Valerian Empire

Music Recommendation: Rimani - Mattia Cupelli

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Little Josie sat in front of the mirror with a towel that was spread around her neck. Her mother, Lady Katherine, stood behind her, combing her uneven hair cut by her brother a few minutes ago.

"Really now. I told you to stay put and not to go outside," Katherine mildly scolded her daughter, where the little one now sat with both her hands on her lap while blinking her eyes.

"But, mama, there was a rabbit outside," came the small voice of the girl.

Katherine smiled at her daughter's innocent words. She brought the scissor before starting to trim Josie' hair even so that they didn't look jagged. The long hair had now turned shoulder length. "You should have asked your brother. I am sure he wouldn't mind bringing the rabbit to you."

"I didn't want to bother him," Josie looked down at her hands, playing with her fingers.

"Did he tell you were a bother?" asked Katherine, and Josie shook her head. "Then you assumed it wrong, sweetheart. I am sure he would be more than happy to help you. After all, you are his little sweet sister."

"I am sweet," replied Josie, and it made Katherine smile. She bent down and kissed her daughter's cheek.

"Come now, let's get you into the bath," knowing her daughter, Katherine was sure that Josie had gone to every nook and corner of the castle and garden where dust and mud was present. She took her daughter to the bathtub.

"Mama?" called Josie.

"Hm?" asked Katherine, who was washing Josie's hair.

"Are Levi and the others coming tomorrow?" she asked about the friends she had made.

"They will be coming. We have invited the Lords as well as the Duke along with their families. Your father said the Carmichael's family should be here by tonight. The Rune's, Quinn's and the others will be joining us tomorrow," replied Katherine.

Hearing this, little Josie's face turned brighter than the sun with a wide smile before she started coughing because the soap went inside her eyes and mouth.

The next day, when morning arrived, her parents were the first ones to come to her room and wish her birthday to be followed by her elder brother Evan.

"You have grown one year older now, and even more prettier," praised her father, and Josie beamed in a smile for being called pretty. Her mother hugged her, wishing her before kissing both her cheeks.

"Such a simpleton," murmured her brother. He then bent down and brought his gift to her, "Hope had gone looking for him before finding him sitting alone, and they had decided to come down. Her hand held his hand, and the other held on to the pendant he had gifted her a few minutes ago.

you use it well until it fades," he said to her. Google search 𝗳𝔯𝒆e𝘸𝗲𝗯𝓷𝗼𝘃𝘦l. 𝒄o𝓂

Josie quickly unwrapped the little gift, "It is a hairpin! I love it," she brought it close to her chest in excitement. "Thank you, brother Evan," and she hugged her brother, who patted her head.

Guests slowly started to arrive at the Delcrov mansion to celebrate Lord Alexander Delcrov and Lady Katherine Delcrov's daughter's sixth birthday.

The cake was cut, and Josie later found herself walking next to Vincent, son of Nicholas Rune. She had gone looking for him before finding him sitting alone, and they had decided to come down. Her hand held his hand, and the other held on to the pendant he had gifted her a few minutes ago.

They walked away from the busy hall where the celebration was still taking place, as Vincent knew that Josie liked the quieter corridors of the mansion than the crowded ones.

"You said you would come and visit one year ago," complained Josie.

"Four months ago," corrected Vincent and Josie nodded her head.

"Same. Did you forget me?" asked the little girl.

Because of the age gap between her brother and her, she didn't have many children of her own age to be friends within or around the castle. The people whom she had found to be dear lived in the East land while she lived in the West land, in Valeria.

Vincent smiled at Josie, "You are a hard person to forget. Nobody can forget you."

"I know," murmured Josie. "Uncle Damien said that too. I wanted to visit, but mama and papa are busy."

"I understand that," said the boy, while Josie swung their hand back and forth playfully. "Right now, I am completing my studies. One day in the future, you will not have to travel and I will come to see you myself. How about that?"

Josie gave it a thought with her eyebrows furrowing before nodding her head, "Study fast," she urged him.

And Vincent chuckled, "What do you plan to do after that?"

"I don't know," whispered Josie, who hadn't thought about it too far.

Turning to the side, she noticed the shadow of the creature that slowly moved on the wall, and she quickly stepped closer to the boy.

"Don't be afraid of it," said Vincent to her. "He would never harm you."

Josie looked at Vincent with her big eyes and then back at the shadow creature that had stopped moving when they had stopped walking.

"Why does it follow you?" she curiously asked him in a whisper.

"He's a gift from my father. Consider him like a personal pet, who belongs to me," explained Vincent, and Josie didn't understand how a shadow could be a pet. "Here, why don't you both get acquainted with each other."

When the shadow-like creature started to take a visible form, Josie quickly walked around to hide behind Vincent's leg. The creature stepped forward. Josie slowly peeked from behind Vincent, noticing the ragged robes of Vincent's pet that was old and torn.

Her eyebrows drew together, and she said, "Your pet needs a bath and new clothes."

Vincent looked at Josie in amusement. For a person who was scared of the creature a few seconds ago, the little girl had something to say about its attire.

"Josie meet Narcissus, Narcissus, you know Josie," the tone Vincent used with the ghoul was different compared to the gentle and polite tone he had used with the little girl.

The creature slowly bent down to meet the girl's height, and as it bent, it made a creaking sound as if twigs were being snapped. Josie watched the creature bring its boney hands towards her, spreading into a half-open palm.

When Vincent gave her a nod, Josie slowly put her hand in it and heard it make a gurgling sound.

"What did he say?" Josie asked, with her heart beating fast.

Vincent's lips twitched, and he said, "He said you are small."