As Leyla did her best to calm Kirstie, Kiba was bewildered.
"Why would she say created instead of born?"
He wondered while looking at crying Kirstie, hoping for an answer. Alas, she was still blaming herself for spoiling Zed’s and Rebecca’s relationship. She wasn’t in the state to think about anything else.
"Young miss, please stop," Leyla ran her fingers through Kirstie’s hair. "This isn’t good for your health."
But Kirstie didn’t stop.
Kiba shook his head in pity.
Since her world was restricted to the room and occasional visits to the garden, her mentality wasn’t strong enough to cope with her fears and guilt, even if they were unfounded.
"Rebecca might have kept her here to protect her, but what good is it when it can’t protect her from her own thoughts?"
Kiba sighed. He knew he couldn’t fault Rebecca either. She must be obviously aware of her daughter’s fears, but she could do nothing given the conditions.
Sighing again, Kiba drew a chair near the bed and glanced at his half-sister.
He didn’t know why she blamed herself for whatever happened to him, as she didn’t even exist until he turned four or five. But whatever her reason, he has no interest in being the source for her grief.
After all, he has arrived here to spread happiness. Flame King and his wife could attest to it.
Even Kirstie’s father – Kurtis – would agree. At least he hoped so...
"Kirstie," Kiba called her out. "You misunderstood something here."
Startled, Kirstie turned to him, her eyes filled with tears.
He stared into those teary eyes, the gold in his eyes cutting through them like rays of sunlight.
"I don’t know about your family, much less your family issues," Kiba pointed to the two frames on the shelf. "But from what little you said, I’m pretty sure you don’t know that opposite of love is not hatred."
"It isn’t?" She asked with child-like innocence.
"Yes," Kiba replied. "The opposite of love is indifference."
"!!!!"
Kirstie’s breath paused, and her tears evaporated, replaced with a spark of enlightenment.
"Furthermore, we all have one life... one life alone," Kiba continued. "Why waste it on crying for someone else, no matter how much that person means to you?"
"I..." Kirstie didn’t know how to answer.
Kiba made a grasping motion, and telekinetic force surged out, grabbing the frame of Zed. He placed it before Kirstie.
"Looking at his picture, I’m pretty sure this half-brother of yours isn’t wasting his life by thinking about how bad his past was.
"He has moved on, and most likely enjoying his life to the fullest, doing everything he has always wanted."
Kirstie was startled, both by the realization of how wrong she was and the tone of Kiba. He seemed sure, almost like he knew it, just like he knew his own life.
"So let me ask you this," Kiba’s voice turned stern. "Are you going to spend your life crying while your brother lives his to the fullest?"
"N-no!" Kirstie answered though somewhat hesitantly.
"That’s good to hear," Kiba smiled and took her pale hand between his. "Because only losers waste their time in self-pity and guilt. And I’m sure you aren’t a loser. Or are you?"
Kirstie vehemently shook her head.
She wasn’t a loser!
And from now on, she wouldn’t waste a minute of her life by grieving for what was!
She leaned up and rested her back on the headboard to look outside the window.
Birds were chirping on the trees, petals were floating in the air, and the arrival of spring was evident.
She broke into a smile. The world seemed more wonderful now.
On the side, Leyla was dumbstruck.
It wasn’t like Lady Rebecca, or others hadn’t tried to ease her guilt, but they never succeeded in cutting the roots. So from time to time, the young miss would lose her cheerfulness when the roots grew up back into tentacles of guilt.
But now, they were cut off from the roots... She was free now, at least mentally.
Physically it was a different matter.
✼✼✼
Kirstie continued to stare outside the window. Kiba didn’t want to disturb her, so he let her hand rest between his.
This close contact increased his cosmic perception, making it possible to see through her origin source. Usually, he wouldn’t check the origin source of anyone. Still, seeing her condition, he became curious enough to examine her body.
"This...!"
His eyes constricted, and his expression changed.
Deep in her genes, cells that seemed to have jaws were clamping on her protein fibers.
"Genetic Degradation Cells!"
Kiba muttered in disbelief.
Years ago, just before Goten Whiteskins’ death, he learned his genetic inheritance was incomplete. That meant he couldn’t use the abilities he inherited from his father, at least not entirely.
So he researched how genetic inheritance could be tampered with. After all, destruction can be only be undone after understanding how it occurred in the first place.
And this lead him to a method used by beings of the Celestial Elsyian Plane.
Genetic Degradation Cells.
Refined from the blood of those called Great Titans, they could be used to cut off genetic sequences and even harm the inheritance. In a way, their functioning was a bit similar to the nanites used by the revolutionaries.
"Bloody vultures!" Kiba struggled to control his rising anger. "It must be done by someone in the family!"
He wasn’t able to get his hands on Genetic Degradation Cells, so he couldn’t undo the damage inside him. And now, when he least expected it, he found it within Kirstie.
This irked him.
While he has no love for her, there was no hatred either.
So he didn’t enjoy her misery, certainly not when it contributed to the pitiful state she was in.
"What’s wrong?" Kirstie turned to him, confused.
"Nothing," Kiba’s expression returned to normal. "Just that I have to take my leave, and I wish I didn’t have to."
"Ah!" Kirstie exclaimed. She then thought of something and turned to Leyla.
"Quick! Ask him for his phone number!"
"W-why?" Leyla stammered.
"Isn’t it obvious?" Kirstie was disappointed by her maid’s stupidity. "It is to save you money!
"If you have his number, you won’t need to buy those men’s magazines ever again! You can call him and ogle him all you want!
"Maybe even get him shirtless like in those magazines!"
Leyla: "......................"
Kiba: "........................."
"Well, don’t you worry," Kiba said as he rose. "I will make sure she saves all her money."
Leyla: ".........................."
"Thanks!" Kirstie beamed at him. "You are a gentleman!"
"Of course," Kiba nodded and disappeared in a puff of golden smoke.
"I got you a good deal, didn’t I?" Kirstie enquired.
Leyla: "................."
★★★★★
Not so far away, Kirstie’s brother, Steve, and his fiancée, Constance Eleanor, walked through the long corridor.
Steve eyed his fiancée with concern.
A few hours ago, they learned legendary Dr. NTR, who rocked the world, was here. So they went to meet him along with Kurtis. But before the introduction could complete, Constance suffered a "backlash" that forced her to shut herself in the washroom.
"Are you really fine now?" Steve asked.
"Y-yes," Constance answered, her eyes darting here and there nervously. Lying was beneath her as a pureblood aristocrat, but she was doing it now, which made her embarrassed.
But there was nothing she could do. After all, she couldn’t tell her fiancé it wasn’t backlash hit her... Not without revealing the embarrassing act she performed in the washroom.
"It was all his fault!"
Constance thought of those hypnotic half-golden eyes belonging to the legendary doctor.
Swoosh~!
Just as she thought of the eyes, they appeared before her, startling her. She stumbled back, but Kiba, ever the gentleman, quickly stepped forward to help her.
"I apologize for startling you, my lady."
Kiba slipped a hand behind her back to hold her.
"But I was passing by and thought we should complete what we started."
"S-started?" Constance felt a chill racing down her spine.
"The introduction," Kiba said as if it was apparent.
"Ah...yes," Constance replied and stood straight. "I’m fine now, thank you."
Kiba pulled his hand back and turned to Steve.
The latter was both shocked and offended by Kiba’s sudden arrival and his actions of offering his fiancée support.
Still, he did his best to be calm.
After all, Kiba has done nothing wrong, even though he hated the brief physical contact he made with his fiancée.
"You must be Steve," Kiba started with a smile. "It is nice to meet you."
"Same," Steve extended his arm and shook Kiba’s hand. "We have heard a lot about you."
"Good stuff, I hope," Kiba said.
"Yes," Steve replied.
He was now relieved. The doctor seemed to be a nice fellow.
Kiba then turned to Constance.
"Constance, I assume," Kiba smiled gently. "From the House of Eleanor."
Constance nodded.
Steve looked at her, and she gasped as she realized what he was conveying to her.
She has forgotten basic etiquette!
She held her hand out with the palm facing downward. Kiba grasped it and bowed down to kiss her knuckles.
"Forgive me if it sounds inappropriate," Kiba said as he straightened up. "But your hand smells really nice, like the purest of lilies and roses combined with the best of spices."
"!!!" Constance flinched.
Her hand, specifically her fingers, has been bathed by the most sacred scent of her body.
She didn’t realize the scent still lingered and that it would be kissed by Kiba!
"I have taken a liking to this wonderful scent and wish to smell it from the source," Kiba continued politely. "So, if you don’t mind, can you tell me the name of the scent?"