If one could tell that I'm angry they have good senses. One thing for sure, one of them ate my favorite bread that I saved last night and even though they know I am mad, they act like they don't care.
"Master I can go and buy your bread." At first I thought it was Cervi, but he isn't that glutton to eat what's mine and he knows not to touch what's mine without getting my approval.
"Forget the bread. It is clear that something happened when we left!" And my second suspect is Boaife.
But seeing her focus is on my cousins and the princes, I checked her out. Adara is out of my suspects. She's more interested in human relationships. Romance.
"I think Aria really likes the Crown Prince,"
"No!" They were surprised to see me shout. Yessenia is another suspect of mine after showing how big an eater she is and her personality is she gave me the doubt. Besides, what she said is what I can't accept at all.
"What do you mean no? It totally looked like it," Yessenia says, causing it to make me feel sick all of the sudden, "it wasn't."
"It totally is. Especially the way Aria gazes at the crown prince back at the..."
"Do tell me more," All of the sudden Aria looms over Yessenia with her eyes looking like a killer. Yessenia jumped like a cat from her seat, "w-when did you get here?"
"Since the part you said that I liked his highness."
"Well?" Yessenia tries to pry more and I do think what she's doing is what will lead to her early death.
By the way, I haven't seen the twins today and it is bothering me. Somehow it's like what they say, calm before the storm. Yes, they do give an impression like that and I don't like it despite having a peaceful moment.
"I don't... like him,"
She paused. She paused and it looks like she's thinking about it seeing how she averts her gaze!
"Oh my, that kind of answer makes us think otherwise." Adara commented while rubbing her cheeks at Aria. Is it that time already? She really fell for the crown prince?
Aahh! Does this mean this is where one of my death flags start? Though it started when I met Zairon. Ah!! I cannot accept this!
"What is she doing?" Yessenia asks while pointing at me. I'm frustrated, "Forget her. She's been weird ever since the princes stayed."
One day Boaife will find herself being roasted and I'm the one roasting her.
"Don't worry. I don't like the Crown Prince," I clasped my hands with hers, "That's good! You don't have to worry, Aria. I will introduce you to other guys."
All around me looked surprised when Yessenia raised her hand and I instantly knew she would say something insignificant.
"Who are you going to introduce when you don't have friends?"
T-that... That hit me?!
"I do have friends!"
"That's only two and they are girls. Are they the ones you're going to introduce to your cousin?" Of all times, why would my own spirit betray me like this?
My pride is wearing thin, "Y-yes. They might have other friends to introduce to Aria!"
That's right! With this reasoning they have nothing to refute.
"But... Doesn't it look like your friends are also friendless?"
If the goddess exists, why did you create this bird? I often wish she would just drop dead. Even now I am patiently praying to the goddess. If only I could sever my contract with Boaife...
"You know I can hear your thoughts, right?"
"Wren instead of being worried over Aria, Shouldn't you be worried about your relationship with Prince Zairon?"
It feels like my ears were ringing and suddenly I don't know what she said. Right, forget what she said.
Aria gasped and looked at me, "Wren... if you have problems with Prince Zairon you can tell us."
Not you too, "I do not have any problems. We are simply friends and is this an accurate topic for kids like us?" I asked them in annoyance in which they looked confused.
"Sister isn't it weirder if we talk about politics?"
She has a point. Wait, no! This is weird already.
"Ugh. I suddenly remembered Aunt Patrice's lessons. I don't want to go..."
Right, soon we will go to the academy and I'm now having second thoughts of going. Now that I know the Princes will be there and my cousins. As if it isn't enough that I always see them here.
"Oh, right. Leanna has been stuck at the Academy. Poor her, she couldn't leave," I think she loves to be at the Academy than at her own home and she's in high spirits, "Wait, So all of you will go next year? Who will be left here?"
Astreia asks and she looks at us, "You, Azi, Euphrasia and Joelle obviously. Maybe, you will also start to study under Aunt Patrice."
With that she dropped her cake in shock, "Why are you all gathered out here?"
Great. Now here comes the Princes with our Brothers. Caesar wiped Astreia's cheeks with a towel and gave her another slice of cake before turning to us,
"Go away. This is a ladies meeting," Caesar tilts his head and then turns to look at me, "You are still little kids. Why do you need a ladies meeting?"
"To be precise, brother, we are having a tea party. This is the first time we had such peace in the cas---" I was soon cutted off when rumbling took over the garden.
The tea in my cup rippled and spilled while some of the snacks fell down the table.
"What's going on?" Azi asks, "An earthquake?"
"No. This vibration doesn't come from the ground. It comes from above." Adara said, she was calm about it and it made me worried.
A large shadow covered where the area we're in and somehow it has become ominous.
"Look up 'ere, ain't she a beauty?!" Laxus shouted and everyone got out of the gazebo to look up.
The peace we have didn't last long and I kind of expected it.
"However, this dragon still does what she liked. I think another training is needed." Prince Asterion says and am I the only one who can see that the dragon looks shocked and terrified upon hearing the word training?
"It's not a she, it's a he." Lexus says, Laxus scratches his head in confusion.
But that dragon... I'm sure it was the same as the one that emerged from the Palace.
"Didn't you slain the dragon, Cervi?"
"Huh? I slain a dragon? They're like our siblings. Why should I?"
Don't tell me...
"You don't remember?" I ask and Yessenia chimed in, "What is it?"
"The day you got your unique magic is the day a dragon showed up. I thought Cervi killed it." Cervi became pale and he trembled while covering his mouth with his hand.
"I thought it was Laxus or Prince Asterion?" Prince Zairon turned to ask us and this is confusing to me too, "I didn't kill it. I hid it to use it for my experiment."
That's... what he would really do and it turns out I have a bad memory.
"Then, is that part of your experimentation? Flying it through our estate?" Caesar's purple eyes were fixed on the twins and they looked away from him, "Yes,"
"Wipe off that annoying grin of yours." He's like our father now.
Prince Asterion turned to us and leaned over, "Anyway, I heard that you were going to introduce Aria to another man."
My eyes grew wide and I looked over Yessenia, they were also surprised like me, "What is he talking about?"
"Why are you thinking of introducing him to others?" Even Lexus asks me that question and I am panicking! I don't even know how to answer the question!
Besides! How did he even know about it? Wait... Is there a magic spell about enhanced hearing?
"Ah..."
As if it wasn't enough, Prince Asterion had a huge grin on his face and pulled his two younger brothers.
"Lady Aria if you like my brother, Cannon, you should say so. I will help you," Aria is white as a sheet not until there's a blooming shade of red in her face, "I knew it!"
It was obvious that Yessenia is happy, however, I believe that isn't the look of someone who fell in love... Or maybe I am at the stage of indenial.
"And while we're at it. Shouldn't Zairon and Wren spend---"
"I refuse any of these. Go and play somewhere else and I have something to discuss with the princes and later... we will talk, Wren." This is the first time I'm scared of my brother.
He's smiling and all, but he gives a frightening aura.
"Wh... why?!" Yessenia asks and then purses her lips, "I will join you, sister. I have a hunch I wouldn't understand them if I stayed." Azi says and drags Yessenia away, we follow and I could tell someone is staring at my back.
Prince Asterion, even if you were my favorite character I will get my revenge one day.
---------------------------------------------------
"Let's be clear here, Asterion. I don't like you nor your brothers." It was blunt and straight forward towards the Prince and only Theo and Prince Zairon were surprised at the words he said.
Caesar is the carbon copy of his father and Asterion could see it. While Cannon is used to this kind of treatment from him.
"I thought we were friends," Caesar sighs, "I only tolerate Cannon, we're not friends and especially I don't like your youngest brother."
Prince Asterion's smile didn't falter, however, his brows twitched, "Did I do something to you?"
Theo is silently wishing that they would stop, "mmm.. You did something to annoy me,"
Prince Zairon's mouth opened and he closed it, trying to rack his brain for memories which he shouldn't because he can't find a memory that didn't happen.
"Right, Prince Cannon shouldn't you be back at the Palace?" Lexus asks, eager to get rid of the crown prince.
"Hmmm... I can do it when I get ba..."
"How long are you going to stay here? Honestly one may think you're planning to arrange a marriage here," Lexus says and Caesar agrees, "Even if it's a baseless assumption, I will not accept it."
"What's wrong with that?" Lexus turned to look at Zairon and he had an unusual look on his face and it was because he didn't mind what people would say for staying.
In fact he wasn't bothered by it. When in the past he's annoyed that some girls made a rumor about him and he often hears it.
"A...are you really asking that?" Caesar was taken aback, for the first time.
"You... you lot I also object to this..." Lexus says while he trembled and Laxus was the only one confused... maybe two more people.
Cervi and Azi were as clueless as he is. They found themselves hiding in the bushes. Azi supposedly came back to retrieve the book he left however, the topic they were discussing is weird, for him.
"It seems like... they don't like each other," Cervi commented, "But the first prince acts like a friend?"
"Is it?" Oddly, the two of them unconsciously formed a bond because of this.
*****
"When did you come back?"
The Duke looked at Wren and reached her, his calloused hands were roughly ruining her braided hair. It annoyed her to the point she wants him to be gone again.
"I think you should say, father I miss you."
Wren showed a disgusted face at his father, "You... is that what happens when you go to the Imperial Palace?"
Even Caesar looked utterly disgusted while Astreia greeted them with a smile, "Welcome home, Dad, Mom and Joelle!"
"Good thing it's only uncle and Aunt and not the ol' hag," Laxus grins and whistles in merry as he turns around while his twin gulp and vanishes in thin air, "old hag, huh. I guess you want another beating, you brat!"
Laxus jolts and sees Patrice fuming in anger while she drags her whip along the floor, "Huh?! Why did'ja come back?!"
"That's no way to speak to your mother! Another thing, I told you to fix the way you speak!"
It was chaos as soon as they came back and Wren, well, she can feel her energy going down the bars and as expected, the princes also greeted the duke and duchess.
Unlike the Duke's icy stare, the Duchess shows a warm smile, "How are you, Your Imperial Highnesses? I'm sorry we weren't here during the accident. However, I hoped you didn't have a hard time staying here."
"On the contrary, mother. I think they will live here whether there's danger here or not." Caesar chimed in. He's in the state where he already has several plans to separate the princes to Wren and others.
The Duke sighed and stopped patting Wren, Leaving her hair disheveled. The maids, of course, were crying silently upon seeing their ruined hard work.
"It looks like a bird's nest," Zairon commented to her brothers, "That's not a nice thing to say to the one you like, Zairon. But you are right about that."
Prince Asterion laughed at his two brothers. Zairon is flushed red and Caesar can see that then he turned to Wren as he fixed it, by hand which surprised everyone in the room.
It was fast and beautiful, leaving Wren speechless, "By any chance, Caesar, did you have a girlfriend to practice on?"
Caesar couldn't understand Prince Asterion's mind at all and it always left him disgusted, "You may be a genius, but you sound like an idiot."
"Your son and Prince Asterion reminds me of you and His Majesty in your childhood."
Now the Duke has the face of surprise and looks at his son, "If that was a joke, Nolan. I don't like it."
It was only then that Nolan replied with a small smile. Perhaps being old and seeing his master grow up like this made him happy. "Welcome back, Your Grace."
Upon the return of the lord, the castle is now more lively and that's because Laxus and Patrice's everyday destruction is increasing. Not only once a day it happened, but everyday that Lexus and the other mages fixed the castle as soon as they broke it.
Wren became thankful to Laxus because of him, the three princes decided to return to the palace. But the truth is that the duchess has the empress' letter and she ordered the princes to return or else all of them will receive a punishment.
For now days were as peaceful as she wanted. She cured the Concubine and removed the first reason why Zairon became crazy in the future and she even identified the poison.
She receives a generous amount of gifts from the emperor and especially from the Empress. However, there's one person who also gave her a gift and somehow it is unsettling even though she didn't know a single thing about him.
Count Herold Romanoff, Father of Lady Agatha Romanoff and Prince Zairon's grandfather.