Born As The Emperor’s Daughter - Chapter 183

Alexandra roamed inside her library, although it was just a small one. A few hours have passed after her bedtime and Diana left the room thinking that Alexandra was already asleep. Well, she did sleep but it was only like 2 hours. She just woke up and now, she can’t go back to sleep so she just decided to look for a book to read until she feels sleepy or fell asleep while reading. She was feeling excited and happy all of a sudden and the reason was unknown to her, that’s probably why she can’t sleep again. Well, it’s not that bad, considering that it has been a long time that she has read a book all alone.

Walking in a straight, her hand glided slowly against the spine of the books that were in a row in the shelf while she read the words found and written on it. If one title will catch her interest, she will take that book out of the shelf and will open it to a random page instead of the first page to see that it would be interesting. So far, she still hasn’t found one. Oh, wait, a title piqued her interest. She took out the book from the shelf, her lips curled up into a smile knowing that this might what she was looking for. She opened the book to the first page instead of some random one and read the first page. She closed the book and let out a sigh. Nope, it wasn’t, she thought to herself.

“Wasn’t that much interesting for you?”

She heard a voice coming from behind her which made her squeal and turn around gripping the book tightly in her hand and was about to hit that person with the book that she was holding but a hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her from what she was planning to do. Crimson red eyes bore down on her figure, his lips pursed into a thin line. Knowing that it was only Harrison, she let out a sigh and shook his hand that was on her wrist away. He was wearing a cloak and underneath it was a long-sleeved white polo paired with dark-colored pants and black shoes. As far as she knew, that is their uniform. Why is he still wearing that?

“Could you please stop doing that?” Alexandra said as she turned around and returned to its original place, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips forming into a scowl after she spoke. However, Harrison feigned innocence and he responded, “Do what? I didn’t do anything,” He said and let out a hum. Alexandra could imagine what kind of expression was plastered on his face. She let out a sigh once again before she responded, “Appearing out of nowhere. Do you know what time is it already? Why are you here?” She asked him as she turned around to face him. A grumpy look etched on her face as he crossed her arms and tapped her feet making it seems like she is angry when she isn’t. It looked like she was scolding him.

Harrison hearing her question while seeing her pose and expression on her face couldn’t help but let out an amused chuckle as he flicked her forehead. It wasn’t that hard but it was painful, Alexandra glared at him while rubbing her forehead, her grumpy or angry pose was broken. “Ow, why did you flick my forehead?” She asked, still glaring at him.

“I should be the one asking you why are here at this time of the night. Shouldn’t you be asleep? It’s already a few hours past your bedtime, right, Alexandra?”

The way he pronounced her name, in the end, sounds dangerous or angry in her ears. He copied the pose that she did earlier, his arms crossed and his feet tapping against the floor continuously. Ah, now it feels like she was the one being scolded by him. “Well, I just woke up earlier, and now, I can’t sleep so I decided to look for a book to read. Maybe that would make me fall asleep once again,” Alexandra said and let out a sigh. Harrison was about to speak once again when Alexandra interrupted him and spoke first, “So why are you here? How did you know that I am inside here? It looks like you aren’t here just to give me something,” Was what Alexandra said, attacking him questions. Curiosity lacing her tone of voice as she spoke.

“Well, you are correct. I am not here to give you something.”

“Then why are you here?”

“It just feels like you are still awake during this time so I came here. The door to this room was open and you weren’t in your bed so I guessed that you are inside here.”

Alexandra just hummed as a response before she started walking, deciding to leave the library and just go back to bed. Maybe she’ll stare at the ceiling until she falls asleep or something. “Where are you going? You still haven’t picked a book to read, have you?” He asked her as he watched her walk away from him. “I’m going to bed, I’ll just stare at the ceiling until I fall asleep or I will spend my time talking with you until I pass out or something like that,” She responded and Harrison hummed before he followed behind her.

“Don’t you want to go somewhere?”

“Where would we go at this time? I know that there is no carnival open and the shops are closed, almost all of the people are already asleep,” Alexandra responded and was about to get in her bed when she heard him respond to her question once again. “Then what about the lake? The one at your palace, I’m sure that it has been a long time since you last visited that when it’s night. Aside from that, the moon tonight is full,” When she heard what he has said, she stopped from her movements. She became still like a statue before she slowly turned her head around to look at his direction. There were sparkles in her eyes and the expression on her face was as bright as the sun, her smile was wide.

“You’re taking me there?! Really?!”

“Ah, you looked like a happy idiot with that face,” Harrison replied as he stared at her expression. She didn’t say anything and just stared at him with her eyes still sparkling. He just let out a sigh before he walked towards her and grabbed her hand. “I’m taking you there now,” He said while showing her a grin.

Eh?

Then a blinding light conquered her vision, she squeezed her eyes shut but she could feel her insides turning upside down like she was on a roller coaster. Even though she hasn’t ridden a roller coaster, she knows what it feels like when you ride one. It’s fairly similar to the feeling when you are going to teleport to another location. It felt like she was being thrown upside down many times for a few minutes before she heard Harrison’s muffled laugh. She fluttered her eyes open and blinked multiple times, adjusting her vision to the brightness of her surroundings. Her vision was messed up, her world was turning.

Alas, what happened to the world?

“Y-You are still not used to it even though you already experienced it multiple times, t-the expression on your face was too much,” Harrison said as he tried to surpass his laugh while pointing at her. His shoulders shaking. Was the expression on her face really that funny?

“S-Shut up! It has been so long since I experienced this once again!” Alexandra glared at him but she wasn’t sure if she was staring at Harrison directly knowing that her vision was messed up. “W-Where are you even staring at? That’s a tree, you k-know? That’s not m-me,” He tried to surpass his laugh once again. TRIED. It seems like he can’t handle it anymore and he burst out laughing. Alexandra just clicked her tongue and held her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She could still hear Harrison laughing, really, this guy laughs at so many things, she thought to herself. Then the wind blew against her skin and the breeze was gentle yet cold, it sent a shiver down her spine.

Alexandra, feeling slightly better than before, fluttered her eyes open and blinked multiple times to adjust her eyes to the brightness of her surroundings once again. This time, her vision was better than before. It was normal not and Harrison’s laugh died down. “Okay, okay, I’m done laughing,” Harrison said with a wide grin on his face, his eyes closing in the process. Alexandra looked at him in the corner of her eyes and she just hummed as a response before she looked ahead of her once again. The view and the scenery in front of her took her breath away, the lake surrounded with the glowing Wistalia trees looked enchanting in beautiful in her eyes. The light is being illuminated or reflected by the water’s surface and the cool blue glow that they emitted.

It seems like a picture or scenery in a fairytale. The moon was shining brightly as they basked underneath its moonlight, Alexandra felt herself relax as she let out a satisfied sigh while she closed her eyes. “You look like an old woman, you know?” She heard Harrison say and she turned her head to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes narrowed at him. “What do you mean by that?” She asked.

“An old woman who is about to die and the last thing that she sees is this scenery before she closes her eyes and dies happy and satisfied with her old husband by her side.”

“You’re being way too detailed.”

“Because if I didn’t, you wouldn’t get me.”

“I am not that slow.”

“Yes, you are. You don’t even laugh at my funny puns and jokes that I tell you.”

“That’s because your jokes and puns aren’t funny.”

“That hurts straight to the heart,” Harrison replied and clutched his chest, wiping a fake tear on his eyes as he let out an indignified sniff. Alexandra just glared at him before she rolled her eyes and said, “Again, with that acting of yours, could you please stop?” She let out a sigh once again. Alexandra couldn’t just sit down the ground, it was dirty and the soil was moist, the dress that she was wearing is white. “Are you cold?” Harrison asked her as he sat down the ground. Lucky, it will be no problem for him if his clothes get dirty because nobody would scold him or ask him so many things, she thought to herself before she responded to his question.

“Yes.”

Well, she was feeling cold but not that cold to the point that she was shivering or her hands are cold. But the warmth was slowly leaving her body and was being replaced by the cold. You can’t blame her, her nightdress was just thin and she was always used to wearing thick clothes when going outside. Aside from that, winter is coming already and autumn is about to end.

Suddenly, she felt warmth enveloping her body as if somebody was hugging her. The cold wasn’t there anymore and she felt herself relax more. He used a barrier. “Aren’t you going to sit down? It’s tiring to just stand the whole time we would be talking,” Harrison said and slightly turned his head to look at her behind him. “My clothes would get dirty if I sit down,” She responded. Harrison, letting out a sigh, took off the cloak that he was wearing before he placed it down the spot beside him.

“Sit here,” He said and patted the ground that was now covered with a cloak on top. “Won’t your cloak get dirty?” Alexandra remained in her position but she was staring on the cloak-covered spot beside him. “I still got some clean ones in my dormitory and I can clean it, so it’s no problem if it gets dirty,” Harrison simply responded before he looked ahead of him once again and brought up his knees to his chest.

“If you say so.”

Alexandra walked towards the cloak and sat on it. Adjusting her position so that it will be more comfortable for her before she settled down on her seat. She was sitting beside Harrison, their elbows touching each other but she didn’t mind. Somehow, this reminded her when she went to this lake and met him although he was harsh to her and she fainted right after.

“My father is going to announce my existence.”

“Really? When will that happen?”

“At my brother’s 18th birthday, in the ball. He’s going to be my escort.”

“Are you happy with it?”

“With my father being my escort? Of course, I was even the one who asked him to be my escort.”

“No, not that. What I mean is, are you happy with your existence being known to everyone knowing that some might disagree and think of you as a curse or bad omen?”

“I don’t care about what they say. My father said that if they opposed, they opposed both the decision of the emperor who is ruling over the empire and the Elders who are also ruling the church or something. It’s like you are committing a grave sin or a heavy crime.”

“The power your family holds,” Harrison responded.

“Mhm, I still haven’t told anybody about my mana being sealed.”

If she became aware that she is a wielder of either Dark or Holy magic, it would be problematic. Even though if her magic still hasn’t manifested, it might awaken and it will go rampage or take control of her body. That would be really bad. I wonder if her father is aware of this already, he thought to himself. Harrison didn’t say anything and just hummed.

“Who do you think will seal it? Why would they seal it?”

“I don’t know, some people have their mana sealed. It’s either their mana sealed itself or somebody decided to seal it,” What he said was true but he didn’t specify what kind of people have their mana sealed.

Alexandra hummed before she spoke once again, “You’re going to return from the academy next month for your winter break, right?” Alexandra changed the topic. She didn’t look at his direction while they were speaking and just stared ahead of her. The scenery still on her line of view, she just can’t take her eyes off it. “What about it?”

“Take me out, take me to the carnival again. You don’t take me out anymore, you’re always busy. I want to go to that café again, I want to roam around the market. Take me to another place, maybe another kingdom will do.”

“What’s with this needy and bossy person?”

“Shut up, I’m about to rot inside that palace. All I ever do is read, learn, train, practice, sleep, and eat. Always the same thing every day.”

“Yeah, sure. But I am not going to take you to another kingdom, just to teleport there would cost a lot of mana.”

“Really? You promise?”

“Promises are meant to be broken.”

“Geh, so bitter!”

Alexandra just slapped his arm before she let out a small laugh that only lasted for a few seconds before she let out a sigh. She’s getting sleepy already yet she didn’t show it. She was about to her close her eyes when she heard Harrison speak once again.

“You know, after I graduate from the academy, I am planning to—”

Harrison felt something resting on his shoulder which interrupted him and made him look at the direction of his shoulder. He heard a soft snore coming from the person beside him. Alexandra fell asleep so suddenly while he was in the middle of talking. Harrison let out a sigh and played with the strands of her hair, staring at the night sky and just let Alexandra sleep on his shoulder.

“Just grow up already,” He whispered to no one in particular.