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When Aina walks out of the Duke's study, she couldn't even remember how she was dismissed, only that she was now outside. What did she tell the Duke, did she agree? Well, could she even refuse the Duke's words? She takes a step to the high-ceilinged halls only to instantly stop as she stumbles over her own feet, feeling a sharp pain on her chest. Her hand lands on the wall beside her and the other on her chest, tightly gripping the fabric on her chest and wanting to carve her heart out of her ribcage.
Her ears started ringing and she suddenly felt something warm dripping down her nose to her chin. She immediately raises her head, and takes out a handkerchief from her pockets, using it to block her bleeding nose.
She looks down on the floor, her hands shaking as she closes her eyes and allows her shoulder to depend on the wall beside her. Why is this happening to me? Aina feels something wet creeping up to the corner of her eyes.
"Excuse me" Aina looks to see the source of the unfamiliar voice.
"Are you alright?" Upon turning her head, she sees none other than Leianna, with her magnificent silver hair and the electric violet eyes that were identical to the Duke's.
Aina turns away, attempting to stand upright even when she feels as if she's about to pass out soon. "Oh, you mustn't force yourself, allow me to assist you" she hears the Duke's daughter speak once more.
"I'm alright" Aina tries to tell her but she was already too tired to argue even when she felt Leianna's arms encircling around her for support. Aina thought her nosebleed would have already stopped at that moment, however, for some reason, it looks as if a faucet was left open from her nose as she could still feel something dripping from her nose down to her lips.
It seems they didn't need to walk very far because Leianna's room was just after the Duke's study. Aina allowed herself to be pulled inside, silently observing her wonderful sister that is called the Diamond of High Society. All she could see was how closely Leianna and her siblings really resembled the Duke. From the white silver hair, to the commanding violet eyes, everything was the same, as if the Duke had been duplicated and his children were his clones.
Except for her, that is. Aina stuck out like a sore thumb whenever she attended balls and parties with her half-siblings and the Duke.
She was the only one who had no resemblance to the Duke at all.
Her long black hair, devoid of any whiteness or silverness that would have proved she was an Evrian. Nor her pale eyes, almost white, with just a hint of purple.
Her appearance was unlike that of an Evrian.
In fact, everything about her was unlike an Evrian.
Aina was seated on one of the couches in the small living area inside Leianna's room. Compared to what she had expected, Leianna's room was fairly simple. Like she hadn't been the most precious daughter of the Duke. I always thought her room would be the largest, Aina thought. But Leianna's room could almost be compared to hers. A small living area, a canopy bed, a tea table, the only thing missing would be the terrace that Aina had been fortunate to have. She blinks, realising that it was the first time she had ever been inside the room of her half-sibling.
"Ciana" her name was called out. Coming out from Leianna's mouth, her given name sounded divine. Maybe it was because of her soothing voice.
"Yes?" Aina asked, staring dumbly at her calm half-sister.
"Have some water" only then did Aina realise that Leianna had already poured her a glass of water when she sees the silverhead holding a full cup.
"Thank you" Aina removes the handkerchief from her nose to drink. Her eyes follow Leianna who straightens her back and walks back to the intricately carved doors of her room. She opens it halfway, calling one of the servants who happened to pass by her room.
"Call for the medic, immediately" she says.
"Yes, my lady"
Leianna closes the doors again and turns back to Aina whose nose now stopped bleeding, yet the muzzy feeling coming from her head remains. "Oh, it finally stopped bleeding" she hears Leianna says.
Aina turns her head down, choosing to glue her eyes onto her hands which held the bloodstained handkerchief. She feels her half-sister sitting beside her, and she wonders why despite the obviously empty space on the couch in front of them.
Aina has never interacted much with the Evrian siblings. It was not like it was the first time she had ever spoken with them. But she had never been in their presence for this long. In fact, she had always chosen to ride a separate carriage when they had to attend balls. She supposes she had been attempting to distance herself from them, just as she thinks they had been doing to her.
But was it always this awkward being around them? Aina felt suffocated by the air around the room, and how close Leianna was sitting beside her.
"Ciana." She hears her name being called again.
It was the most I have ever heard my name being called by a half-sibling.
"Yes?"
"Did Father inform you of the letter from Duke Fremont?" Aina finally raises her head and looks at her so-called sibling.
Leianna had a crown of braids, her soft silver curls adorned with flowers the same shade as her eyes. Indeed, she looked beautiful. It was noted that Leianna had beauty like no other in their kingdom. She was the most perfect noble lady, like what Aina often hears from other nobles and the servants that work in the manor.
"Yes," she answers. Aina takes another deep breath to calm herself. Perhaps stress was not good for her, she had just caught a flu a few days ago, after all.
"And what did he say?" it was no wonder that Leianna had already known about the letter. It would be nothing strange if the Duke had already told her.
"F...I had been told the marriage would prove beneficial for the family." Aina says, unable to call the Duke 'Father'.
"I see." Aina looks to see irritation sweeping the once calm expression that Leianna had. She wonders why the silverhead suddenly looked annoyed.
Silence filled the room once again, as Aina noticed how Leianna was deep in her thoughts. She looks at the large grandfather clock in the room, noting how it was already past afternoon and that she was supposed to be already in her room. Still, she didn't know how to leave. Are we still waiting for the medic? But Aina already feels fine, although there is that heavy feeling on her chest again.
"Do…you want to marry him?" Aina was taken aback by the thoughtful question. She blinks her eyes and observes what brought Leianna to ask such a thing.
Did she want to marry Duke Fremont? Did she want to be a Duchess? Sure, there was a lot to gain by being the wife of Duke Fremont, in fact, there was a lot more to gain than to lose. She wouldn't need to worry about money, nor living an impoverished life and it would be beneficial for the Evrian Dukedom. But…she's never thought of marrying someone before. Much less a political marriage.
She should have expected a political marriage to happen. After all, Aina was a daughter of the Duke.
Even Leianna was about to be engaged to the Crown Prince.
She was pulled from her own thoughts when someone knocked on the door. "My lady, I have brought the Medic" it was the servant that Leianna had been talking to earlier.
"Come in" Aina briefly glanced at her half-sister, just realising at that moment that Leianna really was older than her.
I wonder if it was the maturity in her eyes or her presence that almost feels the same as the Duke's?
"My lady, I have heard that you called for me" the old Medic had already brought his large suitcase for whatever sort of medication was needed. He seems to have been surprised to see Aina for a moment but frowns when he notices the bloodied handkerchief on her lap.
"What has happened?" the Medic immediately asks, walking towards the couch where Aina and Leianna were seated.
"My sister had a nosebleed" Leianna was the one to answer and Aina was caught in surprise when the silverhead said 'my sister'.
"Did it last longer than 30 minutes?" the Medic asks, opening her suitcase and rummages through it.
"No." Aina answers.
"Let me see, my lady" the Medic had some sort of tool in his hands now, and when he clicks it, the tool lights up. Aina closed her eyes and tilted her head, without the need for the Medic to touch her. Perhaps he had already noticed after their last meeting, because the Medic seems to be doing his best to avoid any physical contact with her.
"It is nothing serious, fortunately. Did you feel lightheaded when the nosebleed occurred?" the Medic asked, pulling out his pen and a piece of parchment as he wrote without stopping.
"Yes, a bit," Aina admitted. Though, it wasn't a bit. Truthfully, Aina had felt as if she was about to faint before Leianna had brought her to her room.
"You must've been stressed. I would advise you to rest for another day. It is not good to stress yourself, my lady. Might I remind you that you had just recovered from a very strong fever." The Medic nagged like his life depended on it. He still had that aloof expression on his face exactly like how he was when she first met him but Aina knew that he was just doing his job.
"Ciana had a fever?" Leianna inquired, tilting her head with a small frown on her face.
Another knock was heard from the white wooden door of Leianna's room. "Come in." The silver-haired said, and Aina looked to see that it was her maid. Allie's eyes were wide and she looked breathless, as if she had just ran from wherever she was to Leianna's room.
"My Lady, I heard you had a nosebleed." Allie attempted to regain her composure though Aina was startled to see her usually composed maid so dishevelled.
"Perfect, you can escort her lady back to her room and let her rest." The Medic ushered for Aina to stand while Leianna assisted her, as if Aina was about to fall down any moment soon.
"I can assist Lady Ciana." Aina was pulled by her maid by her shoulder and she let herself, feeling too exhausted by everything that has happened in the past few hours.
"The lady mustn't be stressed, and she must eat properly." The Medic reminded her maid and Allie nodded with seriousness in her expression.
"Thank you, Ditran." Leianna smiles. "May I speak with you for a second?" She asked, and although Aina wanted to hear more, she was whisked away by Allie who was seemingly concerned as she showed alarm on her expression.