Still, the Albert family, prestigious as they are, are slightly different from other wealthy families. They used to visit us when my parents were alive. Now, I only hang out occasionally with their son. The rest of the family visits every few years, usually staying in the library with Samir, barely paying attention to us. Their son is a year younger than me, but his intelligence is frightening. In a battle of wits, I doubt I could outsmart him. He broke the rule of rich families, and he is also compassionate, unlike most. I expect him to have a prosperous future.
I wandered through the mansion a bit and spotted the library door. My father always told me that this room could turn a fool into a genius—and a genius into a fool. I understood the first part now, but the idea of turning a genius into a fool still haunts me. My father let me read some of the lower shelves when I was ten and forbade the upper shelves. I was eager to explore them back then, but now, whenever I enter the room, I remember things I'd rather not. I no longer dwell on the past, so I have no interest in those books.
As for my parents, I can only describe them as extraordinary people. Both loved reading and knowledge, especially old fairy tales. My mother even used to create fictional stories about our family. She would tell me tales of one of our ancestors who was a king ruling the land and everything beneath it. I was always eager for her stories because her imagination was unique—I believed they were real. She even named me after that grandfather.
Thinking of them now brings tears to my eyes. I was told they were killed by bandits while returning from a trip. After spending a year away from me, all that remained of them was my baby sister, who was only one. Perhaps the bandits saw no use in killing an innocent child. Yes… it has been seven years since that incident.