As my brother announced yesterday, I did have to go out with them to actually buy some new clothes. It kinda made sense to get some new ones but I really didn't want to go there personally. Don't get me wrong, I loved shopping and I also loved just looking at stuff around but I didn't really want to get out with my brother and just be the talk of the town!
I wish I could stay at home!
I don't get why I had to come with him!
I know about the moons festival and how important that is but still... why!!!
People are just looking at the carriage!
What am I about to do when we go out?
I was a nervous wreck since I didn't know anything about etiquette nor how I should behave myself nor anything at all. Besides, if I would do something wrong, I was sure that grandfather would know about this immediately. There was nothing to hide with soo many witnesses around as well. Now the thing that scared me most though was to actually lose my brother or get in a situation without him. How was I about to deal with things myself?! I am just a kid without any kind of upbringing or any common sense here!
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Mh?"
"You look worried Viv, are you alright?"
How do you expect me to be alright with this?
I might get kicked out at the festival!
I might get laughed at in about a couple of minutes and people will badmouth you and me for being here!
So I have tons of problems including trying not to let you all die!
Anything else you want to know?
"No...I mean yes."
"Now that doesn't sound like that. How about we talk about it?"
Is no actually an option?
"...."
"I can listen to it and try to help you out. You know you are family now."
"How can you treat me like family? We barely know each other though."
"Because you have a more vibrant color of gold than any of us. That is proof enough that you are blood related to us and not to mention that the blood inside you is thicker than any of ours."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that your ability will be a lot stronger and more powerful than fathers."
The whole concept of abilities was so new and strange to me. I read about it in the book but being in the book now, I had to figure everything out on my own. That also included my very own ability and how to use it. Since I knew so little about it all, I was quite curious and I was sure he couldn't blame me for that as well. For now I had other problems at hand. There were soo many I could make a list which would rival a wishlist for Santa Clause! Oh well I should get to these problems and solve them one by one and try not to die in the process as well. Oh how many conditions and wishes I actually had.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"When do I get my ability tho?"
"HAHAHAHAHA now you are worried about that?"
"No, just curious."
"It's fine. No one knows when. It was different for each of us but you will know when you get yours."
"Alright."
I was really starting to feel better than before. I might be nervous but this small distraction helped get me to actually think about something else for a moment. As short as it was, it was definitely better than driving myself crazy about things that could happen and things that would probably happen. For now I had to focus on the here and now and not on something else. I had to just think and survive. That was my role in this world after all.
"Brother Rymond?"
"Pfff-"
All of the sudden my brother started laughing while I was looking at him thinking really hard why he would suddenly burst out laughing. Did I say something funny or was I looking quite funny with these big clothes on. Who would know but I knew for sure that something was not right because he looked so serious just a moment ago too.
"Brother?"
"Ah I am sorry."
"Why did you laugh?"
We both were sitting opposite each other so that I could see every bit of his emotions and reactions while he was talking to me. It was hard reading him but there were hints of emotions in his eyes. Otherwise he was as stoic and generic as a robot could be. He would be a really good model for one as well. Not to mention that he looked just stunning with that body build of his. He was tall, had quite a muscular build body and brains as well. Just some good husband material I would say if I would be the heroin which in this case was none existing. So all in all, I would say he had some "perfect" brother material. Maybe he also had something for a small lister, something like a small sweet weak spot in his heart.
"What did you call me?"
"Rynhard."
"Pfff-Sorry."
"What's really so funny?"
"You called me 2 different names by now."
"No, I just called you one."
"Are you sure?!
"Of course I am Rynell."
"You did it again."
"..."
Ah screw names!
I can't remember them anyways!
It was just a question of time till something like this would happen.
Needless to say that I felt really embarrassed about calling my own brother different names but for the love of god, I actually really couldn't tell that I called him three different names. I thought it was only two and not three and yet here I was doing it. My memories with names were just bad but to think that I could come up with three whole different names and not recognize and realize it was a new highlight. Sometimes I just wanted to call myself dumb because of that.
"I am Ryan."
"Sorry."
"It's fine Vivi. Does anyone know about this?"
What did my brother think about when he asked that question? He seemed to be quite allured about this problem. On the other hand, I wasn't that troubled at all since I did have my tricks on how to remember names. For one thing was to actually find an object I could see on them and that I could use to actually recognize them by. It worked in my other life as a student, so it had to actually work in this life as well. It was not as if there was nothing he didn't carry with him all the time and with that I mean his sw0ord in a rather sarcastic tone.
I can deal with this shit as much as you can deal with your sword!
"No..."
"Then let this be our little secret. I will help you out with this small problem. Alright?"
"Mh."
"Good, now cheer up."
My head was hanging down and I was looking to the ground in embarrassment. There was really nothing to say here. I wanted to dig a grave and just get in there. Maybe if I would be lucky, someone would actually bury me too. Who knows! I really might end up dying one day because of my bad memories with names.
"So...?"
"So what?"
"How do you like it at home so far?"
"It's nice."
"What about us? Who do you like more?"
"Dunno."
"So it's not father yet. Alright! I made up my mind! I will make you choose me!"
"Why?"
"Because I want to spoil a cute little sister like you. Do I need another reason?"
There was hit number two where I wanted to actually get away or hide. This was really sweet of him but at the same time, it was soo embarrassing that I wanted to hide away. He might see it differently though, still it didn't make it any different. What he just said was something that no one besides us should hear.
"Anyways, what were you thinking so hard before and don't tell me it was about your ability."
"I won't."
"Then?"
"What if grandfather doesn't like me?"
"Impossible."
"How can you say that?"
"Because you are lovable and cute. How can we not like someone like you."
How can you say something like that?!
You don't know me that much!
I was honestly just confused about all their weird behavior. For some reason these two brothers and my father were all smitten with me. They liked me and they were treating me like a real princess for sure. I knew this was definitely not normal. No matter how I looked at it, something had to be up but I didn't know what it was. They did mention my bright golden eyes many many times and that was in fact the only lead I had so I was sure that it had something to do with them but I didn't know what it was about them.
"Brother Ryons, why do we have golden eyes?"
"Ryan."
"I said that."
"No, you missed- no nevermind. Just call me again."
"Ryan."
"Good."
He looked satisfied with the answer but I did call him that before too. So I didn't see what the point was here. Well not that I could tell the difference if I actually called him something else earlier. I was just too much on the edge for now. No matter how much he tried to calm me down, there was nothing he could actually do about this. I couldn't handle it, that was all there was to say about that. The pressure about being on display to everyone to watch me and talk about me, then that damn monkey Rosetta and to top everything off, there was also a high chance I would get kicked out of the house at the moons festival. How was I not supposed to worry at all?
"As for your question, I want to ask you a question first."
"Sure."
"Do you know about the story behind the Underwood family?"
"No."
"Then what about the beginning of the empire?"
"No..."
"It's not a problem. I will tell you everything."