The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (19 page)

           
"The spare room in my parent’s house. They agreed for you to stay here until your
parents come home." Kazuki replied then stood up again and turned his back to Iliana.
"Yuki is downstairs with them now. It is late, rest... we have school tomorrow."

Kazuki made his way to the bedroom door.

           
"Kazuki."

           
Iliana called out his name just before he turned the door knob but she did not know
the reason why or even what to say to him. Iliana tried to quickly come up with something
to say but nothing came to mind. Seconds in silence, it was Kazuki who spoke out with his
back still turned.

           
"I am sorry."

Bemused to what he was apologising for, Iliana asked.

           
"What for?"

           
"Back then when you needed help the most... I-I was not able to protect you."
Kazuki replied in a low voice... it was almost a whisper.

Touched by his comment, Iliana bit her lower lip as a cheeky smile crept the corner of her
lips then said...

           
"I can look after myself... and just like what you said to me when we first met at
Beach Cove... you are not my babysitter."

           
"Things have changed since that day, in many ways." Kazuki said staring at the door
in front of him before opening it and then shutting it behind him.

           
‘Yeah... everything has changed a lot since that day.’
Iliana said to herself out loud,
unaware that Kazuki heard her from the other side of the door.

           
Very early the next morning Iliana sneaked into the shower room before anyone else
in the household stirred. When she tried to sneak back into the bedroom a female figure
suddenly appeared on the top step of the stairs and caused Iliana to yelp like a frightened
dog.

           
"I am so sorry... I did not mean to scare you like that!" The woman said in a low
voice then quickly turned on the light switch on the wall in front of her.

           
"It is okay... I just... did not expect anyone to be up." Iliana said her heart beat
slowing down after a few deep breaths. "Woo!... That is one
way to make sure someone is
fully awake."

The middle aged lady smiled, her light green eyes twinkling. She was only a few inches
taller than Iliana. Her chestnut coloured hair was tied back into a loose ponytail and strands
of her hair was left astray either side of her face, as if she had been jogging. Considering
how early it was, she was already properly dressed for the day. She wore denim pedal
pushers and a white long sleeved laced blouse and was holding a pile of clothes in her
hands.

           
A door at the end of the corridor swung open, with only his grey pyjama bottom on
Kazuki charged out topless. Iliana’s eyes widened as she yelped again and near enough
dived behind the woman, clinging onto the towel that wrapped round half of her body.
Having nothing to hide his upper half with Kazuki just crossed his arms in front of him. A
bashful look splashed across his face.

           
"Kazuki... did I not tell you not to walk around topless when we have visitors?" The
woman cried out making sure she was covering Iliana.

           
"I heard a yelping sound... something you do not usually hear at half past five in the
morning... so I thought something happened... I did not have the time to think of how I
looked Mother!" Kazuki retaliated.

Iliana raised her head a little looking at the back of the woman’s head.

           
‘She is Kazuki’s Mother?’
Iliana thought to herself.

           
"Is everything alright up there?... I heard a lot of yelping noises!" Shouted a male’s
voice from the next floor down.

           
"Do not worry Darling... I have everything under control!" Kazuki’s Mother yelled
back down then turned to Kazuki. "Kazuki... back to your room... please."

           
"I cannot even walk around at home in ease." Kazuki grumbled.

           
Unable to stop herself Iliana peeked over Kazuki’s Mother’s shoulder and caught
him just turning round. He had a very fit and strong physique with an abdomen of a
gladiator. Before Kazuki walked into his room he turned round and when his eyes met
Iliana’s, he grinned before slamming the door shut. Iliana’s heart almost jumped out of her
chest.

           
"I am so very sorry my dear... this household is not usually this boisterous at this
time of the morning." Kazuki’s Mother explained turning round and facing her. "Here... I
hope you do not mind. Jung found your house keys and phone in his car and gave it to me.
So I went to your house and picked up your school uniform for you... and your school bag
is in the kitchen."

Iliana took the clothes from her and smiled but before she could thank her Kazuki’s Mother
added.

           
"I promise I did not steal anything from your house... I am not a thief."

Iliana’s smile quickly faded.

           
"Such a thing did not even cross my mind." Iliana replied a little offended that
someone could accuse her of thinking something like that. "Why do you say that?"

           
"It is what most people here think of me... They only see me as a pauper who stole
the heart of a rich man and only loves him for his money. They also believe I steal from
others... I do not know why... I have never stolen anything in my life... Even after seventeen
years in marriage with Oscar, they still all hate me." She answered forcing a small smile
when she looked at Iliana.

Although her smile did not reach up to her eyes. It almost gave Iliana a lump in her throat.

           
"You need not worry of my opinions of you. Even though I have only just met you,
my first thoughts of you are pure kindness, and I hope I get the chance to get to know you
more." Iliana said shifting the clothes onto one hand and then laying the other on Kazuki’s
Mother’s shoulder.

           
Kazuki’s Mother stared at Iliana in awe of her comment, her eyes filled up and
before the tears could roll down her face she told Iliana to dress and quickly ran down the
stairs.

           
As Iliana helped to lay out the table for breakfast she noticed a large painting which
hung in between the multi panelled windows. It looked like Beach Cove, however it
seemed very different. Instead of rows of expensive looking yachts harboured on one side
like it is at present, there were half a dozen fishing boats. Men were painted hoarding
masses of nets onto the boat with hundreds of fishes tangled within it.

           
"Is that Beach Cove?" Iliana asked Mrs. Williams as she appeared from the kitchen
with a tray of orange juices in four glasses.

           
"Oh... yes, a long time ago." Mrs. Williams replied laying the tray down onto the
round oak table.

She gazed at the oil painting with a sad expression for a moment until two men and Yuki
walked into the small dining room. Yuki immediately trotted over to Iliana who bent down
and hugged her.

           
"Good morning Yuki." Iliana said as she scratched under Yuki’s chin. "How is my
girl?"

           
"I took her out with me on my morning run... I hope you do not mind."

Iliana looked up at the man who spoke and could not help but gasp out loudly. The man
looked like Kazuki’s clone, but thirty odd years older. He was a little taller than Kazuki
with a few streaks of grey either side of his head just above his ears. He had the same blue
sapphire eyes that were so entrancing.

           
"Whoa!... Are you two brothers?" Iliana asked standing up.

The men chuckled and Kazuki rolled his eyes but a smile crept up at the corner of his lips.

           
"No... I am the Father... but I am glad you think I look younger than I am, even with
the greys that seem to multiply day by day." The man responded swiping a hand over the
side of his head.

His voice was deep and rounded with a Cambridge accent.

           
"You are funny Iliana." Mrs. Williams tittered.

           
"I would not say funny, more like airheaded!" Kazuki remarked pulling up a chair
and sitting on it.

Iliana threw him a sarcastic smile and narrowed her eyes. But she could now see where
Kazuki got his good looks from.

           
"Oscar, honey... you had better shower and get change. You said yesterday that you
had be at the yacht harbour early today." Mrs. Williams said before dashing into the
kitchen.

           
"You work at the yacht harbour?" Iliana questioned as Mr. Williams reached out for
a glass of orange juice.

           
"Father owns Beach Cove." Kazuki quickly announced.

           
"Really?"

           
"Beach Cove has been owned by the Williams’s for years... A family treasure." Mr.
Williams added before sipping from the glass, but the same sad expression that Mrs.
Williams had, flashed in his eyes. "Anyway... I better get out of this running gear and
hopefully be down before you two go to school."

           
When Mr. Williams disappeared out of the dining room with the glass of orange
juice still in his hand Mrs. Williams re-appeared with two plates full of fried sausages and a
wide smile on her face. Iliana gasped and Yuki barked, her bushy white tail wagging
excitedly.

           
"A little birdy told me you and especially Yuki loves sausages." Mrs. Williams
chirped happily.

Iliana glanced over to Kazuki who quickly picked up the paper covering his face.

           
‘He remembered.’
Iliana thought to herself beaming from ear to ear.

           
Making their way to school together Iliana massaged her stomach as she started to
feel a little nauseated.

           
"I think I had eaten one too many sausages." She grumbled.

           
"More like twenty too many... I have never seen anyone eat so much!" Kazuki said.
"Even Yuki struggled to keep up with you... I am surprised both of you are not fatter than
you are!"

Iliana narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a sarcastic smile.

           
"Though, I must thank your Mother again for her hospitality. Both your parents are
most kind." Then adding in mockery. "Completely opposite to you."

           
"Why?... Because I am not ‘gentlemanly’ enough for you?" Kazuki threw back
raising his eyebrows as he looked down at her.

           
"Ha!... Throwing back my words now are you?" Iliana questioned, a little surprised
that he remembered that time when they first met.

When their eye’s met both of them laughed and looked away. This was the first time they
had a conversation where they could laugh at their squabbles. Iliana thought this could be
the right time to ask him a question that brewed in her mind over breakfast.

           
"Actually... I would like to ask you... why is it both of your parents are very English
yet, they have named you with an oriental name?... Japanese I believe."

           
"Wow!... Getting to the personal questions now are we?" Kazuki said with a tone of
sarcasm.

           
"Just asking out of curiosity!" Iliana remarked in the same tone and now wished she
had not bothered to ask. "You do not have to answer the question if you do not wish to."

After five minutes walking in silence Kazuki sighed in reluctance.

             "My Mother have always had a fascination with the Far Eastern part of the world,
even way before I was born. Father said she was ecstatic when she found out that way up in
the family tree an ancestor of her’s married a Japanese nobleman. Apparently, in those days
it was unheard of... for a Westerner to marry someone from that part of the world and vice
versa. In result of it all, they both lost their name and fortune. The Japanese nobleman’s
name was Kazuki." He explained, his eyes wondering the streets.

           
"Oh... so your misfortunes kind of runs in the family then?" Iliana carelessly
remarked.

Kazuki stopped walking and looked at Iliana in disgust.

           
"Yeah... thanks for that!" He snapped before quickening his pace and walking ahead
of her.

           
"Ah... Kazuki... wait!" Iliana cried out after realising what she had said sounded
offensive.

When she finally caught up with him she apologetically said.