Chapter 7 : Asher and Celia

"Anyways, what's both of your name?" I asked, acting curious.

"About that… We don't have one."

"Right... Then, should I give you two names?" I suggested.

I already had the perfect names for them in my mind. I just had to find an opportunity to it grant to them.

"…Sure. But before that, you better promise me that no matter what, you will protect my sister."

"Of course I can do that. I'll even protect you too." I responded.

"…Thank you. I hope you will keep your words, prince."

"Obviously I'll keep myself words. What kind of prince would I be if I don't?"

Before responding to me, he once again turned to his sister, seeking her opinion on the matter. And as expected, just like before, she nodded in agreement.

"…So? What's our name?" He asked, filled with curiosity.

"Your name… Will be 'Asher'!" I said, with an uncontrollable smile on my face. "And yours will be 'Celia'!"I turned to face the quiet girl afterwards.

At that moment, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness. Meeting a character from a novel was one thing, but personally giving that character their name was an entirely different experience.

The feeling was truly indescribable. It was amazing,

"Okay. Now that you've given us our names, you're responsible for us, okay? You better not abandon us. Or I'll kill you myself." Asher announced.

"Sure. If I ever abandon any of you, I'll go kill myself." I calmed my myself from the excitement and replied.

"No. I won't be happy if I can't kill you with my own hand after being abandoned by you."

"Then, I'll willingly let you kill me yourself." I reassured him.

"Good. In that case, as long as you will protect my sister, I'll be willing to follow you to the ends of this world."

However, even after this declaration of Asher, Celia remained silent. Not a single sound came out of her mouth.

"So anyways, what now? We can't just stay here forever, right?"

"Obviously, stop asking those useless questions. Follow me, let's go back now."

I put on my robe again and opened the soundproof door after finishing my sentence.

"Okay, pri-"

"Oh, right. And don't call me that for now. Just call me 'master' first." I informed them.

"Ah. Okay, master…"

After that conversation, I made my way back to the place where I instructed Winston to park the carriage, accompanied by Asher and Celia

It wasn't far, however, it took quite a while. From the underground city to the bustling streets, it was too crowded for us three to move freely. We had to slowly navigate our way through it.

And for that reason, it took us around 30 minutes, just to get back to the carriage.

"…My lord. Who are they…?" Winston asked, staring at the pair of siblings.

"They're… They're some people I picked up from the streets."

"They're… What?! My lord, are they dangerous…?"

"No, they're not. Now, stop asking so much. Let's just go home." I demanded.

"But-" Winston tried to speak.

"Stop. Let's just go. Don't be annoying."I cut off his sentence.

"…Yes, my lord." Winston conceded hesitantly, opening the carriage door for me to enter.

Though I knew that he was probably just acting, and not really worried for me. But, I still decided to go along with his act, for the sake of hiding my true identity.

"Oh, Right. Let them up too." I told Winston, pointing at Asher and Celia.

"Huh? My lord, you want them to sit with you…?" Winston queried.

"Yeah. Let them." I stated.

"But… We don't know if they will hurt you, my lord." Winston replied, his tone showing that his worried.

"Tsk, why the hell would we hurt the prince?" Asher proclaimed with frustration.

He knew that he couldn't reveal where they really came from, but he still found it difficult to contain his frustration over the misunderstanding.

"It's fine. I can take care of myself." I declared, for the sake of convincing Winston and put a stop to this misunderstanding.

"…Then, okay, my lord." Winston finally yielded, moving away from the door and allowing the two siblings to enter the carriage.

Consequently, Asher and Celia both entered the carriage and Winston shut the door off after that.

Due to the time being quite late, Winston instructed the driver to quickly head out and return to the palace as he mounted onto his black-coloured horse.

"Uh… Prince, do you… Have any food? We're kind of starving…" Asher requested during our journey back.

"Of course. What do you want to eat?" I asked.

"I want fish!" His eyes lit up as he replied to me.

"And what about you?"I turned my head towards Celia's direction and asked again.

"She probably wants to eat-"

"Chicken!"Celia suddenly spoke, cutting off Asher's sentence.

Unlike previous occasions, however, there was a noticeable sense of hunger in her voice—a change from her usual cold demeanor.

"Eh? Sister…?" Asher responded, shocked by Celia's sudden change in her tone.

"Ah! I apologise, master. I was being rude." Celia said, embarrassed by her way of speaking.

She felt as if she was begging me for food with that way of speaking.

"It's fine. And you can stop calling me 'master' too. We're not at the Black Market anymore." I told her.

"Right… Yes, your highness."

"Anyways, don't worry. I'll arrange everything for you two." I assured them.

"…Thank you, prince." Asher thanked me.

Following that, the journey back to the palace was quiet. With the two locked up siblings seeing the outside world after such a long time, no one spoked a word on the carriage.

And just like that, an entire hour passed. We've arrived back to my own mansion.

"Asher, wake up."

I shook Asher's body, which lied asleep on the carriage's window.

"Huh…? Where are we…?" He woke up, asking disoriented.

"We're at my house. Go sleep in your room." I informed him.

At the same time, Winston opened the carriage door from the outside.

"My lord, please get down."

Winston extended his hand, with Wallace by his side to welcome me back to the palace.

"Prince…? Who are they?" Wallace inquired.

"Oh, they're people I picked up on the streets. Please prepare them two rooms."

"They're people you what?! Are you sure they're safe?" Wallace exclaimed with shock in his words.

"Yeah. Oh, right. I almost forgot, prepare them grilled fish and roast chicken too."

I decided for them as they didn't specify what type of fish and chicken they want to eat.

"Prince, are you really sure they're not dangerous?" Wallace asked, with his tone sounding worried.

"Yes, I'm sure. So go prepare it now."

I grabbed onto Winston's hand and got off the carriage.

"Yes, prince. I'll go now."

Wallace immediately dashed away after receiving my words. He had to inform the chef to make the foods and clean two rooms inside my mansion for the siblings to sleep in.

"Come. Let's go in." I said, looking at Asher and Celia.

"Okay…" Asher responded, getting off the carriage with his sluggish body.

After that, Asher turned his body towards the carriage and helped his sister down.

Subsequently, I brought them both to my own dining hall and asked the maids to serve them some tea.

"Prince, can we really eat the foods we want?" Asher asked after he took a sip of the hot tea.

"Obviously. Why would I lie to you in the first place?"

"I don't know… I just… Felt like you would do that…" He explained.

"Right… It's fine. Just wait. They'll bring it out soon. Then, maybe you'll think again, regarding your feelings about me."

Following that conversation, silence reclaimed the dining hall. No one was making any sound. It was quiet. To the point where I could hear the light buzzing due to the mana fluctuating.

"Eh? Your highness, what's this?" Celia suddenly asked with her eyes lit up, breaking the silence in the room.

"Huh? This… Is just a Misty Tea?" I replied, bewildered by her strong reaction after drinking the tea.

"It's nice, your highness. Can I have more?"

"Huh? Uh, sure?" I responded to her request.

After that, I turned to one of the maids on stand by, in case of any extra orders of mine.

"Go get us more of this."I pointed at my cup of tea and said to the maid.

"Yes, your highness. Please wait."

The maid received my orders and promptly walked away into the kitchen with it.

"Also. Asher, is this tea nice?" I queried, with the intention to find out why Celia showed such a strong reaction to it.

Due to the tea's subtle flavor, I personally found it unappealing. I could barely taste any sweetness in the tea when I drank it. However, perhaps it is considered good by the standards of this world?

I didn't know the answer to that. After all, I'm not someone from this world. I'm a transmigrator. So to find out the answer, I asked Asher.

"No, prince. It's way too sweet."

"…What?"

I got even more confused after hearing Asher's response. It's too sweet?! How different is the standard of sweetness in this world? I could barely even taste the sweetness…

"Yeah. Why? Do you like it?" Asher asked after seeing my reaction.

"Nothing. And no, I don't like it. I replied, regaining my composure after the sudden shock.

As the conversation went on, we were suddenly interrupted by the maids as three maids walked into the room with three plates on their hand.

"Here's your food, your highness."

The maids placed down the plates onto the table. One of the maids even brought an extra cup with her other hand.

"Place that there."

I stared at the maid with the cup and pointed to Celia's direction.

"Yes, your highness."

That maid made her way to Celia before placing the cup of tea down in front of her.

"Let's eat." I said, picking up my cutlery on the plate.

Today, I was eating smoked salmon, rather than the usual grilled fish. I wanted to try eating something new.

Simultaneously, Asher and Celia were enjoying their food. Grilled fish and roasted chicken respectively. And with the first bite, Asher exclaimed with joy while Celia enjoyed the food silently.

Though she didn't say anything about it, her facial expression clearly showed her happiness.

Well, and I was just… Suffering. The food was as usual, the flavour was way too bland. How are they even enjoying those foods?

I mean, I know the meal they eat in the Black Market was worse, or maybe they don't even get to eat, but how is this any better…?

Although I complained a lot about the food, I still finished it completely. I was hungry, after the training session with Winston and the journey to the Black Market.

"How's the food?" I asked, after putting down my cutlery and wiping my mouth with a cloth on the table.

"It's good." Asher responded with an uncontrollable smile on his face. "Right, sister?" He turned his head towards Celia afterwards.

However, she still decided not to speak, instead she nodded to Asher, as a response to his words.

"That's good to know. Anyways, let's go. I'll bring you to your rooms."

I stood up from my seat, and signalled them to follow me out of the dining hall.

Subsequently, I brought them both to the rooms I had informed Wallace to prepare for them.

"Prince, the rooms ready." Wallace informed me as I walked to their rooms, along with Asher and Celia.

"Right. Thanks. You can go rest now."

"Yes, prince. Then, please excuse me."

Wallace promptly walked away from us soon after he finished his sentence and got my permission to be excused.

Following that, I brought both Asher and Celia to the second floor of my mansion.

"This is temporary your room, Asher." I pointed at the room located on the right side of the staircase. "And that's yours, Celia." I pointed to the room beside Asher's.

"Prince… Are you sure we can live in these rooms…?" Asher inquired, on behalf of himself and his sister.

"Of course. Go and take a rest. We're heading out tomorrow." I informed them as I helped them both open their doors.

"Eh? Where are we going?"

"The Capital, Daleton." I responded.

"Huh? We can visit the capital?!" Asher exclaimed with disbelief. "But isn't it quite far?"

"Obviously it is. But I'm going there for the Academy."

"The Academy?"

"Yeah. Do you know about it?" I asked.

"A little. I briefly remember my father talking about it." He explained.

"Wait… Then, do you remember who your father is?" I asked him again in a hurry.

"No… I don't…" Asher responded.

"Oh… It's fine then. But how about you? Do you remember anything?" I suddenly turned my head towards Celia and spoke.

However, the answer that I got was just like I expected. Celia shook her head as a response to my question.

"Right… Then, just go get a good rest. We'll be going out tomorrow. Remember to wake up early."

I waved my hand to them as they entered their respective rooms.

Afterwards, I made my way back to my own room for the sake of getting a comfortable rest on my soft and luxury bed.