Under the Veil of Night

Misae's House

"Pardon my intrusion," Laura said as she walked into the house.

Misae giggled when she saw Laura acting polite. "Don't be so uptight. You're my friend and also Kanae's sister. Just treat this place as your home."

"Thank you, Sis Misae?"

Misae nearly choked. "Just call me Misae. You're not that polite at school."

"Well, that's because we're classmates at school," Laura scratched her head. It would feel rather awkward if she had to call every classmate using 'sister' or 'brother.' This was the reason she didn't use honorifics when addressing them.

It was indeed more polite to use them, and the cultures in several countries required them to do that.* However, there were also other places that didn't bother with them at all. All in all, it would depend on the place they lived in.

Misae shook her head. "Don't bother using an honorific. I'm not that strict and our ages don't differ by that much either."

"It's nearly two years."

"…You're talking as if I'm old."

"No, I never did that," Laura immediately defended herself. The most forbidden topic to a woman was their age. No woman wanted to be called old. If she dared to say that, there was no doubt that she would get kicked out. If the one who said it was a boy, then she would just pray that the boy could get home safely.

Misae laughed. "Relax. By the way, do you want to drink something? My parents usually get home late."

"Well, maybe a glass of water is fine."

"Alright, I'll pour you one."

Laura followed Misae to the living room, and she looked around curiously. This was the first time she came here, and she had to admit that Misae's family has good taste. The room felt rather cozy and warm. She felt rather comfortable staying here.

"Here's the water," Misae walked into the living room with two glasses of water. "You can sit down. There's no need to stand up continuously."

"Thank you," Laura took the glass and sipped the water.

Misae leaned back on the chair. "I think this is the first time we talked to each other in a long time. You don't usually see your sister in the past."

Laura nodded her head. She only came home occasionally because she couldn't stand the Nali Family. Every time she met them, all she wanted to do was punch them in the face and bury them in the ground. Knowing that she didn't have a good temper, she chose to stay away from them by enrolling in school overseas.

It was not a bad experience over there, but she missed her sister very much. At first, she called Kanae almost every week and poured out all of her grievances and difficulties. As time passed by, she learned how to adapt to living alone in the dorm and didn't call as much because it was expensive. She didn't want to make her sister work too hard for her sake.

"I heard that you wanted to join this year's Student Council, Misae. Are you sure your grades are up to par?" Laura changed the topic.

Misae's face scrunched up badly. In truth, she already crammed for hours during the holiday to make sure that she gets a better score. If she doesn't, she wouldn't be able to get into the Student Council this year.

"I'll just study more."

Laura smiled bitterly. "Let me help you out. I've already learned most of the material."

"…Why do I have the feeling that the two of you are a pair of fearsome sisters?" Misae looked towards Laura enviously. She wanted to be able to learn that quickly.

Laura just smiled. She would never tell the other party that she crammed hard in the past just to be able to study more than one field. It even resulted in her having to wear glasses, which she already changed to contact lenses. However, she would never regret it. If it could help the two of them contend against the Nali Family, she would be more than willing.

"Let's review today's lesson first."

"Alright."

The two of them studied for hours before they rested. They prepared additional bedding for Laura since the girl was not used to sleeping on the sofa like Kanae. However, even when Misae already fell asleep, Laura didn't bother closing her eyes. She had a different intention in sleeping over today.

After making sure that Misae had fallen asleep, she sneaked out of the room and waited in the living room. It didn't take long for the front door to open and a middle-aged woman to walk in.

"Oh hello, are you a friend of Misae?" Clara asked with a smile on her face.

Laura quickly stood up. "Yes Ma'am. My name is Laura Nali, I'm Misae's friend and also Kanae's sister."

Hearing the surname of this girl caused Clara to frown. She put her bag aside before sitting in front of Laura. "I believe that you didn't come here just because you wanted to play with Misae, right?"

"Yes. I came here because I need your help."

Clara nodded her head. "I already talked with Kanae before about the matter of your inheritance. Because of the lack of evidence, there's no way you can take it back. However, I believe that you came here today because you now have the evidence."

Laura smiled. "I already retrieved the mansion's deed and obtained a written transfer agreement from Frank. Will this be enough to defend our claim the mansion when the time comes that they knock on our door?"

Clara took the file Laura had prepared and browsed through the content. She was rather amazed when she saw it because it meant that this pair of siblings managed to take back something from the Nali Family. Considering the massive family and its influence, she would never have imagined that they were successful even nearly three years after they lost it.

"Yes, this will be more than enough. With this, you'll be able to secure your claim to the mansion," Clara nodded her head with a smile.

Laura beamed. "Mrs. Clara, will you help us when the time comes?"

"Of course, if you need any help, don't hesitate to come here. I will surely help you out."

"Thank you very much," Laura was thankful that they managed to confirm their ownership of the mansion.

Clara nodded her head as she browsed the content of the contract closely. She had to make sure that the siblings didn't get cheated on.

Seeing the happy smile on Laura's face, she did feel a bit guilty. In the past, she only agreed to help Kanae in exchange for the girl's help in watching over Misae. However, when Kanae truly became Misae's best friend, she felt that she barely did anything for her. Since there was now a chance for her to help the sisters, she would do her best to make sure that they won.

Although she was already a professional, she went the extra mile in carefully reading the content of the documents. She took this far more seriously than what she did at work as she made sure that there weren't any problems. It took her several minutes to finish.

"The contract looks good. You can be rest assured in signing this. If the Nali Family files a charge against you and brings the case to court, I can represent you as your lawyer. I won't ask for any payment."

Laura was stunned. "You're really kind, Mrs. Clara."

Clara merely smiled. She was not that kind, and it was only that Kanae had practically saved Misae's life. Without Kanae, Misae wouldn't have been able to make friends. After all, it was her fault that Misae had to experience something so dreadful in the past. It was only right for her to repay this pair of siblings to the best of her abilities.

"Go to sleep. It's already late."

"Yes, good night."

As she watched Laura walk away, Clara sighed as she slumped back on her chair. She would not let anything happen to the siblings. Even if her opponent was the big Nali Family, she would not hesitate to help them.