"Do I really have to cut myself?" Trist whined, absolutely frightened by the knife Spirot had invocated, trying to flee the blade by all means.

"It's not like the contract will make you die, Trist." Einar sulked. "On the contrary of us." His eyes rolled.

Jade's contract's clauses were pretty clear.

If you tried to attack her, you died.
If you revealed any of her secrets, you died.
If you told about the contract, you— well, you see the pattern here.
But, as Trist wasn't a magician and consequently the least probable person to attack her, Jade had modified a little the clause.
If she did any of the previous violations, she'll forget everything. Everything, included her identity, her past, and things like that.

Still, there wasn't any good reason for her to reveal anything, Jade made sure of it.

"I told you," She glowered, crossing her legs and arms on the bench, "I won't negotiate this. Either take it or leave it."

"I take it." Almos smiled, grasping Trist's trembling palm to stop it from fleeing the blade. "It's not like you weren't doing anything on your side, your Highness."

Every contract is based on mutualism.
Jade had abolished her right to fire them. If they quit the castle, it'll only be their choice.

"Yes, nonetheless," Jadee shrugged, "this part doesn't need comments. It's the way it is."

To save my family and me from any attacks.
It was just a precaution, perhaps too significant one, but a precaution.

"Ouch!" Trist wailed, the steel shortly opening her skin.

"Finished." Hoenir, who had been the one to slice her skin, grinned like the doctors who hurt you to death but apparently healed your broken bone.

When she said she was a magician, the poor boy had done a heart attack, nearly falling and needing to sit beside her to escape this end.
Thankfully, apart from that, he just breathed and offered her the biggest smile, like the one her siblings offered when she did something good.
When they had one thing more in common, to share.

The paper of the contract was covered with little splashes of red when Jade laid her eyes on it.

Before she could glimpse more, light shone from the sheet, illuminating every inch around.

A shiver wandered her skin.
And the light faded away.

Enter a contract with your potential future killers and new servants?
Check.

●●●

"Service will start at eight, one hour before you usually do. I won't and will never ask you to follow me everywhere. I just desire your availability at any time of the day." She declared after bandaging Trist's hand, who couldn't stop staring at the thin cut on her hand like it was the deadliest bruise ever. "As for the others of the washhouse," she said, erasing the bandage in one thought, "inform them of their new post as soon as you can, ma'am Almos."

The lady shook her head. "Of course, your Imperial Highness. I could even arrange your meeting for tomorrow." Another perfect, elegant bow. "Nevertheless, could you please use my bare name? It feels weird from—"

"An imperial?" Jade cocked her head to the side with a snicker. "Then, if you call me Jade or Princess Jade, it's a deal. And it's valid for all of you." She shrugged as she stared at her recruits.

They nodded, as if it was a pure reflex.

"Good." She smiled, satisfaction lightening her heart. "That's all for today, you may take your leave."

"Now?" Shrieked Einar, whose eyes seemed close to fly out of their place from surprise.

"Yes, apart if you think you can help me calm the other princes and princesses of the Empire." It came out more like sigh than the sarcasm it should have been.

"Good luck with that, Princess Jade." Hoenir smirked, saying how amused he was by her suffering with the face, but, of course, only saying it as a whisper.

"I'll take it without the dubious meaning." Jade gave him his daily dose of side-eyeing, on which he chuckled. "See you tomorrow, everyone."

Almos, Einar, Trist, and Hoenir delicately curtseyed before turning away and disappearing into a bay.

Skin hugged by the Sun; Jade's light feeling grew again.

How to not be satisfied when you finally have peace after events that could give you PTSD?

The air warm, the shades everywhere, the luscious and luxurious greenery, perfect to relax and to forget every problem.
A book and dying would have been acceptable. (It's not the time to raise suicidal tendencies, Jade.)

A thud interrupted the silence.

Ugh, Jade didn't know what that sound was, but she already sensed another unpeaceful event.

"Finished with magic?"

She jolted on that.

He heard everything—the one who managed to annoy her in every situation.

"Yes." She sighed, already despaired by the discussion creeping up. "How long have you been here, Declan?"

Her fourth brother, at eighteen, was still as careless as he was before.
And still annoying as before.

"From the start." He pridefully shrugged. "I think you could have done better announcing you're a magician. 'Did I forgot to mention' was so cliché. Boring even."

"What are you here for?" She huffed to restrain her desires of hitting that irking, handsome (because the main characters couldn't have ugly children) face of his.

He shrugged—since it was the only thing he knew how to do. "Drawing." He shook his travel sketchpad. "The girls you brought were pretty."

"Disgusting."

"I prefer the term of live referencing, thank you." He bobbed his head, still so proud with his clear hair and golden pupils, the tone too sufficient.

Revived Jade's desire to hit every inch of his body. "Yeah, anything you say, perv."

Nevertheless of that growing irritation, she needed his help.

If her father had let a random person be arrested just after deposition, it meant they had nothing solid to suspect anyone.
They maybe had tried to interrogate Vilma, but she couldn't give them anything since Jade blinded her, and as she had the best idea to go on an undercover right after the murder, they didn't have any reliable witnesses.

A photofit was the best way to solve the case faster, and an unreliable one was the worst thing she could give her father.

And Declan was an artist.

"Could you help me with something?" She sniffed, hoping to remain confident.

"How much do you offer?" Her older brother asked by cocking his head.

Jade's eyes rolled. "Seriously?"

He boobed once again.

"I offer all the plates of Fårikål when there will be to eat till my death." Jade sighed as she sat back on the bench.

He crossed his arms. "You never eat with us since you always do it before the rest of us. So it's already like you give this to me."

Jade bit her lips to not jump at his throat and just murder him. Annoying people remained annoying even for a person of a century old.

"How about buttons?" Declan placed with an arrogant look she would have peeled of his face.

As there wasn't Christmas and gifts for anniversaries weren't the norm, their mother found the button system.

If one of them drew, learned, or did any activities that could be considered enriching for general knowledge, they would receive a button, which they could later exchange for something else they wanted, each button equaling one Menløs.

Even if the elders didn't quite do it anymore, Declan seemed happy to rob Jade from her preciously earned buttons.
Translation, he was just doing what older brothers do, and it was annoying. More annoying than himself.

"I've been saving for a long time. Your buttons would just help me reach the number I need." A devilish smile painted his lips, his tone finally alive with slyness.

"And you promise to do what I ask you?"

"Yes."

"Pinky promise?"

"..."

Pinky promises ruled siblings' world.
That's a rule Xander had made and that each of them swore to follow.

"You know you're a complete asshole if you don't." She rose one of her brows.

"Pinky promise." He sighed, finally handing his pinky.

"Great." A grin at last bent her lips as she grasped his finger. "Have you heard of photofit pictures?"

●●●

Perfect.

The picture was perfectly alike what she saw that night.

A boy, with protruding cheekbone, smiled, all long, pointy teeth out, black curly hair here and there on his forehead of a deep brown chocolate tint.
And blue eyes—godddamn frigid blue eyes.

These oscillated between gorgeous and frightening.
Jade would have gone for the second option, seeing what happened at night.

But she had also saw him before.

The night she had met up with Spirot. The man who was in the corridor.
It was him, all along.
A fricking magician-stalker who was none other than her future killer.

Yet, she had to act normally and not run to the nearest toilet to vomit.

"Satisfied?" Declan barked, violently abandoning his pen on the bench as he leaned.

"Yes." She mumbled, her eyes unfazed. "It's perfect." She offered the empty word.

He suddenly whirled back to her. "Going to pass it to your friends or going to fantasize on it?"

She jerked at the disgusting supposition. "I already told you what it was for. And I'm ten, Declan. Fantasizing is kind of out of reach."

"Prefer to ask." He shrugged with his habitual indifference. "The new generation is messed up."

"You are just old now." Jade attacked, even if he wasn't—or at least nothing compared to her ninety-three years old.

"Thankfully, since I wouldn't have survived another year at the Academy." Her older brother slumped with relief.

Scholarship was common for nobility, and as every good world-building has a big school, that was the Academy's role.

Jade's mother being an adult character for the totality of the main story; the Academy wasn't such a focal point.
But the sequel's heroine traumatic past there was a focal point of the story.
Oh, and three of your siblings being forced to go there was a focal point of Jade's story.

You know the part where Jade's mother said, 'Blossom in whatever you want.'

It was valid only till her fourteenth birthday.

Dominating society couldn't be done in one day, and gleaming in a place every noble child will see was the best way to slowly climb the social scale.

So, as soon as they turned fourteen, shiou, to the Academy.

"I wonder if I'll even survive a year." Jade hardly mouthed, stress gripping her throat as always when she thought of that.

"I wish you do because only one of us can kill you." His brother's emotionless tone took the lead. "As a sibling, I have the most honest reason for your murder."

"Which is?" She asked with a faltering pride.

"You're a part of my family."

It surprised Jade he didn't add a 'duh'.

"Haha, real funny." Her hands wanted to grasp his throat and never let go. "I would have more reason to beat you to death. Plus, I don't think any of the others would help you to kill me." She busted her chest out. "They like me very much."

"It's always what murdered people think." His eyes became serious.

Which Jade ignored. "Of course. Thanks for the drawing." She snarled, pulling it out of his hand.

"Wait," he yanked back at it, "you forgot about your due, or what?"

Yeah, buttons.

The rate of eye-rolling went always up when he was around. "No, I obviously didn't forget. Follow me." She strode through the bay to the east hallway.

"What did you exactly do the past four days?" Her brother asked, catching up with the same blazing speed she used to traverse the corridors. "Choosing servant wasn't that long, right?"

Telling you I was unfairly jailed before being kidnapped and slayed my kidnappers without knowing how? No, I don't think I'll tell you that.

"None of your business." Jade aggressively waved off with her hand.

His brows met each other. "It is when my siblings prepare funeral flowers."

With the bit of anger in his voice, she pondered if he was serious or not.
"Wait," she shot him an awe gaze, "really?"

"YEAH, JADE." He unbelievably snapped. "Four days out of the house for a ten-year-old is weird. If you were Ben or Xander's age, it could go alright; but even if you're theoretically intelligent with all the books you devour, you're still a kid."

If they knew I'm ninety-three years old mentally, they'd lose their mind.

"Harlow had even started to do small flowers in origami to honor your memory." He signed, shifting on his other leg as they had stop in their blazing walk.

"Harlow would have done that even if I wasn't dead." She chuckled.

"Perhaps," he shook his head as if he chased away bad thoughts, "but she was fearing your death." He stated like it resumed the situation. "By the way, did you inform them? She could still be doing those flowers."

"No, I-I didn't." She could hear her siblings loud wails in her head.

"Oh." Sounded panicked enough for Jade to do the very same.

"R-right, we're doing a detour." She stammered, spinning on her heels.

"So you can forget about my buttons?" He caught her shoulders and placed her like before. "I don't think so." His glower spiked her skin.

"Yes, Sir." She huffed, knowing that, as soon as she'll finish that, she'll have to sprint and dissolve any remain of worry in the house.

"Jade?"

Another familiar voice. And a liked one this time.

Calista, in all beauty with her turquoise dress, was wearing her most frightened expression.

"Calis!" Jade mentally thanked God for this arrival with a big smile and an enthusiastic wave. "How are you—"

"WHERE WERE YOU AGAIN?" Calista monopolized her shoulders, shaking them like palm trees. "WE GOT SO WORRIED WHEN YOU DIDN'T COME TO WEDNESDAY'S DINNER."

Yes, anger and fear. Jade was getting showered by that lately.

"Uhm, let's say I was elsewhere." She babbled, placing a soothing hand on her sister's tensed arms.

"Elsewhere where?" She snarled, sending the same shivers only their father managed in Jade.

"She was observing servants to choose the best ones." Declan threw like an accusation, even giving a pointed index to top it.

She sighed so loud the words were barely audible. "My Gaila, you're crazy, Jade."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment." A vein on her forehead popped.

"And I have what we call self-derision, Calis." Jade took this time a more serious tone, yet the smile still carved in her lips.

"And what are you doing here?" Her eyes spun to Declan as if she saw him for the first time. Or, at least, she glared at him for the first time.

"Just enjoying my summer." He innocently grinned—remarkable thing from him.

"He was eyeing up my servants, and he wants to rob me from my buttons." Jade started to rap.

"You—" He just had the time to seethe.

"YOU." Calista's fist met his shoulder. "ARE." Her elbow, his ribs. "THE." Her heel, his toes. "WORST." Her hit on his head seemed to echo. "I wonder when you'll finally grow up because you're eighteen and it's really annoying you still act as a horny, uneducated teenager and—"

Her older sister was like Declan's second mother and she could continue till her death once she commenced.

No, but, seriously, till her death.

The only way Jade knew to stop Calis was their mom, and she was at the other bank of the Bottle Sea.
So it was the perfect timing to escape Declan.

Jade slowly slid towards the closest bay as he curled up with pain under Calista's well-served hits.

"I'll kill you." He sputtered under his breath, the voice too hoarse for Calis to hear.

"Not if she slaughters you first." A wink bent one of Jade's eyes as she glided away.