Mix Feelings

Rhysand’s eyes widen as soon as he saw Kiha’s face right in front of his, they’re so close and it doesn’t seem like the lady is embarrassed by what she did. The young lady’s sudden action proves one thing, that she didn’t like the young Grand Duke anymore unlike the past few years of her childhood. No wonder she never tried to visit the Imperial Palace where Rhysand stay to kill some time.

“I haven’t received any, my lady,” Rhysand replied as he tried averting his eyes but then Kiha tilted her head, contemplating on what to say next. Her gift is the farewell gift she prepared for Rhysand however, he doesn’t receive anything yet.

‘Maybe that’s why he still feels uncomfortable around me?’ Pursing her lips, Kiha straightened her back before looking back at the young Grand Duke. That’s when she realized something, the air around him is hot and so is his body.

Without much thinking, Kiha touched Rhysand’s forehead to check his temperature and it’s hotter than she expected. Kiha’s usually cold hand felt warm on his forehead and he didn’t realize how tight he is holding her hand on his forehead.

“Brother, take Young Master Rhysand home, I think he has a fever.” Kiha turned her head over her shoulder to see her older brother, Kalen looking at them. Luriel on the other hand is enjoying the show.

Kalen was about to stand up when a large gloomy cloud start making its way to the orphanage, its usually light color sky darken as time goes by, translucent liquid start dripping on the way to the ground. The loud sound of thunder became evident as it repeat every second, children run and cover their bodies with their cute bear arms while the employee do the same.

Kiha quickened her pace under the old oak tree as Ezequiel open the parole the employee gave to him, she carefully grabbed the parole from her knight’s hand before striding where the young Grand Duke is. She handed him the parole before walking toward Ezequiel.

Ezequiel took his blazer off as Kiha make her way to him, he cover her using his blazer before walking off, it was only three steps when Kiha immediately stop from her track, she turned her head to the guys before opening her mouth.

“It’s raining, what do you think you’re doing? Run, and please take young master Rhysand with you, he has a fever.” Her strict and authoritative tone sends a shiver down their spine, her eyes are narrowed as if she’s checking if they’re doing what she told them to do.

The Crown Prince hold his laughter as he saw Kiha’s strict expression, he then walk toward his cousin to whisper; “I can’t believe this, you feel sick? as in you? and she even gave you her cute parole!”

Kiha together with her knight stride toward the orphanage, leaving the three guys behind. None of them move an inch as the rain didn’t bother them, they are a great swordsman and even graduated to the finest academy that even bomb will never crush their mana.

“Sick of you,” Kalen said as he made his way to the orphanage, without even looking to his friend.

“Say, Rhysand, you already received her gifts haven’t you?” Luriel placed a hand on Rhysand’s shoulder before shrugging. He already knows the answer and it will always be the same, his cousin, Rhysand Grimaldi, the second in line to the throne has never been interested in his friends’ half-sister.

Rhysand’s eyes fell on the ground as he clenches his fist. The picture of the gifts he received that time flashed on his head. Three days ago, he received a parcel from Richter County, it was the butler who told him that it was from Kiha, for the past 7 years, he will receive a gift from the lady, and the last time he received one was a year ago.

It was the usual gift he always received from her, a bottle of love potions. But the boxing is different from the love potion, the butler places the box on his table before bowing his head to him and closing the door behind him.

“It’s different from the usual gifts,” He mumbled as he open the box and to his surprise, it was really different, it wasn’t a love potion but rather a sketch pad. Under the sketch pad was a letter written by Kiha. All of the letters are surprisingly old but one letter caught his attention. It was the newest letter from her.

Dear Young Master,

First of all, I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to you because I have no time to spare in visiting the Duchy, I want to apologize for giving you a hard time for the past seven years, I am young and you are handsome, every lady in the continent will understand what I am saying. I apologize for making you uncomfortable every time you went to the County to visit my brother, I will never do the same thing, don’t worry I will never bother you again as I am planning on living in this place very soon so feel free to visit Kalen and Kanna. I am thinking of burning all of this but I can’t since you’re part of the Imperial Family, I also think that this will fit your room than mine, if this annoys you, then feel free to burn them all. I don’t have any feelings towards you and will live my life, again, if you don’t want these gifts, burn them as usual.

Farewell,

Kiha Richter

It was the content of the letter, Kiha’s been mentioning how she doesn’t like him anymore and it kind of gives him a mix feelings. Flustered, he grabbed the sketch pad but then, several papers fell on the ground. He kneel to pick up the papers when he felt his body stiffen. Eyes wide open, he picks up one of the papers scattered on the floor.

There, he saw himself on the papers, it looks like a photograph using the black and white camera but he’s wrong, it wasn’t a photograph of him, it was a sketch of him. Different angles, different places. It was him, it was beautiful that no one can compare to it, it looks realistic than those other Imperial portraits.

He can’t believe what he’s seeing right now, he doesn’t that Kiha knows how to draw, let alone do a sketch this realistic. The morning after, he asked Kalen if he ever saw Kiha drawing and he knows. He said it was when she turned 10 years old when she start carrying a sketchpad on her every time.

But no one has ever seen her art except her maids who often go to Kiha’s room to clean up. No one knows how obsessed she is with Rhysand for the past seven years, no one except her knight and personal maid, Czarina.

Kiha used to admire him from afar but she will also consistently send him a gift. She never let any ladies come closer to him and it somehow relieved him as he don’t want ladies flocking around him.

Rhysand is too focused on the memory of that night that he didn’t move an inch, he is still there wet like a chick but he doesn’t care. He’s looking in the air as if he was possessed, the parole covering his head is now covering no one.

‘Is that the gifts she’s saying?’ He asked himself. Luriel looks at his cousin from the window of the orphanage while Kalen is leaning on the wall. Their friend has been acting weird since earlier they want to disturb him as they knew that rain would never make him sick.

But then Kiha noticed him, standing there with the parole in his hand when he’s not even the one covering it. She then quickly stridden to Luriel before pointing a finger on his chest, upper body was leaned in closer. Her eyes were narrowed, “What do you think you’re doing? He has a fever, idiot!”

Not wanting to hear the Crown Prince reply, she runs outside where the young master is standing, her brother is watching her when Luriel asked, “Did she just point her finger at me? The Crown Prince?”

Kiha’s heavy footsteps made a loud sound on the ground but the guy didn’t hear it as he is still drowned by his own thoughts, she tried calling him but it’s not working, Kiha stopped in front of him before hastily tugging his tie downward. That was when Rhysand came into reality, he saw her angry face closer to him as she hold his tie tightly before opening her mouth. The parole in his hand move aside as the two of them got wet from the rainwater.

“What do you think you’re doing?”