Chapter Thirty-Nine

"I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE DID YOUR SUDDEN appetite come from, Tasha," dad broke the silence, making our eyes meet and mirror each other. "However, I'm not complaining," that made me mentally sigh in relief. "I'm just... curious."

When I finished eating my cheese sandwich, before saying anything. "Like I said yesterday, dad, it was because of my nightmare."

"The one where your brother dies?" So, he remembered that;

"Yes," my answer was short. "It all began when I woke up yesterday. After that happened, I felt a burning hunger consume me from the inside." Although I would say more like hunger for blood than for food. "Now, I feel like I could eat pounds of food. And every time I eat, it makes me even more hungry. Is that crazy?"

Could that be a result of me dying? Because it can't be just because I starved for a month, right? I don't really know.

A smile appeared on his lips, making his beauty more mesmerizing than is, "Not really. Dreams and nightmares, sometimes, are messages from the Goddess. Maybe she wants to change something about you to make you a better person. There's no way for us to know. We are nothing compared to a deity like her but her underlings. Your nightmare may have made you think something. But in reality, its meaning might be totally different than that," then he ate another cream puff of peanut butter.

I confess that I did not expect to hear any of that from him. Perhaps from Val. But not from our father. It's not a bad thing, though. My perception of him was just a little different than that.

"Look at the good side," he spoke while finishing munching his cream puff. "But that only adds to the list of things we have in common," he smiled. "More than appearance, skills, allergies, things you like, and the image you pass to others," what image? "Now, you also have my appetite."

That awoke my curiosity, "And what image do I pass to others?"

He finished eating another cream puff and took a bowl of fruit salad with condensed milk, "Even though you have no magic, you still have an intimidating aura around you, Tasha. Wherever you go, everybody can feel it. Most of them, may pick a fight with you when I am not around," so he isn't that blunt, hm. "But believe me, they probably do that because your aura corner theirs. You intimidate them. And what pisses them off, dear daughter," he smirked, and his golden eyes glowed like the sun, "is that a magicless kid can make them shiver."

Honestly, I don't know what stunned me more. My dad not being as blunt as he pretends to be. The fact that he knows what people do to me when he isn't around. Or that he's aware of me and sees me as intimidating.

I couldn't help but laugh. "You are a box of surprises, aren't you, dad?"

When he looked up again, still munching his fruit salad, he had an innocent gaze on. "Me?" Would you look at that? I must have gotten my ability to fool people from him.

"And here I was, thinking you were totally oblivious. Both about what happens when you aren't around and about me. But damn, I was fooled." I put the bowl of small cheese bread in front of me and started eating while drinking a cup of cappuccino with chocolate. "I'm only thankful that I wasn't the only one who was fooled," that caught his eyes, and I saw the flame of amusement on them. "Everybody was too. As well as being a monster in battle and exceptionally good at business and management, they all think that you are oblivious and blunt as a brick about the things that occur around you."

He rolled his shoulders. "We can't show others what it's going on inside our minds. And that's a good reason to act as I do. It makes it easier to get information because they act in a silly way, thinking I'm stupid."

"I agree with that," I said, and we both got back to eating.

We stayed like that until we finished the food on the table. To my surprise, dad asked Yoostaf for more, but I was satisfied. So, I got up.

He turned to me. "Are you done eating?"

"Yes. If I eat more than this, I'll have a stomachache."

"So, are you going out now?" Why did he seem a little insecure to ask me that?

"I'll be on the stables waiting for you, don't worry. Take your time, dad. Then you change your clothes and come to the stables, so we can go from that," his face lightened up. I can't help but see him almost like a kid, even though he is my dad.

Quite childish. In a good way.

"Deal!" And before I turned my back to him, he said, "Thank you for your company today, Tasha. It's been a while since I hadn't enjoyed breakfast like this." I could feel he was genuine with his words.

That was the problem. It made me emotional, but I managed to hide it. If it was when I really had 13 years old, hearing those words would have made a significant difference in my life. Now it makes me sad. I know, deep down, that my choices from the moment I woke up yesterday to the present have put me here. The old Natasha would never have heard this from him.

I had to come back to the past to hear my dad say such kind words to me. It makes me want to cry with sadness. It makes me want to scream with anger. But it also makes me want to smile with happiness because I can only see this thanks to this second chance.

Frustration. That's the word that better describes what I'm feeling now. And I had to gather all of my willpower to not let my dad's eyes read me like a book. If he thinks he's good at lying, he didn't see what I can do.

I bowed respectfully, drawing an invisible line between us, "The pleasure was all mine, Your Excellency." He seemed caught off guard by my sudden coldness, but I didn't let those thoughts rent a room in my mind.

And I only realized I was holding my breath when my foot touched the ground outside the manor. As I walked away, heading to the stables, Asher joined me. He didn't need to say a word for me to know that he was curious about what happened back there.

"Voice your curiosity, dear brother," he bit his bottom lip.

"What did you talk about?"

"Food. Things we are alike. How he isn't as blunt as he makes people believe. Things like that. Oh, he also said he enjoyed my company while eating and asked to go horse riding with me," his jaw dropped.

"The Grand Duke? Grand Duke Gilbert Nicholai? His Royal Highness?"

"Yes, dumbass," I laughed at his face.

"And what did you say?"

"I told him I didn't want you," his eyes opened wide. "Come on, dumbass. What was I supposed to say to him? He's my dad, but he's still a Royal Prince and the strongest Grand Duke in the Empire. Of course, I said yes," Asher's shoulders fell down in relief, making me roll my eyes. "Plus," I added. "Dad seemed to want to speak with me about something."

He looked up at the sky, pondering possibilities, "Maybe he wants to speak with you about the decoration of your room? Or it might be about your archery classes."

"Both are probable possibilities," I considered as we arrived in the stables. "Where's my baby?" I asked Sir Von Taylor, the Knight taking care of the stables here now.

He's a head taller than Ash, but opposite to him, he is skinnier but also muscled, with pale skin, freckles on his face, grey eyes, and light-brown straight hair on his shoulders. After having spared about two times with him back in Leopenia, I know he's skilled, fights with long daggers, and uses air magic. Oh, he's very gentle and kind too, compared to the other Knights.

Sir Von Taylor bowed respectfully. "Your Royal Highness, Princess Natasha, I hope your day is pleasant, Princess."

"I am. And I hope you are also well."

"Yes," he said while smiling. "Thank you. Now," he turned to the entry and guided us inside. "Moondust is here," he showed me where my girl was. "She's healthy, bathed, and eating well," he fondled her on the head. "Right, girl?"

"I go out with her now. Oh, and can you prepare Fireheart for me?" He nodded excitedly.

"His Excellency is also going?" I nod. "Then I go prepare that energetic boy and come back with him."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

When he disappeared, Asher said with a smile. "He loves those horses."

"That's why he's the best in his job."