ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴛʜɪʀᴅ.

He placed the scrolls down on his study table. He is exhausted. He can feel his eyes slowly closing due to sleepiness. He rubbed his temples gently. Another day had passed. He looked at his hands and saw little blood stains on it. He wasn't able to clean his hands properly after performing a surgery for his final requirement in university. The professors considered him as the top student for their surgery class but he doesn't really know where this is going because he is just forced to study Medicine. 

"Riku, Father is glad to know that you are the top student in our surgery class." His older twin, Reiki, smiled at him. 

"He will just boast about it to his friends." He said, taking his upper clothes off since he wants to take a warm bath. 

"I can't even get high grades in our surgery class." Reiki said and he stopped for a while. He let out a deep sigh and shook his head. 

"Brother, you are the top student of our Botany and Alchemy classes. The professors are also praising you for being an excellent accoucheur. What are you still looking for?" He asked, looking at the music box sitting on his study table. 

"A woman who can be my wife when we turn twenty-five." His jaw clenched when he heard this. They said that twins can like a woman at the same time. He is just afraid that this might happen to them. 

"We're only nineteen, Brother. Six more years to go." He went out of his bedchamber already to proceed to the bathroom. 

All he knows is he is the black sheep of the Aoyama family. His ancestors were the ones who established the good image of medical practitioners. He never wanted to study Medicine but his Grandfather wanted him to be a surgeon. He prefers holding a sword to protect the country. He wants to be a Knight someday. He is planning to join the King's battalion when he turns twenty and he will do everything just to achieve what he wants even if it means refusing to follow his Grandfather and Father's orders. 

"I wonder if she is fine." He mumbled while sitting inside the tub filled with warm water and rose petals. 

Before he went home, he saw the daughter of the Count of Jung family. He heard from the professors that her mother died due to internal bleeding of the spleen. If they just told him about it, he should have performed a surgery in order to save her mother's life. She just turned nineteen but she lost her mother already. He wanted to approach her earlier but he thought she needed to be alone for a while. Everyone knows her for having a strong personality but losing a family member is another thing. 

"I should give her a gift." He mumbled once more before dipping his upper body in the water. He closed his eyes for a while to ease his headache. 

"Milord, the Archduchess is looking for you." He heard from outside and he sat in the tub once again. He soaked his hair with water and gently rubbed his scalp. 

"Tell Mother that I will be there in a bit. I'm just taking a quick bath." He said and the steward immediately responded before going back to the hall. 

When he was finally done cleaning his body, he went out of the bathroom, wearing a kirtle and a pair of pantofle. He doesn't mind being seen like that since he will go to bed soon. When he arrived in the hall, he saw his mother waiting for him. It is already late at night and he is worried that she is still awake. He approached the Archduchess and gave her a gentle hug. 

"You were looking for me, Mother." He said and she smiled softly. She took out a small blank book and gave it to him. 

"I want to give this to you. It's a diary. You can write everything here." She gently patted it before handing it out to him. 

"You gave me a music box already, Mother. Brother can have this." He handed it back but his mother didn't accept it. 

"Your brother has too many things to do. I'm sure you will be able to fill this up. Perhaps, write something about the woman whom you want to marry in the future?" He scratched his head while trying to hide his blushing face. He knows that his mother knows about it. 

"People are telling us that there will be a time when Brother and I will love one certain woman. I don't want that to happen." He said in a low voice while staring down at the blank diary. 

"Do you want to tell who it is? You two can have an arranged marriage in the future." The Archduchess smiled playfully while whispering those. 

"No, Mother. I don't want to force her to love me. I want genuine love from that woman." He confessed and she nodded. She doesn't want her youngest son to live in a place where there is no love. 

"Pursue her. Show her that you are serious about your plans on marrying her." His eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously. 

The Archduchess laughed softly and he blushed even more. There is now way he would confess his true feelings for her. He is afraid of rejection, that's why he prefers keeping everything to himself. Though there are people who believe in him, that he can do and achieve better things than anyone, silent victories are still the best for him. Perhaps one day, he will be able to tell her how much he admires her.