Sebastian smirked at Jacob, who immediately looked down, avoiding eye contact. Sebastian chuckled, clearly entertained by the boy's reaction. He bent down to Jacob's height, examining his innocent face. "Look at me, little boy." Jacob met Sebastian's gaze, and the prince smiled. "Yes... perfect. Now, tell me, aren't you the one who slipped on my sister's favorite gown yesterday?"
Elara's grip on her wrist tightened as she watched her brother being questioned about the embarrassing incident. But she couldn't intervene; they were standing in front of the formidable Third Prince himself, notorious for not tolerating interruptions.
Jacob looked down again, his hands clasped together as he spoke in a low, insecure tone. "Yes." Sebastian grinned, impressed by the boy's honesty.
Then he turned to Lily, who promptly hid behind a chair, as if it could shield her from the prince's gaze. She knew she had also been running in the same direction yesterday, and her foot had gotten stuck in Florence's dress. But she had managed to escape before falling like Jacob.
Sebastian chuckled at the sight of the two uncomfortable children. He shook his head, his teeth gleaming in a brief laugh, before straightening up again. He adjusted his coat and stood tall.
"Hmmm, impressive..." Sebastian turned to return to the couch but paused, smiling at Jacob and Lily. "No need to hide from me... I'm not here to punish you." He settled into the couch, his expression relaxed.
Jacob looked up, a spark of curiosity in his eyes. "But, in fact, I'm asking for your identity to confirm whom I should apologize to," Sebastian said, leaning his head back against the couch. "You know... my sister... well, she loses her temper sometimes." He spoke casually, as if it were a trivial matter.
Jacob and Lily exchanged a surprised glance, as if they'd never expected the prince to utter those words. Elara stood stunned, her eyes fixed on Sebastian, while her mother looked on, bewildered.
Sebastian yawned, seemingly unaffected by the stares. He turned his head from left to right, as if inspecting the house. "Is this all they have? A kitchen and hall?"
Marco replied, "No, Highness... The rest of the rooms are built upstairs."
"Hmmm.... let's check." He didn't west a second before standing up again, and walk around the house to examine everything like a detective examine a murder case.
Elara bit her lower lip, her displeasure evident. First, he'd arrived uninvited, then reminded her of her family's poverty, and now this. She spoke up, trying to stop him. "You can't go there."
Sebastian turned back, his foot on the first step. "And why do you think I can't?"
Elara clunch her teeth. "at the very least, extend some courtesy to the person whose home you're in."
Sebastian ignore her protest, proceeding to examine more deeper in the house.
He climb the stairs, Marco following from behind. As they came to the first floor they found two three rooms. One was must be their parents, then the old grandparents room which now Elara was using as her own. Then thrid one was Jacob's which was a guest room before he was born.
Marco look at the old wooden floor under his feet. "This must be their elder's portion before they left."
"Where did they go?" Sebastian asked as he walks on the hallway. He came to the balcony, looking outside to the backyard.
Marco replied, "Grandfather was a wheat salesman. Died of lung damage. Grandmother was a housewife. Had a heart attack after his passing. Left the newlywed groom to take over. The father works multiple jobs now."
"HEY!!!"
Sebastian and Marco were busy talking about Elara's past grandparents and her condition, carelessly walking around on the first floor, when they heard a loud voice coming from behind.
They turned around, and Sebastian saw Elara standing on the stairs, looking completely furious. Her face was hard as rock.
"WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" Marco coughed at Elara's unexpected outburst, as Sebastian smirked. Completely enjoying the drama he, himself, had caused.
"Leave us alone." Marco exchanged a shocking glance at Sebastian, but quickly nodded and silently withdrew from the balcony.
"Seems like my princess is upset about something." Elara's anger was not affecting Sebastian in any way. He just crossed his arms together, enjoying her outburst like an amazing part of his entertainment.
Elara stepped forward and stopped just an inch away from him. Her eyes never left his face.
"First your sister, then you.... Tell me clearly, what you want? To embarrass me again? Not in front of just that party crowd, but also from my mother?"
Sebastian raised his eyebrows, this time taken aback by Elara's words.
"You think I am here to embarrass you?" He spoke. His voice firm, yet he managed to hold his anger back.
"Listen to me..." Sebastian stepped closer to her slowly. "I am your prince, so it means it's my responsibility to provide for the people of this..."
"DON'T LIE TO ME! I know this is not the reason why you are here." She glared at him, cutting his sentence with her words. She stood still, her face expression stern.
"I know you are not here for that. When not the king himself has ever done this, then who are you to fool us by saying we provide for our people?" She cross her arms together, looking straight in his eyes.
"It's not 'we' the 'third prince', it's never 'we'.," Not the king, not the crown prince, not even the second prince have ever distributed such gifts as you have given us today. And we didn't even ask for that, then why?"
Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly, his jaw clenched in restraint. "You think you're clever, don't you, Elara?" He spoke in a low, measured tone. "Questioning my motives, doubting my words."
Elara stood her ground, her gaze unwavering. "I'm not being clever, I'm being realistic. You're not fooling anyone with your charity act."
Sebastian took another step closer, his eyes locked on hers. "So what? I don't care how my elder rule this empire. For me, it's my duty, you are my responsibility. And you will take all of it, wether you like it, OR NOT." With that, Sebastian turned and walked away, leaving Elara's protests unheeded.
She opened her mouth to stop him but clamped it shut, clenching her teeth in frustration.
She came downstairs soon after Sebastian, who didn't even pause to bid farewell. Elara's mother attempted to intercept him at the door. "Your Highness, where—"
Sebastian ignored her and stormed out of their home. Marco let out a sigh, knowing he had no reason to linger. He nodded firmly to Elara's mother as he spoke, "Let's go."
The servants, who had arrived with the trays, followed Marco one by one. Soon, the only evidence of their visit was the lavish spread on the table: trays of jewelry, fruits, and expensive dresses.
Jacob quickly ran to the window to watch them leave, as Elara stood still in front of the closed door from where she had just seen the prince depart. She looked down at her hand, which she had gotten kissed again by the same person who she had never expected to be the prince.
She turned to the coffee table where those trays of gifts were, and Sebastian's words ran through her mind when he had told her, "You will take it, whether you like it, OR NOT!" - like she didn't have any rights to object.
She sighed and looked away to see her mother already staring at her. Elara gulped under her mother's intense stare; she knew now her mother wouldn't show any mercy.
Elara quickly turned around and began to go upstairs, but before she put her foot on the first step, her mother called out her name.
"Elara..."
Elara stopped mid-step, her back still turned to her mother. She knew that tone all too well - it was the tone that signaled a lecture, or worse, a scolding.
Elara took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She slowly turned around, her eyes meeting her mother's intense gaze.
"Yes, Mother?" Elara's voice was neutral, but she could feel the tension building inside her.
Her mother's eyes narrowed slightly, as if searching for something in Elara's expression. "Come here. We need to talk," she said finally, her voice dripping with an unspoken warning.
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