Four years ago~

Before ceremonial of Ava contraction of the spirit.

"Sis, am I doing it correctly?" A young kid is asking for advice from his older sister.

"Yes, but don't probe me these kinds of question. When I was your age, I've done it without anyone helping me out so try doing it yourself." Ava smug at her brother while she continues to read her book.

"Brother stop talking to her, that's the hundred times I've heard her say it. She's like an old lady" His brother Chris immediately interrupt his conversation with his older sister.

"Eeehhh... Before dissing me, how about completing your test with full marks?" Ava smile sarcastically while covering her mouth with the palm of her hand.

"Tch, show off. Come on brother. It's time for our sword fighting training." After cleaning up their mess, he drags his twin brother to their next lesson.

"Pardon us sister. We take our leave." Thomas gives a slight bow to his sister, Ava.

"Hmm, go, don't disturb me." Ava waves her hand to shoo her brother out from the door.

"Brother! Come on!" Chris glares at his overbearing sister as he continues to drag his brother out of the room.

As both of them are walking towards the field for their next lesson, Thomas decided to inquire the reason why his twin brother Chris doesn't favor their sister well.

"Brother, why are you so rude to our sister?"

"You've got to be stupid, no nevermind I take that back, I fail my test, not you. Anyway! With that character of hers, you think anyone would be her friends?"

"I am not sure, to be honest, but if I'm fine with it so will them."

"Who's them? Parties after parties I didn't even see anyone continues to interact with her. That arrogant bitch, I hope someday she learns not to look down on someone."

"Brother! Please don't use that word on our sister!"

"My bad. You don't have to shout brother."

Thomas turns his head towards his sister room while thinking;

'Dear sister, you look lovely today as well. Mum likes you too. She wants me and my sister to be happy together, possibly bears a son.'

Thomas went on with his daily routine and training and most importantly his visit to his lovingly dear sister of his. He feels that his sister doesn't mean on the words that she said.

Possibly there's a reason to why she was doing it, but he doesn't mind as he accepts everything of who she is.

As a young child, he can understand things that other people do not. Reading, writing, and learning are easy for him, but his teachers usually compared him to his sister.

He didn't mind as he feels proud to have a genius sister that he admires. He's glad that he is not the only person that is different from others.

Unfortunately, his moments of happiness goes down the drain when one day his mother brings grave news to him.

"Thomas, my dear son. Please listen up."

"Yes, mother. Did something happen? Why do father look so down?"

"Nothing's the matter son, but things change now. You do not have to be close to your sister anymore. Don't get close to her, and she is a bad lady even the spirits doesn't want her."

"Did my sister did something? What happen?"

"You do not have to worry son but remember you don't have to follow my words any longer. I'm stupid to think that she's a prodigy."

"B-but mum..."

"Thomas! Listen! I will get someone lovely for you to marry, aren't you happy? Hmm, how about Sophia Hagen? She will be perfect for you, son."

"...... O-Okay mum."

"And stop calling me mum when you're in public, you will ruin our family reputation."

"S-Sorry mother."

"Now go to your room, remember to stay away from your sister. She's a disgrace to our family name. Your father will hopefully give her away to someone useless to suit her being."

".... Y-Yes mother." No matter how much he wanted to object his mother words but he knows that nothing will change.

Thus that night Thomas cries his lungs out to sleep. He couldn't bear to let go of his first love: his sister, the person he knows best as he practically been spending time and staring at her for many months now.

Days pass and Thomas secretly visit his sister that wouldn't open up the door for him even though he tried his best to comfort her.

The week after, he is summoned to his mother room.

"Thomas, what did I tell you?"

"..."

"Answer me, Thomas! Why did you visit that witch!?"

"But mother, she's is my sister..."

"You're disobeying my words now? Fine, pack your bags, I've told your father to send you to a boarding school. Tomorrow there will be a carriage for you. Study well. I will visit you often son."

"What?"

"You heard me? Now go! Oh, remember about our talk about Sophia Hagen? Your father has already talked to the king about your marriage. He says it depends on your ceremony. I'm sure son, spirits will love you."

"..." Thomas feels powerless as he could not be able to be by his sister side when she needs the most. Studying in the boarding school will take a total of two years. Two years, not seeing his family, especially his sister Ava. He, himself, cannot be sure that he can handle it.

Surely, he is not allowed to be back home during the vacation and will be upmost recommended by the boarding school to stay as the journey back will not be as safe.

He does not know if he can see his sister after this and secretly went to see his sister one last time. Upon telling her that it might be his last day to see her, the door slowly opens with the voice 'Come in.'

It is the moment that he is unable to forget. His sister complexion looks miserable, and the room is in a mess. Sitting near the window, Ava is looking out on the horizon. She seems to be hoping for someone to save her.

Clenching his fist and gritting his teeth he closes the door behind him and approaches Ava. Using his knowledge of manipulation taught by his mother, he tries his best to bring her to his side. Thomas embraces Ava as she cries her lungs out while he unconsciously smiles to his relief thinking that he has successfully brought her by his side.

That very night he swears to himself to show what he makes off so that the boarding school has no excuse to make him stay there for two years.

~ A year and three months had passed.

'I'm back Ava.'

During his stay in the boarding school, he only receives two letters — his mother and surprisingly his brother Chris.

His mother continues to update him on his possible candidate to be the groom of Sophia Hagen which he comes to know that she is four years older than his sister. Thomas doesn't favor the situation at all. Why does a seventeen-year-old lady still hasn't been sent for marriage? What is she waiting for?

High chance that either the king doesn't want her to get married to someone useless or Sophia Hagen have a choice on her marriage partner. Nevertheless, Thomas didn't stop to think about it as he has his future right in this house. Ava Philip, the woman that will be by his side till death.

The second letter consists of Chris complaining about his sister on how she continues to bully the servant despite her not having any contract of spirits. He also let out a secret that their younger sister, Mia Philip that is currently living out in a different house so that Mia will not know of her sister existence.

As of himself, he successfully performs his commitment to showing what he is worth and was able to complete his study far beyond what others have expected. Hence he was released early. To his excitement, Thomas immediately packs his belonging and rent a carriage back to his household.

~

"Sis, I'm back."

"T-Thomas is that you?"

"Yes."

The door is open in an exaggerated way with Ava holding the doorknob. Ava then embraces Thomas while sniffling on his shirt.

"I miss you, Thomas, did you get my letter?"

"..... Y-You sent one?"

"One? I gave out about a total of thirty letters. Y-You... You didn't receive any did you?"

Thomas slowly shakes his head. Ava didn't realize, Thomas feels unbelievably beatific upon hearing that she sent letters to him but turns heartbroken at the fact that he has no idea where all of the messages had gone.

"I knew it, and they lied about you. I had my guess, so it's right that they tried to keep me out from anyone within the family."

"What did they say... Who's they?"

"The servants, they want me to stop sending these letters because they inform me that you instruct them to do so."

"... It's fine, sis. I'm back, and they cannot do anything drastic anymore." Thomas unconsciously clenches his fists behind his back. He continues his conversation with his dear sister as they have a lot to catch up.

Thomas meets up with the rest of his family members, but except for Ava and Mia, he greyed out his memories of meeting them. Mia is being taken care of by Ava mother, Sarah Philip. She seems like a lovely lady until he brings up the topic of Ava, why they didn't want Ava to see her little sister?

"Forgive me, Thomas. It's late now, and I've got things to do, please leave." Sarah shows an indifferent expression as she leads him out of the house.

After he got kicked out of the house, Thomas starts shaking his head as there's practically no one that is an ally of his sister. He needs to do something and fast, but he is only a nine-year-old boy, what can he do?

Once again, he feels powerless even though he manages to get back to the household. Hence, he promises himself to learn everything he can to protect Ava. The only problem is the cost of not be able to visit his sister often.

Years passed...

Everything seems to be going along fine till his father brings up the topic of marriage for Ava. Thomas has forgotten that once a lady is sixteen years old, it is mandatory for them to get married. If delayed most of the groom wouldn't want them anymore but it does not apply to him at all.

Thomas brings up the topic of canceling Ava marriage till his father become suspicious of it.

"Thomas, I know you are worried about your sister, but Nigel is a great person, I know him myself, and he wouldn't hurt or embarrassed Ava at all. Most importantly, he knows about Ava situation and still does not mind of marrying her."

'Isn't that suspicious? What will he get from marrying her?' These are some of the questions that appeared inside his thoughts when his father explains the actual situation at hand, but for Thomas, it is not about the character of the person, why not give Ava to him?

Again and again, he tells Ava that he failed to cancel her marriage. In this realm, there's no such thing as engagement, once agreed they would immediately find a date to proceed with the wedding. Besides, the marriage ceremony that will be done would change their lives. It is also the reason why only a few people have more than one wife as only the first wife can get a share of their husband spirits.

He guessed the reason to why his mother previously wanted to force him on Ava before anyone else as it is only the first contractor would get the spirit. The idea being, getting pregnant with the child of the man will force Harry to investigate and once he does, to avoid ruining his reputation he would make both of them marry each other as it is not rare for families to have children marrying one another.

A few days later he receives two separate messages from his instructor while he is out training. Firstly his sister is ambush along their journey back from her future husband house. He wasn't told much and only know that she manages to come back safely. He wants to stop his training right away to go back to his sister but is stop and convinced by his instructor that he can go back to his household tomorrow morning.

He regretted following the words of his instructor, as when morning comes, he receives the next information that Ava was manipulated and kidnapped by someone strong enough to avoid any detection from the guards nearby.

The instructor apologizes to him for convincing him to stay, but Thomas blames himself for not once again being there for his sister. He rushed back to realize that his father is absent and his house is full of soldiers protecting his mother and his brother Chris.

Thomas entered his sister room which everyone avoids and sees a letter place on her table.

'

Greetings,

my dear brother Thomas,

I believe you have heard of my absence. You do not have to worry, and I hope you can get a strong spirit to protect and be with you in this life. Time is of the essence as I am writing this letter to inform you that I am safe and had found an ally to help me out from the danger that I am currently.

Brother, I accidentally entangle into something that I shouldn't know about, and it followed me home. Stay with father as I believe he will protect you with all he got.

Last but not least, I am fortunate to say that I can use magic power now. It's kind of late, but I will grow into a huge butterfly until Chris takes back his words, hahaha.

P.S Take of yourself, Thomas,

See you later.

Sincerely,

Your lovely sister, Ava.

'

Staring at his first and possibly the last letter to receive from Ava, tears unconsciously flow down from his eyes. He visits his mother to find out that his father absence is because of the village to the south, someone has decimated Roukitz village.

'Is he saving his reputation once again?' Thomas slowly gets a hint of his father true nature.

Visiting his brother Chris that appears to be very happy that Ava is missing but is much distressed to know that the village was massacred.

"......R-Rika..." Chris is depressed while he continues to repeat the name. Thomas didn't look too into it and take his leave.

'Five more days till the ceremony.' Thomas is forced to wait five more days before he can get his contract spirit which will help him a lot to overcome his obstacles.