Big Brother Likes Watching You Fight

The atmosphere at dinner was strange, yet harmonious.

Sarah and John were clearly very satisfied with this "new" big family.

Sarah kept putting food on Esther's and Emma's plates, fussing over them with concern, completely immersed in the bliss of overflowing motherly love.

John smiled from the side and occasionally cracked a few corny jokes in an attempt to liven things up, though the results were less than ideal.

At the dinner table, the three "little girls" performed flawlessly.

Esther behaved elegantly and spoke appropriately. Every word carried respect for her elders and caution toward her new surroundings, making her look exactly like a well-brought-up, obedient daughter.

Emma made full use of her doll-like appearance, thanking them in a sweet voice while her big eyes blinked innocently, so pure it seemed as though water could drip from them. She easily won John and Sarah's affection.

As the "older" little sister of the household, Lily displayed just the right amount of introversion and shyness around the new arrivals. She spent most of the meal with her head lowered, only answering quietly when her parents spoke to her. Occasionally, she looked up at Edward as if confirming her master's instructions.

Only Edward knew how turbulent the undercurrents beneath this peaceful dinner table truly were.

Esther and Emma appeared to be interacting with their parents, but neither ever took her peripheral vision off the other or Lily. Like two venomous snakes entering the same territory, they were assessing each other's strength and threat level.

Lily, meanwhile, was like a fierce beast pretending to sleep. She seemed docile, but she took in everyone's reactions, especially those two newly arrived "toys."

"All right, children, are you full?" Sarah wiped her mouth with a napkin, a satisfied smile on her face. "Edward, take your sisters to play. Your father and I need to clean up."

"Sure." Edward put down his utensils and stood.

The three girls' gazes instantly focused on him.

"Lily, come with me for a moment." Edward called her out directly.

Lily immediately nodded obediently and hopped down from her chair.

At the same time, a nearly imperceptible flicker of thought crossed Esther's and Emma's faces.

Clearly, in this household, the relationship between Edward, the older brother, and Lily, the younger sister, was anything but ordinary.

Edward took Lily upstairs and entered her pink princess room, filled with dolls and lace.

He casually shut the door, cutting off everything outside.

In the room, Lily, who had been as docile as a cat just seconds earlier, instantly changed expression.

That demonic, sinister aura returned to her. She looked at Edward, curled her lips, and revealed a faintly ingratiating smile.

"Master, what are your orders?"

"I only have tomorrow left to rest, but I need to go out." Edward got straight to the point. He walked to Lily's desk, picked up a unicorn ornament, and played with it casually. "Mom and Dad also need to go to the police station to handle the aftermath of Emma and Esther's situation. So tomorrow during the day, only you three will be home."

Lily's eyes immediately lit up with the excitement of a hunter catching the scent of blood.

"You mean..."

"You know what I mean." Edward set down the ornament, turned around, and looked down at her. "Those two aren't easy to deal with, especially Esther. An adult soul lives inside her body.

"The other one may be small, but she has more schemes than a beehive. You can 'play' with them and let them understand who the real 'little sister' of this household is."

Having received permission from the "warden," Lily could no longer suppress the wild joy in her heart. She planted both hands on her hips, raised her head, and let out her signature villainous laugh.

"Hehehehehe..."

Smack!

Edward's palm landed precisely on the back of Lily's head. It was not hard, but it was enough to interrupt her performance.

"Jesus."

"Ah! What is it, Master?" Lily immediately stopped laughing, covered her head, and looked at him pitifully.

"How many times have I told you not to laugh like that? It sounds awful, like a chicken with its neck being stepped on." Edward complained with a look of disgust.

"Oh..." Lily pouted.

"Remember, don't go too far." Edward gave his final warning. "Don't leave anything behind that I'll need to clean up when I get back, like corpses or severed limbs. They're troublesome to deal with. Just make them afraid and let them learn the rules here."

"I know my limits!" Lily immediately puffed out her little chest and promised solemnly.

Of course she knew her limits. Her master meant that as long as she did not kill anyone, she could play however she wanted.

Edward nodded in satisfaction and left Lily's room. He needed to go back, take a shower, and get a good night's sleep. He had important business to handle tomorrow.

As for the impending palace intrigue at home, he would treat it as a little entertainment for his boring life.

He returned to his room, took a hot shower, washed away the dust and exhaustion from his body, then threw himself onto the soft bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

At the same time, the atmosphere in another guest room that had been hastily prepared had dropped to freezing point.

Sarah and John had deliberately arranged for the two new girls to share a room so they could feel the warmth of a family.

The room was large, with two single beds separated by a bedside table.

Esther wore a silk nightgown Sarah had found for her and sat on the edge of the bed, slowly combing her two signature braids.

Her movements were gentle and patient, as if she were carrying out some sort of ritual.

On the other bed, Emma hugged her teddy bear and lay on her side, her innocent blue eyes staring unblinkingly at Esther's back.

The room was very quiet, with only the soft rustling of the comb passing through hair.

"Little Sister Emma, aren't you sleeping?" Esther did not turn around, but her voice rang clearly through the room with a hint of an older sister's concern.

"I'm thinking about something." Emma's voice was still crisp and pleasant, like wind chimes.

"Children shouldn't think too much. It's bad for their health." Esther put down the comb and turned around, a gentle smile on her face. "The people in this family are all very nice, especially Mom and Dad. They'll take good care of us."

She deliberately stressed the words "Mom and Dad," as if claiming some sort of right of belonging.

Emma sat up with the teddy bear in her arms. She tilted her head, and her golden curls slid down, making her look incredibly adorable. "But they aren't our mom and dad.

"My mom and dad are already dead."

When she stated that fact, her tone was completely calm, as if she were merely saying that the weather was nice today.

Esther's smile stiffened for an instant.

This little girl was harder to deal with than she had imagined. Her seemingly innocent words were like a small knife, precisely piercing the illusion of "family" Esther had tried to create.

"I'm sorry, Emma." Esther quickly adjusted her expression, sympathy appearing on her face. "What you went through was terrible.

"From now on, I'll take care of you like a real older sister."

As she spoke, she got off the bed and tried to sit beside Emma, intending to show off their "deep sisterly bond."

However, Emma spoke first.

"Big Sister Esther, why are there marks from restraints on your wrists?" Emma pointed at Esther's wrist. Though it was covered by the sleeve of her nightgown, faint marks could still be seen. They had been left behind from the psychiatric hospital.

Esther froze and instinctively pulled her hand back, hiding it behind her.

"It's nothing. I hurt myself by accident." Her voice remained gentle, but a trace of coldness had entered it.

"Is that so?" Emma still wore that innocent expression. "I once read in a book that disobedient patients in psychiatric hospitals get tied up. Big Sister, have you been to a psychiatric hospital?"

The air completely froze at that moment.

The smile finally vanished from Esther's face. Looking at the blonde, blue-eyed doll before her, she felt a bone-deep chill for the first time.

This eight-year-old girl did not understand nothing. She was probing, provoking, and saying the most vicious things through the most innocent appearance.

"Where did you read such messy books?" Esther's voice turned cold, carrying the scrutiny and pressure unique to an adult. "Children shouldn't be reading that kind of thing."

"I have a very good memory." Emma did not answer the question. She tightened her grip on the teddy bear. "My aunt said having too good a memory wasn't a good thing. You remember too many things you shouldn't.

"For example, I remember how my father died. I remember how the nanny fell down the stairs. I also remember why the teacher was 'accidentally' electrocuted."

With every sentence she spoke, Esther's expression grew uglier.

This was no longer a hint. It was a naked threat. Emma was telling her: I'm not some survivor. I am the disaster itself.

The two "girls" in the room—one an adult psychiatric patient pretending to be nine, the other a sociopathic killer pretending to be an innocent child—finally tore off the first layer of their disguises.

They were engaging in their first confrontation with a language only they could understand.

Esther sat back down on her bed. She no longer pretended to be a gentle older sister, instead examining Emma with a cold, appraising gaze.

"What do you want?" Esther asked.

"I'll take what I want myself." Emma lay back down with her teddy bear in her arms, pulled the blanket over herself, and left only her eyes exposed. "Just like my medal. Whoever stands in my way will have bad luck."

After saying that, she closed her eyes as if she had truly fallen asleep.

Esther sat in the darkness for a long time without moving.

She felt that she had not arrived at a warm haven, but had instead stumbled into another, stranger and more dangerous cage.

That mysterious older brother, that seemingly introverted younger sister who instinctively made her uneasy, and the little demon in front of her who had exposed her own identity...

Things seemed to be getting more and more interesting.