I yawn as I force myself to stay awake. The servants here from the Alphard Palace are fixing my hair after Ryna, Ande, and Themis bathe me, those three were also the ones to dress me up. But when it comes to this fluffy hair of Alina, the Alphard servants takes over. They said they also want to serve me even if it's just taking care of my hair.
Last night, I spent three hours reading the book The History of Odilia, and I found out that Athalia, The Black Magician in the Empire is the cause of this misery that Alina's family is facing. Girl really cursed a whole family up to their future generations just because she was jealous of Alina's ancestor...she's insane. And to force that she was the Crown Prince's first lover? Did she came out from an asylum? Dang it, it's all because of that damn black magician!
"Your Highness, you can sleep. I'll support you," One of the maids spoke. I think her name is Yanhi. I smiled at her.
"Thank you, Big Sis Yanhi. But don't worry! I'm fine!" I replied. She looked at me as if she wasn't expecting something.
"Y-You know my name, Your Highness?" I stared at her from the mirror's reflection and giggled.
"Of course! All of you introduced yourselves to me, right? I can't forget the names of the people who are always with me!" I answered. But, actually this is my talent. I'm good at remembering things...but Alina's memories when she drowned, I can't recall it that much. Unless I experienced it myself---oh, I think I already said this.
"Your Highness is really amazing," The one who spoke is Mina. I think I heard that she's a noble. Although I don't remember hearing about her title. A Marchioness, I guess?
"Hehe ~ thank you, Mina!" I spoke.
"I heard that Your Highness is going to hang out with the Astra?" With the Astra? I wonder what really is this 'Astra'. Asher and his twins seems like a big deal, huh? Are they subordinates of Gods? Haha!
"Yes! Asher said he wants to check my mana again. So, we're meeting at the Callisto Garden's Pavilion," I looked at Alina's reflection on the mirror, and it's really amazing how adorable this kid is. Look at that wavy silver hair and golden eyes, she's got chubby cheeks too, and her lips are thin. She looks exactly like her mother.
"Does Your Highness likes the Callisto Garden?" Winnie asked.
"Yes, yes! I love it! It's a garden made for Mom after all!" I giggled. I saw how they smile gently and softly after hearing Alina mentioned her mother.
"Oh, now that everyone is talking to me, I don't feel sleepy anymore!"
I heard them chuckled as they continue with their works.
The reason I'm meeting Asher is because I want to ask him a lot of questions. That's right, I deserve to know everything he's hiding from me, because I won't be able to properly plan my future if I'm still lacking information about Alina and her family! This thing about the curse was never in the novel in the first place, and it was never revealed that Alina is cursed! There's no information about the Odilia's curse as well.
I feel sorry for Alina. She was treated badly by her family, and she's also cursed. Could it be that her family knew about the curse? That's why they keep abusing her mentally, just so she would kill herself and they could come out clean?
Or maybe Alina found out about it, that's why she committed suicide?
"Your Highness, your hair is fixed," Marcy spoke as she smile at me.
Wow, they put lots of decorations to my hair.
They cut my hair into half, horizontally, and divided the upper part into three. They braided it all, and then fold the two braided sections on the side, as they roll the middle braided hair up. So it ends up with a braided bun in the middle, with two braids on the side, with its tip attached on the hair near my ears. They left the remaining hair to flow down. They also placed a ribbons under those two braids on the sides, and then put some tiny circle accessories on the remaining hair that they didn't tie.
"Woaaah! I look pretty! Thank you everyone!" I jumped down from the chair and bow to them---they panicked when I did that.
I just giggled at them as I scratch the back of my head.
I'm glad the servants here loves Alina as well. Unlike those novels I read where they hated the new princess and then sabotage everything just to drag down the new princess. Hmm, this won't last for long, obviously. Amara's gonna arrived after all.
Well, this life of Alina here is totally different from the life she had in the novel. Her family seems to like her. It's only been twenty days since I was transported here, and I already noticed how those brothers of hers looks at her softly and gently. Even Diellzain who's written in the novel as someone who's a battle maniac doesn't seem to be like that at all. Or maybe he just don't like showing that side of his to Alina? Then, that also shows how he genuinely care to this little sister, right?
Hmm, still...I can't let go of the doubts within me. It's only been twenty days after all, it'll probably take a year or two before they can prove themselves to this overthinking Clara.
---
I creased my forehead when the one I saw on the gate of the garden isn't Asher but Ziel. A smile formed on his lips when he saw me walking towards the garden. What is he doing here? Did someone told him I was heading to the garden? Or...maybe Ryna?
I turned my head to Ryna behind me and she only smiled at me.
"Good morning, Ziel!" Before we reach his direction, he already bowed at me with that handsome smile.
I wonder how these people are so pretty? What the heck? Is this normal?
"Greetings, Princess Alina. I hope you had a good sleep," he spoke as he stood straight. He turned to Ryna and his smile widens after turning to his big sister.
"Good morning, big sis," he spoke.
"Good morning, Young Master," Ziel creased his forehead and tilt his head. Probably confused by what his sister addressed him.
"Ziel, what are you doing here? Do you want to see Ryna?" I asked. Let's not keep the magician waiting, because his mood might drop to the very bottom again.
"That's right, Your Highness, I'm here to talk with my sister. May I borrow her for a moment, Princess?" Borrow her? Haha, his wordings are so cute. I nod my head at him as I smile. I'm glad he's not here to hang out with me, because that would mean that I won't be able to talk with Asher as Clara.
"You may, I don't mind!" I replied and step to the side in order to give way to Ziel. He walked towards Ryna and held her hand. Ryna ruffled his hair and he giggled cutely.
So that's how he acts around his sister.
"Apologies, Princess. I won't be able to play with you today," Actually, you're doing me a favor, sweetie. It's not like I don't want to hang out with him, 'kay? I just really want to know some things from old Asher.
"It's alright, Ziel! Have a good day with Ryna!" I said cheerfully.
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness," Ryna said, bowing to me. I shake my hands in front of them as I chuckle.
"Of course, of course. Please have a good day!" I replied, waving my hands to the both of them. I turned around and start walking, but I glanced at the two siblings once and I saw how Ziel and Ryna smiled at each other.
They look really happy. Ryna really loves her brother, and her brother feels the same away.
For some reason, I remember how those three brothers of Alina looks at her with their expression full of affection, including Orpheus. It's similar to how Ryna stares at her brother. It shows how she cares and love her brother, you can really tell it by her eyes.
I smiled and turn my head ahead, entering the Callisto Garden. I wonder...do those people really love Alina? I mean, right now...in this life. Do they genuinely care for her? I'm curious, and confused. Because everything that is happening to me right now is different to what was mentioned in Alina's flashback.
A lot of things doesn't add up, and it's going to give me a hard time planning out my future. Plus, being a five years old, I don't have much freedom to do what I want. I can't even hide loots in the Alphard Palace!
I decided not to do any noticeable actions to get anyone's attention, but this face is enough for that! Goodness gracious, her pretty face makes the servants giggles and blush!
"Greetings, Your Highness the Princess," I sighed before I face Asher who's standing outside the pavilion.
"Good day, Asher! Oh, Themis, Ande. Do you mind if I ask you to stay far from Asher and I? I'm sorry..." I looked at them with worried face. I feel rude asking them to stay away from us as we talk. I didn't even know how I would relay that to them.
"We don't mind, Your Highness," Ande replied and smiled at me. I giggled and nod my head.
"Thank you!" I rushed to Asher after that.
"Hey, slow down," he said, with furrowed brows. Looks like he's been waiting here for how many minutes now based on the look on his face. He seems to be in a bad mood because of the long wait.
"Did you wait long?" I asked when we finally entered the pavilion.
"Yes. I was about to leave just now," he said with a frown on his face before taking a seat on one of the chairs. He even levitated himself towards it, and he snapped his fingers to let me sit on the chair across him.
"Your mana's slowly starting to overflow again. Looks like the magic I cast yesterday is fading now," he said, and then sighed.
"Are you going to cast the same magic again?" He shook his head and lean on the back of the chair.
"My tasks are done, and I can stay here now," Tasks? I creased my forehead as I look at him who's also staring at me suuuspiciously. It's like he's trying to examine my whole existence.
"W-what?" I asked.
"Aren't you curious about what tasks I did?" I tilt my head. Why would I get curious about that? It's his own works and it doesn't really matter to me.
"Uhm, no?" He snorted and rolled his eyes. What the heck is this guy's problem? Does he want me to know what he did yesterday? If he do, then just tell me! No need to ask?!
"Anyways, I'll go straight to the point, Asher. I've found out a few things after reading the Odilia's book. Athalia, The Black Magician, and then the Astra's three. Please, just tell me everything," I said. He lean forward to the table and stared directly into my eyes. What now? He usually does that, what is he trying to figure out by looking into my eyes?
"Hmm. Well, Athalia...huh? She's currently sealed somewhere. If I'm not mistaken, it's beneath the cemetery within the Ciera Temple, and...hmm, yeah she's the one who placed a curse on Felicia Odilia. I wasn't there, so I have no idea what exactly happened. Ashley knew the whole story, but she's in a different universe, Abel and I weren't there after all because we had to take care of the---some things," That's why only Godmother Ashley was sent there to deal with the Black Magician?
"...I don't even know why Ley only sealed the magician, she could've stripped away her magic but she decided not to...also, we believe that Ley's hiding something from us. After she sealed the black magician, she bid farewell and said that she's going somewhere else," Hmm, that really is suspicious. How come? Does she know more about this than Asher and Abel? Now, I'm even more curious.
"By the way, Asher...aren't your surname 'Astra'? What is an Astra?" I'm also curious about that ever since I heard it.
"Hmm. Astra's Three? That's what the people here call us, we are all tasked to take care of the Three Empires in this world, where three magic towers are summoned. Uhh...to put it simply, the Astra's Three are the incarnations of the three Gods," I blinked for a couple of times as I tilt my head.
"Huh?"
What did he just said? Incarnations of the Gods? Him and twins are?
Huh?!
***