A little kid is intently staring at me. Bored and with such anger if I add. It looks like she was Uncle Royce's child but I don't know why she's giving me that kind of look.
"Welcome back... Uncle Royce and Aunt Claire," I greeted them and smiled.
Then... Before I could greet the girl, she turned away.
"..."
"Why did you come back here?" Father broke the silence, Uncle Royce chuckled and scratched the back of his neck
"I see older Brother hasn't changed one bit. But..." He turned to us and I know that look.
go-away-you-shouldn't-listen-to-this-look. Father does this a lot.
"I will retire first, Royce. Pardon me, your grace."
Uncle Royce's wife bid as her red hair flutter and another wave of red hair behind her. The little girl glanced back at me then looked away. Again. Now I am thinking if I had done anything to her
"Wren" my father looked at me. You want us to leave? No, I am not leaving. I am staying to see if I can see other than that poker face he's showing. He then turned over to the two boys behind me.
"Why are you here?"
The twins shrugged and said, "We went to find Wren and Yessenia"
Suddenly, a chilling sensation ran through my body. Those words are sending me a warning already.
"We are supposed to study together."
Excuses, I believe they will do something again. Why are they also dressed up fancily from head to toe? Are they trying to impress someone or what and there's no way someone would believe them that they will go for study.
"Azi and the others are already in the library. So..." Suddenly I'm being lifted up and placed in Laxus' shoulders. Damn it, this is another demonic summoning.
Too stunned, I stared at Mother. Horrible, she's smiling as Laxus starts to drift me away.
"Wait! I don't want to leave!!" I said while tapping his back. I can see my father's lips curved into a demonic smile. Fxxk!
"Let's go after Aria!"
"Waaahh!" Yessenia and I screamed when they ran fast out of the room making the surrounding blurry. They used magic once again.
Wait, who will they meet?! Horrified I asked, "Who?!"
"Oh, Aria. You met her earlier. Uncle Royce daughter" my mouth hang up open. Damn it.
---------------------------------------------------
"Her kids are growing up fas---" pertaining to the twins who just ran off, his words caught off when the duke held his wife.
"Shouldn't you be with the kids?"
Royce just shut his mouth up as he saw the couple talking. Eventually, this kind of scene would make him vomit. He never had seen his brother acted like this before but... He cannot say that now.
The Duchess smiled before shaking her head, "I'm fine. Besides, I should be here and listen..." she cut off and momentarily closed her eyes.
Sun rays are visible from the thick clouds, Spring is near as she hears the low chirps of the birds.
"This also involves the temple... that is why--"
Mave sighs in defeat when Royce cleared his throat making the two to turn their gazes to the duke. He revealed a stack of papers and documents from his luggage.
Royce laid the papers on the table and Mave looked at it, "About that... we found no traces from them"
Mave carefully scanned the papers as he drifted to deep thought. Carina also picks up the remaining papers, detailed writing of reports for the past months of an activity in a certain territory. Her hands gripped the edges of the papers, wrinkling it as she grit her teeth.
"Whoever it was... they are way too careful." The duchess mumbled. The two men in the room stared at her.
"You should calm down. Take a rest and we will handle everything." the duke says as he pulls out the papers from her wife.
"Yes..." She silently obeyed and stood up, leaving the room to the two men.
When the duchess closed the door, the atmosphere instantly changed. The duke reads the papers.
"You did not come here only to give me a detailed report. Spit it out." he says not looking at his brother.
Royce instantly changed his demeanor as he showed different papers, passing it on the duke.
"Right, the thing is I found something suspicious in the West---"
"The West is always suspicious especially that family." Mave instantly brushes off what his brother has to say. He stops when he senses the stare he's getting.
He sighs, "What is it?"
"Merchants keep coming back and forth in Rochette. Those merchants came from the South." The duke listened and finally closed his eyes. South huh, he thought. It was indeed more suspicious since South has been mentioned.
"Keep surveilling both West and South then. Find whoever or whatever they are doing," the other man gave him another shot of glare, "You are really giving me more work."
---------------------------------------------------
"What are you guys doing here?"
"Aria, Aria! Do you still know me?!" Laxus slid and pops in front of Aria as he asked another random question.
The girl is showing displeasure with our sudden intrusion in her room as the three kids start to run around.
The library thing is a lie, as suspected. We are all inside Aria's Room. Astreia, Azi and Tristan (Aria's little brother) are playing blocks at the corner.
Meanwhile, these two, Laxus and Lexus kept poking Aria and irritating her while she was reading her book. Somehow, the Aria in front of me is different from the book.
Aria Vacarella is one of the antagonists in the book. She was the only daughter of Royce Vacarella, the 4th child and younger brother of Mave.
She was known as the only child in the Vacarella that didn't inherit any traits of a Vacarella. Having long, crimson red hair and while she was dancing that it seems like the fire is dancing along with her and her eyes are dark as night. Aria was the top candidate for the position of crown princess alongside Wren who stepped down.
Aria, being the villainess. She schemed everything to get the Crown Prince's attention and even harmed the other candidates. Wren is no exception to these schemes. It happened before their debutante and eventually. Wren stepped out of the selection since she's still into Prince Zairon.
Aria who was the last remaining candidate became happy with this news. The process of her being the crown princess is going smooth and fast. Even if there are many nobles and aristocrats that demanded to reject Aria as crown princess, she still had the position of crown princess.
Too bad, The crown prince did not reciprocate her love nor had the thought of looking at her as a woman. This made Aria even more devastated and she clung into her schemes to get his attention.
But... as expected of the villains, she did not escape death. After crowning as crown princess and celebrating their debutante. Aria is finally living in the Imperial Palace for a year. Known for her short-temper and cruel ways within the palace, she was accused of poisoning the emperor on his birthday celebration.
Zairon led the investigation and it took a month to find evidence on Aria. The court judge found her guilty for treason and to be executed in the guillotine.
Her death was a lonely one since not a single one from her family ever came in her execution nor visited her while she was in the prison. Even the crown prince left her there, watching Aria's pleas.
Then, she blamed the Crown Prince for what was happening to her.
'If only I didn't love you!'
Aria died at the age of 19. One year before the rebellion.
Even as a kid it looks like she is a serious person, "Wren"
I looked at Yessenia and she came close to me and whispered, "Aria seems like she's ready to stab us"
"hahaha... maybe." I teased her since she really does seem like she will do it.
Her eyes grew wide, "R-Really? She keeps staring at our spot"
Yes, I could also feel her deadly stares. I'm sweating over here. I did not voluntarily come here. I was dragged by those two morons.
"Hey, Hey Aria! I heard that ya started studying? Why?"
They are asking that as if it was the first time they saw someone in this family to study at a young age.
"Yeah, You should grow up first." Lexus added and pokes Aria's cheeks.
"She doesn't look annoyed"
Yes, that's because she has high level of patience and tolerance already. Seemingly she finally surrendered to the twins.
"Studying doesn't have an age preference. You should go back instead of pestering me."
She said with a smile and stood up.
"Twistan! not that!!" Astreia shouts and slaps Tristan's hands off away from the tiny blocks
"You can't eat that!" and my sister is at the age where she can reprimand someone.
"Tristan, let's go back to mommy." Aria struggled at first picking up Tristan when Laxus suddenly besides her
"Hey, Hey what if---"
"No, I can handle this. Thank you." Aria instantly rejected Laxus as fast as she opened the door, "Get out of my room."
She slammed the door loud and left us inside staring at the door she shut.
"I told you that the kid has issues," Lexus finally spoke up and he put his arms behind his head as he whistled.
"That brat is like Aunt Mavis!"
I can't see Aunt Mavis being like that.
"Wren tomorrow let's go out and have a picnic!"
I looked outside and it seemed like the snow and ice melted. I think it is fine, there are already birds flying and the thick clouds start to disappear.
"Okay." She looked happy when I agreed.
"By the way, When is Caesar coming home?" Laxus asks me. Which made me wonder as to why they are still here. They still have at least two more months before the school year ends.
A question then appeared in my mind that i've been meaning to ask but failed.
"Brother aren't you two supposed to be at the academy also? Did you two also go out without the headmaster's permission?"
the two look at each other and gulp. I knew it, "When are you going back---"
"Young masters! There is a letter from the academy and are requesting that you come back this instant!"
Their eyes both grew wide. Both of them jump from their seat
"Yikes! That is our cue! See you on Summer break!"
Before Noland opened the door, the twins disappeared into thin air. So that's the reason why they are dressed up. They know that a letter will arrive today and decide to leave when it comes.
And spring entered the month.