Like a Sister

Larisa placed the keys to orchid palace in a pouch at her waist, she approached the guard stationed at the entrance of the main hall to ask about Maynard's whereabouts and was informed that he went to her brother's palace.

She sprinted all the way to Aster palace, the man servants at Aster palace all bowed to her as she passed by and went to Dario's study.

"Have you told Larisa yet?" Dario asked.

Larisa stopped in-front of the study's door at the mention of her name. She is not one to eavesdrop on other people's conversations but she was curious since her name was mentioned. What could they be talking about that concerned her.

"I haven't told her yet, I don't want to spoil her day and upset her with such news." Maynard answered.

Larisa drew a bit closer to the door,

"So you know that such news may make her sad and you are afraid of making her sad, should I take it that you know how she feels about you and that you reciprocate those feelings?"

Larisa's heart skipped a beat as she sucked in a breath of cold air, was she really that obvious that her brother could see through her? If her brother noticed then did Maynard also notice? If yes then what did he think of her? Did he like her back?

There wasn't an immediate answer from Maynard and Larisa was hanging on air as her stomach hurt in anticipation for his answer. Should she badge in and stop that conversation? No! That will only make things awkward.

Maynard answered after a moments silence which were like years to Larisa,

"Highness, you got it all wrong, there is nothing between the princess and me, and I treat her like a sister, I have no feelings beyond brotherly love for her."

Dario scrutinized Maynard's face, Should he believe him? Personally he was happy with this answer but when he thought of his little sister and how she may accept this, he couldn't help the disappointment with this answer and feel sorry for her.

To Larisa, cold water had been poured on her head and the fluttering in her stomach came to a halt. The sudden change in temperature left her breathless and at a loss.

Dario threw his thoughts aside and went on, "Alright, I believe you, when will you be setting off then."

"Before sundown today,"

Larisa had heard enough, she quietly left the door. She didn't register anything in her mind after Maynard said he only treated her as a little sister. She rapidly blinked her eyes, there was nothing to cry about something that was never there.

She started to slowly walk back to the main hall, it would be noon soon. She had been walking for a while when a shadow was casted on her, she paused in her steps and looked up like she always does despite knowing who it was behind her, a yellow umbrella was above looking like a blooming sunflower.

She turned around and faced Maynard with her signature small smile, "Maynard," she said in an equally small voice.

Larisa has been used to hiding what she felt for so many years now, by the time she looked at Maynard there was no trace of the sadness within her to be seen on her face.

"Greetings princess, do you like the umbrella?" Asked Maynard as he closed the umbrella and handed it to her.

"It's my birthday today, is this the only gift you have for me,"

"Of cause not, how could I dare give the princess one umbrella as a birthday gift,"

"Then what else?"

Maynard smiled as he took out another umbrella from his robe but this one was red and handed it to Larisa.

Larisa gave him a blank stare, "So two umbrellas."

Maynard's smile just grew bigger and he held in the urge to laugh at the look she gave him. Larisa glared at him.

Maynard pulled himself together, "I'm sorry Princess, you just look too cute like that,"

Larisa's face turned slightly red and she scolded her naughty heart for getting affected by such words, babies were also cute. Maynard didn't mean anything by those words, she knew better.

"Who are you calling cute," She scolded lightly as she turned back to leave with the umbrellas but Maynard called out to her

"Princess please wait."

She looked back again, "What?"

Maynard took out a bronze box from his pouch and presented it to her.

"Here is your real gift,"

Larisa just stared at the box without moving to get it.

"Does Princess not want it?"

"I can't carry it because of the umbrellas," Larisa lied, she just didn't want to receive it.

"That's alright, I will help you put it on," He opened the box and took out a gold bracelet with sapphires imbedded in it. He tried to take Larisa's right hand to put it on but Larisa pulled it back and instead offered her left hand.

"You can put it on this one,"

Maynard didn't ask any questions and just complied with her. There was a tingling sensation when he touched her wrist and she clenched her right hand into a fist to resist pulling her hand back. She breathed a sigh of relief when he put her hand back down, but that itchy feeling on her wrist did not immediately subside.

Maynard looked at the umbrellas in Larisa's hands and offered to carry them.

Larisa hugged them to her chest, "are you trying to take back something you gave me?"

"They seem to be bothering you, so let me carry them for you,"

Larisa shook her head, "It's not a bother, I will just carry them the same way you do."

She tried hooking the umbrella to her belt. Her belt was always tied very tightly around her waist so she had to pull the belt a bit to be able to successfully hook the umbrella on but she found this challenging while holding two umbrellas.

"Let me help," Maynard said and took one of the umbrellas, and before she could register what was happening, he hooked his index finger on her belt stretching it a bit and placed the umbrella securely there before stepping back.

In the brief moment that he came close to her, She caught a whiff of his scent, night blooming jasmine. She had always smelled a faint fragrance on him but was only now able to pin point it due to the close proximity. She could get addicted.

Larisa was in disbelief, he could have just held the umbrella and waited for her to hook on the other one by herself before giving it back to her, he didn't have to place it himself.

She didn't want to stay there and fall for him any further than she already had knowing that he had no such intentions towards her, otherwise it will be even harder for her to get over him.

She swiftly turned and started walking again, Maynard followed behind her but she didn't look at him and just went on walking.

Maynard didn't find anything strange since this is how it's been over the years when he accompanies her to the library every morning. She would sometimes just walk forward and he would follow her silently.