Waste of time

"Can a brother not desire to spend time with his sister?" I ask politely, flashing my signature smile—the one that usually disarms everyone.

But she simply stares back at me, her face a mask of indifference. Her gray eyes, cold and assessing, bore into me as if I were nothing more than a bothersome insect. The intensity of her gaze cracks my composure for a moment, transporting me back to my previous life on Earth, to the days when I was seen as nothing more than a fat, ugly man. I take a deep breath, reminding myself that I am Luan now.

"Well, brother, we don't have all day," Lucina says, her voice cutting through my thoughts. "Why did you request this meeting?"

I struggle to find the words to ask what's truly on my mind—how to bring up the unsettling feeling that she's not acting like the Lucina I remember from the novel I read in my past life. The thought of saying, "Hey, what's wrong with you? You're not acting like the original character at all," feels impossible. I stay silent, grappling with how to broach the subject.

"It has just occurred to me that we haven't really had much conversation since you came back from your pilgrimage a month ago," I finally say, hoping to steer the conversation into safer waters.

"Hmmmnnn..." she responds, effectively shutting down any further discussion on the topic.

I take another sip of my tea, feeling the weight of the awkward silence between us.

"How are your companions?" I ask, grasping for anything that might open her up.

At that, a flicker of emotion crosses her face. Her eyes soften with affection, a stark contrast to her usual indifference, before she quickly regains her composure and her mask of indifference falls back into place.

"They are well," she replies, her tone measured. "They keep me busy."

Finally, a light at the end of the tunnel—I latch onto this topic with renewed hope.

"Busy, huh?" I say jokingly, trying to keep the conversation light. "It's interesting that you have them. It's the first time I've seen..." I trail off, but her expression quickly shifts to one of anger and distance.

"I don't know what you're trying to imply, dear brother, but you of all people must know the heart is capable of holding more than one person in it," Lucina says sharply, her eyes narrowing.

I choke on my tea, caught off guard by her sudden defensiveness. "Yeah, but—" I begin, but she cuts me off before I can finish.

"Don't finish that sentence if you wish for us to be amicable siblings," Lucina warns, her tone icy and firm.

The conversation once again steers into awkward small talk, my attempts at bridging the gap between us falling short.

"Listen, I don't know what the purpose of this tea is, but I believe I've spent enough time here," Lucina says abruptly, her tone indicating her impatience to leave.

I feel a pang of disappointment but nod in acknowledgment. "Of course, Lucina. Thank you for joining me," I say politely, though inwardly I am frustrated that our meeting did not achieve its intended purpose.

"I will take my leave," she declares, rising from her seat with a slight bow of formality.

I watch silently as she exits the serene garden, her graceful figure disappearing among the blooming flowers and neatly trimmed hedges. As she walks away, a sense of unease settles over me. Lucina's distant demeanor and guarded responses leave me with more questions than answers.

Sighing softly, I lean back in my chair, contemplating the unresolved tension between us.

Unease settled in as I reflected on the strained atmosphere between Lucina and me. Her aloofness and the awkward silence during our tea left me searching for answers. I needed a strategy to bridge the gap, to understand what had caused this rift.

"I'm not comfortable with this situation," I admitted silently, ruminating over my next move. Lucina's sudden coldness had caught me off guard, and it weighed heavily on my mind. If I wanted to mend our relationship, I had to find a way to break through her defenses.

Drawing on my twin sister Stella's knack for stirring things up, an idea began to form. Stella possessed a natural charm and a talent for navigating complex emotions of these noble ladies

"I will have to get Stella involved," I resolved, tapping my fingers thoughtfully on the table, I could step in afterward, perhaps even playing the hero in Lucina's eyes.

*

Frustration burned through me like a wildfire as I stormed back to my palace, each step echoing my anger. The meeting with the Prince had been an utter waste of time.

The corset I wore, a symbol of courtly refinement, felt like a vise around my ribs, restricting each breath. I cursed inwardly at the discomfort it caused, blaming the Prince once again for imposing such constraints on me. Each step brought me closer to the sanctuary of my chambers, where I could shed the stifling garments.