8. Let Me Stay By Your Side

I inhaled slowly and was a bit nervous as I squeezed my hand.

A warm hand is placed over mine as I glance at Grandpa. "Relax," he says and reaches to touch my face. "You will ruin your makeup."

I softly giggle. "It's normal for me to be nervous, Grandpa. After all, it's been a while since people have seen my face."

His hand over mine clenched. "Alice, whoever tried to kill you five years ago, let me handle this case."

I closed my eyes and then opened them. I know Cornelius was furious to learn about the assassination attempt. I'm glad he wants to track down the villain who killed me, but he doesn't know what the killer is, none other than his other granddaughter.

If Grandpa knew his blood was the culprit, family punishment would be more severe than servants. The rule in this family is never to hurt any family members, including death.

Rebecca knew the rules, yet she still killed this Alice.

But now I've taken over this body. Once she sees her older half-sister alive and well, it will freak her out. Rebecca has the death pass, but because she planned my assassination, she will still get the punishment.

"Ready, Rabbit?"

Grandpa snapped me out of my thoughts as I smiled at him. "I'm ready," I glanced over to Zane, who smiled brightly.

I looked good at the emerald green around his neck and still questioned why Cornelius gave him such a precious gift.

I should ask him later. For now, I will present myself before Grandpa's friends and my family.

"Okay," Grandpa smiles and steps forward to the two doors. He nodded at a male servant as he inhaled once the two large doors opened.

"Ladies and gentlemen, extinguish guest. I present the protagonist for this evening's event. The Honorable Knight of Whitheld and Head of the Rozen family, Cornelius Edward Von Rozen."

As loud as the servant announced, Grandpa stepped through the doors, and immediately sounds of applauding filled the whole estate. Even it reached my ears from here.

Grandpa will start his speech before introducing me. The nerves rushed all over my body as I took a hiatus.

I always have these nerves when I sing in front of people.

When I book, I sing at social events, clubs, or even on the streets. I sing to earn money.

Singing was easy when I took a shower or somewhere far away from people's ears. I know I have a beautiful voice and people tell me when I perform on the streets. But on stage, I get nervous. But as I start to sing, I release my nerves and sing to my heart's content.

The thought of singing has never left my mind. Before being reborn, I gave up my singing career to help David's business. I even had to sell my mother's guitar to gain extra cash. It was the hardest decision to part with something that belonged to her.

David never supported my singing career and told me it was a waste of time. But when it comes to Rebecca, who shared the same dream, he fully supports her.

And because of David, my little sister became famous while I wiped tables and clean dishes.

Thinking of that memory from my past life made me fume with anger.

"Your grandfather has such a strong aura," Zayn says as he steps next to me as I calm down.

"He is respected who fought many wars during his younger years, and even at that age, he can still take on anyone," I praised and explained Cornelius' reputation as the Tyrant Black Knight of Whitheld.

"You and he share that aura. I guess you can say not only for your beauty I adore but also your strong aura," Zayn smiles as he says, making me blush.

I clear my throat and ruffle his hair. "You sure are a sweet talker for a boy."

Zayn grabbed my hand and stood over me, standing over six feet.

He has grown taller too.

I remembered he was shorter than me when I first met him, but after five years, he has grown taller than I have to crane my neck to look up at him.

"I'm not a boy anymore," Zayn's eyes gaze into my eyes, and I can feel how serious he was.

Of course, I know he's not a boy anymore. He's turning eighteen next month. He will be an adult, and once he reaches that age, he will look for a mate.

Once a beast man reaches a mature age, they will search for a mate to spend the rest of their life together and start a new chapter.

Someday, Zayn will leave me after he turns eighteen.

I'm happy to be his guardian, but why does my heart feel tight?

I shake that assured condition and smile up at him. I reach to cup his face. "I know. I know you're not a boy anymore. Next month is your birthday. I've asked you what you want for five years, and you always give me the same answer. Since you are turning eighteen, is there a particular gift you want? I can get you anything you want?"

For five years, Zayn has never asked me anything on his birthday. He would receive gifts from Sven, Prisca, and the others. Even I give him gifts, anything he likes. Zayn was thankful, but none of them ever made him truly happy.

I always thought he missed home and would like me to look for his family, but Zayn ignored that conversation.

Whenever that topic popped up, Zayn would dodge mentioning his family, which made him sad.

After becoming part of my castle and turning him into my butler, Zayn would be quiet when talking or mentioning his family.

Zayn would like to be alone and isolate himself from everyone.

I would look for him and thought Zayn would be in his room or on the training grounds. He was nowhere in sites. Then I found him in the library reading, but his focus was not on the book in his hands. But his attention was through the window.

His eyes were so pitiful it breaks my heart that I've taken him in instead of returning to his family.

But that night, I rescued him. I told him to go home, but he begged me to take him in. I remembered him crying and pleading not to wish to return to go home because he claimed he had no home.

I vividly remembered how scared he was. I didn't want to take a teen beast, but he persevered in serving me. Sven and Prisca were there to witness such a scene. So, I took in young Zayn as my life changed.

Those five years with him were memorable, and I will cherish them always as his guardian. I treated him like a younger brother, but because beast people have enhanced growth spurt, he isn't my adorable little brother anymore.

Before me is a man.

His drastically changing into a man had somewhat changed my perspective of him and our master-and-servant relationship.

Zayn takes my hand and kisses the top. "I don't need anything, Lady Alice."

He looks up at me, revealing his beautiful golden eyes with gentleness. "Just let me stay by your side."

My heart thumped, and my throat went dry.

Zayn says those words coming from his lips have made my mind in chaos and stomach fluttering.

I couldn't say a single word because I was stunned.

Zayn said the exact words that night five years ago as a child begging for his life to survive. But the way he said it now makes my whole body stop moving, but the only beating is my heart.