Chapter Nine

It was my brother, Prince Noah.

The boy in front of us was Prince Noah, my half-brother. A dark blonde haired boy, he had golden eyes, proof of his royal blood. He was wearing a withe shirt, a golden vest, and black trousers. His clothes were luxurious and pretty.

Nicholas raised from the chair and greeted Prince Noah, smiling. "Noah! I am having tea with my new friend, Alex. What brought you here, Noah?"

I quickly stand up and gave him a respectful bow.

'What bad luck! Did he have to visit Nicholas right now?' I asked myself, afraid of what could happen.

Noah ignored Nicholas' question. Noah stared at me and with a disgusted face, then he asked. "A friend? Him? You are talking about this lowly peasant?" Noah asked while pointing at me.

I imagined many things about my siblings, how they would be. But, I never thought that one of them would be so rude.

Nicholas then stood in front of me, blocking Noah's view of me. "Alex is my friend. So, stop being rude, Noah."

Nicholas' serious voice remembered me when we met each other at the royal library as if he is ready to fight if he needed. I couldn't see his face, but I think he stared at Noah harshly because Noah quickly got mad.

"Rude? Me? You are being rude! I am your friend! You are saying that I and this lowly servant are the same?!"

Nicholas didn't answer. Of course, he didn't. Nothing good would happen if he did. But, Nicholas was still in front of me, protecting me.

It was silent for a moment. Until Prince Noah shouted. "I will remember this, Nicholas!"

After saying that, Noah left the room, mad.

Nicholas sighed and then he looked at me. "Are you alright, Alex?"

I was surprised by Nicholas's behavior, I didn't think he would be so kind to me. "Y-Yes, I am. But… Are you alright, Nicholas? Aren't you worried about Prince Noah?"

Nicholas was surprisingly calm. "No, there is no need to worry about him."

"Why not? Prince Noah seemed to be really mad. What if you stop being friends because of…" I didn't dare to finish the sentence. I couldn't believe that Prince Noah and Nicholas had a fight because of me.

"You don't have to worry, Alex. Prince Noah is always like that, he is a hothead. But, Noah has a soft side as well, so don't worry." Nicholas said after sitting on his chair.

'A soft side… Where?' I asked myself surprised.

A few minutes later, the maid came with our food and more tea. But she came too late, I had no appetite anymore. I was still worried about the fight from before.

'I just hope that nothing bad happens to me because of that.'

I've already made a plan. If something happens to me, like being punished for angering the youngest prince, I just need to change my appearance, like my hair color and eyes, and live quietly again, without anyone seeing me. But…

'That means that I can't see Nicholas again.' I thought while looking at Nicholas drinking calmly his tea.

That's why I'm hoping that nothing bad happens to me. Nicholas is the first and only friend I've made in this world. I don't want to lose him already.

"Is there anything wrong, Alex?" Nicholas asked noticing that I was staring at him. He had a gentle smile on his face.

"No, there is nothing wrong…"

Soon after that, I had to leave.

Nicholas was being called by someone, I couldn't hear who, though. Nicholas just said for us to meet tomorrow in the garden again.

I just hoped it wasn't because of the fight he had with Prince Noah before.

I just couldn't believe that the first time I met one of my siblings he was disgusted about my presence.

'Well, what was I expecting? Noah saw me as a servant, so of course, he would react like that. And, I think that it would be even worse if he knew that I was his brother, a bastard.' I thought, hopeless.

I was already alone in my room, in the northwest area, reading the book that Nicholas gave me.

The book was about two boys that loved each other. But, both of them were the heir of their family, and things just got worse. Their family became rivals. Their fathers had a fight, since then, they couldn't see each other.

The family symbol of their family was a dragon and the other was a white rose. That's why the title of the book was 'The Dragon's Rose'.

It seems that Bella, the author, is just like a BL author of my past life. It seems that she only writes romances between men.

It made me laugh to imagine some noble ladies talking about BL, just like the weabos and fujoshis from my past life.

But, I am happy, though. Thanks to them I have plenty of gay romances to read in this world as well.

I decided to finish reading the book before I meet Nicholas tomorrow. I couldn't hold myself to go and talk about the book with Nicholas.

I was happy that something good finally happened to me in this life.

I slept pretty late last night. I just went to sleep when I finished the book. I wanted to talk about the entire book with Nicholas, to tell him my favorites parts, and hear his favorite parts as well, without getting any spoilers from him.

Quickly I went to where I met him before, in the garden close to a tree. But, when I arrived he wasn't there.

'Maybe I am too early.' I thought.

But, Nicholas didn't come.

I waited for him for hours, but he never came. Then, worried I thought that Nicholas could have been punished for what happened between him and Prince Noah yesterday.

Invisible, I explored the main palace, looking for Nicholas. He wasn't in his room. So, I kept looking for him. I left the palace and went to the main garden.

Then I found him.

Nicholas was in the main garden, playing with Prince Noah and other noble children.

'He is fine…' That was the only thought that came to my mind.

I came all the way back to my room.

"Why am I even sad?" I asked myself feeling the tears wanting to come out.

I have just met Nicholas. He is a noble boy, and for everyone, I'm just a servant. How could I even think that he would see me as his friend?

Probably the fight that Nicholas had with Prince Noah was just some childish behavior that I had mistaken as him expressing his friendship towards me.

"How could I be so stupid?" I asked myself while a tear ran down my face.

'Am I that lonely to get hurt because of a brat like him?' I thought to myself wiping away the tears that ran down my face.

"How pathetic I am…"

It has been a week. Since that day I didn't see Nicholas again.

I didn't leave the northwest area for a while, I didn't want to be seen by anyone, even more by Nicholas or my brother Prince Noah. I just needed some time alone.

But then, I started going out of the northwest area again, but invisible now. Just like before, I went to the royal library and read some random books every day. I did that so I could forget about Nicholas as soon as I could.

But, one day I went to the tree where I met Nicholas before, just by curiosity that maybe I would see him there waiting for me. But, of course, Nicholas wasn't there.

But, I found something weird.

"What is that?" I asked myself surprised.

Near the base of the tree, there was a small rock with some letters underneath it.

'Is that…from Nicholas?'