Jane Eyre
Isolde's POV
The world of the rich and noble was less sparkly than I had imagined it to be. It almost seemed normal.
I will be honest that I had expected crystal chandeliers, large beds with posts on each corner and shady servants straight out of the murder-mystery books I had read. Oh and let's not forget about the mentally unstable first wife in the secret attic.
But the room given to me was plain yet elegantly decorated. The king-sized bed adorned with a red bedspread looked inviting. A small bookshelf fully stocked with novels and a small reading table occupied the space next to it.
Large windows took almost half of the southern wall, adorned in white soft yellow curtains. I hurriedly open them to take in the magnificent view of the mountains behind.
However, instead of the breathtaking view, what caught my eyes was Akira and the white-haired man's presence in the front garden.
They were arguing about something by the looks of how Akira was shouting at the man. The older man to his credit, looked to be unfazed. He quietly listens without replying. After a few moments, Akira covers his face with his palms and falls to his knees. I could tell he was crying by the way his shoulders were shaking. The man wraps his arms around Akira's sobbing frame. He tries to resist at first but eventually gives in. The man softly caresses his head and says something to him.
What happened? Why was he crying like that?
What had the man said to him for him to crumple like this?
Is it about his father?
I know loosing a parent is hard. It was and still is so difficult for me. We never had anything but each other to begin with. So when she left, I didn't even have enough to fill the void left behind.
It's still empty and I am afraid, it will always be empty. Will I live with this emptiness all my life?
I wonder how loss feels to someone like Akira who has so much? Does a family and all these luxury sooth the pain, maybe a bit?
This world of his is so different from me. It has so much going on in it. Friends, families, politics, conspiracies and so much more.
It was a world with a whirlwind of colors and warmth; so unlike mine which was just.....cold.
Sometimes I feel like one day I might freeze in this cold and no one will ever notice.
"So you are Akira's new friend?" A voice startles me out of my reverie. I close the window on instinct. Being caught eavesdropping on nobles is never a good thing.
I look to the source of the voice. It was a young girl with her hair tied in two buns. With her white hair and green eyes, she looks exactly like the woman downstairs.
"I am asking you something," she emphasizes on her question again.
"I am Isolde, Akira's friend, I guess," I say in an unsure tone.
Were we friends? He did say we were that one time.
I wasn't very sure.
"You guess?" she laughs at that. "Well then, I am Hikari, his sister, I guess," she says, mimicking my nervous tone.
"Nice to meet you, Lady Hikari," I say politely to the girl dressed in yellow.
"So Isolde, where is brother dearest? I couldn't find him in his room. I thought he was here," she asks with a frown.
Lady, why would he be here?
"He was downstairs with your mother and the man," I answer truthfully.
"What man?" she asks, sounding even more confused now.
"The white-haired one with pointy ears," I explain, holding my hands up to my ears, making a pointy gesture.
Her face lights up in realization. "Oh, you mean Uncle Alver!" she exclaims.
Uncle Alver? Like Alver Faesolor?
"The former Grandmaster?" I ask to make sure.
"Yes, who else?" she questions back with a frown.
I feel light-headed. I had just met a Grandmaster, and all I did was look at my feet and glare at Akira!!!! Sol, I even kicked him in front of them!!
I kicked a Grandmaster's nephew in front of the said Grandmaster!
I didn't even bow!
I wanted to cry. Gods, I can already see it. I will finally go for job interviews and one of them will say, "Look, isn't it the peasant girl who kicked Grandmaster Faesolor's nephew in front of him?" and they will all point their noble fingers at me and look down at me from their high noble seats.
But to my credit, I kept my face blank even with the storm raging inside me.
"So, Isolde, how did you and my brother become friends?" she asks, crossing her arms. Her eyes observe me from head to toe, and she frowns with a calculative look in her eyes. She raises one eyebrow as she takes in my outfit.
I suddenly feel self-conscious. Was there something wrong with my outfit? These were my best clothes.
But all my doubts vanished when I remembered how Akira complimented them. He said they were beautiful.
"He complimented my outfit," I answer simply with a smile, remembering how he said the flowers on the sleeve were cute.
Truth to be told, that was also the moment I wanted him to be my friend.
"He did?" she looks taken back for some reason.
She tilts her head at me, and her eyes light up with something akin to realization. "He is right. They are very nice. Come on, I'll give you a tour," she offers with a chuckle.
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"And this is Akira's room," Hikari points towards a room on the left side of the corridor. Our tour was now in front of Akira's room after Hikrai and her parents rooms were viewed.
I open the door slightly and peek inside to see a large room with high bookshelves and a grand piano. I don't see any beds. Instead the room was littered with half-finished paintings and sketches. Brushes and paints were scattered here and there on the mosaicked floor. Despite its messy look, the soft light entering from the open window gave the room an artistic edge.
"Hey, don't peek into his room. He hates it," Hikari quickly pulls me from my place.
"But wh-" my question remains unfinished as I notice Akira approaching.
His eyes look bloodshot. He wipes his red nose with his sleeve when he notices us.
"Brother, are you okay?" Hikari voices our concern.
His face morphs into fury and he looks ready to shout at her. But he stops when his eyes fall on me.
"I am fine. I just want to stay alone for a while. Hikari, give Isolde company, please," he instructs in a hoarse voice. He sounds tired and defeated. His shoulders slump as if some great burden has been placed on them.
Without giving Hikari a chance to reply, he enters the room and slams the door with force.
"Well, that was rude," Hikari sighs.
"He probably heard some bad news," I state out my observation.
Hikari's beautiful face gets shrouded in shadows of sadness for a moment. She bits her bottom lip nervously.
"Hmm, Uncle Alver probably told him," Hikari says with her eyes downcast.
"Told him what?" I ask in a quiet voice.
"Everything probably," She whispers the words in a haunted voice.
"Is it about the court?" She looks at me with surprise visible on her face. She was probably shocked at my knowledge about the recent on-goings in the court.
"Yes, the court. And the family," she says after thinking for a moment.
"The family?"
Are families supposed to cause this much distress to each other? With how rich these people were, shouldn't they all be satisfied?
"Yes, the family. It's a family feud. There is unrest among the family. We need a family head. My mom's authority will be soon questioned," she explains in a quiet voice.
"So who will be head? Your Uncle?" I ask curiously.
Noble families functioned in complicated ways.
"No, Uncle Alver gave up on his claim a long time ago for father's sake," she says with a sigh.
I feel like there was a long story there.
"Then who?" I ask, having a good guess at the answer.
"My brother," she voices my suspicions in a defeated tone.
"Is that a bad thing?" I couldn't help but ask the reason behind her reluctance.
"Isolde......the heir only accepts the position once the previous head dies."
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