"Here," a handkerchief outstretched beside Amelina's crying figure.
"Thank you..." the girl gratefully took the cloth, intending to wipe her flooding tears away. 'Wait, where did-'
The girl quickly whipped her head towards the unfamiliar voice, who nonchalantly gave her a handkerchief all the while she was bawling her heart out.
'D-did he heard all of that?'
"You're not gonna cry anymore?"
Amelina's face flushed red, realizing her tears had stopped flowing due to the boy's sudden appearance.
When the little girl remained silent, the unknown boy sat cross-legged beside her, gazing into the lake.
After a long silence, the boy suddenly asked, eyes still trained on the serene, blue lake. "Do you hate this family?"
Amelina couldn't answer it.
No matter how obvious she wanted to blurt out a yes, she couldn't bring herself to say it outright, much less in front of an anonymous boy she just met.
In fact, that wasn't the main issue there.
"What do you think about the word 'survive'?" Amelina blurted out, not even realizing it herself.
The boy turned to stare at Amelina who hugged her legs, not bothering to wipe away her stains of tears.
"I think it's pathetic," the boy randomly picked up a pebble. "Did you know? Most of the children in this family can't even survive until they become a regular, let alone becoming a ranker," throwing the pebble into the water, the boy returned his gaze to the now slightly gaping Amelina. "I honestly don't really care what you've been through, but don't you think you should work on what you're certain of first?"
'What I'm certain of...'
"I just... wanted to live..." with a final sob, the girl accidentally fell asleep, tired after crying for the first time since her first night sleeping with her father.
Khun Aguero Agnis was tired.
Being in a tough position in the family politics, his mother had the utmost audacity to ask him to do something, as long as their position can rise above the others.
But it wasn't his fault that Khun Eduan was being difficult lately (as how his mother had worded it) that he didn't even bat an eye at the mention of 'bedroom'.
In all case, he wanted to cool his head off at the very spot he frequently use to relax since nobody would ever thought of visiting the quiet, boring forest. It was a perfect spot to release the tension he's feeling ever since he started to involve himself in the abnormal politics of the Khun family.
But no, not today.
He was pretty much taken aback at the sight of a girl (younger than him, he deducted) futiously splashing waters from the lake onto her own face.
'What's wrong with her?'
Deciding to wait a bit longer, Aguero couldn't belp but stare at the very frail-looking figure, covered in bandages and plasters.
He knew such state is normal within the Khun family, either inflicted by own family or enemies, but it was the first time he felt sympathy towards a child. An unknown girl, on top of that.
He noticed that the girl looked fazed, staring into the lake at her own reflection, which later turned into full-blown sobs, one that Aguero never remembered when was the last time he did that. Probably when he was a toddler.
"I-is it... wrong to survive here?!"
One step.
"I-is my existence a misfortune for others?"
Two steps.
"I-is it wrong.. to wanting to live on?"
Three steps.
"What is wrong with this family?!"
He was already behind the girl when the girl continued to ramble on about her life, her fate of being born into the family.
The goddamn Khun family.
Without Aguero himself realizing it, he had already reached into his pocket for his handkerchief, holding out the said cloth beside the girl's face.
"Here."
'What the heck am I doing?'
"...thank you."
'That was easy,' Aguero thought before the girl swiftly whipped her head towards him, shock evident on her face.
'She didn't notice me?'
"You're not gonna cry anymore?"
It was amusing, to say at least, seeing the very girl who was crying out loud earlier being so silent, not to mention the slight blush.
Is this what they call reverse psychology?
Aguero hadn't expected any answer anyway, so he plopped down beside the (sniffling) female.
"Do you hate this family?" Aguero blurted the very question he has been asking himself his entire life.
The boy can feel his patience thinning out as the girl kept silent, and just as when he was about to take his leave, the girl suddenly asked a very peculiar question.
"What do you think about the word 'survive'?"
Staring at the girl who didn't even bother to use the handkerchief he gave her, Aguero picked up a small pebble, throwing it up before catching it in his hand.
"I think it's pathetic," Aguero paused, thinking back about his own situation. "Did you know? Most of the children in this family can't even survive until they become a regular, let alone becoming a ranker," he threw the pebble into the serene surface of water, before turning back his attention to the slightly gaping female. "I honestly don't really care what you've been through, but don't you think you should work on what you're certain of first?"
'As how I've been doing all this time.'
It may be Aguero's own imagination, but he could see a faint glimmer in the girl's eyes until she looked back down.
"I just... wanted to live..."
Silence.
"Hey," Aguero nudged the girl, but seeing no response, he shook the girl harder but to no avail. "Are you seriously sleeping in this kind of situation?"
Of course, no reply came from the girl.
"Ahh, I can't believe what I've gotten myself into."
Being the gentleman he was, he brought the girl to lie under the shade of trees instead of the scorching sunlight, one made out of shinsoo. Though he won't deny he considered dragging the girl on the ground instead of princess-carrying her.
"What should I even do today.." Aguero complained, all the while taking off his denim vest, covering the girl's upper body with it. At least, only her bare legs were exposed in the warm air.
"One of the most honest words that a person has to say is the word they cry out while crying, huh?"
Lying on the tree beside the lightly snoring girl, Aguero too, could feel that he was slowly consumed by the darkness.
"Yes, princess.
She's under my watch now.
She's pretty much safe and sound.
The wife? I asked the head maid to report it to Sir Eduan, yes.
Exile? Isn't that going too far?
..alright. Pardon my rudeness.
Anybody?
No. The young miss is all alone.
Yes, I will accompany her once she wakes up...."
The call ended, cue for the retainer to let out a tired sigh as he gazed at the two sleeping figure.
"I really don't know if I should report about you or not, boy" Miru once again sighed, contemplating on his decisions to protect his young miss from the boy or let it be.
At least from what he had witnessed, the boy doesn't bring any harm to his young miss.
Yet.
But Miru can't help but hope for a change for Amelina, whom he had observed all her childhood. He had already figured out all of her habits, including the fake facade she'd always uses in front of people.
Possibly because of her own father with the addition of a certain Jahad princess.
"Just maybe, if you can make the young miss smile like any other child, I'll let you off the hook, boy."
Author's note:
Finally! An update!
Now that school has started, the amount of time I'll be spending on this fanfiction is probably fifty percent, the other going to my daily dose of homeworks *sobs*.
Once again, I would like to thank those who have supported this fanfiction, and also for the meaningful comments, (especially you, TripleTurtles-san!!)
P.S: I can't wait to finish this arc and write the Floor of Tests arc. Any idea for the love interests?
Sayonara! Love chu guys!!