Confrontation of the Past

After seeing him laughing so loudly for the first time, I felt relieved. Still, it felt like a change of mood for a while, and it seemed like a one-time thing, like a password.

"Princess, you have returned?" Before I could go out of my room and tell everyone I'm back, Misa already found me.

The Archmage has left already. Now I'm all alone in my room.

"Princess, where were you? I have been worried the entire day," she continuously asked me.

"I was with the Archmage in his place," I spoke.

"Archmage? His place? Princess, you are telling the truth, right?" she asked. But what would be my reason to tell a lie? I don't have anything to hide from her when he always takes my side here, even though I almost always lose my temper.

"Yeah, it is the truth," I spoke.

I walked toward my bed, sleeping, but soon I saw another presence in my room. It was the same maid who brought me out of the dark room.

"Who said you can enter my room as you please?"

"P-princess, the duke has called for you," she said.

"Still, that doesn't give you the right to enter my room as you please."

"I'm asking again who the hell gives you the right to enter my room?" I glared at her.

"I-it is...

"I'm asking something," I walked toward her, slamming her into the wall.

"T-the young duke told me to," she said in fear. Her entire body was trembling as if I could eat her up. But even though I heard it was Ronan who sent her to my room, I still couldn't suppress the anger. I have a weird burning sensation I can feel from my body.

"Ok, I'm going," I said and followed to Ronan's study room.

I actually have never been to any of their personal spaces, and this is the first.

As I reached in front of his study, the maid extended her hand to knock on the door, but I stopped.

"Didn't you think of knocking when you came to my room?" I asked again, making her tremble.

"I.....

"Stay here until I say," I said and pushed down the door, making a loud noise.

I don't know who else is in the room, but as I opened the door, I found Ronan right in front of me, staring at me so intentionally. Now I realized he sure has scary eyes like a hunter. This is the same expression which I saw in my childhood memory. I'm sure if I had met him in my childhood, I would have fainted from fear.

I can still feel the chills.

"Ella, did you forget all the manners?" he asked.

"Manners? I don't think I need to hear lectures about manners from someone who doesn't know very well either."

I can feel the spark. Is it really the start of a war?

"Ella, is this how you talk with your older brother? Or do you want me to teach you all over again?" He stood up from his place, slamming the table.

"Ha ha, brother? Teaching manners? All over? You are really saying something as if you have done this already. Did you?"

"But why can't I seem to remember those memories?" I spoke.

"Ella, you are crossing the limits."

"Before speaking this you better know what you did today in front of the whole empire."

"Do you even have any idea how the royal family felt about us? Do you really have to do it? Don't you know how much reputation our family holds? Then how could? How could you do this? Do you know how much stress you have on your father?" he said in a low tone. His voice almost changed. It was like it had never been angry with me before but worried. Still, I wasn't able to convince myself. It is really something...

"Ellanious, I'm asking you something!!!!!!" he asked.

I again flinched just like before.

I took my step backward.

"Ella, I did...

"Stop it."

"What...

"I said stop with your fake worries." I said even though my entire body is flinching listening to each of his words.

"What did you say I put the duke family in shame? Ha really? I did?"

"Did you even ask father what I wanted? Have you ever?"

"What did you say that day we will talk about this later? But have you ever come to talk about the thing I wanted to say? Have you ever? No, right? Then what is giving you the fucking right to shout at me asking answers, young duke Ronan De Olger Usoro?"

I can't seem to control my words anymore.

"Ella, do you really fear me this much?" Ronan handed me a glass of water. His other hand was rubbing my back, but I again flinched. I pushed him away in fear. I felt as if something was crawling on my hands. Yeah, a tingling sensation.

But the sensation is scary as hell.

"Ella...

"That day you saw how I came. That day you saw how I was trembling, but have you ever asked what I felt? No but you are happy with having dinner with father as if it was all this family has been doing for years. But in front of all, everyone praised me for being a saintess then told me is this how a saintess should be treated? Locking inside a dark room just for obeying? Slapping overweight when forty is still less? Or just tie me up inside a room?"

"Tell me, is this how I'm supposed to be treated, the young duke?"

It has been a long time since I shouted like this. My body is shivering more than usual because of those things I'm saying without breathing properly.

"You are scared of me?"

Yeah, this is the first time he has ever asked me if I'm scared of him or...

"Ella, do you really fear me this much?"

"You fear your older brother?"

I don't know why I'm feeling a sense of pain in his voice but still I can't explain the scared feeling of being in under getting me into.