Chapter 39 - Winter Is Here

The sun was hidden behind the clouds as winter entered into the solar empire. The trees lost their golden leaves and stood there lifelessly as if they were patiently waiting for spring.

The animals went to hibernation and ants were enjoying the sweet fruit of the hard labor they did throughout the summer.

And throughout the winter residence different colors of camellia grew in the front yard, which could make anyone heart smile.

In the First day of that cold and frosty winter, a lady with her sapphire like eyes looked through the document that will piled up throughout her table. And yes that's Irene Bedisa Winter who has been acting as the lady of the house since last week and right now she is looking at the budget list and her homework which was given by her tutors.

She has been taking this classes since the last two days and the reason behind taking such advance classes is because she wants to handle the household properly by herself since this matters are rather confidential.

"Ha... Just this is the last question and then my homework will be complete." Irene said as she looked at her notebook . "But why is it....So cold!!" Irene said as she brushed both of her hands against each other. And looked around the room until her eyes stopped at the fireplace, "The fire died no wonder the room temperature came down so fast." Irene said.

"Hana!" Irene called for the maid Hana, "Yes Miss! How may I help you!" Hana said as she bowed towards her.

"Its nothing much but can you light up the fireplace since it's too cold!" Irene said, "Sure My Lady." Hana said as she went towards the fireplace to lit it up.

"This feels nice!" Irene said with a small smile on her face, which showed clear happiness because of the rise in room temperature, " My Lady, Please take some rest, you have been working since Morning. " Hana said with a concerned look on her face.

"I wish I could but I have my classes in an hour so I can't...." Irene said as she smiled looking towards Hana, who was getting more and more worried about ther Lady. "Hana please don't make that worried face I am really fine and this isn't too much of work. So stop worrying, okay." Irene said as she rose up from seat and sat on her soft bed. "If my lady says so..." Hana said.

Irene looked at Hana and smiled, "She worries too much." Irene thought in her mind.

" Now then I need to get ready!" Irene said as she stood up from her bed. " Hana call for the other maid's and tell them dress me up fast." Irene said to Hana. "Yes My lady." Hana said as she bowed towards Irene and went outside the room to call for other maid's.

Seeing her leaving the room Irene layed down on her bed and closed her eyes, "Just for a second I will close my eyes until they come back...Just for a second." Irene said as she let out a deep breath. The warm room and cozy bed if the conditions would have been as before, Irene would have been lying on her bed and taking a nap but now she is no longer able to do that. Cuz without her the household won't be able to run, as the Lady of the house she has to give up a lot.

*knock* *knock* "My Lady we are here." Hana said from outside the room, hearing her voice Irene jolted up and combed her hair, "Yes come in." Irene said as she sat on her dressing table.

"My Lady we are here to dress you up." One of the maid said. "Yes I know....but please do it fast." Irene said as she stood up, "Yes we will, My Lady." The maid's said.

After 30 minutes,

"We are done." The maid's said looking at Irene who wore a blue velvet skirt with a puffed milky white colored like jacket on top, a white glove on both of her hands, with her hair tied in a ponytail. She wore a bracelet on her left hand with blue ribbons tied in it.

"This is so warm." Irene said as she smiled and closed her eyes feeling the warmth of her clothes. "Yes we took special care of the warmth since it's winter and Lady has to work for hours if you were thin clothes, it may affect your health." The maid's said bowing towards Irene.

"That was so considerate of you all, thanks for this I feel really warm right now." Irene said as she looked at the maid's with her warm and thankful eyes.

"My Lady please don't thank us for such small things....honestly if we could we would have liked to help you more but unluckily this is the only thing we could do, so please don't thank us instead please be healthy and happy, For us that smile on the Lady's face is worth more then anything else in this world." The maid said as she smiled towards Irene, she was speaking the truth and Irene knew what they meant.

"Hehe sure I will always keep smiling!" Irene said as she smiled towards them, "Seems like the maid's already knew that I was just keeping a strong font infront of them.....they are all loyal to me but still I don't want them to feel as if I am weak since that will stess them out and furthermore no one would like a weak leader." Irene thought as looked at her reflection on the mirror, "Irene you need to work harder then this!" Irene murmured to herself.

Right then Hana came inside the room with a medium size cup on her hand, "My Lady, please have this you will feel more energetic then!" Hana said as she handed the cup to Irene.

"What this...." Irene said as she looked at the cup and she tried to smell it. "Its Hot chocolate! Kids of my lady's age love to have this so I thought of bringing one for Lady." Hana said smiling towards Irene.

"Hot chocolate..." Irene said as she looked at the cup, "I never in my lifetime had it before." Irene said to herself, As she gulped.

"Can I really have it....Cuz cocoa isn't made in our empire so it must costly." Irene said looking at Hana.

"No its not and furthermore I am from the west and there the cost of this hot chocolate is very less so we can afford it as much as we want." Hana said looking at the lady infront of her who for the first time was acting like a normal 8 year old kid.

"Then thank you..." Irene said and as soon as she took a sip of the hot chocolate her eyes started to twinkle, she was able to enjoy the rich creamy and sweet with a little bit of bitter flavor of the hot chocolate sip by sip. She didn't say a word or even moved from her place, unless she drank all of it.

The maid's who were standing there looked at the little lady and smiled at her cuteness."Mary did you enjoy it." Hana asked Irene.

"Yes I did it very creamy and it's aroma is so sweet!" Irene said happily as she looked at Hana with stars in her eyes.

Hana face turned red as she looked at the cute face of the lady, "My Lady you are too cute to handle." Hana said as she covered her face.

"Huh? Cu...Cute me..." Irene said in confusion.

She looked at the other maid's and they were nodding their head as she they agreeing to Hana's word.

Without realizing Irene face turned red due to the sudden compliments and it was first time when the maid's called her cute not a lady but as a kid, Seeing the lady flustered face, made the Maid's heartbeat more fast. "So cute!!!!" All the maid's present in the room thought as they gave out a dampened smile.

"Sister what are you doing?" Ash said as he looked at her sister who was lost in her thoughts.

"Huh nothing much it's just that....I was called cute today..." Irene said.

"C..Cute who told you that? Was it a boy or a girl?" Ash asked in serious tone.

"It was our maids." Irene said as she flicked Ash forehead.

"Ouch!" Ash said as he touched his forehead,

"What goes inside that head of yours?" Irene asked.

"Nothing...." Ash said as he looked towards the other direction and saw uncle Leal so he waved towards him.

"Uncle Leal is here so I am going for the practice." Ash said as he looked at Irene.

"Hmm, sure....take care of yourself and don't try to push yourself too hard." Irene said as she stroked Ash hair.

"Yes I will." Ash said as he tuned around and walked towards the field.

"Right now he was embrassment right so cute!!" Irene said to herself as she smiled.

"You should say that to yourself." Ash said she he turned around and looked at Irene

"What does that mean?" Irene asked.

"That means my sister Irene is cute too!!" Ash said as he smiled towards her and then ran towards uncle Leal.

Irene stood there like a piece of stone, as her face turned red, "Whats wrong with the people today!" Irene said to herself.

"Like please I am mentally a lot older then you all and hearing that I am cute from kid is so humiliating!!!" Irene said in my mind as she walked faster towards the study room where her classes were supposed to take place.

"Seems like teacher is isn't here yet." Irene said as she entered the study room, it had a wooden table with two chairs located opposite to each other and books kept in a serial number on the shelf located behind the table.

"I should wait for a while." Irene said as he opened her books and read a few lines,but without realizing she fell asleep on top of her books.

"I was a little late and she fell asleep." A voice said as he walked towards Irene and looked at her face which slept peacefully. "I know I shouldn't do this but sorry it's my work." He said as he forwarded his hands towards her. "I am really sorry....." He said as he looked at Irene's little face.