"My apologies, everyone. It seems that I have arrived quite late." The beauty in front of me said when she had arrived. Aria Rosecente...
! I stood from my seat when I saw her.... She was... gorgeous? She was even more beautiful when I saw her in person. It was unbelievable to see such a god-like beauty in front of me. Her eyes seemed to sparkle gorgeously like diamonds and emeralds. Her golden luscious hair.
No wonder why... that stupid Crown Prince and everyone had fallen for her. She was such a beauty... I almost drooled. Fuck.
"Mielle, is there something wrong?" A voice called me out. Shit.
I blinked thrice before I realized what I had been doing. Even I had become absolutely in shock at my state of appearance. I accidentally stood up from my seat and banged my hands on the table in absolute surprise. And I drooled as well.
The novel really made light of her beauty!
Aria Rosecente had finally made eye contact with me. She tilted her head at me and said, "Mielle, are you quite alright?" She asked once more. As if demanding an answer from me.
I gulped.
I stared into Aria's eyes. No doubt. There was something inside. Anger. Hatred. Revenge pooled in her eyes. I became scared and sat back down saying,
...So she was reincarnated. Yep. She was definitely on the second timeline. There goes my head!
"O-of course not, elder sister." I said with a smile. "We were just waiting for you. And I was just saying how... as a family we must eat together."
Aria squinted her eyes at me, as if she didn't trust me. Instead she softly said, "I'm sorry that I inconvenienced everybody today. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling well today this morning. Would you please excuse my behaviour, Mielle? Just this once. It will never happen again."
All of a sudden, all eyes went on me.
I realized that Aria had used this to see if I had any sympathy against her and forgave her this time. And I couldn't say anything dumb, because everyone was watching me. A single word would destroy Mielle's reputation.
Now it was really 0-1. Aria had really earned that point.
But fuck that. I didn't care.
"Sister, you could have just let us know if you weren't feeling well. You don't need to force yourself in times like these to seem strong. We as a family will completely undrestand." I told her again.
Aria's eyes made a scoffing expression to what I had just said. But her face completely stayed in act. To be honest, I would have also scoffed at that as well. 'Family will completely understand?'
Don't be ridiculous– we weren't family. Aria nor Mielle considered each other as family. We both knew that.
"Mielle. Thanks for worrying about me." Aria said in a soft expression. Although the look in her eyes really didn't match. Wow. Give her kudos for that kinda of act.
Now we were truly in 1-1 sync.
"Since both of you have made up, why not start to eat?" Aria's mother chimed in with a soft laugh, "the food has turned cold."
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Aria's mother make a glance towards Aria, who sat down elegantly and said, "Indeed, it would be quite rude if we didn't finish what our lovely chef had cooked for us."
Wow. Aria really had the backing of her mother. I didn't say anything as I looked down into my plate. I really had to start eating. However I don't think I had the table-manners for that. I glanced into Aria's side of the table, where the food was also untouched.
Huh.
I looked back at her, and she looked back at me. Our eyes had finally shared the same-wavelength. We wanted the other person to start to eat first. How comical.
None of us said anything, but stare at each other. As if we also wanted the other person to start the conversation. After all the last person to speak was the winner.
I think this was getting kinda obvious, because an idiotic boy sitting next to me remarked, "Mielle, why haven't you eaten yet? Is something wrong?"
Oh my fucking god. He ruined it. So much for this fool to be my ally.
"Mielle, what happened?" Aria asked softly, following after my brother of mine. "Is the food not to your liking?"
"Of course not," I told her back. "I was just surprised because Elder's sister had also not touched her own food."
Aria faked a soft laugh as she said, "Is that so, I have been feeling a bit sick so I haven't been able to eat as much, you can understand that much, right Mielle?"
Heh. "If Elder sister can't eat, then force herself into that? It makes us all feel terrible for neglecting you," I told her back.
"Hohoho, thanks for worrying about me," Aria said chuckling very darkly. "It makes me so happy, that Mielle really cares for me."
"Yes, I really care for my Older sister." I laughed along with her.
"Well, I would be very happy if you also didn't trouble yourself and start eating," Aria told me this time. "I don't my sickness to trouble you."
Damn it! I thought that I was faring pretty well because I managed to avoid the topic at hand, but Aria is so damn clever.
"Never," I said smiling. "Why would Elder sister trouble me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, but I felt like my sickness was such an inconvenience to you. It must be because I have yet to learn any proper manners on how to deal with it. Forgive me, Mielle." Aria said, with tears pooling around her eyes. "If I am such a disgrace–"
Suddenly the atmosphere turned teary eyed, and people started whispering behind the both of us.
Damn, it!!!!! FUCK she was so smart. Aria Rosecente. This time it was for sure, 1-2.
"It's fine..." I could only murmur. I didn't say anything as I looked down at my plate. I could feel Aria sneering from a distance, although I didn't see it on her face. This woman... as if I would give up that easily.
Challenge accepted Aria Rosecente!
"I never thought of Elder sister as an inconvenience. Why must you say it as so, Elder sister? Are you saying that my care for you is not enough?" I snapped back.
Like that, war was surely waged. Although internal, it was obvious.
...
***
"It seems that Aria has been studying quite late, recently." The so-called father of mine announced at the dining hall later that evening. I did not want to come downstairs this time, but not showing my face probably equals to losing the battle.
However this time, I had practiced some table manners before coming downstairs. I secretly asked that Nanny of mine, Emma, whose name I had recently learned, to teach me because I had forgotten some memories.
She panicked, but I told her to keep this a secret because anything out about me losing my memories would only get in my way. And not only that Aria has already gotten a head-start by learning some god-forsaken poetry out of nowhere.
The Count, my father had praised Aria, with a warm smile saying, "Well done," to Aria, who had filled the Dinning room with clear and transparent poetry.
The Countess, Aria's biological mother quickly lied as she said, "Aria has enjoyed reading numerous books during her impoverished life, which is why she was so elated to learn when she was given the bright opportunity."
Aria smiled along with her, going with the lie, "I was only doing it to not tarnish the family name. It was the poem of the first Count after all."
Aria glanced at me, who was sitting meekly at the table and then eating. Huh? What is she looking at? "I don't think such poems are good enough for Mielle, is it?"
She was waiting for my response. For the poem, I think? "Do you know the poem, Mielle?"
I wanted to scratch my head. What the heck did she want now?
Suddenly, my brother, 'Cain' responded, "Yeah, we all had learnt the poem when we were four years old. Right, Mielle?"
Huh? Oh okay, yeah. I nodded as I continued eating. As if I knew anything. Ugh. I felt as if I had just dodged a bullet. Did something happen in the original novel or something? Whatever.
"It was the poem about the first Count," Cain continued.
"Do you know the rest?" Aria asked us both. Cain nodded, but he added something like, "It had something added in the middle about the fair love of her lady– who brought everybody roses."
"Oh, but Cain... that part of the poem has a dark past. It was the poem sang by the Count's younger brother who tried to murder him."
Woah-! Now that's just juicy shit, isn't it? Cain bit his lips as if he had fallen into Aria's trap. Cain quickly recovered saying something like: "O-of course I knew that. Don't be ridiculous. That's why I did not elaborate on it."
Cain had no idea who was trying to explain this to because the effect had already been done. Wow, Aria, once
Aria smiled as she looked deeply into my evading eyes which were eating this time. Honestly, this time, I had come prepared with table manners, so she can't insult me here, can she?
***