Morticia

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

It's been a few days since Marie went home to care for her sister. Three days to be exact. My days have been the same as ever. The kids are still just as chaotic as ever... like now.

"Young Master, Young Lady!!! Please slow down!!! I'm begging you!!!" Their maids cried in desperation as the kids played with Ruby in the garden. Tears attempt to burst from the corners of their eyes. It is truly a pitiful sight...

I sighed and laughed slightly in helplessness. Although I enjoy Ren and Rosy being this energetic, I can't ignore the begging expressions of the maids trying to get me to help. I'm worried they'll trip on a branch, fall over, and get injured.  They've acquired a ton of those already...

"Renny, Rosy, slow down. With that speed, you'll fall over!" I raised my voice slightly and reprimanded them gently. The kids beamed smiling faces at me and continued to run. I don't need you're smiling faces... Ruby seemed to enjoy herself too. She enjoys her time with the kids. With her large leaves swaying in the wind, she let the kids play with them. She's getting a little sassy these days, though, I thought she'd be with the kids too but it seemed I have no worries.

I looked at my teacup, raised it to my lips, and took a sip.  I was about to put my teacup down when I heard the voices of the maids shouting in horrification. 

"YOUNG MASTER!!!"

"YOUNG LADY!!!"

I shot my head up, startled, and ready to run to the kids if anything bad had happened to them. My eyes landed on a beautiful sculpture-like hand. White as ivory with every little line seemingly akin to those precious sculptures my father hoarded that he says to have been carved and chiseled to perfection. I looked at the owner of that hand who is currently supporting the two kids who had almost fallen over. He had blonde hair akin to golden threads and a face similar to the Archduke's. 

My eyes widened as I heard the kids squeal in excitement. "Uncle Nevan! You're here!"

The man smiled warmly and helped the kids stand properly before patting their heads. The kids giggled in excitement while I was thrown in a deep reflective mood.

Nevan..? Why does that name sound so familiar... Oh my gosh!!!

I looked up with my eyes wide open at the man getting along with the kids. Dumbstruck, I remembered a name frequently uttered by everyone. Nevan Castellanos, the youngest Holy Knights Commander, a prodigy in his generation. The Castellanos family, hailing from the neighboring Meiraian Kingdom, are renowned for their exceptional proficiency in the art of light magic. It is said that the Castellanos Family is a family beloved by the Goddess of Light so much so that the Goddess gifts them with a successor of light magic each generation... Nevan Castellanos is the successor in today's generation. 

Such an outstanding figure... What is he doing here..? With confusion written across my face, the Holy Knight Commander, Nevan, looked up and stared at me. Panic enveloped my body.

"What is the princess doing in my brother's territory?" A hostile aura filled his body, so strong that my mind flew into a state of emergency, I struggled to utter a word. Everything that he said confused me. Everything that happened from the time he suddenly appeared in the garden to now confused me to great lengths! I was about to say a word despite my struggling self when a voice was heard a few blocks behind me.

"Nevan, stop that. You're scaring the kids." Nevan seemed to realize the presence of the kids, so he withdrew his hostile aura. Although he still narrowed his eyes at the archduke seemingly asking for an explanation. The presence of the archduke greatly relieved me that I almost fell due to my legs weakening from the pressure. The archduke then motioned for the maids to take the kids away first. Nevan still glared the whole time.

"Alright," The archduke surrendered helplessly at the sight of Nevan. "Nevan, meet Morticia, the first princess of the Empire of Solaria. Princess, meet Nevan, my twin brother." The archduke introduced us to each other and the more I heard the more dumbfounded I became. Twin brother...

TWIN BROTHER..?!

THE ARCHDUKE HAS A TWIN BROTHER???!

"Ahh, the spoiled, beloved daughter of that Greedy Emperor?" 

"You have a twin brother..?" 

Both Nevan and I echoed such extremely different sentiments at the same time. We both looked at each other. He bore a look of slight disgust while I held a look of offense. 

"... Spoiled..?" I barely uttered at the recent discovery of an outrageous reputation I unknowingly had. I dumbfoundedly held my head as an oncoming headache bombarded my head.  When was I spoiled?! Who in the %#&*^&* world had the nerve to spread such a reputation while I was being starved to death at the punishments I got for the wrongs of my siblings?!! Just the thought of it infuriates me!!!

"Nevan..." The archduke said in a reprimanding tone. 

"What?" Nevan asked, still not backing down.

"You're being insensitive, Brother. It's not like you don't know the Imperial family's situation..." The archduke eyed his twin brother and drew closer to me. 

"I'm sorry about my twin brother, Princess. He's been insensitive to you." The archduke apologized and was in the process of bowing when I stopped him. 

"Please, don't do that, Your Grace!" Startled, I hurriedly motioned for him to stand. I sighed " It's... alright. I was only infuriated by an outrageous reputation I had unknowingly gained. It's not like you were the ones who spread it..." I shouldn't be angry at them, It's not their fault. I swear, If I wasn't on the run, I'd skin whoever spread that one alive. 

"You only believed what was spoken about me so I have no reason to be upset about it to you two," I said as I pointedly stared at Nevan. I don't care if it's petty, I'm annoyed. How could he judge someone he just met based on rumors? Nevan looked away and I looked at the archduke. "But, Your Grace, I didn't know you had a twin brother?"

I waited for the archduke's answer with anticipation while he smiled kindly in response to the question.

"Well, it was a long story..."