Esme's POV
'He's one of them. Go with him. Write to me the moment you're settled, Esme. It's been an honor to raise you these thirteen years.'
Three days after I met a brother, I had felt his energy on everything Denim used. Did he taunt me with her absence so I had no choice but to reach out to them? Show-offs.
The note uncle gave me before leaving for a Bakers' Retreat sat on the counter and I just read it for the third time. One of them, huh? Why couldn't the one who came be, maybe, the sin of Gluttony. They were the seven ridiculous sins of the living, so a sin of Gluttony could have brought a stash of snacks with him.
"Was it the sin of Stupid that came to meet me that day?" I clicked my tongue, rereading the letter again. I narrowed my eyes at the 'thirteen years' as if someone said it out loud. If uncle only raised me for thirteen years, but I was already nineteen, where's my memory of my first six years?
Did I live with my parents during those years? Why did it never cross my mind? I sighed, shaking my head. That'd be a conversation I'd have with my Uncle later. I wasn't ready for more revelations at this point.
Evening came, and I received the 'feather of invitation' that will lead me to the Sins' abode for my 'ritual'.
I preferred it this way as I wouldn't need to be pressured to stand besides beautiful immortals. Those brothers were anything but horned dreadful creatures from hell as I speculated.
"Would you float and I follow slowly? It'd be better if you were an animal. I could easily lose sight of something so small…" I trailed off when the light pink feather morphed ever so gracefully to a pink butterfly with patterns very similar to the intricate design in Denim's blue eyes.
I stared for a moment, lingering in the sour memory of my cat, before shaking it off and moving ahead. "Since you've wings, I'd start moving and let you catch up." Of course, I threw away the reasonable suggestion of following it slowly when I remembered my princess had been a spy from those brothers.
"This one could even have a way to watch me." I hissed.
We walked for barely seven minutes before I noticed we subtly moved places. There's no way there's such a hot area inside the forest around my village. I glanced at the butterfly and huffed. It must have the presence of one of them to be able to morph on command, and teleport us, but this one seemed quite obedient.
"This should be it."
A castle shrouded in fog and poisonous smoke, having bodies scattered around its thirty feet steel wall that no one dared cross — the 'Haven of Sins'— according to my Uncle's stories... yet...
I stood before a mansion spanning three plots of land and doubled the Baron's house in height, painted with white and pale pink ribbon patterns. Crystals, implanted on the walls, blinding my eyes. Silver droplets hanging on the trees in its courtyard and a reddish liquid, perhaps wine, flowing at its fountains.
Oh. Goddess. Did they customize it for the new Mistress? "I've gotten quite the customized gifts lately." Though this didn't surely cost them a fortune with how many silver rings that brother had on.
"Do you like it?" A voice came from the butterfly beside me. Unfamiliar but friendly and… childish. I had been right about the butterfly being an extension of one of them.
"You couldn't even show your face to me." I put up a front even if I wasn't offended or surprised. "What an insolent way to greet your new Mistress. Or should I turn back?"
Actually, I had been second guessing if I locked the bakery before strolling out.
"You wouldn't mind after what the last one said? I'm sensible though, but I assumed you'd rather not see our faces."
At least he had more words to say. Not an eventful first meeting but I liked how he was easier to talk to. I smiled, sliding down the valley way to reach the enthusiastically designed building.
"Don't worry. The last one did one thing right by not showing me his face before making such a bland joke." I looked up to see the butterfly was gone. "You can come to me." It was hilarious how we both referred to his brother as the 'last one'.
I heard him chuckle, it echoed from the forest I walked out from. "I'm happy you are upset with him. We can bully him together."
That was definitely a child's voice. "I should have teleported when you left your house, Mistress, but I assumed you'd not mind walking. The forest is temperate."
"Oh well. It is also thoughtful of you to teleport without my notice, to avoid scaring me. Unlike a certain someone." I spoke as he came to view.
He had the appearance of a child, though oddly pale. His curly long hair was held in a clean bun with butterfly pins. He wore a red nightgown, and held a tiger's teddy, smiling brightly like a child would. "It wasn't my idea but my father's. I'm happy you like it."
He scampered forward and lightly jumped down the valley I slid on. He dropped like a feather, his hair falling a second after him. He looked so delicate up close, resembling a young noble girl.
I waited till he stood besides me, reaching at my hip, then looked at me with piercing gray eyes. "Should we go?"
My eyes stayed on the tiger's teddy cradled possessively in his hands. It had a similarity with Denim. "Yes, we should."
My hand reached for his unconsciously but he held it before I drew it back. That made me smile. Despite whatever he was, children always felt so innocent to me.
We arrived inside the Haven and I became alert when the huge diamond-engraved gates closed behind me. Uncle assured me they would never harm me but my own senses were at the verge of going off.
"Possibly because they are more powerful than I could imagine and could kill me with a snap."
"Hmm?" He tilted his head.
I smirked. "You heard me. Don't play dumb. Your Mistress is wary about you and your brothers."
"My uncles and I would never purposely harm you. Even the last one's words were merely a line he picked from a nobleman who assured him those would make a young lady's heart flutter. His dull brain forgot the young lady he'd be inviting could squash him with a thought and his stuffy bed would be the last thing on her mind."
I blinked, absorbing all the words he spat with much contempt that I stepped away from him. His uncles. He corrected me on that. Perhaps his father had mated with a noble lady. This family's dynamics would be so interesting to observe.
"I see. I appreciate the effort in informing me." I said simply. It's not like I wouldn't see everything for myself soon. "Where are they?" I stared at the empty dark hall.
"All of you, come out!"