Chapter 58 - Second (2)

Alexandra tore the wrap off as she was being overwhelmed with curiosity as she asked herself what was inside. The gift was from Mari, Yulli, and Daisy. As she slowly uncovered what was inside, Harrison boringly stared at her and watched her eyes sparkled as she saw what was inside, she gasped in delight and she raised the gift up with a smile on her face. "What's that?" Harrison asked as he can't stop the urge to ask when he saw that delighted and satisfied expression on her face.

Alexandra turned her head in his direction, giving him a smile as she showed him what the gift is. Harrison's eyebrows creased when he saw it and he asked himself: What's fascinating about a dried flower?

It seems like Alexandra read what was inside his mind. "This dried flower is not just a dried flower, if you take care of it for a week like watering it and letting it bathe by the sun rays, it will bloom. Every day, it changes into a different flower. If you had a rose yesterday, it will turn into a sunflower the next day. But, of course, it will not turn or change into a poisonous flower like the Abyss or Veronica's Staff. It will not die and you can cut its stem but don't pluck it out," Alexandra read it before from the books, a flower that blooms and changes with the use of mana. Although she doesn't know how and why she was fascinated and wished that she wants to have one, flowers were her favorite thing after all. Her wishes were heard by the maids and the three, Yulli, Daisy, and Mari cooperated with each other for Alexandra's gift.

It was expensive but since they joined and shared their money, they were able to buy it. "I can sense some kind of mana coming from the flower," Harrison said with his eyebrows creased as he stared at the flower. "Of course, it's only normal because it blooms or changes with the use of mana or magic," Alexandra explained and Harrison just hummed as a response. Alexandra picked another gift as she gently placed down the first one on the table. The second gift was from Grace and it was heavier than the first one. "Aren't you going to open mine?" Harrison asked as Alexandra was about to tear the wrap. Her hand stopped mid-air and she looked at Harrison, the brightness and sparkle of her eyes remained there.

"After all of these gifts," Alexandra said and she continued what she was doing earlier. "Save the best for the last, eh?" Harrison muttered but it was audible to Alexandra's ears. Alexandra just hummed as a response, she didn't agree nor deny it.

She tears the wrap open and it revealed a bottled perfume inside a box. She took out the perfume out of the box and sprayed it on the wrist of her left hand. She brought her wrist to her nose and she inhaled the sweet scent it emits and it feels light and refreshing. As always, Grace is good at picking a perfume of her choice or as her gift. Alexandra has tons of perfumes inside her walk-in closet and she used them. Grace would always give her a bottled perfume as a gift and Alexandra loves it.

"Another perfume?" Harrison remarked as he saw Alexandra take out the bottled perfume and spray it at her wrist and smelled it. Alexandra looked at him, "And? Is there a problem with that?" Alexandra said as she gave him a wondering look or expression. Harrison just averted his gaze. Alexandra placed the bottled perfume back inside the box and placed it down the table beside the dried flower gift. Alexandra continued to open another gift while Harrison stared at her.

"By the way, why are you here? Are you not busy?" Alexandra asked and looked at him at the corner of her eyes for a moment before she looked back at the gift she was holding continuing to open it and take a look at what is inside. "Its winter vacation, we're free from school activities and there is a party at the palace later, Luke and Jerich are going since they came from high-class noble families," Harrison explained and Alexandra nodded. Right and after their vacation, I won't be able to see him for a long time because he might be busy doing some things, she thought to herself.

"I see…" Alexandra muttered under her breath, barely audible. "Are you not going to attend or go to an academy? You love to study and all, don't you?" Alexandra stopped when she heard his question. I admit, Harrison is sometimes stupid, he already knows what the answer is and it's already obvious, she thought to herself. She shook her head as a response, "As you know, I am a daughter of the emperor who came from an all-male supposedly bloodline and is being observed or guarded with a knight and multiple maids. I already have a tutor who is a top scholar and good at teaching, I don't need to go to an academy," Alexandra explained and heaved a sigh shortly after.

"So are you going just to stay inside these palace walls and do nothing but just to read, study, walk around your garden, and such? You're still a kid, you must have fun when you are a child even when you are the daughter of the emperor who's being called as a curse or source of bad luck or even when you are a daughter of a poor man or else you will regret it, you only have one life and one childhood," Alexandra was caught off-guarded by what he said. His words tugged at her heart and it rang inside her head multiple times. She fell into deep thought and she wasn't able to respond. His words felt familiar, the way he said it sounds very familiar to her ears, it rang inside her head and she felt like her heart was being clenched.

"It's boring, it feels like you are a bird locked up in a cage," Harrison said and Alexandra was pulled back to reality as she slowly calmed down. "That is true," Alexandra said and Harrison was about to speak when she interrupted him. "But I don't mind staying inside here, I mean, I have Diana, the maids, Christian, Carlos, and… you," Alexandra said and Harrison's eyebrows creased once again when he heard her answer. What does she mean by me? He asked inside his head knowing that he can't answer it by himself.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, I'm happy even if I'm just trapped or locked inside here. There are people who accompany me and play with me. Every night, you appear inside my room to talk with me or accompany me, I was happy. Christian, my brother who accepted and loved me, will always talk to me about some things, especially about books. Diana, the maids, and Carlos who is there to care for me. Even though I want to experience what it feels like being outside these palace walls, I am afraid of how vast and how unknown the world is to me. The first time that I stepped outside was when you took me out to the market just to buy gifts," Alexandra said in a gentle tone of voice, sadness trailing her voice as she spoke. Her previous life and current life are also somehow similar before her mother died, she was always left alone in their small house with no one to play or talk with. That's because no one is there to guard her if she goes outside.

Although when she was taken in by her relative, she was able to play outside with some kids and also at her school, however, it was only a short amount of time for her relative died a year after because of her sickness. She was satisfied in her current life, she was able to do some things she wasn't able to do in her previous life.

"After my vacation ends, I will go back to the academy and I can't visit you during the night that often," Harrison said and Alexandra smiled at her. She continued to tear the wrap of the 4th gift which was from Lilith. She saw him move through her peripheral vision, "It's fine, it will just be temporary. 5 years is just a short time and you also have vacations like winter and summer vacation every year," Alexandra said as she smiled. "And I also have Brother Christian, I am slowly getting along with Brother Gilbert," Alexandra added and she opened the 5th gift which was from Hannah. She placed down the gift from Lilith besides the other gifts. Hannah's gift was big and Alexandra guessed what was inside.

It was a stuffed toy and she was delighted and happy when she saw it. Harrison heaved a sigh. Alexandra was down to the third from the last gift and she was itching to open Diana's. She quickly tears the wrap open of the gift which was from Therese and she saw a pair of white gloves inside, it wasn't for gardening. She could tell that it was a good one because of how shiny it looked. She placed it down and she picked Diana's gift.

As she tears the wrap open, it slowly uncovered what was inside and Alexandra's eyes sparkled when she saw it. A dress with a pair of shoes which is matching with the dress. It looked cute and Alexandra loved it. She placed it down and she picked Harrison's gift which was the size of a book but it felt light. She stopped the urge to shake it and guess what was inside. Alexandra turned her head at Harrison's direction and she found him looking at her with a sincere smile on his face which was immediately erased when he noticed he looked at him. "What?" He asked in his monotonous tone of voice and Alexandra shook his head as a response. She continued to tear the wrap open and it revealed a black wooden box that looked like a treasure chest.

Alexandra's eyebrows creased and she opened the box which revealed a set of hairpins, ribbons, and hair ties. She gasped in awe as she looked at admired each one of the hairpins, each one of it has a beautiful and charming design. It looked attractive but most of the color of the gems (or stone) or design was the color of red. Although there were also other colors like purple and green. Harrison must have read what was inside her mind when he saw him staring at the red ones and looking for something.

"Red suits you more rather than other colors," Harrison said and gained Alexandra's attention. She looked at him, an eyebrow raised and an expression which says that she is confused, however, Harrison just hummed as a response and didn't repeat what he just said. Was it a compliment? Alexandra asked herself and she closed the box. "Thank you, I like—No, I love it," Alexandra said as she showed him a bright smile, her face beaming with joy, and her gaze warm and gentle just like the morning sun or the sea breeze.

Harrison just hummed as a response and Alexandra started to pick up all of the trash which are all of the torn wrappings of the gift and Harrison helped her by lifting it all at once with a flick of his finger and with the use of his magic. "You were having a hard time, I thought I might help you," Harrison sounded like he was teasing her and his voice sounded sarcastic as ever. Alexandra couldn't help but roll her eyes at what he said and asked him to just place it inside the trashcan underneath her bedside table which he did.

Alexandra sat on the opposite couch from him and crossed her legs. "By the way, did you know that my other brothers also goes to the academy you are going to?" Alexandra asked in a gentle tone of voice. She looked at him and he stared at her. "Yeah, the 3rd youngest, what was his name again? Charles? Clark?"

"Chandler," Alexandra corrected him and he nodded. "Yeah, Chandler. I once had a battle with him but I surrendered or admitted defeat," Alexandra creased her eyebrows when she heard his response. Harrison admitting defeat? He won't even stop teasing or annoying me even though I told him to stop multiple times, she thought to herself. Curiosity was clearly seen and written on her face as she stared at Harrison.

"Why, you ask? Because I know what the outcome of the battle will be," Harrison simply said. "You can see the future?" Alexandra asked, gasping in awe as her eyes sparkled and became brighter than before. She looked like a kid who won a lollipop or who was given a toy. "No, idiot. It was obvious," Harrison said.

"Then, who will win? Did Prince Chandler win?" Alexandra asked in a serious expression but Harrison waved his hand in the air casually and shrugged right after. "Who knows," Harrison said and Alexandra's eyes narrowed at his response, what does he mean by that? He said that he knows the battle of the outcome, why is he shrugging as if he doesn't know? She asked herself and sighed knowing that she will never know the answer even if you forced Harrison. That's how mysterious and confusing he is.

Alexandra was about to speak when she heard a knock from the door and a voice shortly after, "Miss Alexandra, Diana is here to deliver you some snacks," Her head turned at the direction of the door and she heard the voice just clearly. Alexandra looked at Harrison who was now standing and stretching, "I'll see you later," He said and he vanished right after Alexandra blinked. He's going to visit again later at night, Alexandra thought to herself and sighed.

A knock on the door was heard once again, "Miss?" She heard the voice say. "O-Oh! Tell her to come in. The door is open, I think?" Alexandra said and she heard the sound of the door opening. She looked at Diana and gave her a smile as she entered and walked towards her direction carrying a tray with a plate that was filled with cookies. Too bad, he already left, she thought to herself and watched Diana placed down the plate of cookies and glass of juice.