"Ha! You are mocking me! Aren't you?" He scoffed at his so-called sister who always grabbed the attention of their parents.
She was perfect! With that face, smile and etiquette she always knew what to say in front of everyone. Their parents only had eyes for her. He would have accepted it but even the outsiders… They only wanted to know what she was doing and what she was planning to do.
Her clothes became style statements and her words became poetry! Why was she so damn popular while both of them have to fight for little attention.
But no more! He was going to be a strong knight and get a name for himself. Then he did not need to live in the shadow of his father and his elder sister. Just thinking about it brought a smirk on his face as he turned to leave but Ana stopped his way.
"I know you do not trust me, but I am your elder sister. And as one, it is my responsibility that I will support you and encourage you!" she said holding his arms to stop him from leaving, "and to make you believe.. I will help you in participating in the annual competition that is going to be held in three days.
If you won, father had to let you go for the training of knights. Would it not be perfect?" she blinked her eyes as if she could already imagine him with the trophy, sitting on his horse wearing a golden armor.
His eyes dazed too.
"Imagine, you will stand above all of them and everyone will look at you with pride and amazement. You will be their hero! Their role model! Girls would go crazy for you and you… you will be the best knight of the empire soon that even the commander would look up to you.'' She kept him pumping with slow and encouraging words when his eyes twinkled as if he could already visualize the whole scene in front of his eyes.
His chest swells up, a big smirk on his face and his hands were already high in the air to hold the trophy when she smirked.
"And all this could happen with my help. But if you do not want me to interfere, then I understand." she nodded, taking a big sigh and turned to leave when he frowned.
He saw the trophy disappearing from his hands and he bit his lips and looked at her leaving figure with hesitation and reluctance.
"Stop me! Stop me you fool! What is there to think too much." she muttered under her breath as she walked slower than a snail waiting for him to stop her and her hard work finally paid off.
"Wait.. sister!" his voice was softer than before, "i was thinking.. What will you do to convince our father? I have already asked him but he did not agree to me participating in the contest. In fact, he had asked me to accompany him to his weekly visit to his shops." He rubbed the back of his head with a disappointed look but when he looked at her, she could feel his nervousness and felt bad for him.
In their past life, he followed their father under his pressure. He became a good businessman but she never saw him happy.
In this life, she wanted to give him a chance to fulfill his wishes too, maybe if she would handle the business as the heir of their father, he would become a worthy knight, he had always dreamt of!
"Leave that to me, Vincent. After all, i can do this much after what happened to you because of me.'' She rubbed his cheeks softly when he frowned and his eyes narrowed at her.
"What did you do this time? I knew it! You would never come to help me without a reason." she just shook her head.
If only she could tell him! That he died because of her. Her heart fell at those words when he frowned. She had always played tricks on him but she never looked that disheartened before.
For a second he panicked, "alright. Whatever you have done, I am forgiving you for that since you are helping me this time. But don't think that I am forgiving you because you look sweet. I mean.. I know that you are cruel!" She raised her head and blinked but when she noticed that worry in his eyes, her eyes shone and she smiled while tears fell from her eyes.
"You know that you are crazy, right?" he asked when she chuckled and nodded her head.
"But this crazy girl is going to help you in being the best knight brother. So.. show me your best skills."
"Eh! What do you know about swords and knights except that they are handsome?" he asked with a scoff when she rolled her eyes.
If only he knew that she was trained as a knight later! But she did not say a word and took two wooden swords from the table instead.
"How about you show me what you are capable of.. Instead?"