Chapter 17

After lunch, the news of her brother has arrived at the mansion and is currently occupying the training ground hitting her ears. Right after she was released by her dear brother, after mooching her brother's cheek, she ran off straight to the very place without care of her manner. It was not every day she acted impolitely and for sure her teacher would tolerate her indecent behavior for a day. Or she would appease her with her charm.

Waddling like a freaking toddler and getting excited like a kid (well, she was a kid, by the way), she bolted like a runner, the shoes' sound hitting the floor, echoing inside the open space with her fingers grasping nothing but air. To the lookers, they might think Elizebeth was happy to meet Indulf, however inside her heart, she was beating fast to see the wellness of her brother. Even though it was just a dream, she could not shake the foreboding feeling unless she met her brother face to face.

"Young master Indulf is in usual space, My Lady." Apparently, sir Derrick towing behind her like a duckling.

"Okay!" She ran in the direction. It would only take her a few seconds to meet the young version of Indulf in the middle of the ground swinging the wooden sword at the wooden target around him. "DIDI!!!" She shouted, could not wait to be in front of him.

Indulf who was immersed in his training stopped abruptly to hear the most lovely voice calling him from behind his back. The tight face of his changed as he turned around and the smile widened to see the dearest sister darted towards him like she was missing him the entire day. Ignoring the knight sprinted together behind her back for her safety.

"Eliz! Be careful. Walk, don't run." He threw the sword away on the grass and trudge towards his sister.

"No. DIDI!" She called him again in excitement.

"Yes! Didi is here." Indulf agreed to the nickname. No one knows but both of them agreed to call him Didi and Elizebeth as Eliz. And Elizebeth only called him by his nickname without the presence of his other family members.

Also, in a twist of events, no one knows that she had a specific nickname for each of them. Only her father and mother knew that each of her brothers had the specific nickname that she called because she'd used her charm to bribe them to keep it quiet. For the little bit of fantasy, she would make it thrilling. Life dangerously was always her motto before though she should change if she wanted to live a slacker life, but old habits die hard.

She raised her skirt so it wouldn't disturb her movement, her brunette hair flying around like a fairy tale princess in the breeze and her short bang moving around on her forehead. Her mouth stretched almost to her ears.

"Didi!" She was honestly grateful to see her brother was in good condition. She wished nothing but good condition for him.

"Eliz!" Indulf answered her. Opened his arms big so he could catch the light lady in his hold.

"Didi-" She almost stumbled.

"Eliz!" Shouted Indulf in panic, his leg moved a step but stopped to see the knight was more than ready to throw himself for Elizebeth.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." She grinned. Continued her run.

"My Lady…" But the knight's life span decreased to see the sight. He was almost getting cooked and being fed to their hunt dogs. Getting hurt in front of the young master is never a pleasant experience at all.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. No one is getting killed here." She was well-versed with their main concern. She knew as long as she here, no one getting slaughtered or murdered for that matter. She was their fairy god-child amongst the workers for a reason.

"Please be healthy as long as you can, My Lady." Begged sir Derrick sincerely from his heart.

"I will." She laughed and gave a final leap when she was near her brother, putting the final strength in her legs, leaned back on the ground, adjusting her angle before she jumped straight to the hug that awaited her for quite some time now.

"Got you." Indulf received the warm body and twirling her around happily for two rounds before putting her down. "Why are you running, Eliz? You will get hurt." He inspected his sister's body to see any dirt or invisible injury.

"I'm not hurt." Elizebeth pulled her brother's neck clothes so she could reach the handsome face. "Didi injured?"

Indulf startled by the sudden concern. It was both upsetting to see his sister was so worried about him and also grateful to receive such a warm concern.

"Didi is okay."

"Really?" She tilted her head. Working her charm to the fullest.

Indulf nodded, putting strength in each action to make sure the message was well-received. He was okay and doing good.

"Okay." Her hands are still roaming around the soft cheeks of her brother. Indulf has the same skin as the rest of the brothers, light skin too, the black hair the same as her second brother but the face was completely different. Different from Demien who uncannily resembled the duke, Kyle resembled some of the duchess's features, and her mixing of both the duke and the duchess, Indulf had their grandfather feature. Especially the hazel eyes.

"Didi's handsome. Didi cool." Commented on her so suddenly. Putting her hands down.

Indulf flustered, his whole face blushed. "Ye- yes. Didi is handsome and cool." He bragged to cover up his embarrassment.

"Yay! Didi's handsome." She clapped her hands for encouragement.

"Yes!" Indulf folded his arms over his chest, his nose rose to the sky. Both Derrick and Elizebeth could see the illustration of his nose stretching long like a Pinocchio. He was so proud to receive unexpected praise from Elizebeth. Boosting his existence ego even higher.

"Yes. so Didi doesn't have to meet the stupid prince anymore." She started what she was coming for.

"Yes?" Indulf quiet down instantly. His brown eyes flutter towards his sister. Could not read his sister's attention at all.

Indulf wasn't a complete fool after all. He knew that his sister was a recondite person. He knew his sister knew something that he didn't know because sometimes when she advised him to not do it or do it, the advice turned out to be correct. As if she was a fortune-teller. When he asked about it, his sister just shrugged and looked at him pitifully in such a way she didn't know. And it did convince him as well, she sometimes looked lost with her own words.

"The prince is stupid?" Indulf asked sharply. He was not a total idiot who only wielded the sword. The pride as the son of the duke was on the line here.

"Yes." She nodded firmly.

Both disregarded the freak out sir Derrick behind their back. They could see from the corner of the eyes that he was looking around to guard them so they could have the peaceful and harmful talk between them only.

"Why, Eliz?"

"I don't know. He just stupid."

"Do you hate him?"

"Hate? Why hate? He didn't deserve my attention." She said very cutely even though it was supposed to be an insult for the prince.

"I heard the prince is so handsome." He tried to do something and regret it soon enough. Even in seven generations, he would never let the prince meet his sister. His sister said the prince whacked, so he whacked. His sister's words are the rule.

"No. He's stupid."

The firm answer from Elizebeth eases his heart instantly. "Why is that, Eliz?" And he so enjoyed the dissing talk right now.

"Because brother Demien is clever than him. Brother Demien is in the first place, not the stupid prince." The answer was simple. Clear as the sky.

"Puhahahahaha." Indulf couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud. "Yes. Yes. Brother Demien is cleverer. The most intelligent person in the academy." He said that while laughing. He wiped off the tears from his eyes because of the loud laugh.

"No." Elizebeth disagreed.

"Why?" Indulf glanced at his sister who kicked the dirt with his black shoes.

"Because brother Kyle and Didi are clever too. Dada says so." Her eyes unwavering fought him to win the sudden battle that he wasn't aware of.

"Oh." His heart fuzzed with a warm feeling. His father always instilled some positive input towards his sister. "Dada said so?"

"Yes." She bobbed her head intensely.

"And you agree?"

"Yes. Didi and brother Kyle are clever. Eliz loves you." She then proceeded with hugging her brother. "Eliz loves Didi."

His eyes warmly penetrated her eyes, holding the appreciative gaze as well. "Didi loves Eliz too." He hugged her too.

The warm giggling slapping Elizebeth's eardrums. It became a melody to her heart. This was the same feeling. This was the love she was talking about. She would protect this love even if she had to sacrifice herself. The Elizebeth inside her dream was not her. She would not cry without doing anything. This meeting proved something. She had a job to do before slacking forever.

She will protect these warm hands.