Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nostalgic

"Hey Joseph!"

"G-greetings, my lady."

"Hey, don't be so tense, we're just going to see the fruit of your training."

Joseph was so tense. He's so nervous that he will shatter the expectation of the lady and kicked him out.

"Let's start with dodging."

Chiara begun to shoot some balls on him continuously.

'Not bad for a beginner.'

Two out of ten balls shot him. Chiara smiled without emotions in her eyes which is weird for Joseph.

'Why did the Princess smile weirdly?'

Chiara is becoming more and more her past self, as the day goes by. She's starting to cope up with the situation. After testing with Joseph, she returned to her palace.

'Why can I smell another scent in my very own palace? Did someone invade right in my territory?'

She entered her palace with her forehead up. A flock of knights greeted her.

"Greetings to the Moon of this Empire, Crown Princess Chiara Natala von Severina!"

"Greetings my lady!"

She was greeted by a gorgeous woman. It was an elegant woman.

'It's the Grand Duchess of Wellington!'

"Greetings to my lady."

"Oh my, you're acting so elegantly at such a young age! What an adorable kid."

"Pardon me, but why did you come here?"

"I just want to invite you tomorrow in my house, there will be a kid's tea party, hahaha."

'She's also laughing with class, she's indeed the Grand Duchess.'

"Thank you for inviting me, but I don't know if His Majesty will let me come or not."

"Don't worry, don't worry, I already told His Majesty, and he agreed."

"Thank you, Madam Wellington, it's an honor to be invited by you."

"No, no it was my honor to invite the Crown Princess, hahaha."

Silence was heard and after that, the Grand Duchess of Wellington left, and all the servants rushed to find the Royal Family's tailor.

A beautiful dress was rushed to make.

An elegant ruby red dress was made.

"Wow, you exactly look like the Empress!"

They also called a shoemaker to find a ruby red shoes. After that, they prepared a meal for Chiara, a very light meal.

They also made her rest very early, but as usual Chiara didn't listen, she stayed up until midnight to enhance her skills more.

'I wonder if I can meet the Grand Duchess' daughter tomorrow?'

She sighed and lied on her bed.

'I think I'll sleep now.'

Tomorrow came very fast and they woke Chiara up very early, made her eat a light meal again and again. The right time came, and they called for a coachman, the Royal coachman.

"Crown Princess, we're now going." Said by the old coachman.

"My lady, how are you feeling?" Said by Cara.

"I feel fine."

"Ha! Thank goodness, I thought you're very nervous, well don't be my lady. If someone tries to bully you, they'll had to face my fist." Cara said dramatically.

'What a creepy lady-in-waiting.'

As the carriage goes by, Chiara can feel that they are near their destination, she's starting to feel excited. When they arrived, Chiara was greeted by a flock of children. Cara was led towards the servant's waiting area.

"Waaah! The pwincess is now hew."

The children bowed their heads to Chiara.

"Gweetings to the Moon of this Empire, Cwown Pwincess Chiawa Natala von Sevewina."

Some of them, no most of them can't pronounce words fluently, a man stepped forward towards Chiara and grabbed one of her hands and kissed the back of it.

"EHHH?" They all screamed.

Chiara's face burned red and she almost headbutted the man. If only she's as tall as him.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my lady, I am Zykrieg Sanlian Wellington."

'S-so this aggressive man is the only heir of the Grand Duke position.'

"Ahhhh! Big brother is bad, I said I will kiss the Princess first!"

The little girl continued to slap his little brother in his back.

Chiara let go of his hand and went towards the girl and kissed the little girl's cheek.

"P-p-p-p-p-princess kissed my cheek! I-I-I-I-I feel so loved!"

The little girl hugged Chiara and took her away from Zykrieg.

Zykrieg smiled happily.

'The Princess smelled so pleasant, her hand taste to sweet. I tasted it from my lips.'

As the little girl continued to hold Chiara's hand, Chiara saw a piano near the garden. It feels so nostalgic. In her vision it's in a slow motion.

"Wait a minute Lady of Wellington..." Chiara said.

"Huh?" The girl said innocently. "Don't call me like that, I am Alessia Lia Wellington. Just call me Sia!"

"Ah, okay. Sia, can we stop for a bit?"

"Okay!"

Chiara went to the piano and sat in front of it.

"Princess, do you like piano?"

"Maybe..." She said sadly.

Chiara remembered her past life, when she's still Sydimel, for her the piano is her most loved and hated place.

She placed her fingers on it and started to play the first song she played in her first recital. Ligeti Etude 13 "The Devil's Staircase".



The Grand Duchess thought that Chiara is just simply playing on the piano, so she decided to come near them. She was so shocked when she saw her fingers placed right on the keys and Chiara's hand was so fast.

'The Princess is playing so seriously and she's so good at it. Maybe the Emperor gave her a piano teacher.'

Chiara looked up on the sky and continued to play the piece.

The other kids were so attracted by the sound, so they watched who's playing the piano.

'Impossible, she's so good at it, she's much better than me.' Zykrieg thinks that way.

After the playing the piece, the kids clapped at her.

She's so shocked to see the kids.

"Princess, do you perhaps have a piano in Lijep Soleil? Or maybe a music teacher?" Zykrieg asked.

"I don't have a piano nor a music teacher."

"If so, how can you be so good at it?" Zykrieg added.

"I don't know."

"Waah! Maybe the Princess is born genius!"

"M-maybe." Zykrieg said.

They all went to the garden and sat on each chair, there are 4 chair in one table.

"Ehe-em!" They heard a cough.

"Papa!" Sia said and went to her father.

It was the Grand Duke of Wellington, Alejandro Wellington.

"Greetings to His Grand Excellency, Alejandro Wellington." Chiara said.

"Oh my! The Crown Princess is here, don't bow your head, it's our honor."

The Grand Duke has a bloodline of the Royal Family but let's say he just have a 5/9 blood.

The Grand Duchy is loyal to the Royal Family, while the Archduchy don't really care about nobility and rankings.

"Welcome home, Grand Duke." Zykrieg said.

Zykrieg was still using formalities towards the Grand Duke, even though they are blood related. Zykrieg likes to do everything with formality.

"My son, I told you not to call me that. Father or Papa or whatever you want is fine."

"He's right Zykrieg, don't be so formal." The Grand Duchess agreed.

Zykrieg just nodded and they continued the tea party. Two girls went to Princess Chiara, the one has a red hair and the other one is silver.

"U-uhm are you the Pwincess? Hic!" The silver haired girl said.

'OMG! She's so cute.' Those are the thoughts in Chiara's head.

"Yes, I am, and you are?" Chiara maintained her poker face.

"I greet you Cwown Pwincess, I am Charlotte Cora Atkinson."

'Oh! She's the daughter of the Duke!'

"I-I-I am Beatrice Leticia Bailey." The red haired said.

'Oh-hoh, she's the daughter of the Archuke.'

They sat together with Chiara and Sia and chatted and that's the day where their friendship begun.

Chiara was so tired when she got home.

"Cara don't let anyone in. I'm so tired."

Chiara fell asleep so peacefully.

'Huh? Where am I? Why am I running? Why are my surroundings black?'

"How have you been, Sydimel?" A woman with a familiar voice asked.

"E-Ellei nee-sama?"

(Nee-sama is a japanese term for a respectable big sister.)

It was her cousin, Elleisha.

"H-How? Why are you here? What is this black space?"

"When will you go home?" Elleisha asked with a sad voice.

"Home? Do I have a home? I don't have one Ellei nee-sama."

"I'm waiting for you to wake up. I will still wait."

Elleisha turned her back on Chiara and surprisingly she woke up panting heavily.

'What was that dream? Waiting for me to wake up? Maybe I just missed Ellei nee-sama so much that's why I dreamed of her. Well for now I will sleep again.'

"Gerard, look it's my first time seeing something so peaceful."

"Gerard!"

"Gerard!"

"Gerard!"

"-ard!"

Zykrieg woke up, with annoyed look.

"What the hell is that? Who is Gerard? Why is my heart beating so fast?"

I am also wondering as a third person, who is Gerard?

The Crown Princess' birthday banquet celebration is almost nearing. She will turn three years old.

"My daughter! My very beautiful daughter!" The Emperor's voice woke Chiara up.

"H-huh?" Chiara opened her eyes and saw her father sitting on the end of her bed.

"Wake up my dear~"

'Ackkkkk, it's my father and he's hugging me? I never fe-'

"F-father, what are you doing here?"

"My dear Iara, of course to wake you up. When you're going to choose some dress late, I'll go with you."

"I can do it alone..."

"I know, I just want you to know that even if you don't have a mother, I can fulfill her void in your heart."

"Mmh'kay." She replied.

"It's settled then."

"Your highness, the Crown Princess, your meal is now prepared." Said by Cara.

On the dining table, the Emperor is also there smiling like an idiot while watching her daughter eat.

"Father may I ask a question?"

"Go ahead Iara."

"What does it mean to kiss the lady's hand without the lady's permission?"

"He is expressing his love for you why?" The Emperor's face darkened. "Did somebody kissed the back of your hand?"

"Yes, brother Zykrieg did."

The Emperor's smiling face turned bitter and grabbed his sword.

"The Grand Duke's son it is..."

"F-Father where are you going?"

"I'm gonna kill that Grand Duke's son."

"Papa don't." she said with a puppy eyes.

"Why, daughter?"

"Because brother Zykrieg is kind and...he smelled so nice."

The Emperor's world slowly shattered into pieces.

"His scent was nice. His scent was nice. His scent was nice. His scent was nice. His scent was nice. His scent was nice. His scent was nice. His scent was nice. His scent was nice. His scent was nice." The Emperor walked out of the dining room and reflected to himself on the receiving area.

'Chandria also told his father that my scent is nice, Iara takes after her too much. AHHHHHH I can't let Iara be captivated by that Grand Duke's heir. I must do anything for them not to meet.'

"Oh brother Zykrieg!" The Emperor heard Chiara's voice.

"Brother Zykrieg she said?"

'I forgot, I invited him to be with Chiara and me this day.'

The Emperor's world exploded when he saw Chiara kissing Zykrieg on the cheeks.

'I am dead.'