“I don’t think you need to put yourself in an awkward position because of this situation, father,” I started. “You knew Her Majesty and Princess have those kinds of thoughts and have been spreading it. Why don’t you just keep that information for now? If the situation changes again, wouldn’t it be better to make your move then?”
I thought for a moment and then added, “Maybe you can tell grandfather. I think it would be better for him to know.”
“I think it is okay to tell father because he feels a bit apologetic towards the Grand Duke. If things change later on… he will help either way,” My mother said. Father looked at Mother with a distressed look on his face.
“Father… you tell grandfather,” I urged again.
“Oh, I don’t know anything about politics.” He looked to mother. “You should say those kinds of things yourself, Marquess,” he said.
When they first met, my father thought my mother was just a beauty who knew nothing. Later on, he was proven wrong by mother’s sarcasm and wit, which made him embarrassed. Father covered his face with both hands. Poor Father…
“What are you going to do about Aaron? Are you going to let him be the princess’ secretary?” Alex raised a serious question.
I looked at Mother and Father. Father raised his head and frowned. Mother said after a few seconds of silence, “We should leave him be.”
“Chelsea?” My Father looked at my Mother in surprise. My eldest brother also looked bewildered. I couldn’t understand their reactions. Isn’t that a natural conclusion?
“We have no choice but to leave him alone. Would he listen obediently after doing something like that?” Mother asked. “It’s the first time Aaron has done something like that. I don’t know what the cause is, but if it’s a fever from unrequited love that blossomed late, it will subside at some point. If there are other reasons, it will gradually come to light,” Mother said to Father.
Alex scratched his head. “What if it gets worse? Aren’t you worried about that?” he asked.
“Nothing burns more than love that has obstacles. Making obstacles on his way will be counterproductive. If it gets worse… I’ll have to endure it. It means I haven’t raised him better,” Mother raised her chin and solemnly said.
My father held my mother’s hand. “You’re not the only one who raised him. It must also be my fault,” he said.
“I don’t know why this happened… I truly don’t know.” Mother sighed and held my father’s hand. Alex and I also exchanged confused glances; we were both also in the dark. The reason wasn’t that important to me.
Maybe it’s not a bad thing for my little brother to go work under the princess. I have to get information about the princess immediately and consider this an advantage. Either way, in my current mood, I can throw him under the bus as a scapegoat anytime.
I’ll forgive you for throwing a knife at me but I won’t forget it, Aaron Jasper Warwick.
***
Something tapped his cheek. He tried to get rid of it, but it didn’t go away even after several swats. Then suddenly, he couldn’t move his arm.He felt something cold. ‘A human hand?’ Something pressed down on the bottom of his neck. He opened his eyes wide. The blade glinted. His hand instinctively moved in search of the dagger he always had within reach after that happened. But there was nothing. ‘Where did my dagger go? Why is it not here?’ His heart was pounding.
His eyes found a shadow in the dark. To be precise, it was a shadow leaning over him. As darkness appeared to devour him, the shadow climbed over his body and leaned over his face. Cold hands placed pressure on his neck. It was not painful and it was not difficult to breathe; it was a ghastly reminder that a threat was over him. But he was gasping for breath as if the hands were strangling his neck. He was sweating and his body felt cold.
His knee throbbed. The knee, which had been injured because of ‘that incident’, could not be restored to its original state because it hadn’t been treated promptly. Of course, he didn’t want to restore it to how it was. How many things have been lost, and how many things couldn’t be restored? It was ridiculous to ask for restoration. What right does he have? He couldn’t protect anyone. He couldn’t protect even one person. No, wait a second. What’s ‘that incident’? What the hell is that? Since when did I sleep with a dagger next to me?
“Wake up, Aaron Jasper Warwick.”
Aaron gasped again at the quiet voice. His mind was confused. Where is this? Where am I? What happened? And this voice… her sister, Alice. No, Alice is dead. Alice was kidnapped by that d*mn Gerald Eastbay and taken to the estate, where… His memories shifted to green eyes that glistened like a cat, a silvery metal flashing from someone’s hand, dark, red blood spurting into the air. Those pink lips were like an ominous crescent the first three days. Thin, beautiful, ghastly.
Her sister, Alice.
“I don’t think you need to put yourself in an awkward position because of this situation, father,” I started. “You knew Her Majesty and Princess have those kinds of thoughts and have been spreading it. Why don’t you just keep that information for now? If the situation changes again, wouldn’t it be better to make your move then?”
I thought for a moment and then added, “Maybe you can tell grandfather. I think it would be better for him to know.”
“I think it is okay to tell father because he feels a bit apologetic towards the Grand Duke. If things change later on… he will help either way,” My mother said. Father looked at Mother with a distressed look on his face.
“Father… you tell grandfather,” I urged again.
“Oh, I don’t know anything about politics.” He looked to mother. “You should say those kinds of things yourself, Marquess,” he said.
When they first met, my father thought my mother was just a beauty who knew nothing. Later on, he was proven wrong by mother’s sarcasm and wit, which made him embarrassed. Father covered his face with both hands. Poor Father…
“What are you going to do about Aaron? Are you going to let him be the princess’ secretary?” Alex raised a serious question.
I looked at Mother and Father. Father raised his head and frowned. Mother said after a few seconds of silence, “We should leave him be.”
“Chelsea?” My Father looked at my Mother in surprise. My eldest brother also looked bewildered. I couldn’t understand their reactions. Isn’t that a natural conclusion?
“We have no choice but to leave him alone. Would he listen obediently after doing something like that?” Mother asked. “It’s the first time Aaron has done something like that. I don’t know what the cause is, but if it’s a fever from unrequited love that blossomed late, it will subside at some point. If there are other reasons, it will gradually come to light,” Mother said to Father.
Alex scratched his head. “What if it gets worse? Aren’t you worried about that?” he asked.
“Nothing burns more than love that has obstacles. Making obstacles on his way will be counterproductive. If it gets worse… I’ll have to endure it. It means I haven’t raised him better,” Mother raised her chin and solemnly said.
My father held my mother’s hand. “You’re not the only one who raised him. It must also be my fault,” he said.
“I don’t know why this happened… I truly don’t know.” Mother sighed and held my father’s hand. Alex and I also exchanged confused glances; we were both also in the dark. The reason wasn’t that important to me.
Maybe it’s not a bad thing for my little brother to go work under the princess. I have to get information about the princess immediately and consider this an advantage. Either way, in my current mood, I can throw him under the bus as a scapegoat anytime.
I’ll forgive you for throwing a knife at me but I won’t forget it, Aaron Jasper Warwick.
***
Something tapped his cheek. He tried to get rid of it, but it didn’t go away even after several swats. Then suddenly, he couldn’t move his arm.He felt something cold. ‘A human hand?’ Something pressed down on the bottom of his neck. He opened his eyes wide. The blade glinted. His hand instinctively moved in search of the dagger he always had within reach after that happened. But there was nothing. ‘Where did my dagger go? Why is it not here?’ His heart was pounding.
His eyes found a shadow in the dark. To be precise, it was a shadow leaning over him. As darkness appeared to devour him, the shadow climbed over his body and leaned over his face. Cold hands placed pressure on his neck. It was not painful and it was not difficult to breathe; it was a ghastly reminder that a threat was over him. But he was gasping for breath as if the hands were strangling his neck. He was sweating and his body felt cold.
His knee throbbed. The knee, which had been injured because of ‘that incident’, could not be restored to its original state because it hadn’t been treated promptly. Of course, he didn’t want to restore it to how it was. How many things have been lost, and how many things couldn’t be restored? It was ridiculous to ask for restoration. What right does he have? He couldn’t protect anyone. He couldn’t protect even one person. No, wait a second. What’s ‘that incident’? What the hell is that? Since when did I sleep with a dagger next to me?
“Wake up, Aaron Jasper Warwick.”
Aaron gasped again at the quiet voice. His mind was confused. Where is this? Where am I? What happened? And this voice… her sister, Alice. No, Alice is dead. Alice was kidnapped by that d*mn Gerald Eastbay and taken to the estate, where… His memories shifted to green eyes that glistened like a cat, a silvery metal flashing from someone’s hand, dark, red blood spurting into the air. Those pink lips were like an ominous crescent the first three days. Thin, beautiful, ghastly.
Her sister, Alice.
