"Where have you been?" Alexander asked as soon as he saw Felicia walking towards him. "I've been looking everywhere for you, hoping I'd get to dance together with you." He added, his eyes twitching in disappointment and dejection.
"I was... In the balcony to get off some steam and clear my head. The dancing that I did wore me out. I just want to go home, can we?" She asked, feeling still quiet, not okay. However, she managed to make herself look presentable again.
"Plus didn't you dance with me already?" She asked, her eyebrow raised as she looked at him with so much sass.
"Is it wrong to dance with you again? If I could, I'll dance with you forever and let everyone know how my sister outshines everyone." He grinned, like an evil woman that made her chuckle.
He sure is silly.
"But I'm tired. I need rest." She complained and as soon as she said that she was exhausted, Alexander immediately scanned her face, checking her up. There were no traces of being slapped or being tripped over. He even went as far as checking her wholly with his eyes but noticed that she was wearing something that told him it was a man's coat.
His eyes squinted at the sight, glaring at the coat as he immediately removed it from her shoulders, replacing it with his and called someone, a servant to put away the coat Felicia tried to pull it but to no avail, Alexander didn't let her get it back. He was looking at her with suspicion but above all, jealous.
Who is the man whom she has been with on the balcony? That bastard, taking advantage of her sister's resting time. If he knows that person, he will certainly ask his men to kidnap him and do things that would humiliate-
"Alex, what's wrong with you, glaring at me like that?" She asked, frowning which made Alexander shake his head, awake from his daydream of ever attacking the person who disturbed her sister's rest.
"Nothing. You want to go home, right? Let's go." Alexander called as he then raised his arm for her to hold, as a gentleman would towards a lady. "So who's with you at the balcony, huh?" He asked, still not letting the issue go. He deserves to know the man who's with her and robbed him of the opportunity to dance with his little sister.
"Hey, where's the duke by the way? I have not seen him here." She said, completely ignoring what Alexander said that made him crunch his nose, looking at her in disbelief. It seems that she's ignoring what he said right now, remaining secretive which he didn't really like but what can he do if he refuses?
He pouted, dissatisfied as he turned his direction towards the other side. "He went home first. I don't know about Helena nor I do care about wherever she is." He replied with a nonchalant tone, still mad about her not telling about the man who was with her somewhere else.
"You need to act as her brother, you are so rude," Felicia answered as they went first towards the king who was in front of everyone, sitting on his throne together with his Empress who had not left her eyes, staring at Felicia with her cold expression. What is wrong with her? Or could it be that he's just like that?
"Your Majesties." Both Alexander and Felicia greeted the two as they bowed their heads in the presence of the rulers. "You may stand." The Emperor ordered, making the two of them stand, meeting his eyes. He was having a polite smile plastered all over his face while the Empress remained stoic and unbothered, but still looking at Felicia weirdly. It's as if Felicia did something bad to her.
"What's seems to be the problem, Alexander, Felicia?" The Emperor asked them if there was a problem that they encountered. Alexander shrugged his head, "There's none, Your Majesty. However, my sister has requested to retire at home already, feeling tired already. I might as well return home together with her since it's my responsibility as her brother." Alexander responded, telling them the reason as to why they approached them.
"Oh... it is already late at night. Please, just stay as we do accommodate your stay here. I do not suggest that the two of you go home as it is already quite late." The Emperor suggested, making Alexander look at Felicia, waiting for her decision if she wanted him to decline even though the Emperor had offered them such generosity.
After all, a guest staying at the palace has to pay for the accommodation yet the two of them are free to stay for the night. Plus, rejecting the Emperor's offer is quite an offensive mannerism that is not practised by every noble if they were graced with such an offer from the Emperor himself. That would be like committing a heinous crime.
"If that's what you insist, my Emperor then we can stay. I thank you for your generous offer of letting me and my brother stay in the palace." Felicia smiled, bowing her head in gratitude while her mind said otherwise. She doesn't like to stay here at all, especially not with the people who appointed her to die in the novel.
"It's my pleasure, my dear. The butler will lead the two of you to separate rooms. I do hope that you enjoy your stay here." The Emperor replied, followed by calling a servant to lead them into one of the many bedrooms in this castle. "Thank you again, Your Majesty-" Before she could even complete what she said, the Emperor raised his hand to a halt and shook his head.
"Call me father now, dearly. You are going to be wed to me soon after all." He laughed heartily, making the two of them swallow their pride and hate towards his bastard of a son whom she just caught cheating.
But was it even cheating when something was definitely off with it? It felt like he was somewhat controlled by that mysterious power that made him turn into something else. "Your Majesty, the Lady has still to address you as her Emperor. They are not officially married yet, therefore she has no right to call you as her father." The Empress suddenly interrupted them, making Felicia and Alexander look at the woman who was looking down at her especially.
Why is she being hostile towards Felicia?
"I don't think that matters, Empress. The lady is about to marry our son. Sooner or later, she will address us as her lawful parents. So why not let her start calling us sooner like that? There is nothing wrong about it at all." The Emperor responded towards the Empress, looking in her direction and secretly glared at her for ruining his attempt to make them close.
The Empress who was proudly raising her head earlier had now lowered her head, her fingers curb, making fists while replying naturally towards the Emperor. "I made a mistake." She grumbled, gritting her head in annoyance as she looked down, filled with hate in her eyes.
"Never mind what the Empress said. It seems that she is not feeling well apparently. I'll have someone to take you back to your palace." The Emperor smiled while giving a glance at the Empress who was clearly in a hateful state, being disregarded like that for the second time.
"I see... Well then, your Majesties. We must take our leave." Alexander replied, bowing his head once again as they left the throne, together with Felicia who didn't look back and just acted normal despite seeing the two of them argue.
Could it be that their relationships aren't that smooth?
"Why is the Empress looking at you with such hostility, Felicia?" Alexander asked in a quiet voice, not letting the servant in front of the two of them hear them talking about the Empress.
He could feel how the Empress loathed Felicia's existence as if it was something as she cursed her. "I actually don't know either. I didn't even do anything to her. She just acted like that probably because I'm marrying her son. You know how society looks at me by now." Felicia answered, shrugging as she basically didn't care about it.
Let her hate all of her might. Felicia doesn't care anyway. Unless she starts off fighting her for unreasonable things then that would probably be the time when she gave to fight her.
"I suggest that you should be wary of her. The Empress' family is in relation to Helena's mother. This may be why Helena is heavily favoured by the Empress since she is her niece." Alexander sighed, shaking his head lightly as another enemy it seems has approached them, more likely Felicia.
"There's nothing to be wary about. If she starts to throw backhanded compliments at me, I can throw it back to her. But anyway, thanks for handling the situation, brother." Felicia said, smiling at Alexander who instantly blushed after she thanked him.
"S-shut up! Just go and rest! Geez." He responded, flustered and was shy. It seems that it is within his nature to act so hostile when being embarrassed or shy when being complimented. How cute of her brother.
"Heh, have you found someone who fascinates your eyes? I'm sure that you have. Today's gala is filled with promising ladies after all." Felicia decided to tease him further, making him even act more flustered and start calling her stupid and such.
Yet she wasn't offended at all, she was just having fun together with him, as a family that the two of them are.