|My Sister might be the devil (part 2)

“Sad?”

Rona, hearing those words, took a step back and let go of my hand. As of this moment, I felt happy, a bit confused but happy overall. I didn’t have a portable mirror on me or something so I did not understand what she meant. In my mind, I was laughing so much and I only showed anger, too. Is she mistaking anger for sadness?? Makes no sense whatsoever. That’s what I told myself, but my facial muscles said otherwise.

“I’m so sorry for the delay, we can go for breakfast together.”

I said all that, yet I couldn’t think of a way to dismiss Rona. Our tour was supposed to be a secret and I couldn’t make it look like I was out spending time with her. I looked at her and she simply nodded and went away. I didn’t feel safe leaving her alone, though. In truth, I didn’t want her to leave. I couldn’t leave her with that menace of a sister. 

“Rumi, she is our nutritionist. Her name is Veronica.”

“Um, why are you telling me her name?”

Is it that unusual for the servants to be addressed by name????

“Well I address some of the maids here by their names, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“I see. If that’s how things work here then I guess I have to follow the rules, too.”

“No, no. It’s not a rule. I just prefer doing that.”

“I see.”

I see?? That’s never good. I’m being weird again. For some reason, it feels a lot different compared to a while back.

“Well, since Voyan is fond of this, I will take a bit more interest in the servants that I will grow fond of in the future, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

I just knew you’ll get it…That’s Rumi for you…Beautiful on the inside and on the outside,too. She handles this like how any reasonable adult should. It’s not something she’s used to but even if she picked one side, it’s the way she did it that impressed me the most. I’m so lucky that I have her by my side.

“Let’s go.. She was busy telling me about different things on the way here, they might be interesting to you, too.”

“Go ahead, Veronica.”

“I will, your highness!!!”

With that, we walked all the way to the dining room, it was so huge that one could fit a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room here, with some extra space left.As tardy as we were, things were at a standstill.Well, to our surprise, everyone seated at the table stared at us, with their cutleries flat on the table. The knights stood still like statues, stationed at every corner, while the maids were directly behind us.Seems like I kept them waiting. I thought it would be normal for them to begin without me. I was used to that setting but perhaps these guys were different. Rumi and I tenderly landed on our seats and made greetings to everyone seated. Once again, my Father was there, seated at the furthest seat away and once again, I saw no one resembling my mother seated. However, there were two people seated. One clearly looked like a teenager and the other seemed to be in his mid twenties, by my estimation. Oh wow, I had more than one brother. Well,shit.. Who the hell is Quinn, then? I could guess my way out of it, it was fifty-fifty after all. I could just play around with the name. Similar to bait, whoever gets the reaction I’m looking for will automatically be the person with the name. Another easy task, I can pull it off.

“Quinn, your stares are as cold as ever.”

“.………”

“.……..”

“.……..”

What the hell? I failed something this easy?? No, that’s not it. My plan was bound to fail. I didn’t put into consideration who I was talking to. Not everyone is chatty. How do I segue onto something else?? I’m feeling oddly uncomfortable.

“Umm, why don’t we get started with breakfast?”

“Take a hint, pretty boy… Viesta is not here yet.”

Pretty boy??? I nearly lost it. The one with the cheeky remarks was seated opposite me, staring intensely at me. I felt like my soul was going to crawl out. Now I know how those poor souls feel when they get exorcised for no good reason. His black hair nearly covered his eyes fully but then parts were visible. Which is what made his glare scarier than usual. I wish the hair took everything away so I wouldn’t even know if he’s staring at me or not. His words were spun with hate, I could tell that much at least. What the hell did you do, Voyan?? Great, an enemy right at the starting point. This was what I needed the most!!!

“It is rude for you to address your older brother that way, don’t you think? Honestly, Father, just because Quinn and Viesta are the youngest didn’t mean you and Mother had to spoil them to this extent.”

“Heh..When you get older and you realize that you wouldn’t be able to watch your children grow up as often as you like, the urge to appreciate the process will soften you. It happens to almost everyone.I’m sure you don’t mind, right?”

“I’m already used to him and his wild remarks.”

“Is that so?? Well, first and foremost, Voyan, I sincerely apologize for not making it to your wedding. I arrived really early this morning. I guess you could say we took too long but once again ended up getting here earlier than expected today.

“It’s no problem, brother.”

That’s too convenient. I’m the only one here that thinks that because their reactions remain unshaken. This guy must be playing around. You miss your own brother’s wedding and that’s how you apologize? Is your ego getting in the way that much or these people are just too fucked up to care?? I mean in an era like this, what should I expect?? Damn, we (the modern era) wouldn’t last in an era like this.. It will be more damaging than global warming. Why do I get so excited imagining this scenario?? It’s just so hilarious that I can’t stop thinking about it.

“I’m glad that you are not as upset as I thought. I hope you won’t do the same to me as a form of revenge?”

“No no, of course not. I wouldn’t think of anything that terrible.”

“Hmm?? You seemed to have changed quite a bit. Normally you’ll throw a fit anytime I don’t fulfil my promises.”

This blonde bastard….. He even admitted to breaking promises.His nonchalant demeanour really pisses me the hell off. I’m even more pissed that he is acting this way even with the obvious fact that the room is rather tense. Now I know more about who I’m dealing with.

“It’s fine, really. At this stage, even if we don’t want to. Even if we are adults or kids, we just have to grow up. Even if we accomplish that by ourselves, situations will definitely push us. I have a wife now and I need to focus more on my new family so I don’t have any more time to spare on other things.”

I held Rumi’s hands tightly on the table and she hastily averted her gaze from the rest of us. Quinn rolled his eyes and sighed and my older brother gave a wry smile.

“Well said…Although, I have to admit, I didn’t expect you of all people to be able to pin down something so complicated in just a few words. I mean, you just turned 18 a few days ago but you hit the nail right on the head. I’m proud of you.”

Now the bastard is trying to wow me with his praise. I don’t get overwhelmed by praise, no matter how smooth you make it sound, Even for my parents, so what impact do you think your words will reach, pretty boy?? It sounds too good to not use that at least once.

“I appreciate the compliment.”

“Father, seems like we would have to start without Viesta.”

“Indeed..Why is she taking so long?”

He turned to one of the servants that stood at the corners that made the room look like a set of overlapping triangles. She spoke softly but firmly, almost like how she would treat a child.

“Princess Viesta refuses to come out of her room. She wishes to be left alone.”

That problematic beauty is causing problems even by being absent. In fact, if she were here she would be just as problematic if not more problematic so that means that it’s a loss on both ends. The thought of her here eating directly in front of me peeved me to my very core.I hated the fact that I had to call her a beauty. Unfortunately, it was nothing but the truth. Unless she did some damage to that face of hers, she wouldn’t be stripped of the label known as “beautiful”. 

Anyway, now that I calmed down, I felt bad saying all that. Any normal person would handle my words the same way so in a sense, her reaction is not unjustified . However, I am not apologizing to anyone.

“Is she in a bad mood again?”

“No, according to what I heard, she was screaming and shouting before locking herself up. Voyan, do you know anything about this?”

I’m cornered. I don’t really know how he got that much information because the only people there were me and Rona. I’m sure he’s that guy at school that knows every controversial bit of information going on. Kind of like a super journalist or something. But it still doesn’t add up, unless someone overheard us due to the noise. If that’s the case then it’s really bad news. I need to be more cautious of what I say, how I say it and where I say it. Just because the era is backward doesn’t mean everyone in it is dumb. I’m giving myself unnecessary pressure. Don’t freak out.

“Uh y-yeah, we met this morning as I was on the way here. She seemed normal to me. But then, at some point, she got extremely angry for some reason.”

“Hmm..I can’t imagine her throwing a fit for unknown reasons.I will try and talk to her. Lower your expectations, though. If you can’t do much in this situation then what would I be able to do?”

He set his chin on his hand, staring down in disappointment. I couldn’t tell if he was serious or simply implying that my “sister” hated me with his words. His face looked sincere but the tone of his voice felt off. From one womanizer to another, I could tell that this guy was the real deal. At least that was the feeling he gave me. I was no lady but I knew that he was oozing with sex appeal. From now on, I’ll call him the womanizer(in my head).

“I have a feeling Voyan is involved with her current mood. Whatever it is, I don’t care. I’m starving, father can we begin?”

“Yes, Quinn. We will begin. Gil, start with the prayers.”

“Do I have to?”

“.…”

{sigh}

“O great goddess, Kion, we are grateful for the divine protection received. Your kindness is the very force that drives us to live and achieve all our goals. Thank you for your love.”

After his chant, the womanizer separated his hands that were peacefully joined together just like that of everyone on the table. It seemed new to me, something that I should have been used to already. I was never the religious type, that I shamefully admit. Anyway, that prayer felt weird but believable. Kion, huh?

“You still haven’t learned how to channel your thoughts properly.”

“If you taught me the exact words to say, then maybe I wouldn’t be stranded like this.”

“It’s not by the words…”

I mean, it is literally about the words.

“But by the depth of the words and the warmth coming from the heart??”

“You see, Quinn gets it.”

My Father nodded his head with approval and smirked at Quinn. Womanizer was obviously pissed by this and didn’t hesitate to hide it. Quinn turned his gaze to me.

“I noticed you didn’t close your eyes. Be careful next time. That’s disrespectful.”

“Oops.”

“Oops?”

Give me a break, what exactly have I done to you??? Perhaps Quinn’s the opposite of me,that means….he’s the religious type. That changes nothing. It does actually. He’s the one that will confront me on every error I make, no matter how insignificant. He will be a pain in the ass moving forward. It’s funny how I already saw the bite-sized foreshadowing from Rumi. These two( Quinn and Viesta) have always and will always be a pain in my ass. Well, I guess that’s what being siblings means. I’ll fit into the sibling circle smoothly. I just need time.

“Quinn, come on. Let’s eat the food.”

“My bad.”

We finally sat down and munched down on this European style breakfast. The wieners reminded me of German food but that was it. It was extremely salty but also oddly delicious. It’s like my taste buds were tampered with. Either that or this was genuinely tasty. It was a combination of delicious treats but I still wasn’t used to the eggs yet. I’m Japanese so that sounds odd but it’s the way the scrambled eggs tasted that left me with an unfamiliar feeling.

Anyway, they all melted in my mouth and now I started thinking of random things, like how Rumi remained silent for the rest of the conversation…How my older brother had a weird look on his face as he devoured the wiener..The sight of my little brother staring down at the giant wiener before steadily filling his mouth with it. My Father eating multiple hot wieners without a care in the world. I was impressed, and a little disgusted.

My wife held my hand as we left to our red carriage. We had left the dining hall roughly one hour ago when a little brown haired midget by the name Schnitzel stumbled into us and chewed me out for being dozens of minutes late for an activity. Apparently I had an orphanage to open. Well screw you, how was I supposed to know? He then humbly apologized multiple times to Rumi for his rough behaviour with me. So the white knights were also in this era. They are also guilty for passing this behaviour down to the future generations. Anyway, my deepest concern was Rona. I left her at the Castle because I couldn’t bring her along. As much as I tried to twist it, she just wasn’t needed.Schnitzel and I had a bit of a squabble on it and in the midst of everything, she watched helplessly with a smile on. She then persuaded me to go without her. It was the most unnatural thing that had taken place. I was keen on bringing a mere servant along with me. Rumi had no comments regarding my adamance. I simply wanted her to feel safe. I was partly to blame for this feeling of unrest that she had. If anything, I admired her bravery.

With no luck of persuasion, we all got in the carriage and went to the first target on my schedule. I was a bit shocked, visiting an orphanage from no where. Out of all the activities I didn’t expect this one to be the first. I didn’t have to go there alone though, so that is a plus, right? Seeing all these young faces thank me repeatedly in such a submissive manner just didn’t feel right to me, but I could not refuse this. I just couldn’t savour this feeling, maybe it’s because deep down I was Hachiya. But then,I became Prince Voyan. As we opened up the building of the orphanage, the loud, thunderous cheers were still unfamiliar as my ears felt like a little ball stuck inside a drum that was constantly being hit. If everyone could shut up and let me process my thoughts properly, I would have been grateful.

“Schnitzel, can these people calm down for a second? I’m about to turn deaf..”

“You want to make your speech earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Very well.. Huh?? No, the people are obviously cheery. They don't get to see you often. Don’t spoil this moment, Voyan.”

Who the hell is this guy? He’s so pushy.. He’s aware that I’m royalty, right? What kind of relationship does he have with me? I can’t stand him. He’s almost as insufferable as Quinn and the Womanizer but then his attitude is the most annoying of them all. He’s not royalty. He’s simply my personal adviser that reminds me of my responsibilities, but he’s literally pushing and pressuring me. After he glanced at my wife’s reaction to it, the midget-knight proceeded to lower the noise from the crowd. I felt sick just watching him..

“There. You can start your speech.”

“Ahem.. People of Havendore. We are gathered here for the very first opening of the largest orphanage home in history. We made few efforts in the past but they never really came into fruition due to the tight situation we were put under. Now, we have the funds to set things in motion.This is a very memorable day. One that calls for celebration. I, Voyan Leopold, will be delighted to be the one to make this grand introduction. I’m sure those of us that were killed in battle and others who lost their lives would be proud to see that their children will not suffer in the slums. This would be one step we take closer towards the evolution of the kingdom. Without your undying love and support, do you think we would have gotten this far??”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!”

“You’re right. we would have never gotten this far. Let’s walk into the future with all our victories behind us and many more that will surely follow.”

“Prince Voyann!!!!”

“Your highness!!!!”

“We owe you our lives!!!”

“He’s a gift from heaven!!!”

Well, I really am a gift from heaven. These ragers screamed their lungs out as they cheered for me once again. There was really nothing I could do to stop them. I was only scared for the little children and their eardrums. They were simply in love with my very presence, talkless of my actions. Behind me, the midget was whispering some words to my wife and she simply nodded her head in response. He looked intrigued by my speech and had this proud look on his face, well he did write the speech. After that, we left the scene in style and were on our way to the next spot for the day. The sword/magic academy. Oh dear God, I definitely wasn’t ready for this one. They gave off the impression that this academy was the best place to be. A magical academy?? Damn it. My palms were sweaty for no good reason and I started getting nervous. I imagined school life to be quite the pain especially if you were someone as popular as the prince. I was definitely going to tarnish my reputation today, depending on how things went.

“ I request for a special tutor. Schnitzel, can you make it possible?”

“Huh?? What’s that??”

Don’t play dumb, you midget!!!

“He means a sword master or a mage.” said Rumi.

“Oh…What do you need one for?”

“Huh?”

“..Something wrong??”

“Nope. I’m just getting a bit excited. Can’t wait for it. It’s been a while, right?”

What did I just say?? I’m spouting nonsense right from my ass.

“Yeah, you’re right. However, we have a stop right before that.”

“I reminded him about it. You told me the other day about your favourite place.”

“Rumi.You’re the best.”

“I-It’s nothing. I’m your wife, after all.”

“Lucky me.”

My hands could not be seen since they were in my pockets but I could tell that I was back to normal. She managed to make it all better even if it was a little push. I felt like saying “How terrible could it possibly be?” but that would just be calling for an unwanted storm. Well, I wonder what the hell they were talking about. My favourite place? I’m basically walking on egg shells but the moment I make a mistake, the suspicion only increases and they slowly start treating me differently. I don’t know anything about the current situation but I must not reveal it to anyone, not even Rumi.

“We’re here.”

As we got out of the carriage, a gust of wind fiercely flew past us. I looked around and the puzzle solved itself. What stood in front of us was a green hill, we weren’t at the bottom but we also weren’t at the top. There was a certain point where the carriage couldn’t go any further but it wasn’t that huge, we could get to the top in a few minutes. What was above us, however, was the highlight of the whole trip. Dragons of different colours, sizes and shapes were flying around, bounded by nothing. It looked like they were dancing in the air. I was astonished at the sheer number of them. My eyes widened and I noticed that my mouth was open.

“No matter how much I see this view, it will still seem like a new thing to me.”

“That’s the beauty of it, I guess.”

Rumi walked up beside me and made sure the wind didn’t disturb her vision (her hair swayed around). Seeing her this relaxed gave me so much joy. Perhaps I was really falling in love with her. I stared so much that she eventually returned the favour.

“I love you, Rumi.”

Her face turned red and she stood there, tongue-tied. I caught her off guard but somewhere deep down, I was waiting for a reply.

“I love you, too.”

“Get a room, you two.”

“Shut it, midget.”

“Huh?”

“What is wrong with telling my wife I love her?? Don’t be jealous.”

“I-I’m not.”

I smirked as Rumi gave a strained smile and the midget slapped his face in embarrassment.

I turned around and the shock I received nearly sent my soul out of my body. It was intimidating, sinister, shaped like the very embodiment of evil. It was staring at me with only little distance separating us. It was a dragon.