Chapter Twenty One

"Yes, there is… My great-grandmother is imprisoned there." Prince Noah answered me, ashamed.

'Great-grandmother?'

I've been living in the northwest area almost all my life, and I've never seen any woman that could be his great-grandmother there.

Besides me, the only people living in the northwest side were the maids, and none of them were old enough to be a grandma, and even less a great-grandma.

'Maybe she was living locked in a room and I didn't see her… No that is not possible.' I thought.

There weren't many rooms I couldn't go into, while I lived there. Besides the maids' rooms, I only couldn't go to the kitchen. And I don't think she was living in the kitchen or in the maids' rooms.

'And I've never heard the maids talking about her, or anything about an old lady living there with us.' I realized.

If she was indeed there, I would have seen her even once, or at last hearing anything related to her.

"Are you sure that she is living there, Your Highness?" I asked Prince Noah.

Prince Noah looked at me like I was stupid. "Of course she is! It has been decades since she is imprisoned there. If she somehow had escaped or even died we would have known."

'Then where was she?' I asked myself, confused.

But, then another question came to my mind. "Why was she imprisoned there, Your Highness?" I asked, curious.

Prince Noah hesitated to answer.

"It is not like it is a secret anyway…" He sighed. "She killed her husband, my great-grandfather."

"What? Why did she do that?" I asked, surprised.

"I don't know... People say that she was crazy, so I think that is why." Prince Noah explained.

'A crazy old lady living with me, but I have never heard of her before… How is that even possible?' I asked myself.

Then, I looked at Prince Noah and asked. "What is your great-grandmother's name, Your Highness?"

"It is Elizabeth, Elizabeth De Angeles."

After the meal, I was back following Prince Noah through the palace.

Prince Noah is busier than I thought, he has classes all day, with almost no break.

'He is a prince after all. People expect big things from him.' I thought, taking pity on him a little.

Looking at him I remembered about my childhood from my past life. When I was his age I didn't pay much attention to my classes, thinking that they were just too boring. These thoughts made me impressed and even a bit proud of Prince Noah, looking at how disciplined and determined he was.

But, I also think about how hard it must be for him.

At least, in my past life, I had classmates and friends to play with during the breaks. But Prince Noah has no one. All he does all day is study and training.

It must be lonely.

'We are not as different as I thought we were. All those years I had no one to keep me company, all I could do was reading and studying as well.' I realized.

I looked at Prince Noah's back and thought. 'That is probably why he is so fond of Nicholas. He must be one of the few people he can call friend.'

The day was already ending when his diner time came. I felt relieved, I didn't know how long I could keep staying standing all the time. I wasn't used to being standing for so long as I had to be today.

'I can barely feel my legs…' I thought, exhausted.

When the dining-room door was open Prince Noah and I were surprised to see Prince Dylan sitting there already.

"What are you doing here, Dylan?" Prince Noah asked, confused.

Prince Dylan answered Noah smiling. "I'm here to have dinner with my little brother, of course."

Then he looked at me and asked with a gentle smile on his face. "It is good to see you, Alex. Are you going to have dinner with us today again?"

I was a bit surprised by Prince Dylan's attitude. He was acting like the conversation we had before didn't happen.

"I don-" When I was about to answer Prince Noah interrupted me.

"Yes, he will." Prince Noah said, pulling my sleeve, forcing me to sit with them.

But before sitting, I forced myself to say. "G-Greetings, Your Highness, Prince Dylan."

Prince Dylan nodded to me smiling, but his smile gives me chills now. When I look at him I just remember how he threatened me last night.

'...I will make you wish to have never been born.' He said.

"So, today it has been the first day as you being my brother's personal servant, right, Alex? How was it?" Prince Dylan suddenly asked me.

"Oh… It was… It was great, Your Highness. I feel honored to be able to serve a member of the royal family." I said, faking excitement. I don't want to give reasons to Dylan to fulfill his words.

'If you change honored to exhausted, then yes I am pretty honored.' I thought, annoyed.

As soon as I said that, Prince Noah chuckled by my side. Looking at him, I could see him trying to hide a grin.

'Why is this brat laughing?' I thought, embarrassed.

"I heard that you ordered all servants to find a boy this morning… Why did you do that, Noah?" Prince Dylan asked.

"I was just looking for him." Prince Noah explained, pointing at me.

I gulped when Prince Dylan looked at me, his eyes were cold, which gave me chills. "Hm… I see."

"Don't you want dessert today, Noah?" Prince Dylan asked looking, confused at Noah.

Some time has passed, we all had finished our meal already.

"No, I won't." Prince Noah said, crossing his arms.

"Why not? You always loved sweets." Prince Dylan said, surprised.

"Sweets are a childish thing. I am not a little child anymore." Prince Noah said, mad.

"Since when sweets are just for little children? I love sweets." I said, pointing to myself.

"Exactly." Prince Noah said frowning at me.

Just then I remembered that I am not a teen anymore, but a little child.

"Y-You are just one year older than me, Your Highness!" I said, embarrassed.

"Really? I thought you were younger." Prince Noah said, surprised.

"I will ask some for me and Alex, then. Are you sure you don't want, Noah?" Prince Dylan asked looking at Noah.

Prince Noah looked at me, then he looked at his brother. His cheeks were a bit red when he said. "If you two are gonna have… T-Then I will as well."

Prince Dylan had an open smile on his face when he heard Prince Noah's answer. "I see."

Prince Noah got embarrassed, then he looked the other way, crossing his arms. "Hmph."

"What is His Highness schedule now, Mary?" I asked.

We had already left the dining room. Prince Dylan said goodbye to Noah and each one followed in different ways.

'It is weird seeing two brothers acting so distant. Is that because they are royal or all nobles are like this as well?' I asked myself, curious.

"It is His Highness's free time now, he usually goes to his room during this time." Mary explained, whispering to me.

We and the other maids were following Prince Noah through the corridors of the palace. Then a question popped into my mind.

"When our expedient ends?" I asked Mary.

"As soon as we arrive in Prince Noah's room, we will change shifts with other maids." Mary explained.

"Oh, I see." I sighed, relieved.

'I almost thought it would never end.' I thought, exhausted.

Prince Noah arrived at his room, when the doors were opened I was surprised to see a room even bigger and luxurious than Nicholas' room that I saw before.

'He is indeed a prince.' I thought astonished.

Just as Mary said, other maids were already waiting for our arrival, near Prince Noah's bedroom.

"See you tomorrow, Your Highness. Have a good night." One of the maids said, then all of them bowed respectfully.

I bowed as well.

Mary and the maids were leaving, so I did the same, but then I felt my shirt being holed on my back.

It was Prince Noah.

"You stay." He said.

"W-Why, Your Highness? Is there anything you need?" I asked, confused.

Ignoring my question he pointed at one of the maids of the night shift and said. "You come here."

"Is there anything you want, Your Highness?" She asked after coming closer.

"Yes. Find him a good room close to mine." He ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness." The maid said bowing.

"B-But why, Your Highness? There is no nee-" I was interrupted.

"I'm tired of waiting for you every morning. Now I will know where you are and there will be no excuses for being late." Prince Noah said, frowning at me.

"Alright... Thank you, Your Highness." I said, defeated. I knew that there was no way I could change his mind.

"After finding a room for him, help him to bring his things to his new room." Prince Noah said to the maid.

"Yes, Your Highness." The maid said.

"There is no need. I have nothing to bring, actually." I quickly said, trying to not be a burden to the maid.

"You have nothing?" Prince Noah asked surprised.

"No, Your Highness…" I said, feeling a bit ashamed.

Prince Noah looked at me from head to toe. "I see. Then, just go with her." He said, and then just entered his room, without looking back.

"Follow me." The maid said with a gentle smile on her face.

"Yes, Ma'am." I said.

I followed the maid just hoping that it would be a better room than the one I was locked in the northwest area.

'I just hope that in this my new room there is a window this time.' I thought, hopeless.

Then I realized. 'Well, at least now I can sleep on a bed from now on.'

"Here, I think this room will be nice." The maid said opening a door.

When she opened it I was surprised to see such a big room.

"Are you sure, Ma'am? I am a servant." I said, confused.

The room wasn't as big as Prince Noah's room, of course. But it was bigger and obviously better than I think a servant bedroom would be.

'There is even a king-size bed! Everything is just too luxurious for a servant like me.' I thought, astonished.

"There is no servant room anywhere closer to Prince Noah's bedroom. So this here should be good enough… But, I will ask Prince Noah first, just to be sure." The maid explained.

"Alright. I will wait, then." I said, anxious.

'I don't want to have any expectations just for them to be broken.' I thought, pessimist.

"Then, wait here. I will be back soon." The maid said, and soon after she left, going back to Prince Noah's room.

'What is taking her so long to come back?' I thought, impatient after waiting for her for already almost half an hour.

"Prince Noah's room is not that distant… Did she forget about me?" I asked myself, confused.

When I was almost deciding to go back to Prince Noah's room, I saw the maid at the end of the corridor, but to my surprise, she wasn't alone. There were other servants with her holding bags and other things as well.

"What is all that?" I asked them, confused when they got closer.

Besides the bags, they were holding clothes, books, and even toys.

"Prince Noah ordered us to give all this to you." The maid explained.

"W-W-What?!"