“I do not think you are in your own territories to start a thoughtless fight.” Maxineirah tried to compose herself despite the nervousness she was feeling. She was well aware of the current abilities the two have. A Cardinal versus a Magician.
If they start a fight here, she did not know if there would be anything left intact in this room.
“I do not really approve of them as our playmates. Why and how did you even think of inviting them here?” Maxwell asked, whispering behind Maxineirah. He was frowning. Just by looking at them was displeasing.
Grenchant put his fist down and threw Drenschville’s collar away before distancing himself from him and the two fixed their coats.
“It would be best if you first observe them before declining them, Brother. They are not as bad as you think they are.” Maxineirah tried to convince her brother. She smiled so sweetly that stopped Maxwell from complaining furthermore.
Maxwell pouted and crossed his arms over his chest as he started to eyed the two keenly just like what his sister had said.
“I advise you to put your personal grudges to yourselves if there is any.” Maxineirah reprimanded them in a graceful manner.
She cleared her throat.
“Welcome to Zachrono Duchy, My Lords!” she greeted them lively as if nothing happened a while ago and to lighten up the mood. Maxineirah wanted to entrust the welcoming to the servants but it would look rude to their side since she was the one who invited them over and proposed to be their playmates.
She also wanted to impress them so she came personally to welcome them herself. Her decision might have been the right choice because the two were about to start a fight and would not stop if stopped by just servants.
Drenschville kneeled on his left knee in front of her to greet Maxineirah back. “Good day, Duchess. We sincerely thank you for your kind invitation. May Frite bless you.” He took her hand and kissed the back of her hand.
Maxineirah was shocked that he knew the right courtesy while Grenchant was obviously irritated and did not know what to do but after a second, he copied what Drenschville did though the posture was a little lacking.
Maxwell on the other hand was standing behind Maxineirah, glaring at the two young men who dared not just touch his precious little sister’s delicate hand but also dared to kiss it.
He was fuming mad that he could already burn the floor beneath his feet while watching them. Maxineirah suddenly looked back to him so he immediately put out the fire inside his mind and smiled innocently at her as if he was not raging too much a while ago.
Grenchant and Drenschville who saw him from behind looked at him with their poker faces, as if their faces were saying ‘How cunning. Pretentious bastard.’
When Maxineirah looked back at the two, the fuming mad face of Maxwell quickly came back after Maxineirah took her eyes back from him.
Grenchant and Drenschville diverted their eyes from him with sweat rolling down from their forehead to their cheeks. Whatever they do, still, Maxineirah is Maxwell’s little sister. It was hard to tease the Young Lord when he took jokes about Maxineirah really seriously.
They were now in the garden, sitting at a round table while the maids were preparing the tea and snacks for them. The lawn was damp due to the snow melting. It was not as cold as when it was winter but whenever the night comes, it is a little chilly and could still make one tremble in the night’s air breeze.
Maxineirah was already standing, holding the teapot and was about to approach one of the visitors. “Let me pour your-“
Suddenly, Maxwell held her arm and stopped her from going to the young men. His face was snobbish and he kept on scowling at the two visitors since they left the waiting room.
However, Grenchant forgot his annoyance towards Drenschville for a moment since his focus was cut in halves, to the peculiar Zachrono siblings. But his attention never left Drenschville because there was some strange feeling that was telling him to be wary of him that started when he was badly mouthed by the boy.
It feels like the way Drenschville said those words, he already knew him for too long but Grenchant could not be mistaken because he had yet to meet him until now.
He would never forget a person with an aura such as someone like Drenschville -if he did really encounter one.
So strange.
“You are not obligated to pour them tea. Let them pour their own Maxine.” Maxwell shook his head.
“But they are our visitors and it is only right to show them kindness.” Maxineirah smiled at him adorably that he could not refute her words because he was worried that his sister might get annoyed at him.
“Do not worry, Brother. Here, I will give you the pleasure to pour your cup first.” Maxineirah said as she poured tea on her brother’s cup. Maxwell’s eyes glimmered and looked at the two smugly as if saying, ‘See this? Ha!’.
‘Jerk’ the two thought at the same time, giving him blank stares.
After Maxineirah poured the glass with a tea, Maxwell inserted a silver spoon and stirred the tea. The relaxing smell of persimmons was sweet and aromatic. Maxine moved on to the next person beside her brother, Grenchant.
Grenchant’s pink hair danced in the wind like a blooming sakura flower and his sea green eyes waved like a calm sea, shimmering out of excitement as Maxineirah poured his cup. Maxineirah unconsciously leaned too close to Grenchant while pouring his teacup to balance the kettle she was holding. Grenchant stared at the little girl’s round face and he felt his face suddenly heated up because he did not know the reason why.
Thump. His chest throbbed. He averted his eyes away from her alluring young face but he met Maxwell’s eyes who was glaring at him over the cup while drinking his fill.
Grenchant gulped in nervousness. He felt guilty for an unknown reason but it seems like his own self knew where those glares were for. He felt as if he was caught in the act of doing something bad.
Maxwell tightened his grip on his cup that it almost broke if he did not put it down before it could happen. Seeing someone fantasizing about his sister was a big NO for him. He might choke Grenchant to death if he would not back off.
Maxineirah noticed the look on her brother’s face, tilted her head and asked, “What is wrong brother? Does my tea more bitter than usual?” Maxineirah asked consciously as she sipped to taste her own brew.
“Ah! No! No! It tastes so good that I almost forgot my name.” Maxwell immediately thought of a reason and joked.
“Then…?”
“It’s just that, I saw an INSECT IN FRONT of me that I almost wanted to snap and kill it.” Grenchant’s tongue retreated and goosebumps ran throughout his entire body as if he felt an electric shock.
Drenschville, who definitely understood the situation, did not interfere and just gracefully drank his tea while watching the other children.
“Oh. You should have captured it, Brother. It might pester you if not.” Maxineirah commented that her brother smirked at the idea. Drenschville tried not to laugh while Grenchant shrieked at Maxineirah’s notion.
The remark, unbeknownst to Maxineirah, was like a permission for Maxwell to harass Grenchant.
“N-no!” Grenchant reacted.
“Huh?” Maxineirah. Grenchant was flustered at his own reaction and his face flushed red of embarrassment.
“I-I mean, no. Do you not think that insects maybe a-also have their own families? Grenchant tried to come up with an excuse and he do not know if anyone would believe his stupid reason. But Maxineirah fell for it.
Maxwell gave him a death glare for fooling his sister and Drenschville almost threw up the tea from his mouth. He coughed hard while holding onto his throat and the other hand was banging on the steel table painted of white. The three looked at him as if he was an alien.
“Are you okay?” Maxineirah asked worriedly and poured him another cup of tea. Drenschville cleared his throat and sat properly when he realized the behavior he showed.
“I’m fi-ne.” Drenschville replied half-well from his own blow.
Meanwhile…
“Do not persuade me anymore. I am not going.” Maximus eyes his friend Duke Franzus Gabriela.
Maximus was facing down his paper works with his eyeglasses on, not even giving Franzus a glance -who was sitting on the sofa in the parlor. Franzus has this worried look in his face for his friend being a stubborn head. Franzus came with his son late in the morning and he has been persuading Maximus in meeting the Emperor for an important matter but his friend did not even budged on the Emperor’s invitation. Maximus kept refusing in the thought of everytime the Emperor calls him, he always mention the engagement of Maxineirah and the Crown Prince, Caleidon.
The Emperor was just as stubborn as Duke Zachrono. The more the Emperor pushes the engagement of the two children, the more the Duke refuses it.
The Archduke, Franzus and Maximus were always pardoned for their rudeness towards His Majesty since it was their way of ‘friendliness’. The four of them started as acquaintances when they were little, and as they grew up, they became friends and even comrades in the past war right after the Emperor was crowned.
They fought back-to-back together in the war 10 years ago. Shared the same sorrow, felt the same sadness, shed the same blood and fought in the same battlefield. The ‘Five Valiant Heroes’ of the Empire are what they were called also known as the ‘Swords’ who protect the whole continent.
“He may be our friend but he is still the Emperor. Don’t you think you are being too much?” Franzus asked. Maximus dropped his pen, glared at the man before he stood up from the seat and opened his balcony that was facing the garden where the little party of his children was being held.
His eyes immediately landed on the group.
Franzus sighed and followed his friend who did not want to hear him out. He stood beside his friend and followed where the latter was looking.
Duke Gabriela felt something was off towards the family of his friend and now he was sure. He wanted to bombard Maximus with questions but he was afraid that his friend might kick him out of the Estate and banned him. Just by thinking about it, he could not help but to shrink.
“Tell the Emperor I should visit him soon on my own schedule.” Maximus said that Franzus’ head threw at him with his jaw dropped. Did he just hear him right? He was not kidding, was he?
But still, his friend was still too much. He was even saying that the Emperor himself must wait for the oh-so-mighty Duke’s own audience. As if His Majesty was the one who should follow his Vassal’s schedule.
Franzus shook his head in both bash and astonishment. Unbelievable. Maximus was the only person who could make an Emperor of the continent wait for him. Even the Archduke could not do it. Huh.
“Noted.” Franzus sighed and shrugged his shoulders. He tapped his friend’s shoulder and was about to retreat when he heard Maximus’ gloomy voice. “You should warn your son or I will do it myself.”
Franzus’ head immediately shot at him with a shock expression.”Wait. What?!” Duke Gabriela went back to where he was standing to look at what made his friend’s mood suddenly change and it was Maximus who left his office first.
Franzus shot a glance to his son from the ground and saw how his son blushed while staring at his friend’s daughter. ‘What now? Is he being overprotective to his daughter?’ he thought.
“Oh Goodness!” he exclaimed.
“Hey, Blair! They were just children!” he followed his friend from behind.