Chapter 15 Brother
Aillenne felt her arms wet and it made her feel uncomfortable. The cold and soft fabric was used to wipe off dirt from her skin and the delicate touch of someone felt real.
Slowly lifting up her heavy eyelids, she saw the blurry figure of her nanny wiping her arms with a wet cloth and a child beside her.
At first, she thought of going back to sleep but did otherwise. Squinting her tired eyes, she saw his features clearly.
Silver hair, violet eyes, sharp impressions, slightly mature and quite large body with right muscles on place as a product of training.
He is familiar to her.
He is Derrick Winston, Aillenne's elder brother.
'Why is he here?'
Not much were mentioned about her brother in the original novel, nevertheless she knew that they were in bad terms, or so as the original Aillenne thought.
He would often bully Aillenne as she is different from among the family members who were able to draw out their mana and talents.
He openly hates Aillenne, but the readers knew that he cared about his neglected sister, but not to the extent that he dotes her.
He was the only one who cared when she was sick or often give advices when Aillenne does something that might harm her, but the original Aillenne brushed it off thinking that Derrick just wanted to scold her.
"You're fine now, young lady. Everything is settled by the Marquis. All you have to do is rest and make your body healthy again."
The nanny said as she brushed off the strands of hair that fell to her face. She continued.
"The emperor is so generous that he even gave the Winston Marquisate the chance to borrow the Imperial physician and healer to treat my lady."
Aillenne's face was full of question.
'How come?'
The nanny retold what had happened for the past days that she's unconscious. For six days, a lot of things happened while the culprit for the storm lies peacefully in her bedroom.
At first Aillenne was confused on why and how the emperor knew about the issue, but as the story fit to place she could see the picture the adults were drawing.
It is such a dirty and underhanded technique.
What happened to Madam Cynthia weren't disclosed as the emperor stepped in the issue.
But anyone could imagine what happened. Knowing how ruthless the current Emperor, no one can avoid his authority. It's likely that the woman already left before she woke up.
A few moments of digesting the information, they heard someone fake coughed.
It was Derrick.
'He didn't leave? What's his purpose in coming here? Don't tell me that it is to bully Aillenne? The 'me' Aillenne?'
"Nanny, could you step out for a bit? I'm going to talk with my sister, heart-to-heart. Don't worry, I'm not in the mood to tease Aillenne seeing her condition."
Derrick said as he looked at her up and down, checking her out and chuckled at her expression.
The nanny was hesitant since it is Derrick we are talking about. The sly kid who did all sorts of tricks just to bully and isolate Aillenne. The Young Master who likes to make Aillenne cry. It is hard, but the nanny cannot have a say as Derrick had the authority to rule as direct successor of the Marquisate.
"Then, I'll be outside my lady. Call me if you need anything."
Hesitant, she bowed and stepped out quietly then closed the door leaving the two siblings.
Derrick approached Aillenne with a sly smile.
"Hey! Is this one of your tricks just to get father's attention? Huh! He'll never look at your direction. Know your place in this household. Your condition is much worse than a commoner. You even looked like an illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat."
He continued to spout degrading words, but Aillenne turned her gaze towards the window and gazed at the flower blooming beside it.
'Pretty.'
As she glanced around, she saw the mirror. Looking at herself, a lot of thoughts rushed in her head.
'I'm still alive. I thought I will die for sure.'
"Do you want to die again? Then do it! You're stupid anyway..."
She could hear Derrick but pretended not to. She knew what he was pointing out.
It was such an absurd idea that someone would endure and taste punishment just to get the attention of the Marquis.
'Who would do that?'
'Ahhh life should be lived in a good and peaceful way as we only live once. Oh! I'm an exception on this case. I lived twice!'
'Now... what will happen to me? I didn't know if the original Aillenne experienced the same way I did with the teachers. If so, me as Sierra Zynne and her is very much similar.'
"..."
Eventually, the noise halted.
She turned back towards her brother's direction. He is beet red and mouth ajar as if seeing a wonderful scene.
"Are you done, brother? Ah... right, you don't like it. I'm really tired and sore, Derrick. Could you please call nanny when you go out? I think I'm going to sleep now."
"..."
Seeing that the person still haven't moved and only stared at her for a long time, she slightly tilted her head.
'I'm the one who's sick. Is he sick too? Come to think of it... Derrick wasn't one to go and see his sister who were treated as the sore of the Winston family. Oh... his face is a bit red too.'
"Derrick?"
"Huh? Huh?!"
He turned red again. What's wrong with him? He felt his cheeks burn.
'Is the weather so hot to make me feel feverish? I think that's not the case. Does Aillenne, the sore of the family, worse than an illegitimate child and commoner, his sister who is born without any mana, looked this beautiful?'
'She looked like a princess, no, a queen perhaps? But it looked so majestic and mystical.'
Derrick filled his head with nonsensical thoughts that even he who felt sane couldn't decipher where those thoughts came from.
"Derrick, if you have something to say, say it already. I really need to rest."