"By the way, at New Year's Eve, will you be busy?" Harrison asked. New Year's Eve would be tomorrow and what they would do is just eat and celebrate, it would be like a feast which would last for like 2-3 hours then the next day, it would be the first day of the year. "Well, it depends. The celebration would last for like 2 hours unlike the Celebration of the Winter Star which lasted for like 3-4 hours. It starts at 10 in the evening until 12, we would be doing some things like lighting fireworks and such just like what we did last year," Alexandra said. Harrison would always not be there during such celebrations because he doesn't want to, it would be such a bother. Well, it's not like he can celebrate with us this year and the next years because I already have a personal knight, Alexandra thought to herself and let out a sigh.
"That won't do, what about the next day in the evening?" Harrison asked and Alexandra's eyebrows creased and wondered why he was asking that, nevertheless, she still answered his question. "I'm free at that time, why are you asking that?" Alexandra asked as she turned her head in his direction to look at him.
"Make sure, you're free at that time. I'm going to take you somewhere," Harrison simply said. Alexandra's eyes widened for a moment before it sparkled and gleamed, she looks excited when she heard what he said. "Really? Where are you taking me?" She said, her voice filled with excitement as she spoke. Harrison turned his head at her direction and showed a grin before he spoke, "I won't tell you,"
"Ehh," Alexandra said and looked at him with doubtful eyes. "You're not taking me to somewhere dangerous, aren't you?" She said as her eyebrows were creased while looking at him, doubt written all over her face. "You really don't trust me that much, aren't you?" Harrison replied back and acted like he was hurt. Alexandra just gave him the stink-eye before she looked away and stared at the moon up in the night sky, glowing and shining. He let out a sigh before he spoke in his usual tone of voice, "Just somewhere which you would like. You should be back in your room at 7 P.M, tell your maid that you want to eat early and rest," Although Alexandra felt doubtful, she still nodded indicating that she will do what she was asked to do.
Then silence surrounded them for a few minutes.
"By the way, do you still eat the wistalia fruits or something in the lake?" Alexandra asked breaking the silence and bringing up another topic. Harrison hummed first before he responded, "Yeah and I need many of them because I kept on using mana at the academy and when I'm with you. Although it's only a few amount of mana but I'm still wasting them," Alexandra glared at him.
"Stop visiting me then," Alexandra said pretending to be angry, well if he stopped visiting her, she would be lonely. She was just joking when she said that. "Nah, I prefer to be with you, you're interesting yet annoying at the same time," Harrison stated in his usual tone of voice: bored. He said it like it was nothing. Alexandra gave him the stink-eye once again, "What do you mean by interesting?" She asked.
"Well, you're quite entertaining and such that's why you're interesting to me," Harrison said nonchalantly. There was an aching pain in her head which eventually disappeared right after, it was like a flicker or something, it was truly painful even if it just lasted for like 3 seconds. She felt the pain right after she heard what Harrison said. Alexandra couldn't help but hiss in pain as her eyebrows creased. "Why? What is it?" Harrison asked when he saw the expression plastered on her face, Alexandra just smiled at him and shook her head, "Nothing," Harrison hummed as a response. Alexandra returned her gaze back at the sky and stared at the stars, watching them twinkle and shine brightly. There were no clouds which blocked the sight or view of the night sky, so she was able to see everything.
"The stars are shining brightly again today," Alexandra muttered and Harrison heard what she said. "Is it your first time seeing them shine? Poor you," Harrison replied back which earned a slap on the arm by Alexandra. "What I mean is that they are unusually bright today and they looked attractive," Alexandra said after she slapped his arm. Harrison hummed before he spoke in a low voice, almost inaudible to Alexandra's ears, "They certainly looked attractive."
"Do you like stars, Harrison?" Alexandra asked still staring at the sky, there was a hint of joy and amazement in her eyes as she looked at the sky. She sounded like a kid when she spoke. "I don't know, maybe? Probably? Yes? No?" Harrison replied in his bored tone of voice and Alexandra's eyebrows creased when she heard his response. Alexandra let out a small laugh as her expression softened, "What's with that?" She said as her laughter died down, a smile plastered on her lips. Somehow, just somehow, she looked older. It feels like she returned to her 18-year-old self. She had a slight resemblance to someone.
Then there was an aching pain on Harrison's head, it feels like his heart was being squeezed. That was the first time he felt that it was painful and he clutched his fist, trying to remove the pain with the use of his magic. His eyebrows were creased and he turned his head away, in order for Alexandra not to see that he was in pain.
"Aren't the stars beautiful?" That one voice, that one line, it made his heart ache in pain. It feels like his head was being pounded. It sounded familiar, he felt nostalgia when he heard that and he doesn't know why. The pain eventually subsided and he calmed down, his features softened as he was breathing heavily. What was that? He asked himself. "Harrison?" Alexandra called out to the boy beside her and he turned his head, looking at her, his eyebrow slightly raised. His expression asking her 'What?'
"I'm sleepy," Alexandra said as she yawned. Harrison hummed before he responded, "Go back inside and sleep, I'm leaving," Harrison said and Alexandra nodded as a response before she goes back inside her room and walked towards her bed.
--
The next morning came and Alexandra fluttered her eyes open when she heard someone calling out to her name and lightly shaking her in order to wake her up. There was the face of a woman. Her vision was slightly blurry and she can't completely identify the face of the person at first but as she blinked, it became clearer and clearer. Diana's face greeted her, there was a smile plastered on her lips. "Good morning, Young miss. How was your sleep?" Diana asked as Alexandra sat up her bed, looking around her room. Alexandra's head was aching but she endured the pain, acting like she was fine as she creased her eyebrows.
"It was good," Alexandra said, she softens her expression and let out a sigh. "I see. I've already prepared the bath for you," Diana said. Alexandra nodded before she got down her bed, sliding her feet in the slippers and glided her feet across the floor, heading towards the bathroom while Diana followed behind her. As she walked, the pain subsided and relief washed over her when she didn't feel the pain anymore as soon as she entered the bathroom. Right after Alexandra and Harrison talked about where he will be taking her which he never told her, their conversation became far more interesting but he has to leave after that because Alexandra already felt sleepy.
--
Diana just finished tying Alexandra's hair into low double buns. "By the way, young miss," Diana called out to Alexandra as she was tying Alexandra's hair with a ribbon. "Yes?" Alexandra replied. "Where did you get this set of hairpins, hair clips, hair ties, and ribbons?" Diana was referring to Harrison's gift to Alexandra, she just noticed that now?
Alexandra gulped before she responded, "Err, Harrison gave that to me as a gift," Alexandra said and Diana finished tying both of her hair buns with a ribbon. "But I never saw him gave that to you," Diana said as Alexandra got down her seat. "It just actually appeared inside my room when I woke up and there was a note on top of it with his name written on it which means it was from him," Why do I always have to lie when we talk about Harrison? Alexandra thought to herself after she said those words to Diana. They are now walking towards the door of her room.
Diana smiled, "I see, he's such a kind friend, isn't he? I'm glad you made a friend even when you have to disobey me when you did that," Diana said as she recalled how Diana first met Harrison. He was carrying Alexandra in his arms who was missing in her room and can't be found around the palace that night. Alexandra just let out a small laugh as she doesn't know what to reply to Diana and she let out a sigh right after.
Since it would be the New Year's Eve later, Diana and the other maids would be busy doing some things like cooking and buying fireworks outside the palace, in the market. But no matter how busy Diana is, she was still able to make some chocolates for Alexandra to give it to her brother. Well, she made it yesterday night after she left Alexandra's room but of course, she didn't tell that to Diana or else she will be worried or guilty.
"Here," Diana said as she handed Alexandra the small bag with chocolates inside before they went out of Alexandra's room. Alexandra's eyes sparkled when she saw the small bag and she looked up to Diana. "Better give that to him, okay? But you should be fast or not remain that long inside the palace because multiple people would be walking around because they might be preparing for the New Year's Eve later and it would cause a ruckus if they saw you," Alexandra already know that, so she just nodded her head.
"And also, the gift for Prince Chandler, I already gave it to Carlos," Diana added. Alexandra's eyes blinked when she heard what Diana said. It seems like I'm not going to ask her if I can give those things inside the library to Prince Chandler but how did she know that? I only told her that I am going to give the Rubinalia Red necklace only, Alexandra thought to herself.
"How did I know that? Well, Carlos was such a blabbermouth and he told me that you might need to give things like those to Prince Chandler for the next few days before he goes back to the academy, he thinks that you were troubled over that," Diana explained and Alexandra's mouth shaped into an 'o' after hearing what Diana said. "So he knows that we have like a collection or a room filled with artifacts and such things?" Alexandra asked. Diana shook her head as a response. "No, I don't intend to tell that to him," Diana said.
"Okay," Alexandra said as she gave her a gentle smile before Diana opened the door and let Alexandra step outside. "Good morning, Miss Alexandra," Carlos greeted her with a smile plastered on his lips when he saw Alexandra step out of her room. Alexandra looked up to him and gave him a smile before she responded, "Good morning, Carlos,"
Diana stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. Diana smiled and slightly bowed her head at Carlos, not saying anything. "Let's go to the Dining Room, shall we?" Diana said as she looked at Alexandra who just nodded her head as a response before they started walking.