Despite the absence of the Emperor, I called out to my siblings with a smile, "Big bro Al, Bro Herd, Theia… Welcome back!"
They looked at me and smiled.
"We're back, Ed" a young man, with a wavy blonde hair happily approached me. "It's been a while, big bro Al!" I cheerfully greeted him.
He smiled.
Alfred Alphonse von Collins, my eldest brother who is 7 years older than me, the first Imperial Prince and is the crown prince of the Doghanik Empire.
He was at the Main Palace, this few years, training to be the Emperor he will someday become.
"You really have grown big, Ed" another young man, with a bit spiky dark blonde hair, patted my head.
I shove his hand away and quickly went to hide, behind Alfred.
"It's been 3 years, since you last saw me, so it is normal for me to grow this big, bro Herd!" I told him, with a slight pout.
He smiled and mumbled, "Is that so?"
Heldrad August von Collins, he is my second brother who is 3 years younger than Alfred, and is the second Imperial Prince of the Empire.
While brother Alfred was at the Main Palace, Heldrad was at Orthorn, which is well known as the Kingdom of Knights, training with his Master.
"You two sure love Ed a lot, don't you think that you are too much of a brocon?" a girl with a curly light blonde hair, which is the same as mine, spoke up as she went to the stairs.
Don't you fit the word brocon more, if you based it on its real meaning?
Looks like she noticed me, the girl glared at me and asked, "What?" I backed off and gulped. "I was just thinking that it sure had been a while, Theia"
That was a clear excuse!
She clicked her tongue. "Address me properly, too! No matter how you look at it, I am older than you!" she complained.
Right, Altheia Marie von Collins is the first Imperial Princess and is a year my older sister.
She was supposed to be my twin, but, because of Mom's condition, she couldn't give birth to two kids, in one day. So, I was born a little late.
Due to that reason, I have been treating her as a twin that she was supposed to be, instead of an older sister she is.
Plus, we had many similarities, so we are also treated as twins.
Because of that, since we were young we were always compared by the adults around us. I didn't mind it, but Theia seemed to hate it very much.
And she grew a bit distant with me, as time passed.
"It's just a matter of year…" I whispered to myself. "It is a matter of year, you idiot!" she complained and went upstairs.
She really hates me and I am already used to it, to the point that I want to slap myself.
Like our brothers, Altheia was studying with her Royal tutor at the Gothiceln Kingdom, which is known to be the Kingdom of Righteous and Elegancy.
Such place suits her least… Well, let's keep that to myself.
"Why is she always angry at you, Ed?" big brother Alfred asked. "That is something I want to know, as well, Big bro Al" I sighed.
Heldrad pressed his chin and flicked his fingers, as soon as an idea struck to him. "She is jealous of you, that it is!" he said.
Theia is jealous of me?
I tilted my head to the side and asked Heldrad, "Why?"
"That is something I don't know…" Heldrad mumbled and looked away. "Don't state things you're not sure of, Heldrad" Alfred hit his head, not too strongly.
Heldrad apologized, "Sorry brother" while grinning a bit.
"Let us go visit Mom, Ed" Alfred smiled, as if he intentionally ignored Heldrad's grin. "Let's go, let's go!" I cheered, as Heldrad agreed.
…
"How are you feeling lately, Mom?" Alfred asked, as he sat down beside Mom. "I have been feeling good, lately. I was able to walk a bit yesterday"
Mom smiled.
Ah, right! She walked with shaking legs like a newborn deer, last night.
"Then, next you will need to practice running, Mom" Heldrad happily suggested. "It would be impossible right now, your highness" Seria butted in.
She added, "The Empress must first get used to walking before running".
"I see…" Heldrad whimpered and Seria flinched. "But, it means that if I were to get used to walking I would be able to run, Held" Mom tried to cheer Heldrad up.
Brother Heldrad's eyes widened with joy.
"Then, when that time comes, run with me, okay?" Heldrad stated, as Mom nodded with a smile.
Won't she get worse if she run with you? After all, you run too fast and you don't care much about the people with you.
"By the way, Mom" big brother Alfred called and asked, "Will you be seeing Dad, later?"
Seria placed her hand on her chest and bowed, "I can help you with that, your majesty" she stated.
Mom shook her head.
"I will be waiting for him here. I don't have anything in particular to tell him, yet. Thanks for the consideration, Seria"
Seria bowed. "I understand, madam"
These two always shows a certain wall between them, when they're with someone. That wall is nowhere to be seen when they're alone, though.
I guess, even if you say they're childhood friends they have the master and servant relationship façade to show.
Well, let's leave aside the fact that Mom is pouting over the fact that Seria is cold at her, during times like this.
…
"Well, then we will be going, Mom" Alfred spoke, as we three leave the room and the two of them.
Just as we have come a bit far from Mom's room, I looked behind and saw Altheia came in her room.
I tried to call her, but I stopped myself and followed my brothers.
She surely has things she needs to tell Mom, so I shouldn't bother them. Or else, she might end up not saying it.
…
Alfred went to his room to study and Heldrad went to the training hall. About Theia, I think she's still in Mom's room.
It's not like I have any confidence to go barging into the Emperor's office, and don't have anything to talk with him.
What should I do?
"Haah, I'm alone again. Right, I should visit Elicia…" I mumbled, as I turned around and walked the hallway to her, my little sister's room.
Somehow, spending time with my brothers made me want to see Elicia so bad.
As I arrived near Elicia's room, I passed by the maids who clean her and her room. So, there is no one there right now.
I sat down the chair beside her bed and stared at her face, before mumbling, "When will you wake up again and talk with me like in the past, Cia?"
Tears fell down from my eyes, as I succumb to sadness and loneliness.
I suddenly remembered the day Elicia fainted and never woke up. That day, we were playing at the courtyard as usual, when she suddenly started panting heavily.
Some smoke-like thing surrounded her body, and disappeared when Elicia soon fainted.
No one was able to tell what happened to her or what was wrong with her body. All they said was, "She is very healthy and is showing no signs of dying"
But, she isn't waking up and a year passed, already.
I mumbled, "Really, when are you going to wake up, Elicia?" as I patted her head slowly while sobbing.
…
I soon left her room and went to the courtyard.
As I sweated due to the heat that was absorbed by my body, I laid my back down the cold grass.
While panting, thanks to the hot weather, I wiped down the sweat that was dripping off my forehead.
The palace was quiet that all I could hear were the cry of the cicadas. It seemed that the whole palace was busy.
Since I woke up, I haven't seen any maid, butlers or knights slacking on their duties. I was surprised to see that even Thor was properly doing his job, as well.
And me, who had succumbed to sadness, have been telling the heat to burn it away and make me cheerful again.
As if the sun would ever understand how I feel…" I mumbled, as I contradicted myself.
I soon heard a familiar voice of a young man, "You will burn alive if you stay there like that, you know, young master"
The shadow of the young man hid me from the Sun's hot wrath.
I opened my heavy eye lids and saw the young man's freckled face and red hair, and mumbled his name, "Connor…"
"Is something the matter, young master?" he asked.
Connor, he is the gardener of this courtyard, who had been here with his dad, ever since he was a young boy.
I always spend my time here, so I managed to get along with Connor who is always here, in this courtyard.
"Nothing. Why do you ask?" I answered his question, with another one. "I noticed that your eyes are a bit swollen" he said as he squatted down, still covering me with his shadow.
I rubbed my eyes and looked at the young man, "I just hurt my eyes and all. You don't have to worry about it"
He didn't try to pry more into it and remained silent. But after a few minutes, Connor picked me up, out of a sudden.
Eh?!
"There is a possibility you might get sick staying here, since it is hot. Why don't you take a bath, young master?" he asked, as he beamed a smile to me.
I snorted, "Pfft..!" and giggled.
He is worried about me. Even if he doesn't say so, his eyes were telling me honestly. Since, it is filled with curiosity and determination to not pry more, at the same time.
Thank you, Connor…
…
After taking a bath, Zack came to get me, while Connor went back to his work. Since, I didn't have much to do, I went to the library.
"Thor" I called out to him, as I entered the library. "Hmm, why are you here? Haven't your siblings come back?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Big bro Al went to his room to study" I pouted, as I went in front of Thor's desk. "How' bout Herd then?" he asked.
I sat down the chair and answered, "At the training grounds. He's troubling the knights right now, for sure"
Thor sighed.
"Sheesh, what a lonely boy you are…" he patted my head, with his meaningless words and fake sympathy.
I've no need for your pity!
Thor gasped, and his mouth slowly formed a smirk.
"How about Altheia..?" he asked, as he covered his mouth his crossed fingers. "She always get angry with me, so…" I mumbled, as I looked away.
Thor sighed, once again.
"Do you even know any time passing activity, rather than reading?" he asked, with his tone filled with obvious complaints that he kept inside him.
I stood up from the chair and turned my back against Thor.
"Reading is something I love, so you don't need to pity me like that" I said, whilst walking to the bookshelves to look for a book.
He leaned his chin on his right palm and mumbled, "Is that so..?"
"Ahem!" Zack suddenly cleared his throat, which made both Thor and I look at him. "Now, I really am wondering if you two get along or not" he mumbled.
Thor and I looked at each other.
"You don't have to worry about me getting alone with a person rotten to the core, like Thor" I pointed at the person.
I heard Thor chuckled followed with Zack's complaints to him, as they started a farce between them.
Really, with that two the conversation never ends peacefully. I sighed.
I wonder how they were like when they were kids. All I can imagine is Zack and Maria fighting, while Thor is laughing at them.
Ha ha ha…
…
Unable to find any good book, I proceeded to the second floor of the library. Since, I was able to see Thor's table from the second floor, I spared a gaze for a bit.
It seems their "conversation" is still going on.
After seeing their farce… I mean their "conversation" for a bit. I wandered my focus back to the books, and tried to forget about them two.
Because I wasn't able to find any good book for half an hour now, my exhaustion left my mouth as a sigh. I leaned my hands over the books at the shelves.
What my hand felt was a dust.
The books here at the library are always cleaned by Thor and some maids, and are sometimes replaced with new copies, so having a book with dust is unbelievable.
While it might mean that they slacked off their duties, that is something I doubt as well.
I looked at the book where my hand was leaning at. Red, it was a red book that seemed to be an old book.
Now let me ask you. If you were to see a book that sticks out too much, will you just stay looking at it and mumble, "What the heck?"
Or perhaps will you choose to succumb to your own curiosity and pull that book out of the bookshelves?
Without knowing what kind of turning point it will be for your fate, afterwards.
Right now, I can answer that question quickly without any hesitation. I grab hold of the book, as I grinned while I sweated.
"My answer is the latter..!"