Betrothed (2)

Austria, December 15th 1791

11:23 AM

The five nobles are sitting in the living room. Elias, Frida and Lukas were sitting across Violett and Tobias, which was something that didn't please Lukas quiet a lot.

'This kind of gives off a hostility vibe. I mean, it's pretty normal that a child would want to sit beside their parent, but I still think that it'd lighten the mood if mother or father sat beside Tobias... well, just mother, because if father sat beside him, he'd probably punch him on the spot.'

Lukas sighed. 'By the way, what's this all about? Am I really going to get married with my cousin? Doesn't anything bad come out of this? I don't know, although it's a very common custom throughout Europe, I still think this isn't supposed to be like this, biologically speaking.'

Soon, Lukas noticed that something was wrong. '...What? Nobody's speaking? Oh, great! Awkward silence. Worry not, family, let me help you.'

Lukas cleared his throat and promptly started speaking to Tobias. "Uncle Tobias, I really like your doublet, where did you buy it?" the blonde boy kindly asked with a smile.

Tobias looked down at his white doublet and showed a slight smile. "Oh, this? It's imported from France, I only wear it for special occasions."

Lukas kept his smile. "Really? Well, I figure you did it before all that mess started in France," the blonde boy said, but he soon regretted. 'Shit! Should I have said this?!'

Tobias showed a curious smile. "Oh, you are very well-informed, Lukas."

Lukas shrugged his shoulders. "Well, information is precious, after all," he said. 'I don't know if this conversation is going through the path I'd like it to go. I'm exposing myself too much!'

Lukas sighed. 'Calm down. You got this. This conversation is probably over by now.'

Tobias sipped on his tea and started speaking to Lukas once again. "Yes, you are right," he answered.

Frida watched the both of them talking, impressed. 'Lukas managed to start a conversation even when I could not! Impressive, but I wouldn't like him to expose himself that much, it's only known that he's a "genius" in this mansion and by a few other nobles,' she thought.

Lukas was very good at talking because he had lots of time to listen to a lot of people chatting without being able to do anything but imagining himself talking to them in his head, that's why he's so many subjects to come up with.

That somehow is his repressed will of talking when he was younger showing up now, along with the experience he had acquired through talking to the people inside his head.

Frida cleared her throat. "So, Tobias, what do you think about letting Lukas and Violett know each other better while the three of us talk about other matters?" Frida asked.

Lukas frowned. 'Hey! I don't like that idea! I wanna stay here!' he internally complained. Violett didn't seem very comfortable with that either.

But it still went that way. Both Violett and Lukas were sent somewhere else to play. Funnily enough, they didn't tell them anywhere specific to go, they trusted Lukas to find a good place for both of them.

'Thank you, you are so kind for trusting me! Who said I was willing to find a place myself?!' Lukas internally complained.

Right now, Lukas and Violett were walking through the alleys of the mansion.

"Huh... where are we going?" Violett asked.

'No idea,' Lukas thought. "Well... do you have anywhere special you'd like to go?" he asked. 'Of course not! At least towards me, she's a shy girl, so she'll feel obliged to say no.'

Violett shook her head. "N-No." she said.

'I knew it,' Lukas cleared his throat. "Okay, what do you think of going outside?" Lukas asked. That actually was the only thing he wanted to do right now. He didn't want to play with dolls or something.

Violett reluctantly nodded her head. "Okay, but isn't it cold?"

"Didn't you bring your coat?" Lukas asked.

Violett didn't say anything. Instead she started fidgeting with her fingers.

Lukas sighed. 'Oh, I see,' he thought. "It's okay. I have lots of coats, I'll bring you one."

After waiting for a bit, Violett saw Lukas coming back wearing a coat and with another one under his arm. "There you go," Lukas said as he handed her the coat.

Violett hesitated. "I-Is it really okay for me to wear this? I mean, that's men clothing," she said.

"It's okay, just put it on," Lukas encouragingly said.

Violett hesitatingly put the coat on. "See? It looks good on you. Let's go," Lukas said.

Since Lukas knew she would hesitate to come once again, he just grabbed her hand and guided her outside. Violett was taken aback by Lukas's action, but she didn't say anything.

Soon, they arrived at a swing hung on a tree branch. Lukas enjoyed a lot swinging on it while he read a book.

Violett tilted her head. "Huh... what's this?" she asked.

Lukas raised his brow. "Do you not know what a swing is?" he asked. 'What kind of shitty life does Tobias give to his daughter?!'

Violett shook her head, embarrassed.

Lukas sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. "It can't be! Sit here and hold onto the chains! Don't let it go!"

Violett nodded her head, but she soon let out a high-pitched shout. "L-Lukas, be careful!"

Lukas didn't get it at first, but he soon realized what it was all about when he saw a dragonfly landing on his shoulder, soon, he showed a smile.

"Oh! A dragonfly! It's very rare to find one in the winter!" he said, happy.

"I-Isn't it dangerous?" Violett asked.

Lukas shook his head. "Only if you harm it. Here, take a look."

Lukas stretched his finger, and as if communicating with him, the insect landed on Lukas's finger. "It's gorgeous isn't it?"

Violett looked very interested in the insect, her cheeks, which were already red due to the cold, only got redder when the dragonfly moved its wings.

Lukas sighed. 'It's a shame it'll probably die soon due to the cold.'

Violett showed a smile. "It is beautiful."

'It's stupid how similar that smile is to my mother's,' Lukas thought. Still, Lukas smiled along with her. "Isn't it?"

Soon, the dragonfly flew away. "Huh? Why did it go?" Violett asked.

Lukas shrugged his shoulders. "She must have her reasons," he said.

Violett raised her brow. ""She"?" the little girl asked.

Lukas nodded his head. "Yes, if it has a bump under its belly, then it's a male, but since she didn't have it, then she was a female," he explained.

Violett attentively nodded her head. "Wow, awesome! You are so smart, Lukas!"

'I know,' Lukas thought, but he still shrugged his shoulders. "Well, no biggie. Enough talking now! Come on! Sit here!" he said as he tapped the swing.

Violett confidently nodded her head and sat on the swing as she grabbed the chains. "W-What now?" the blonde girl asked.

"Pray to your god," Lukas said with a smirk.

Violett raised her brow. "Wha-" Lukas immediately started pushing the swing, which made her go very high.

'Herman's physical training was finally useful for something!' Lukas thought.

Violett started screaming at the top of her lungs, but after a while she stopped. When she became more aware of what was happening, her blue eyes started shining. 'This is... so much fun.'

After a while, Lukas stopped pushing the swing. He was standing with his arms crossed and showing a smirk. "So, how did you lik-" Violett ran towards Lukas and grabbed his hands. "It was so much fun, Lukas! I am so glad daddy told you to choose where to take me!"

Lukas was taken aback by Violett's reaction. "Huh... thank you?" he said.

Violett showed a smile. "Now it's your turn, Lukas. Sit on the swing."

Lukas nodded his head and sat on the swing. 'I actually never had anyone pushing me on the swing, I always propelled myself alone,' Lukas thought

Violett widened her smile and pushed Lukas with all her power. Lukas didn't want to admit, but he was a bit afraid of it. 'Man, it's so fast and high! Please, Violett, get tired quick!'

However, it didn't seem she would get tired anytime soon. After a while, which looked like hours to Lukas, Violett finally stopped.

Lukas then stood up from the swing as he staggered and felt dizzy. 'Is this what being drunk feels like?' Lukas wondered.

Violett had a wide smile on her face. "So, did you enjoy it?" she asked.

"Yes... I mean, I have done this plenty of times, but I had so much fun that it looked like my first time," Lukas said.

Violett giggled. "Yes! You even look tipsy with happiness!" she said.

Lukas raised his brow. 'Is it that obvious? Also, where did she learn that word?' he wondered. "Yes, I am so happy that I would like to take a break from the swing."

Violett nodded her head. "Sure! Whatever you want!"

"Thank you," Lukas said as he sat on the grass.

Violett raised her brow. "Do your parents not get mad at you if you dirty your clothes?" she asked.

Lukas shrugged his shoulders. "No, they're used to it already."

"Oh! You are so lucky." Violett showed a sad expression. "You know? My father is very strict towards my garments and things like that. It's weird."

Lukas raised his brow. 'Well, that's not weird, it actually is pretty normal among nobles, they are even stricter when it comes to girls, so it's nothing out of the ordinary, but I guess I can take advantage of this situation and make her spit a few things about her father.'

Lukas started humming. "Is there anything else that your father does that you think is weird?" he asked. 'No need to be that cautious in this case, she's just three years old.'

Violett sat beside Lukas and started humming. 'You forgot your father's rules in an instant.' Lukas thought.

"Maybe the fact that he spends a lot of time in the room with my mother? And he doesn't let anybody in while he's in there?"

'Oh... sorry, Violett, that's not weird, it's called... no, wait, her mother is seriously sick, right? She wouldn't be able to do that in such state, so what are they doing?' Lukas put his hand under his chin. 'Well, I can't jump to conclusions here, perhaps he only likes to spend some time alone with his wife... but, what if he's somehow causing her to be sick for some reason?' Lukas wondered.

"Oh, I see. That's interesting. Now it's my turn to tell you something weird about my household. What do you wanna know?"

Violett tilted her head. "Why are we playing this game?"

Lukas smiled. "If we are going to get married, we should get to know each other better, don't you think?"

Violett's face instantly got red. "Oh... I see, that's true," she started humming. "Well, tell me something about your father."

'Oh, I see. She's curious about my father... well, it's perfectly normal, look at the first impression he gave her.'

Lukas started humming. "Let me see. He's not from the Von Neumann house, did you know it?" 'I hope she knows what a noble house even is.'

Violett looked impressed. "Oh, really? So what's his noble house?" she asked.

Lukas smiled. "It's the Hügel house, I don't know much about it either, but I believe both houses don't get along very well." 'It's astounding that inbreeding is so common in the Von Neumann house that a kid is impressed that I'm not the child of two people from the same family.'

Violett tilted her head. "Why do you think that?"

Before Lukas could answer, the door of the mansion opened and Tobias walked out of it.

Violett quickly stood up and brushed off her clothes. Tobias approached the two children with a calm gaze and smile. "Sorry about this, Violett, Lukas, but we can't stay here any longer. Something came up and we have to get back right away."

Violett showed a sad expression, she truly was having a good time with Lukas. "Really? What a shame. Should I bid farewell to Lukas's parents?" she asked.

Tobias was impressed by Violett's question, but he still refused. "Sorry, Violett, it truly is an emergency."

Soon, Olivia showed up. "Mr. Von Neumann, the carriage is ready to depart."

Tobias nodded his head. "Thank you very much," he looked down at Violett. "Let's get going, Violett."

Violett nodded her head and approached Lukas.

"Lukas, I..." she hugged Lukas. "...I had a lot of fun with you, it was very nice to meet you."

Lukas was taken aback by that, but he hugged her back. "Me too, come back whenever you want."

Violett released herself from the hug. "I will," she said with a smile.

As Violett was about to take Lukas's coat off to give him, he interrupted her. "It's okay, you can have it."

Violett nodded her head. "Very well, thank you."

Soon, Tobias and Violett went towards the carriage, leaving both Lukas and Olivia alone.

Olivia smiled at Lukas. "Nice job, Lukas. She really liked you."

Lukas sighed. "Don't try to change the subject, Olivia. What happened?"

Olivia raised her brow. "Excuse me?"

"Violett may be easy to deceive, but I'm not. The schedule of the nobles is very organized. Besides, why didn't my parents come with Tobias?" Lukas said.

Olivia sighed. 'It's so hard to handle a smart child.'