"Ara?" I felt someone shaking me, I groaned as I turned taking the large hand which I knew was Dad's.
"Ara, wake up!" I heard Athy's voice and I groaned before snuggling closer to Dad's who I felt was lying close to me.
"Ara, wake up already!" I groaned again as I clung onto Dad.
"Ara, you waking up or not?!" Athy shouted.
"No!"
"Ara, Jeanette came to me last night, she said she might have heard Anastacius talking with Athernitas." Athy said and I kept snuggling to Dad.
"She must have..." I mumbled as I felt myself going back to sleep.
"Ugh, since when did you become like this? Get up already!"
"I'm on a break, Athy. I and Dad are recuperating, can't you see?"
"Like hell you are! I can feel you following me around whole day and helping me with work and even threaten those nobles who try to get on my nerves." She said and I lied with my arms around Dad.
"And currently, you might just be choking Dad."
I quickly loosened my arms and opened my eyes to see Dad lying beside me.
"Did I choke you?" I asked him.
"No."
I curled my arms around his arm and closed my eyes again.
"Oh, God! Ara, wake up! I don't want to face those people without you."
"You need to learn, Athy."
"And you need to teach me!"
"Just go if she insists, Ara. This was your plan to begin with."
"Are you taking her side too, Dad?"
"Bleh, Daddy loves me more." Athy teased and I chuckled.
"I love you more."
"Ugh, just get up, if you do." She said and I sighed before I sat up letting go of Dad's arm.
"Geez, what will you do without me?" I groaned as I rubbed my eyes.
"Just what were you dreaming about? You were asleep so deeply." She said and I yawned tempted to go back to sleep and I almost did making Athy to drag me out of the bed.
"We'll see you later Daddy!" Athy chirped as she pulled me out of Dad's room after having a look outside.
I simply snapped my fingers casting an invisiblity and noise cancellation spell on us.
"We're invisible now start speaking." I said and she told me as how Jeanette was feeling sleepless last night so she went out for a stroll and ended up hearing voices from Anastacius' room which sounded like him talking with someone else.
"She said his behaviour was quite odd as well, even his eyes." Athy said as we made it to my room.
"Did she come to your room immediately?"
"No, she went back to her room and after thinking for some time she decided to come to me to relay this message to you." I nodded as I walked inside the bathroom.
"I'll get ready and come to office. Go ahead for now."
"Be quick, okay?"
"Just go ahead already!"
After a while I teleported to Athy's office where she would be and stood behind her watching as she was getting reports from the two nobles.
"I'm here."
Athy released a low sigh and relaxed her shoulders making me wonder if I was doing the right thing. She needed me for these things when she could do it herself. But just because I had spoiled her too much she wanted me around.
"We would like to report directly to His Majesty ourselves." Count Mohrr who was before Athy spoke.
"His Majesty is resting so you can deliver your reports to me." Athy said in a calm voice.
"Haha, oh yes, of course. I'm sure, he's resting." He snickered with the Viscount and I rolled my eyes.
"He must be wrapped in the cocoon of such comfort, he never wants to come back."
"Use my name, this guy will be just a step away from pissing his pants." I said, as I recalled the first day I'd dealt with this guy.
He was annoying as hell, and thought he could size me up, I had all but let him know verbally what I would do if he took me lightly.
"Fine, if you insist so much I'll have you meet with Her Highness Amara, she had given me strict instructions that if some noble starts to act up against me, not to disturb Father and send them to her." Athy said and the two started turning pale.
"I'll just call someone to escort you to her. Felix!"
"Uh, no, Your Highness!" Count squeaked.
"We-We mustn't disturb Her Highness and His Majesty's rest. We'll just give the reports to you."
The two left after their reports and I yawned.
"Geez, these bastards are such a pain." I said as I leaned my back against her desk and crossed my arms at my chest.
"There must be all kinds of things going on with other nobles, Ara. The situation outside is as good as the beginning of a civil war."
I smirked, she worried over nothing.
"No, baby sister. I've calculated everything, the empire is in distress for now, but soon everything will be fine and everyone will know how to not mess with us."
She stood up and walked over to the window.
"I still can't help but worry, Ara." She said and suddenly turned away from the window making me frown.
I walked over and looked at Anastacius smirking up, I swirled my mana again and his face grew pale in an instant.
"Don't worry about this guy, Uncle will be free of his curse too."
"Despite of what you say, you're actually saving Uncle and Jeanette." Athy said as she headed back to the chair to resume her work.
"Should I not? Well, it'll be easier to take him out but then, Jeanette will be sad and I can't see my second sister being sad."
"Since when did you become so close?" Athy asked as she frowned.
"Oh, jealous? Don't worry, my baby sister. You're still my most favourite person." I said as I pinched her cheeks making her slap my hands away.
I laughed as she placed her palms on her cheeks and I found it cute.
"Just endure this work for a little more time, Athy. Everything is going quite smoothly soon, this will be over." I said and she looked at where my voice resounded.
"So, you'll finally confront Athernitas?"
"No, first, it'll be Lucas who'll settle his score, I'll be the final boss." I said as I crunched my fists in anticipation.
After the meetings, I left Athy to do the paper work while I went to talk with Lucas about my dream. He was at the Black Tower working on something when I teleported before him. He was in his young 15-year-old boy form with short hair.
"Oh, you're here." He said blandly and I tilted my head.
"Wow, you look so happy to see me." I said and he sighed looking at me.
"I'm busy."
"With what?"
"Compiling something." He answered and I leaned in to see but he simply closed the books and looked up at me.
"What do you want?"
"Are you already bored of me?" I asked as I crossed my arms at my chest and he sighed.
"I'm trying to control myself here, don't test my patience, Ara." He sighed running a hand through his hair.
"Fine, I just came to tell you that I saw the World Tree in my dream last night."
"Um hm." He nodded absentmindedly as he picked up another paper before his head whipped up to me.
"What did you say?!"
"I saw the World Tree in my dream last night."
"And?"
"It talked to me, well, complained to me that how you hurt it."
Lucas rolled his eyes before crossing his arms at his chest.
"It talked to you directly?"
I nodded, "Either ways... it seemed like the Tree simply called me over to see if I realized why it had given me my past life memories and skills."
"And you did?" I nodded again.
Lucas sighed and then looked at me.
"That bastard only nagged at me and even hid its fruit and it readily appeared in your dream to chat with you!"
"That's because it thinks you're an arrogant prick." I said biting back a smile as Lucas muttered something under his breath which sounded like beating some sense into someone.
"Now, don't try to go and pick a fight with it. A Tree branch breaking was enough to hurt it."
"You're seriously taking the side of that Tree?"
"Would you rather handle the work that the Tree does?" I asked as I crossed my arms at my chest.
"You really think I'd take up so much tedious work?"
"Then let it be. The World Tree is currently holding up the world and even my and everyone's existence here. Think of us before going to hurt it again." I said and he narrowed his eyes at me.
"Ah, it gave me a message for you," I said and Lucas kept looking at me with the same expression.
"It has asked you to not go to it again or break its branches." I said and he sighed.
"I wouldn't have gone to it if it weren't for Athernitas stealing my mana." Lucas ran a hand through his hair.
"What else did it say?" Lucas asked.
"It did say something else and I guess I heard it but since Athy woke me up so I can't remember." I said and he rolled his eyes.
"That bast-"
"Yah, respect it a little." I spoke and Lucas gave me a look.
"Fine, that respectful bastard," I rolled my eyes at that, this guy would always be an arrogant prick.
"It talked to you and you forgot what it said?!"
"I told you Athy woke me up, anyways I'll remember it with time." I said as I looked at the papers on his desk.
"Besides, is it some new research work?" I asked and Lucas leaned back.
"Come here." He said and I raised my brows.
"What?"
"Just come here, Ara." He said gesturing me to him.
I sighed, either ways he prefers working alone so, there were no other people around at this time.
I walked over and stood beside him, he simply turned his chair a little and pulled me down on his lap.
"Wha... Yah, what if someone sees us like this?" I asked as he suddenly transformed into his older form with his arms around me holding me in place.
"I don't care, I'll just erase their memories." He said and I rolled my eyes before making us invisible.
He chuckled slightly at my shoulder before he rocked us slightly.
"What are you doing, Lucas?" I asked.
"I'm hugging my girlfriend, though she might not think of us as being in something serious yet, I do." He said and I sighed.
"Considering the physical age, we still shouldn't be doing anything stupid, Lucas."
"Shall I remind you how old we both are?"
"I'm talking about physical terms of this life, you ancient idiot." I said and he groaned a little as he kept me close to him.
I sighed after a while and let him do as he please, we just sat there with him hugging me while I playing with the hem of his robe or his long hair.
"You're going to tell your Dad about this?" He suddenly asked.
"Are you tired of living?"
"Then, when are you going to tell?"
"We still have a few years, Lucas. And I don't think it'd be easy for me to let go of Dad. I might end up having you live in the palace."
Lucas sighed, "I'm jealous of your Dad."
I smiled as I patted his arm.
"You'll know this feeling when you have a daughter Lucas."
"A daughter?" I nodded.
"You do know how the babies are made, right?" He asked and I slapped his hand.
"Geez, stop it already."
He chuckled slightly before tightening his grip slightly making me wonder just how did he not realize it for 200 years that this idiot liked me so much.
After a while I and Lucas teleported to the Alpheus manor.
"Why are we here?" Lucas said and I walked over to Roger's room.
I opened the door and found Ijekiel inside sitting beside Roger who was in his bed completely pale and weak.
"Like I thought." I muttered.
"Yo-Your Highness?!" Ijekiel jumped to his feet and bowed. Lucas was still invisible because I had asked him to be like that.
I waved my hand at Ijekiel to relax and went closer to Roger, I gently touched his forehead as he looked really sick, I lifted his eyelids to have a look at his eyes. They were blank and lacked vitality, he was dying.
"He's dying." I muttered and Ijekiel gasped.
"Do you want me to do it?" Lucas asked.
"No, I'll do it." Since Anastacius was at the palace so, it was alright to use my mana here.
"I'm afraid if he's not healed now, it'll be hard for his body to recover." I said and Ijekiel stood beside me.
"Your Highness..."
"Stand back, Ijekiel. Breaking this black mana could cause some sparks." I said and he stepped back.
I casted a shield for him just in case as I started breaking the black mana that was brainwashing Roger Alpheus. The black magic circle appeared which I used my power to break, Roger coughed out a little blood as the circle broke.
He breathed heavily once I was done and I used a napkin to wipe the blood from his chin.
I used recovery mana to help with his health and his complexion slowly became better, his cheeks getting their color.
I stood watching him breathing normally once I was done and Ijekiel stood beside me.
"I-Is he fine now?"
"Yeah, just let him take plenty of rest." I said and Ijekiel sighed loudly before he fell before me on his knees.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" I placed my hands on his shoulders pulling him up and patted his shoulder gently.
"You did good by enduring everything so bravely, Ijekiel. Now, it's time to avenge your father's condition and carry out the task that I give you." I said and he looked at me.
"Are you ready?"
Ijekiel placed his hand over his heart, and bowed before me with a determined expression on his face.
"I'm ready to lay my life for you, Your Highness."
***
Hello everyone!
How are you guys? I'm doing good.
It seems like everyone's busy these days.
Since there's not many comments I feel lonely. *pouting*
Anyways, it seems like Kitties are angry that Ara and Lucas started dating.
Still... Thank you so much for the votes. It's thanks to you guys that the story is going to cross 1k votes!!!
Have a great day everyone!