Chapter 4

"Milady, it's time for your bath," a maid, like no other, wearing a white cap tied on the back of her head, white and black linen hugging her skin, and arms that a towel hangs comes after opening the door.

Behind her, walks a wooden tray, containing a small basin and a few towels.

Lifting my pillows, I hid the book and walked towards the unsuspecting maid.

"What event should I attend for the day?" I asked. 

The maid leaned forward, brushing my face's edges and removing some strands of hair covering my eyes. As she bent down, she began to smile.

"Today, you'll be able to attend the House of Morse," the maid continued smiling.

"Morse?" I asked.

If I remember it clearly, the House of Morse was a dukedom. They lived in the southeast region, not far away from our place.

If we traveled there, it could only take an hour to arrive.

But the House of Morse? 

As far as I could reminisce, they were a trusted alley of my father. They fought the imperial family for justice for my parents, an event that I turned a blind eye to because of that person.

"Yes, Milady, and this afternoon, you and the Duke as well as the Duchess will travel to the place"

"I hope we're safe back then"

The maid chuckled

"Of course, that's why you got Sir Luffy and Raphael to back you all up, plus some other knights under the Duke's supervision"

I pouted at what she said.

"So let's get ready. When you arrive there, you'll meet two handsome young Lords. Who knows they'll even have a crush on you"

The maid teased me with her looks and I cringed hard.

"Stop it, no one's gonna like a home lady like me"

"Milady, you're not a home lady, okay? You're beautiful, intelligent, caring, and most of all loveable. Don't belittle yourself just because you think you are that, okay?

"Okay, thanks"

After a while, I bathed and got ready for the preparation.

"Look at our ever-beautiful daughter, Diana," Father said as he came forward.

He knelt and patted my head. The corners of his lips curved.

"I hope you'll grow into a beautiful woman, Isabella—Ouch!"

"That's for hurrying my baby girl to grow up. I want her to stay as a baby like this," Mother smacked Father's head and lifted me after.

I chuckled.

Laughter, hugs, sweet kisses, and smiles, before everything changed. It's warm once again.

***

The ride towards the House of Morse didn't take long.

I could see that we were already at the place.

Falling asleep wasn't as hard as drying my eyes out.

Father lifted me, and mother came holding my father's hand. I came to hold Mother's hand on her side.

Many servants lined up forward. They bowed, as two nobles approached us. I hid behind my mother's back. 

Father seemed to be truly friends with the two. The man had a thick mustache wearing expensive green clothing, while the other woman, was wearing the same color, though she was beautiful.

They welcomed us, and my parents followed. 

I, on the other hand, couldn't lift my feet. I felt the scenario back when they were kneeling in front of me begging to do justice and betraying that person. I felt a sudden cold.

The chill breeze from the outside sent shivers down my spine. My mother whom I was holding her dress was walking away from me.

I tried to run but someone caught my eye.

It was a boy, he had auburn hair. He seemed to be hiding himself from the pillars on the front side.

When our eyes met, I saw his eyes widen and hide again.

"Isabella, come now," mother spoke.

"Coming," I said.

I shook my thoughts for the boy and held my mother's hand.

The two nobles continued to talk as they toured us around.

My parents and the two nobles were laughing as they might have remembered a memory from back then.

Maybe before I was born.

I looked around, and the walls were full of paintings. There were two pairs of stairs in front. We went to climb to walk to the second floor, and from above, we went to the garden.

I saw a table with seven chairs some tea cups, and trays with desserts in front.

Some servants stayed at the side bowing to us.

Not a little later, after the two sat, a boy chuckling from the other side appeared.

It was a different boy from the other.

He had brown hair, much taller, and innocent-looking eyes.

Much different from the one I saw earlier. The one with the auburn hair looked like his eyes came from an icy place.

"Christopher, stop making fun of your brother and give him back his book"

"What a nerd he is. He should be talking to people and making friends rather than always cozying up with his books"

"Christopher, one! Two!"

"Alright, alright fine!"

The man sighed and massaged the sides of his temple.

"I'm so sorry about that, it's just that, my oldest son is a bit, you know," the man explained and my parents understood them.

"It's okay, they're still children, and kids do that all the time, but I know they loved each other as brothers., right Dan?"

"Of course Ed, you're always right when it comes to your words"

The two men laughed and the two ladies looked as they chuckled about their husbands' actions.

They must have understood what it feels like to have a husband like these two men.

I looked at the dessert and took some. While they were busy talking, I was also busy eating. Their desserts are indeed delicious.

I was getting so busy with eating that after the wind blew my hair from the back, I rearranged it to see the same boy with the red hair hiding from the hallways not far from where I was.

I got curious. Is he the one that the child named Christopher mentioned as his younger brother?

Considering that the boy with the red hair was holding a book, he might be the one.

The boy named Christopher walked in front of the boy and messed up his hair. He took his book and ran away leaving the other one sitting on the floor crying.

Didn't their father tell him to stop bullying his brother?

"Mother, can I go to the restroom?"

"Yes, you can but you have to go with a servant, okay?"

"I can handle it, besides, I know where Madam Helia pointed the place, pretty please?"

Mother sighed and agreed after.

I walked like a modest little lady for a few minutes making my mother not get curious about what I was going to do. So when I looked back and saw she was already talking to the madam, I ran and went to the crying little boy.

"Hi there," I said.

I knelt in front and looked at him.

After a few seconds, he stopped crying and looked at me.

His eyes wavered.

He almost tripped when he tried to back away after standing with a wobbly pair of legs.

"Oh no, please stay. I'm not going to harm you."

The boy trembled. Unable to say any words, I leaned towards him as he backed his head away.

I still leaned over brushed his soft red hair away from his forehead and smiled.

"Don't worry. From now on, I'm going to be your friend. So you better remember my name. I'm Isabella Vermier," I said.

I probably said it out loud because he gasped.

I handed my hand so he could shake it but he only looked at it and back to my eyes and again.

"What? Oh, please, I'm not a bully, so if you want to get back at your brother, I'll help you. So do you trust me?" I smiled.

His eyes doubled in size until his trembling hands took mine.

"…" without words, his hands claimed mine with warmth like the sun's first ray.

A fleeting feeling, I once have forgotten. Now, it all resurfaced in the back of my mind.

This boy, behind me, was running out of breath, and yet how firmly his hands held mine. 

If I had chosen a different path back then, would I be able to see a different view where my eyes weren't solely focused on that person?

"I-I can't run a-anymore. P-Please, let us s-stop," the boys' words came out like a wind's whisper.

I barely heard him. Good thing, he pulled my hand before he could slump his face to the ground.

I chuckled before arranging his disheveled hair. Moving some strands of his hair from both sides, I could see his beautiful eyes again.

"Now, no one would be able to bully you here. Besides, this was the front of the library in your house right?"

"How did you know?"

"Your mother, the Duchess, toured us around and let's say I have a pretty sharp mind for a young lady, right?" I explained corrsing my hands over my chest, but when I looked at the boy, he had already opened the door and walked inside.

"Wait for me!"

"Okay," he said stopping in his tracks.

"So, why is your brother, always bullying you?"

"…"

"N-No, what I mean is always picking your book…"

Silence took over a few seconds before I heard him exhale.

"That's because I usually don't like the outside. I'd rather read books alone and learn new things," he said

He's not passive anymore like earlier. He doesn't even sound worried, or shy. He just sounded like the truth.

"Why?" I got curious.

"Because books made me feel at ease"

I usually don't understand some people who always love to read books but, if he wants it then I guess he'll need someone to read books with.

"Then as your self-proclaimed friend, teach me the books you're reading. I also want to learn new things, okay?"

His eyes wavered. I saw my whole reflection in his eyes. He didn't move so I took his hands and shook them.

"So it's a deal. Where should we start first?"

The boy got to laugh.

"You're a weird person. You know that?"

"Glad thing you knew. Because you'll have to learn more from me too…"

"Adviel, my name's Adviel. So you shouldn't forget that as well."

The conversation went well. He toured me around the library and gave me books over books and books.

He explained some of the books he read, He even acted some of the heroes from there. I got to read a lot, from the history of the empire, and some storybooks, till my eyes went dark.

The last thing I remember is we leaned on the wall, and just above our heads were window glasses. We enjoyed looking at our shadows from the rays of the sun with some boos over our hands. Chuckling, and reading, until it was already dark.

"Thank you for being my first friend, Isabela," I heard a few seconds before waking up.

Then when I opened my eyes, I was already in a room, different from mine, but I knew we were in the Morse House.

My left hand felt heavy and when I looked at it, I saw the boy, with an auburn hair holding my hand with his face on the side soundly sleeping.

This was the first time I felt at ease with someone, outside of my family.

"Adviel…" His name reminded me of someone I had once forgotten.

"I forgot to say but, it's nice to meet you in this life."