Rafiah]

"Well, here's your bracelet back" [Ash]

Instead of giving it to her, It is better for me to put it on her by myself. Only after I put the bracelet back into her arm she stopped crying. Something similar happen yesterday when she took off the bracelet, I wonder what really happened to her

"..." [Zerolith]

Looks like they have calmed down, and Rafiah is in no position to talk. At least not yet. Between yesterday incident where she broke up with her old follower friends and today incident, it must have taken a toll on her mental health. I should just step in for now, didn't want to prolong this. Sigh... so much to just leave it to her just now

"Well, as you can see just now, Rafiah herself is part demon and part angel. I don't know why she have to wear the bracelet and hide her identity, and I can't even make a guess as to how she's traveling together with the old follower. But I do know one thing, and that's just like others, she have her own circumstances and right now, I have a feeling she's trying to change for the better. I won't ask you guys to forgive her, that's all up to you, but at least, please don't make it harder for her." [Ash]

As I have done talking, Rafiah still haven't stop crying and I don't have any idea as to how to stop her

"Big sis... Don't cry" [Charlotte]

Charlotte went to her and pat her back. She herself on verge of crying and yet, looks at her pure action. And that actually work! She sob less now. That's Charlotte for you!

"Guess I will just start my investigation tomorrow then" [Ash]

And now, they're making another confused face. Better explain fast