Chapter 5, Aisac

My alarm goes off, it's time to wake up, it seems I slept while I was thinking, how long did I sleep, I hope this won't affect my sleep schedule, that would be bad and my brother would worry.

Suddenly Liam comes in.

-Good morning miss, sorry to disturb you, but the duke requests your presence in the room," Liam says seriously.

I think for a while and remember that my brother told me that today a guest of my age was coming, he smiled and confirmed that I will be down in a few seconds.

After Liam leaves I change quickly and go down to receive the guest, it seems that I arrive just in time because the carriage arrives at the same time as me.

Fortunately for me the carriage is well lit, so I can see the guest well.

Suddenly a tall boy with jet black eyes and hair comes out of the carriage, he greets my brother politely and then greets me with a kiss on my hand, but what surprises me most is not the kiss on my hand or the boy's attractiveness but that he has a snake as black as night around his neck, I want to ask about it, but my brother speaks first.

-Welcome to the duchy of Graenea, young Aisac Beaumont," he says seriously, I feel that I am the only one excited, yet I ignore this fact and think to myself about Aisac.

My brother looks at me distractedly and introduces me.

-This is my sister Alisha Berrycloth, I hope you get along well," he smiles and waits for me to speak.

-Welcome to Graenea Aisac, I am Alisha, I hope you enjoy your stay here," I bow in greeting and smile.

-Thank you for your hospitality, I hope we get along well," she says without changing her expression, her expression is so rigid that it makes me wonder if she has other expressions.

My brother and Aisac talked a bit about how the marquisate was doing, it seems they have some financial problems, but the biggest question would be, who doesn't have them in Meirh, this time it is just more serious than usual, what worries me is the topic they have been avoiding, when Aisac was about to mention it my brother looked at me and Aisac understood that my brother didn't want me to know.

After a long conversation, we finally went in for breakfast, I was surprised that Aisac did not know how to use the cutlery correctly, but thinking about it, my brother does not talk to me much about the outside world and I am not allowed to go out, I think he is hiding a lot of things from me, I wonder if I am being spoiled.

We finally finished the sepulchral breakfast, why was no one talking, my brother went to work and I followed Aisac to the living room.

-May I call you Aisac, or do you have a nickname," I ask, he looks at me with no change of expression and answers.

-Call me whatever you like," he says as he lights the fireplace and places his snake near the fire.

-I've been wondering, is that snake your pet, what's his name," I say excitedly, waiting for an answer.

-His name is Leo, I could say he's like my family," he says with a serious tone, while he stares at Leo.

-They seem close," I say looking at them, they seemed to be in their own world and watching them I felt an immense loneliness, I don't understand why but I think I feel jealousy.

-Leo has been with me since I was a child, it would be even stranger if we weren't close," he smiles, surprising me, until now he hadn't smiled or changed his expression.

-Aisac, can we be friends, you see, I have always been cooped up here, so I feel lonely," I look at him excited, I think that maybe it is not a good idea to have a friend when I am so confused and terrified that my brother will die, but after remembering and forgetting my past life, I feel that in that life I was not so lonely, I think that if I did not know that company feels so good, I would not feel so lonely, before it was normal, but now it is unbearable.

-Miss Alisha, I don't think I can be your friend," he says, and suddenly I feel lonelier, could it be because of the tone in which he said it, or maybe the words I use, I feel bad, and it makes me ask why?

-Why," I murmur, he seems to listen and answers.

-We don't know each other very well, our circumstances are different, and I don't think you know what it means to be friends in this age," he answers.

-We can get to know each other, you will be here for a while, and what if our circumstances are different, at least we can share tastes for simple things", I say, I don't know why, but I really want to be his friend, I think it's because in this life I have never met someone my age, because I feel lonely, because the servants don't want to be my friends, ..... because I need someone to talk about my problems with.

-You have never gone out, I have seen people who swore to be friends and who would kill each other for a piece of bread, the kingdom of Meirh is not a place where you can have friends easily, everyone is so desperate for food, clothes, or even a watch, how can I trust you, you have lived locked up as if you were a princess, you have never really lacked anything, if you lived what the people live out there, how would you react, maybe you would murder me for a piece of bread? maybe you would murder me for a piece of bread, being fraco you can be totally sure that you wouldn't betray me when the time comes? she concludes, however, I wonder if the situation is so bad outside, for her to talk like that at her age, I think loyalty is important but, to the point of distrusting in this way, I wonder if I have really been living in my own world, without knowing what is really going on.

-I don't know if I've been living in a dream, as you say, I don't know if it's really as bad as you say, but at least give me a chance, I know that maybe you can be distrustful because of how you have lived and I can't say I understand it, in fact if it wasn't because I really want a friend, I wouldn't keep trying and I would have been angry, because I don't like how you are talking, but I don't want to give up so easily-, I say while I tighten my dress.

He sighs and starts talking -Well, let's get to know each other, but I don't assure you that we are going to be friends-.