"Useless woman! How could you let him escape!"
"shut up! all you did was waste my money!" The marchioness shouted in anger, veins slightly appearing from her neck and to her head while she breathed at a slow pace manner.
It couldn't satiate her anger while doing so as she kept thinking why she married the fool. In frustration she picked up a chair and threw it on the window behind him, shattering it as the shards blew outside.
"at this rate there will be nothing left in this mansion. My old man will faint upon his return." the temporary butler, Reese whispered besides the maid.
his eyes are clouded with such curious gaze. Wondering what she will throw next.
not just long ago when she broke a window and ruined things inside the mansion and the furniture inside is slowly disappearing. While Lia has been thinking that the Marchioness has been doing these everyday, this is nothing new and she was immune to the Marchioness' shrilling voice.
"She can ruin everything but not those." she pertains to the paintings that the late Marquis has painted while he's still alive. Lia is the only one who keeps those paintings alive.
Just by seeing those crafts she can feel the life he had drawn by his own hands. Reese only glanced at the old maid and shrugs. He wasn't interested on her nor the things going on around this estate. Reese is only new to the job and was hired by recommendation from another noble. Though, he expected the Marchioness is like this he still feels that she's pathetic for a noble.
a loud slap cut their thoughts, "This bitch does not know her place!!" his face is full of scorn. The Marchioness staggered while her hair covered most of her face.
Her cheeks were red and had a print of his hands. The maids were surprised to see this, the marchioness being slapped by his own husband.
some even rejoiced in their innermost thoughts. The pain she felt is nothing to what she inflicted on them, they prayed that she be slapped once more.
"My father... did not even dare to slap me... and this bastard did?!" her mind is in rage while looking down on the floor. Eyes shot open wide in shock.
"If you understand what I said. Shut your mouth and be an obedient wife. Go out of this room." she slowly looked at him, only to see his back.
She staggered and eventually slumped on the ground. Lia assisted the stunned marchioness to go outside of the room. She gave one last piercing glance at the marquis.
If it hadn't been her, he wouldn't be in that position. How could he act like that to her? An insignificant being touched her cheeks. She felt the urge to vent her anger on someone, his son—or it could be this maid. Since she must be the one who let him get away.
As soon as both of them left, Reese stepped forward with letters in hand.
"That damned woman..." he gritted his teeth while loosening the tie around his neck.
"My lord, there was a letter addressed for you,"
"Leave it here and get someone to fix this mess." Reese left the letter on the desk, leaving as he left the room.
He cursed once again before ripping out the letter to read the contents. As he read it the more his brows creased with sweats coming out in his forehead. The edges of the paper crumpled and he finally turned it into a ball as he threw it at the door.
he pounds the table in anger, "damn them!!"
Reese heard it. A sly grin appeared on his lips as he vanished through the dark hallway.
---------------------------------------------------
"Huh? Repeat it again," I may have misheard her since I did not sleep a wink last night since Yessenia visited me in the middle of the night to have a conversation with me.
and guess what? We only talked about what happened to the knights at the mountains, especially Colton. She proudly told me that she threatened Colton to tell her things since he doesn't want to tell her.
"Aria and the princes are coming to visit us!"
"Princes? Who... are we talking about??" I really hope that It is not what I am thinking, but despite my sincere prayers it is still the princes that I don't want to see that appear right in front of the door.
"Prince Zairon and Prince Asterion obviously. Who else is going to come here?" goodness. That alone can already make me dizzy. The twins are here and Prince Asterion surely will be added to my head ache.
"Do they have nothing to do?" I muttered which made Boaife laughs.
"You are showing how much you hate their presence," she said while peeling an apple.
"do you like them being here then?"
she immediately stopped peeling and replied, "Of course not."
I nodded, "Right."
Yessenia pouted as she looked below the balcony. Today is another training for the knights with Laxus and my brother. Do not ask what happened to the rookies since most of them fainted upon exchanging blows with them.
"weakling..." we both muttered while watching the whole practice. I can even hear Laxus' uncouth words even from afar.
"Yer not doin' it properly!!" see? he even swings his wooden sword and smacks it heavily behind the rookie's legs and smacks them in the head with it.
"Do not shout Laxus. Especially talking like that."
"Want to fight?" and there they go. Starting their little war with just a simple conversation.
My brother smirked and said haughtily, "Sure, you are going to die anyway."
my, my... Laxus never learns. "if they fight, it will be 123 wins and 0 loses for brother Caesar," I nodded at Yessenia as we eagerly wait for the two to fight.
We keep track of their fights and honestly, Laxus never once won and it is funny to see him asking every time for a spar. Thankfully he never won and that made me feel happy. Why? Because my brother is beating him up.
"The kid is here, master."
I look behind to see Lane, or is he really Lane? See, he has bags under his eyes and I do not know whether if he has troubles in sleeping.
"go back and rest." he flinched and I turned around. Those bags shouldn't hinder his visuals. I must have him sleep more to make his Visual shine.
"I sleep well!" he shouted which I pretended I did not hear.
"What are you doing here, Lane?"
Lane rubbed his eyes before yawning as he took a seat beside me. "Eat," I said when I saw him staring blankly at the table.
Later. I will have Boaife return him to his quarters.
"Uh...about---" the sound of wood whacking and the loud cheers of people is ringing in my ears.
"They were fighting," I said.
"Do you think he will win?" I reflexively shrug, seeing how relax my brother was as he evaded the attacks with no problem.
these genes are really acting up. "Wren I accepted his offer,"
"Ah... pardon?" the buzzing around me seems to stop then he smiled sadly.
did he come here... to make me say some encouraging stuff? Is he having second thoughts with his decision? Wait, why did he come to me for this topic? I do not even know how to comfort someone in my past life. I may even lose his spirit if I say something.
"Wren we will go downstairs first." Yessenia said and waved while holding some basket. Where did she even get that?
Besides why did she leave at this moment?!?!
"Master you can just say that people die and her mother left the world early with a cause," as days goes by, this kid's humor has been evolving to dark.
"Wrong. His mother will die because she received retribution from the goddess," even Boaife joined in.
They are not helping at all if this kid's purpose is to make me comfort him, it has failed miserably. Due to my surprise, he laughed merrily and It scares me. He also has tears on his eyes as he said, "Yes. She died because she killed my father."
"are... are you really okay?" he nodded. It seems I am the only one who's not fine, "Thank you for everything since you take me away from that place..."
My eyes grew wide. Did he just say 'Thank you'? This is a surprise.
Sensing my sudden silence, his smile broke and said, "that's it. I will not express my gratitude even though I do feel grateful today."
"Do you want to be thrown off to the dungeon?"
"I already know that I am not a hostage here. You can stop trying to scare me because it won't work."
... okay. Can someone please bring back the old Lane here? I don't like this kind of development.
---------------------------------------------------
And so, the days passed with news spreading around about the suspicious death of the late Marquis Farlon. This news made the Marchioness agitated as she stayed in her room for most of the time.
"My goodness, no wonder she remarried soon after his husband died."
"I feel sorry for his son. He will lose his inheritance..."
"kuhahahaha! That estate will finally be ours!"
and many comments were made around while the young heir is comfortably sitting and reading some books before he could meet the princes.
"Sadly, even the emperor will come here..." the entire Vacarella is gloomy on the other side while having discussion about how to serve the imperial family who will arrive any later.
"why did they suddenly come here when you already met His Imperial Majesty?" Mavis asked with hands on her chin as she looked at her twin brother.
"The Emperor wants to hear Lane's testimony in person," the Duke answered and sighed, "I should have given this title to you," Mavis suddenly laughs, "I am content and happy with the life I had, Mave."
she took a sip and then asked the question she has been meaning to, "who spread the news?"
"My son."
"Caesar?"
"Do I have other son that I am not aware of?"
Mavis shrug and looks away, "he sure is talented. Like you."
"yes. He exceeded my expectations. But I don't see the part where he's like me," He said before putting on his coat and Mave chose not to answer the last part because she's sure he will deny it, "We should prepare the rooms for the Imperial Family."
"Just let them eat dirt," Wren said after Mavis passed her. "You cannot let the man you like eat dirt."
Wren looks exceptionally tired with this nonsense, "Alright. Make something light."
she said and turned around. Seriously, she hate this time of the day since she woke up with the gossips around.
"Master, there is a kid in the garden," she glanced over the window and saw a partial red hair fluttering on the air as it vanished.
"Aria?" she remembered that her cousin is supposed to come home today. "Is she already here?"
even Boaife who heard her name perked up and looked on the window. "I think so... let's go to the garden."
***
"I visited this place before I greet them..." Aria sighed. She just came back and the first thing she goes is the Garden that has roses in it. She hasn't seen roses especially in their fief since they did not plant any flowers because her mother is allergic to it and she hates to see bugs.
the reason why they cannot also stay in the estate. It made her bored in their fief as she only has done there is to finish her study. She did not go to the Academy with the reason of home-schooled. Her mother was not fond of her sending her away, but right now she's planning to go to the Academy after learning that her three girl cousins were going too.
Another sigh escaped from his lips while gazing at the roses. When the maids suddenly run towards the main building.
"hmm?..." the sound of their soles clacking on the ground soon finally disrupted her thougths as she stood up, "Is there something going on?"
She ignored it. Walking around some more before she enters the mansion.
"I thought there were craters based on Wren's letter..." she looked on the ground which was flatly and neatly fixed after the twins broke it yesterday.
Lexus fixed it with magic and the said man was now in bed. Sick.
"Young Miss! You have come back! you should have told us so we could prepare something..." a maid spotted Aria, "Is there something going on?"
"The Imperial Princes and Emperor will arrive shortly. We are preparing their bedroom as we speak." she nods. Still, after hearing Imperial Princes made her heart pound with no reason.
"Young Miss, we should head inside. The other young miss are waiting for your arrival."
both of them turned around only to be stopped on their tracks. Her breath soon hitched as she stared at someone in front of her.
"..." she trembled lightly as the kid walked towards her, "why... is he here...?" she asked the question in a low, shaky voice. Forgetting to greet him. The maid lowered her head and said, "Greetings to the Crown Prince."
It seems like time stays still for her as she stares at the boy with her pounding heart.