Chapter 157 - Appreciation and Care (11)

(I have added some things in this part since I forgot to write it in the previous chapter. I apologize.)

"Oh, it seems like his highness, the emperor, has already arrived. You have to go to his side now, young miss. It was nice talking with you," Rowan said and she bid goodbye to Alexandra as he smiled. "Although we only talked and just greeted each other, it was still nice talking with you. Since I am always busy with my duties, I rarely get to see you every day," Isabella said and she removed the arm that she placed around Rowan's shoulders. She smiled at Alexandra and she smiled back. "I, too, also had a nice time. I will be going now," Alexandra said and she started walking towards the end of the line, where the maids and butlers are. Her father, along with his personal knight, was standing and talking with each other but it seems like only her father was the only one talking.

Not far away from them was her brother, Christian, who immediately spotted her as they were walking towards their direction. Christian smiled at her and he waved. Right, my problem, not really a problem, with my brother is already solved since yesterday. I am glad that it didn't end it getting bigger and we immediately got along. "A pleasant morning. Are you also here to greet our brothers, Alexandra? This is just your first time, right? You don't have to worry about anything since I am here. What about their presents? Did you prepare some for them? I also prepared some," Christian was a lot more different than before actually even though it was just yesterday that they resolved their problem. He was more energetic and bright, he was open towards me and he wasn't hesitant to speak.

"A pleasant afternoon to you too, brother. I am also here to greet and welcome our brothers back. Although my gifts for them are the same kinds that I gave them before. I am quite nervous but knowing that you are here, all of my worries immediately disappeared. It was like your presence heals me," Alexandra responded. Of course, since he was starting to become open to his feelings and thoughts, Alexandra would be. It was unfair that he is open and free towards me while I am struggling with my own thoughts and feelings.

"I see. Why don't you greet father there? It seems like he was already done talking with Lysander since our brothers are going to arrive any minute from now," Christian said and he looked at their father behind them. Alexandra smiled at her brother before she nodded and walked towards her father.

"A pleasant morning, papa," Alexandra greeted her father with a smile spread across her lips as soon as she arrived by his side. Her father who just finished talking with Lysander, his personal knight, turned around. His cold and sharp gaze met her warm and gentle ones. Alexandra wasn't scared of that gaze of his anymore, she was already used to it. However, she noticed that as she spent more time her father, that sharp and cold gaze of his has softened and became gentle. She thought that she was just imagining things but she isn't. Anyhow, that made her glad and she could feel this warm feeling in her heart. It was like a throbbing pain, just like the feeling of your chest tightening, where it's hard for you to breathe but it doesn't hurt at all. It was a throbbing pain but it isn't painful, rather it was warm.

"A pleasant afternoon to you too, Alexandra," Her father replied as he nodded her head. Alexandra just smiled at him before she stood still by his side and looked ahead of her. Christian was standing beside her and their personal knights were behind them as usual. The lines of servants and knights working here inside the palace were actually long. If there was a red carpet here, it would look like they were attending a ball. It would be too grand, we are just welcoming them back, she thought to herself and let out a sigh. Anyways, I am excited and anxious to see them again since we didn't see each other for 3 months. We didn't communicate through letters because knowing them, they are probably either too busy or don't want to reply to my letters.

As Alexandra was lost in her thoughts, she heard a loud voice that boomed all over the place, making her snap out of her daze and pull her back to reality. The voice sounded loud that she was startled because of it, it was like he was a loudspeaker on full volume. How do they have that volume of their voice? I couldn't even raise my voice and would always speak in a low tone, she thought to herself.

Anyways, the voice told them: "The princes' carriage has arrived!"

Alexandra gulped and she straightened her posture. She prepared herself and made herself look presentable as much as possible. Even though Chandler and Calixander already acknowledge the fact she is their sister and a part of their bloodline, they still have yet to accept her as one. She could still remember the conversation she heard at one of the houses on the training grounds, at the time where they were looking for them before they go back to the academy. She recalled their conversation as she closed her eyes.

"Do you think she is coming today, brother?" That voice belongs to Prince Chandler.

"Are you waiting or expecting her to come today?" A monotonous and cold tone of voice responded.

"N-No! I hate her, so I would probably be g-glad that she w-wouldn't c-come today!" Prince Chandler is being a tsundere.

"What are you so nervous about?"

"It's nothing, I just remembered what father and Brother Gilbert told me before,"

"What about Gilbert? I can only recall the one with father while we were having breakfast,"

"Should we trust her?"

"That's what father told us to do, to just be patient and spend some time with her even though it would be short, and try to get close to her,"

"B-But—"

"Father also said that it was one of what mother wanted, that even if it was a girl or if it was a boy born with a disease or something, let's treat him or her as siblings. That was what our mother wanted and wished,"

"Are you really going to trust her?"

"I'll try to get to know her first and judge her by how she acted but based from how she treated us for the past few days, it seems like she doesn't resent us even when I treated her harshly and she looks innocent,"

"That's weird coming from your mouth, you would always badmouth her before but now… you're sort of… soft,"

"Shut up, I'm trying to be an understanding brother. That is also what our mother and father wished and told me before. One of the responsibilities of the eldest sibling is to take care of his or her younger siblings. I am just trying to do my responsibilities, although I still hate her,"

"Hmm…"

"And you too, act maturely and stop arguing with Christian. You two are siblings, try to get along with him,"

"I don't want to,"

"You just don't know how to,"

"Of course I do! I just refuse to get along with him even with that girl,"

"Even when she gave you the things that you've been looking for since last year?"

"W-Well, I still hate her! Argh, I just don't want to get along with either of them,"

"And your reason is?"

"I'm not telling you,"

"You tsundere,"

Prince Calixander was talking so much back then. But it's not a bad thing, it's just that, it was the first time that she hear him talk so much ever since she first met him. The only thing that she would always hear come out from his mouth were insults. Right, the first time that we met was in the forest near my palace where I got lost while picking some flowers on the ground. I was careless back then and I didn't pay that much attention to my surroundings. I thought it was weird how he knew me back then when my identity was completely hidden from other people except for the maids and my father. It seems like father still doesn't know about it and if he ever knew it, he would probably either get angry or just wouldn't pay attention to it, she thought to herself.

She could still recall that memory and the way he spoke to her back then, his harsh tone of voice and how he protected her brother behind. She could still recall Chandler calling him mother, she probably resembles their mother so much.

-- "I'll slash your neck if you don't answer us." The owner of the voice threatened. Alexandra clenched her small fist. "You won't?" He asked and Alexandra gulped. She opened her mouth to speak and was came out a shout, "I'm a harmless person!" Alexandra was very nervous that she shouted those words instead of something more meaningful like her name. She silently hoped that she will not have her neck slashed just like he said.

"Show us your face!" The same voice said, his voice more frightening before. Was it because Alexandra had the senses and body of a 5-year-old that she trembled in fear or is she really scared?

Afraid of him threatening her more or slashing her neck, she immediately turned around just like what he ordered, her platinum-white hair swaying as well as the skirt of her blue dress in the process. Alexandra saw two pairs of blue eyes, the same ones as hers.

It was such a frightening and scary memory. It was like a nightmare, she thought to herself. But look at her now, being able to roam around the palace freely because all of the people working here in the palace has accepted and acknowledged her. Her father already accepted her as his daughter and is slowly started to care for her which is a relief.

Calixander was just being a caring and protective older brother after all. Since they were rumors about me already from the day that I was born in this world, the witch of our bloodline and the source of bad luck. To think that her father almost killed her back then, thankfully, Diana managed to stop him, I don't know how she did but that's what she told me. She probably persuades him. It was just normal for an older brother like him to act like that, however, the way that he did it wasn't right. I was still a human, after all. We share the same blood yet he treats me like he is one of his greatest enemies. He even called her a rat back then when they bumped into each other in the throne room.

Well, she also challenged Chandler back then that she would change what he thinks about her. Although she still isn't sure if he thinks of her as a kind and harmless sister of theirs, she was still going to do it. She wants to focus on developing her relationship with her brothers. That was like a challenge for her.

Alexandra couldn't help but groan in annoyance. Well, whatever, this is just one of the problems that I have encountered and I am sure that I will overcome it. Just like what Sir Friyedor said to me before when he read my palm, I just need to have faith and trust in myself. I shouldn't give up just because of this, she thought to herself trying to shoo away all of her bad and negative thoughts.

Her train of thoughts was cut off and her attention was grabbed by a carriage that stopped on their opposite end. The carriage looked elegant and big. In Alexandra's eyes, it was sparkling as if it was made out of gold and it carries this bright aura even though it was just a carriage. One could tell what type of person was inside that just by staring at the carriage, there was also a crest which indicates that they were from the Royal Bloodline, the bloodline which rules over their empire.

Followed by the carriage were three knights riding on each of their horses. That must be their personal knights. One of them opened the door and one by one, her brothers came out and started walking towards their direction.

Now, this is where the real challenge begins.