Chapter 10

"Father's coming back today." A teenager says. Next to him a beautiful girl with features similar to him nods quietly and she focuses on her book again.

"Can you please stop reading that romance novel? I say father's coming back today." The boy grows irritated at his sister's indifference. It reminds him of his father who acts like that since his mother passed away, no even when his mother was alive he was already like that, his mother simply tone down that indifference.

"So what of it? Is there a problem with him coming back home?" Mellisa puts down her book and stares at her irritable brother. He never fail to disturb her reading time.

"Have you not heard? He's bringing back a child. Some people said he's going to adopt her. I don't need another sister." Matthew throws his flute to the floor. His temper always gets the best of him.

Mellisa sighs and stands, she picks up the thrown flute before placing it to her brother's hand. "A child isn't something we must think of right now. The exam is coming, if you are going to disturb me over this simple matter, isn't it better if you just go study?"

"You aren't even studying." Matthew retorts.

"And you are disturbing. Stop being a mosquito, shush." Mellisa pulls her brother out of her room and shuts the door.

Her mind however isn't in the book she's holding, it's in the portrait of her family 2 years ago that is hanging in her room. Her eyes starts to get watery but she knows she shouldn't feel that way. Now that her mother is gone, she's the only one who could hold this little connection of her brother and her father, she can't let that string loose.

"Mom... what should I do?" Mellisa puts her hand together and looks at the window. The view is indeed beautiful but her heart is filled with gloominess.

The novel described the gate of Ashdown as something huge, scary and filled with evil aura but what Celestina didn't expect is this huge beautiful gate. The gate by all words shouldn't be described as scary, it doesn't look inviting but scary isn't a word to describe it.

It's magnificent, something that you will imagine as a strong gate for a fantasy novel. Its greyish black with a whole new level of creativity in its carvings. There're some pictures that she can't imagine being carved out and there're also some rooms for the guards. The writer didn't do justice to this beautiful gate.

When the carriage of Duke Ashdown comes close, the gate grandly opens up. The guards stand straight saluting the carriage welcoming the Lord home.

The land that the gate guards is even more beautiful than the gate itself. There are wild colorful plants all over the houses, some even in the roof of house. Although wild, it's by all means beautiful and rare but none of the citizens paid attention to those plants, instead they stand accordingly forming a path for the carriage to go through. All of them look happy and content with their life and no slum can be found unlike the capital where beggars are at all streets.

"Welcome to Ashdown young miss. I hope you will enjoy your new home."

Celestina's mouth opens wide at the sight of the houses in the land. Colorful with bustling decorations and plants as well as shops that open wide. Her eyes wanders to the most colorful shop- a clothe shop. Even from inside the carriage she could see that the fabric is top notch and carefully made. Her hands itches to touch that soft looking fabric.

Ginny pays close attention to her young miss' expression all the time, she's afraid that the change in scenery might frighten the fragile girl but it seems like that's not the case.

"Ginny is that the duke's mansion?" Celestina points to a large mansion in front of her view. The mansion is almost like a castle, it's white with some cream and blue accents. The color reminds her of the duke's eye color. It's also very beautiful, just like those castle that she saw on her Instagram.

"Yes, that's the duke's home and we'll be going there."

After a few more minutes, the carriage finally enters the gate of Duke Ashdown's mansion.

"Welcome home master." A butler comes out of the huge grand-looking door. His face looks very kind and warm but Celestina knows that this butler is Vincent, the butler who helped Matthew in his bad ways in the novel.

"You may all stand." The duke lets them finish their greetings and brings Celestina into the mansion.

"Where's the twins?" Francisco looks around the mansion but found no sign of his children around.

"They're having their lesson with Sir Colston. He said they will be finished before the sun sets." Vincent even answers questions that wasn't asked.

"I see, I will go to my office now. Take this child to her room." Francisco almost runs to his office. 'I wonder what happened?'

Anyway Celestina is visibly tired after the long journey, she is dying for a warm bath and a goodnight sleep.

But before that, she needs to make sure of something.

"Ginny, can you tell me more about this place?"

The explanation at the carriage just now was simply the surface and general informations that everyone should know. Celestina knows something that is special about this land that was said in the middle of the novel but she can't remember about it. Maybe Ginny's explanation will remind her of something.