Mischa looked at Vega with an expression of disbelief. He did not understand why the teenage girl in front of him behaved this way ... like a shameless girl.
"You want me to carry you? There's a wheelchair over there," Mischa said firmly.
"I don't want a wheelchair. I want to make you pay for dropping me and making me hurt," Vega said.
"Is there no other way for me to make up for it?" the man asked in astonishment.
"I want to make you feel pain too by carrying me back to my hotel," Vega said, narrowing her eyes with an annoyed expression. "Do you think I'm a sack of potatoes that you can just drop like that?"
"No, I don't think you're a—"
Before Mischa finished his sentence, Vega had taken her cellphone and dialed Elios' number.
"Father ... it's me. I'm now in the hospital--" Vega did not continue her words because, suddenly, Mischa had bent down and put the girl on his back. Vega smiled mischievously as she wrapped her left hand around Mischa's neck while her right hand holding the phone. "I'm here with Big brother Mischa. I think I got heat stroke or something and fell on the street because I felt dizzy. Big brother Mischa will take me back to my hotel. He is very kind."
"Oh, is that so? If the weather is too hot, you might as well rest. I will ask Nicolae to call your teacher to give you some respite," Elios' voice rang on the telephone.
"Ah ... that sounds like a good idea. I'll just tell Daddy Nic," Vega said. "All right, I just want to let you know what happened. Later, after I arrive at the hotel, I'll call you again, Father."
"All right. Tell Mischa I said hi," Elios said before hanging up.
Vega then kept her cellphone and smiled triumphantly then hugged Mischa's neck.
"Thank you for not saying anything to your father," Mischa said, looking back. "I'll take you to your hotel. But aren't you embarrassed by people's stare?"
He already noticed how the people they passed seemed to turn their heads at them. They were really eye-turners, indeed. A handsome man with formal looking all-black attire, contrasted with his neat blonde hair and sunny expression, was carrying a beautiful teenage girl on his back.
"Why? Are you embarrassed?" Vega asked in a nonchalant tone. She knew she had done something very naughty today by scheming Mischa, but she could not help herself. She really liked her foster brother, since they first met in the elevator.
Maybe she really liked him because Mischa somehow reminded her of her own father.
Mischa did not answer Vega's question and continued walking without regard to people's stare. He decided to just fulfill Vega's request so he could immediately get it over with. After all, for him, just giving a girl a piggyback was an easy thing to do.
"Big brother Mischa!! Let's stop by that stall," Vega said suddenly, tapping his shoulder excitedly. "I want to buy the candy apples!"
Her hand then pointed to the right, where a small food vendor stall was located. Mischa obediently walked towards the stall and stopped in front of it. Vega happily pointed to the sugar-coated red apple in sticks and asked Mischa to buy one for her.
"How old are you again?" Mischa asked, taking money out of his pocket and paying the price of the candied apple to the merchant. "You should be 16 years old, right?"
"That's right. My birthday is coming up soon. Ahh.. you know my birthday!" Vega exclaimed cheerfully. She accepted the candied apple from the merchant's hand and then patted Mischa on the shoulder to continue walking again. "Does father talk about me often?"
Mischa nodded. "Yes. Every time we meet, he would tell me about the four of you. He loves you very much."
"Ahh ... really?" Vega was enjoying her candy apple while chatting with Mischa. "How was my father back then? I know you have lived with my father since you were a kid. He used to be ruthless and he hated people... How was he?"
"Hmmm ... he still doesn't like people to this day," commented Mischa. "But ... well, he used to be much more ruthless and reclusive. Sometimes it was very difficult for my foster siblings and me to understand what he was thinking. But he was also very compassionate ... If we didn't know who he really was, we would never have thought he was an assassin."
Vega was stunned to hear Mischa's explanation. She had more or less heard of her father's past actions. The difference between Elios and Nicolae was very obvious, even though they were twins.
Elios' life was filled with violence and he hated humans. He even once aimed to rule the world and decided on which humans should live and which one should die. It was pretty horrific to think about it.
Meanwhile, Nicolae lived in a happy family and spent decades working as a caring doctor and saving many people. Their personality was arguably the opposite.
Nevertheless, Vega loved both equally. She could not imagine if Elios was still like he was before, it would have been very difficult for his family to live with Elios.
"Are you not afraid of my father?" Vega asked again. She felt very interested in talking about her father with Mischa. Mischa was one of the people who had known Elios the longest. He had been with Elios for over 30 years and was very familiar with his personality and life.
"No. But I respect your father. I also owe him my life," Mischa answered. "Why do you ask that? Are you afraid of Sir Alaric?"
Vega shook her head. "No, absolutely not. I'm just curious."
"Hmm."
"Oh, by the way..." Vega suddenly remembered something. "My father must have had many enemies. Was there ever an enemy of my father who came after you?"
She realized that all her life, she and her brothers had always been surrounded by strong bodyguards. Her father even sent three bodyguards to watch over her and Altair while they were staying with Nicolae.
Now, on their trip to France, Elios also sent several other bodyguards to keep them safe.
"All of our enemies have been destroyed, but Sir will not risk his family's safety. Why do you suddenly ask such questions?" Mischa asked in amazement.
"Uhm .. I don't know. It feels strange to be the only students in a school that are always secretly protected by bodyguards. None of my friends are escorted like me and Altair. If they find out, surely my friends will all be shocked," answered Vega.
"They don't need to know," Mischa commented. "Your father loves you very much and wants to protect you, but he knows you want to live like a normal kid, and go to an ordinary school ... have lots of friends. That's why he compromised and let you go to school there by providing protection from afar."
Vega was impressed to hear Mischa's words. Now she believed her father had often told them about her and her brothers. Mischa looked like he knew them so well.
"Well, we've arrived," said Mischa suddenly, stopping in front of the gate to the inn where Vega was staying in Bordeaux. "I don't need to take you inside, right?"
Vega hastily jumped down from Mischa's back. She smoothed the creases on her clothes and bowed slightly to Mischa. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"Be careful next time," Mischa said as he left with both hands in his pockets.
Ahh .. Big brother Mischa is so cool, Vega thought, smiling broadly, watching him walk away.