Jash left his room unimpeded by anyone as everyone was already at the banquet hall, his family greeting the guests and playing host.
While the servants worked as waiters or guides to guests gathered together.
Walking down the empty corridors he arrived at the staircase and sighed as he stopped.
"Was it the correct decision?" He couldn't help but let his inner thoughts out.
He was just far too absentminded at the moment after his little quarrel with Ziva.
'Is that not her fault for using his mana dissolving ink?'
Jash tried to shift the blame unto her yet he found it futile. He just sighed once again before descending the stairs.
His mind, however, swirled with different thoughts.
One such thought were his forced lessons, be they history, etiquette, mannerism, geography, mana theory, politics, or physical training.
Despite being lazy and not wanting to do the lessons, he never refused hard work. He just whined and grumbled a lot.
'I don't even understand why Caera and Ziva try so hard?'
Recalling the figure of his twin younger sister focusing on the lessons and being excited about her awakening, he couldn't help but scowl.
'Maybe, I don't understand them because they are females?'
As if struck by a sudden spark of enlightenment, he bumped his fist into his palm with an expression of realization.
Well, his perception was skewed because he had often heard it from servants and even his own father,
"Women are unpredictable. One second they can be happy, the next they can be sad, crazy, guilty, or even murderous!"
He didn't know how much truth it held but it was definitely the only reason he could find for their "meaningless" actions.
Of course, they were meaningless in his eyes only.
"Young Master Jash!"
Startled awake from his stupor, Jash turned to look at who called him only to find Emma a few meters behind him, approaching him at a quick pace.
"Where are you going, Young Master?" Emma questioned yet she reached him before he could answer and guided him into another direction.
"That is the guest's entry. You ought to be with Young Miss Caera or My Lady would be furious..."
Not minding the talkative side of Emma as he recognised why she was more quiet when dressing him.
'She stayed quiet to not let anything slip out by mistake... Act your age, damn it! You're... what? 30 or something?'
Jash scolded her childish nature inside yet continued to nod to her incessant ramblings.
He already had the experience of making a woman realize her age and called her old...
'Definitely never again!'
Jash swore that day, he would never ever in his life anger a woman regarding her age and to add salt to injury, he already suffered from calling his own mom fat as a joke.
'A woman's age and weight are to never be trifled with...'
Not knowing that he actually escaped a harsh future if he had actually spoken those words, they were already inside the main manor.
"My Lady, I've brought Young Master Jash!" Emma's polite tone as she bowed and stopped walking caused Jash to stop his mind from wandering off too.
His mother was definitely not someone to be trifled with. If she found out he was dazing off again...
Even the thought sent chills down his spine.
No matter how much his mother loved and pampered him, he knew there were some unspoken rules he mustn't breach.
As if answering his thoughts, he felt his ear getting pulled again, "Ouuu! Aaaaah!"
Twisting his ear until it was red was his mother as she looked at his teary eyed appearance and just snorted.
"Hmph! Why are you so late!" She asked in mock anger.
Making an expression as if he was wronged, Jash answered, "As if you don't know! You already helped Ziva bully me and now this!" He pointed at his ear at the end.
"Whatever do you mean." His mother smiled as she replied to him.
"Ugh! Where is dad? Only he can do me justice!" Jash shouted incredulously, knowing the playful nature of his mother all too well.
"Brother, leave it be. Dad is busy greeting guests." A sweet voice chirped in, as the figure of a girl no taller than Jash with red hair and blue eyes appeared.
She looked like the perfect younger version of Jash's mother if not for her blue eyes.
Her small cherrylips had the faintest of smiles that could even charm the coldest of hearts.
Jash felt like his world collapsed as realization dawned on him. 'These... They are in this together!'
'I got tricked!'
Despite feeling tricked, he didn't pout or complain any longer, at least on the outside as he seemingly understood his current situation.
'I should just compliment them so we can go to the banquet and quickly get this over with.'
He knew his mom-sister pair all too well and understood why they were still waiting for him.
Though he didn't forget to glance at Emma from the corner of his eyes who stood next to the wall, at a little distance away, stifling her smile.
"You're looking good Caera. The color crimson totally suits your hair color and even personality."
In response to his "kind" compliment, he just got elbowed in his stomach by Caera as she bobbed her head sideways and pouted.
"Hmph! As if! I wanted to wear a rose colored dress!"
'Caera, you might mean those words. But you can't hide that you like the current ones too very well.'
His thoughts and smile were interrupted as his mother interjected, "What about your ol' pitiful mother? How do I look?"
Rolling his eyes at his mother's behavior. He didn't skimp on praises, noticing her shining eyes as if her world might collapse if he doesn't praise her enough.
"Mom. Do I even need to say anything? You're literally going to steal the show from us! We just turned 12 and it's our last birthday banquet before we graduate!"
While his words sounded like a complaint, they were more of a compliment as he continued his praises for a full five minutes before his mother felt satisfied.
'Damn it! My throat is so dry!'
Unfortunately, Jash wasn't even awake for 1 hour and hadn't had the leisure to drink water.
Ignoring his silent protest, his mother brought the two of them to another room, surprising Jash.
In this room, sat a woman not much different in grace, elegance and beauty to Jash and Caera's mother.
She poised a charm different from most women as she had beautiful black hair that cascaded down to her waist with dazzling black eyes.
To her right sat the form of a younger figure with similar black hair yet amethyst eyes.
Who else could it be other than Ziva and her mother?
Yet before Jash could react to salvage the situation, the figure of Caera immediately dashed forth with a burst of excitement.
"Ziva! Why did you go meet my brother before me!?"
"I missed you so much!"
"How are you?"
"Did you awaken successfully?"
A barrage of questions assaulted Ziva from Caera who became ever the chatterbox that she used to be.
Seeing such a scene, Jash couldn't help but sneak a glance at the two women, only to find the pair oddly smiling at the scene!