"...Natalie.."
"Yes."
"...Do you believe in reincarnation..?"
"...Reincarnation.. is it..?" Natalie was taken aback by the question but she answered the question right away.
"..It depends. I may believe it.. I may not believe it."
"That answer really sounds like you.." Audelia muttered in annoyance as she threw scowling gaze at Natalie.
"So? Did you reincarnate, young miss?" Natalie asked.
Audelia nodded with sigh. She started telling Natalie about her past as Audelia not as Kaguya Yamamoto. Audelia told Natalie how she used to be so in love with the crown prince, how she used to be a malicious and wicked woman, how her actions caused Natalie's death and the war between Grand Duchy and Rozenkrentz Kingdom, how she ended up getting executed because of it.
Natalie listened to it without giving any reaction and after Audelia finished, she didn't say anything for a while. Audelia who saw that, slightly grimaced.
"As expected, you don't believe it, do you?" A
"Ah.. No, I believe it." Natalie replied came fast, "So that is the reason behind your behavior these days."
"My behavior?" Audelia tilted her head in confusion.
"I am sure you don't realize it, Ojousama but your behavior is rather mature for a 6 years old girl. Moreover you have changed since that morning when you stared at yourself in the mirror narcissistically."
"No.. wait.. why do you mean by--" Audelia awkwardly trying to make an excuse.
"You said you used to be taller."
"Yes, that's--"
"You said you used to have beautiful, curvy body."
"Um.. right, that's why listen--"
"You said you used to have that SEXY AURA that makes men serve you."
"Okay, I get it! So stop it already!!" Audelia finally shouted loudly and pointed at Natalie who used the expression of a certain robo maid in anime where the MC using a smartphone. Even her tone was the same!!
"More over stop emphasizing the word 'Sexy Aura' with that cold and indifference tone and expression of yours!!"
"My apologies, I am just a Demon-who-looks-like-Natalie after all." Natalie retorted stoically.
"You are holding a grudge over those words, aren't you?" Audelia asked as she stared at Natalie with flat expression on her face.
'More over, you even remembered the words I just said casually!'
"Oh my, surely you jest, Oujosama. There is no way I can hold a grudge over such silly matter~" Natalie replied with a saccharine smile on her face.
'Liar!!'
'You DEFINITELY are!!'
"Moving on to the discussion.." Natalie returned to the subject of reincarnation.
'Really now?!'
'You're moving on just like that?!'
"Because you don't want the same thing happens again, that is why you are staying away from the royal family?"
"Yes. I plan to atone my sins in this life." Audelia said, a sad smile slightly formed on her beautiful face as she gazed at the view behind the window. The sun could be seen as it slowly sunk, coloring the sky with orange and red color.
"Oujosama.."
Audelia turned her gaze back at Natalie, "Please keep this matter a secret, Natalie. Especially from my family. They don't need to know anything about this."
"Very well, My Lady." Natalie smiled and solemnly nodded her head.
...****************...
The next day, Audelia finally stopped locking herself in her room. Well.. mostly because a certain Grand Duke was being noisy in front of her room, begging her to come out. In result, her whole family also did the same. It drove Audelia crazy and made Prince Jonathan somewhat lost his words seeing their behavior.
"Good grief.. My family is just not normal.."
Inside the personal carriage, Audelia grumbled about her own family. Sitting across Audelia was Prince Jonathan and Caius while next to her was Natalie. Right now they were heading toward the capital town, Roarz.
Why the crown prince was in the carriage, you asked?
Well it's because the bastard-- cough! the boy himself forced his way in!
"Hahaha.. you really are the apple of your family's eyes." Jonathan commented with awkward smile. Caius's lips twitched slightly upon hearing the prince's words.
"I am fine being the apple of my family's eyes if they are NORMAL." Audelia retorted in annoyance and Caius who heard the words nodded slightly in agreement.
It seemed seeing the behavior of Audelia's family when they doted on Audelia brought a certain trauma to the man. Audelia could only apologize inwardly when she saw such reaction.
"Oujosama, the Leonhart family is a normal family." Natalie spoke and added more, "What makes them abnormal is the way they dote on you."
"I know.." Audelia let out a weary sigh.
"Um.. by the way.." Jonathan started a conversation, "Do you have a place you want to go at Roarz?"
"No." Audelia replied coldly, "Why?"
"Ah.. No, I am just asking." Jonathan replied with a stiff smile. Clearly he wanted to start a conversation to get closer to Audelia but just like usual, Audelia's response was cold or full of annoyance.
Seeing the awkward state of Jonathan, Audelia sighed slightly and decided to be a little warmer. As long as she maintained a proper distance, it would be okay. After all, seeing the awkward state of a young boy who was in the same age as her, not mentally though, Audelia felt a like she was bullying a kid.
"..Well I am just sightseeing." Audelia spoke, breaking the awkward silence that was hanging between the two of them.
"Are you okay with that, your highness?" Audelia asked with a slightly warm smile.
Seeing the warm smile, even though it was just a little bit, Jonathan's eyes brightened. A happy smile instantly appeared on his face.
"Yes! I am okay with sightseeing!"
Hearing the excitement in his tone, Audelia shook her head inwardly for being a softhearted person. Well, it couldn't be helped, after all she had the memory of Yamamoto Kaguya who worked as a teacher in Japan. Being too hard on a person who was younger than her, kind of against her principle as a teacher.
'Is being a good friend okay?'
'After all, he will fall in love with Seraphina later...'
'Yes.. just maintain the boundary properly..'
Audelia decided such in her mind, yet little did she know that she couldn't count the eggs before it hatched...