Chapter 17

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕯𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

The sweet velvety warmth wrapped around my lips. When the briefest faint of light entered my vision, my gaze turned to the letter that Sister Cristine gave to me, and the corners of my lips lifted without hesitation.

When I looked at the other papers, I got to read that came from Gernilda, Benjamin, Hamilton, and the others, they were the children that I talked to and began to cherish.

They were kind and sincere and I hope for a brighter future, someday...

When my hands landed on Sister Cristine's letter, I was about to continue where my eyes left when someone knocked on my door. I looked at my cup and it was empty. Probably it would be Anna trying to refill my tea.

But when I looked at who entered, it was Claudius with a serious look.

"Milady, a pleasant morning," he said while bowing and I only made a face. Since in the beginning, he wouldn't act like that if we weren't alone.

"Young master Cain and young lady Celna had arrived for their visit," Then I knew why my body suddenly froze. It's all because of my mother's gathering where I met those two.

It's been two days after the gathering but the memories were still fresh. I looked at the letter from my table and sighed. Even though I had the time to read them, some unexpected guests came.

I took them and put them in my drawer. Then I looked back at Claudius and nodded.

"Lead me to where they were now, Claudius," Without hesitation, he did the same thing and closed the door when I followed him from behind.

I looked at Claudius' back and they became more stern, firm, and broad. Like he's growing day by day. Then my gaze shifted to his hands, he was wearing gloves today while in a butler's servant uniform. Perhaps, it was because of his deal with my father.

Later, I will find out what kind of deal they did but for now, I have to face these two guests. It took us a few seconds to arrive at the garden.

Usually, guests would be directed to a guest room, but for these two kids, who were older than me, they have been brought to the garden. I sighed.

Mother and her fantasies of me always making some friends must have garnered her eyes to shine.

Claudius stepped behind me, while my feet started to walk to the grasses. When I looked at the two, I could see how they were bickering, and Cain would go about this nonstop argument with Celna. Though, I would never expect to see them like this.

Not when our first encounter was nothing but a bad impression of each other.

I tried to take a few deep breaths, but I couldn't shake off that glare he had on me, the young boy named Cain, In the past, he would be one of the greatest knights alongside Claudius.

He was the captain of the blue spears, from the imperial family, and led a life full of achievements but there was one flaw that remained unsolved, it was all about him and his awkward relationship with his household.

Sighing, I couldn't just think any further than to look at the young boy I had in mind. I've seen his every move, like a memory from the past, but this side of him was new.

When the cool breeze swayed his golden blonde hair, his emerald eyes followed the waves. His red lips opened to speak another word from the young lady in front of him but he managed to catch a glimpse of my appearance.

His eyes met mine for the briefest second before closing them and looking back at Celna. When I tried to look at the young lady, she was indeed a beauty. She had these alluring violet hair and silvery eyes.

Though she was still young, I could see the sparkles in her eyes whenever Cain would argue with her. Her soft hands covered with fair skin might be something that I have but they would shiver all the time, as if she's hiding something.

"Finally, the host for the event for now," Cain spoke but he never put his gazes back on me. Instead, he looked at the tea from his head and took a big gulp before landing his eyes on the left of the large tree.

Celna looked everywhere and when she found me, she stood from her seat and ran towards me only to envelop me with such warmth.

"I've missed you, Vestia!" She uttered and I could only beam while trying to pat her head.

"It's only been two days, Celna," I said but she snuggled deeper into me and I only chuckled. When my gaze suddenly caught Cain's wide eyes, he immediately averted his gaze but I could see how his face became red.

Are people like this when they tend to see me and get feverish for a second and become fine again? I wonder.

"You didn't forget your promise that day, right?" Her sweet and soft voice reverberated within my ears and I felt little tingles. How could I have forgotten that?

I smiled at her while breaking our hug then patted her hair.

"It also took me two days to know what you wanted, Celna..." I could see how her eyes shone bright from the radiance of the rays but the corners of her shivering lips formed a sweet beam.

"You've been a good friend to us, Vestia and I hope we can remain good friends forever," When she said the word forever, I knew that it would pain me the most.

Celna, in the past, couldn't live by her parent's expectations. Even though we were strangers, I barely heard any news about her and how her household became distant from the imperial household's affairs.

Now, I must change that. Since Celna wasn't a bad person, to begin with. She's a sweet gentle and kind young lady.

I chuckled and Celna followed. When my gaze landed on Claudius, he was already talking to Cain, and Cain would sometimes make faces and point some fingers at Claudius to which the latter only laughed.

Thinking back then, I couldn't stop myself from sighing. I wouldn't be able to meet the two of them if it weren't for my mother's persistence.

I didn't think that I would join her gathering when I was busy with my own plans, and yet, I never expected what she did.

And what would have unfolded that afternoon, where I made my very first mistake.

Three days ago

After hearing my mother say those words, all day long, all I did was sigh. I would usually come to Claudius' training quarter and support him while the others would also be there and cheer on my behalf but right now, I was stuck in my mother's room.

"I've heard that you've been acting a little weird lately, Vestia," Her sweet words would always make my worries disappear but they didn't do any good as to why I would still attend her gathering.

"Mother, are you sure I would attend your gathering? I'm just barely a young child for now"

"Yes, you are, and no buts since you're my daughter. I just want to introduce my lovely daughter," she said like a song and I couldn't help but sigh once more.

"Don't worry, Henry would still be your friend, but I would also want you to have more," she's speaking in terms of nobility status. When I think about the past, nobles who had many connections of friends tended to be confident and successful.

To others, they would be praised, worshiped, and even admired, compared to the nobles who were distant. For me, nothing that I cared about back then, but all I thought about was Caliere.

Now that my mother suggested those, I should go along with it, but sweet-talking, faking smiles and laughter while pretending to understand about the noble society weren't just what I'm good at and just a thought of those would make me vomit.

No one would guess what was inside a person's mind especially nobles who were hiding their true intention with a fake smile, sympathy, and mind games.

I would rather do the right thing even if it meant to hide the whole truth than expose what meant to be a lie. But I know that someday I will go down that path, a path where I will share chuckles with strangers and smiles with my adversaries, just to protect the ones I love.

Since the world was created in a cruel way, people would change over time, but I was still hoping that promises would never be broken.

I never expected that by agreeing, I would meet these two children from the other duchy, Cain Greviore and Celna Devinseil.

"Who do you think you're speaking to?" Since I was lost on the way to my mother's place, my feet suddenly brought me to the garden. But I heard voices as if someone was arguing with the other.

That's when I hid in one of the bushes. But curiosity got a hold of me that's why I looked at where the voice came from and I saw three young boys. Two were on the grass sitting as they were holding to their stomach and grinding in pain.

The other one was standing with both of his hands in his pocket. I looked closely at the perpetrator and I could see how majestic his golden blonde hair was and his eyes shone like a bright emerald.

I couldn't think of anything since he was already hurting the two and so I stood in front of the two boys and glared at the young boy.

"I do not sponsor violence in my household, young master," polite as I was, I glared at him when he only stepped backward and bit his lower lips hiding his face from his bangs.

But I never thought that the two boys would laugh out loud making me crease my eyebrows. They should be running away now and yet they managed to utter such disgusting laughter or was I only mishearing things?

"Yes, you should stepped back since you're not worthy of us nobles. You should have known your place before you go and hurt us"

"Even though you come from a duchy, your blood would never be like theirs"

"You're just a peasant that was claimed out of pity but don't think highly of yourself..."

When I looked behind me, the boys who were supposed to be in pain had these smug looks on their faces and before I knew it, they smiled at me, thanked me, and ran away afterward leaving me with the young boy who was clenching his fist while looking elsewhere.

I could even see how he was biting his lower lips hard enough to coil up some blood. I stood there unmoving. What I just heard from those boys were harsh words, and I never intended to save them if they were like this.

I should have known the situation first before concluding and now that I've known it, it was too late.

"I-I----"

"Nobles, just because you all have these royal bloods in you. You could trample on the commoners as if they were nothing but trash..." When he faced me he was glaring that I opened my mouth to speak but he immediately clicked his tongue and ran away.

I just hurt someone without intending to, yet my feet won't follow my mind's order as my hand got stuck to my gaze where he was slowly fading through my sight.

I gazed around to see Claudius who helped me find this young boy when my sight landed on a small fragile-looking lady behind shivering while looking with her worried eyes.

I didn't know what to say or do so I only looked at my hands down the grasses.

"H-He isn't a bad b-boy, h-he was k-kind, g-gentle and s-sincere u-until those two boys made f-fun of h-him and he was o-only trying to s-save himself e-even though h-he saw me and I-I felt g-guilty not making a move t-to save h-him," the warm voice echoed

Even if she was stuttering, I could feel the sincerity coming from her and it made me think of the unthinkable.

"Thank you," I say running towards her and holding her hands

"May I ask your name?" I inquired and she nodded with eyes full of curiosity

"C-Celna"

"What about the young boy?"

"C-Cain"

"Are you friends with him?"

"W-We managed to t-talk e-earlier and he's a j-jolly young b-boy," she said and I smiled. I patted my head and gave her my name

"Alright, Celna, I'm Vestia and from today come with me, I have an announcement to make," I grabbed her hands as we managed to walk towards the venue.

All the children were gathered on their parents' side, I could see the Greviore and the Devinseil but they didn't have children on their grasps. I shook my head and reminded myself.

I have to apologize for that kid earlier

I stood from the center while my mother was sitting and talking to her guests. I caught her attention and she only smiled but I would be saying sorry to her later for what I must do now

"I know it would be urgent but can I have everyone's attention?" I paused as I looked that everyone in the place seemed to put their eyes on me. Good, just what I expected.

When I looked around, I saw Cain sitting on the edges of the path while hugging his knees and looking elsewhere. I point my fingers to where Cain was and raised my other hand holding Celna

"From this moment, that young boy named Cain and this young lady named Celna are my best friends. No one should trample on them or else I'll have them leave my mother's gathering," My declaration shocked the two boys more than the other kids while the other noble adults only laughed

I could see how my mother's face reddened and I'm not sure if she was angry or embarrassed, but when I looked at the two main guests of the gathering, their eyes were wide.

"Did you just befriend the Greviore and Devinseil's children?"

Back then, I didn't know they were from those duchies... Even if I apologized to Cain, Celna managed to convince him. That's why after a few days of being grounded for my unexpected actions, I saw Cain and Celna again and this time, I could really tell, Cain was a kind young boy.

I let go of Celna and faced Cain. He seemed to look at me for a moment before finally sighing.

"What do you want this time?" He said but I just beamed and immediately messed up his hair

"No matter who you are, you are still my friend, Cain. Don't ever forget that," I saw how he mimicked Henry's style of moves and when I looked at Celna she was smiling ear to ear

"By the way, I heard a rumor that the young master of the Vellitas household would be going to their country estate and would stay there for the last four years before going to the imperial academy..."