There has been a small change ever since Aina's talk with Leianna. A few weeks had passed since then and she now spends three times a week spending her afternoons with Leianna. At first, Leianna wanted them to meet everyday so they could spend time together, 'just like sisters do', she told Aina. But in the end, Leianna was far too busy with her upcoming engagement with the Crown Prince to spend all of her afternoons with her sister. And to be honest, it took quite a lot for Aina herself to suddenly see her half-sibling and it even took a lot more when Leianna requested that she spend at least one Sunday evening every week to dine with her family.
So here she was, wearing a tight dress, her long black hair flowing to her thighs, as she sat beside Leianna in the large dining table at the grand dining hall of their manor, silently eating the venison, a local delicacy, they were served for the main course.
"Ciana? Are you okay?" the discussion the Duke was having with his children stopped abruptly when her name was voiced out.
"Huh?" Aina looks up from her dish, despite the name she never called herself ever since she came into the manor and turns to her right where her sister was looking at her in worry.
"You weren't touching your meat…and - " Leianna was cut off by the Duke.
"I was asking you a question" the Duke said, her tone calm yet Aina still held the fear beneath her skin. She was expecting ridicule to come from her half-brothers, yet they remained silent as they lifted their gaze from her when she glanced at them both. Somehow, that action both made her feel even more embarrassed yet grateful.
Aina hated gazes from males.
"Oh…sorry" she carefully apologized and her anxiety grew when the Duke let out a small breath.
"I was asking if you like the venison" Aina looks up again, surprised by the domesticity of the question, as if she has always been dining with them every night. Like…the duke really cared even just a little bit.
"Yes, it's delicious" she answers, a polite smile playing on her lips. Perhaps, for an attention-starved child, even a miniscule of care from her father was enough to make her grin in joy. She felt like a child again, the child she was before…
"The chef would be glad to hear that" The second son of the family, Eios Arkin Evrian, stated. His head was cut in military-style, a sign that he was a current soldier of the empire. Arkin is currently studying in the Military Academy and is only home for the winter holidays. Though back then, even when Arkin was home, Aina rarely ever saw him.
"Yes" Hugo Yulian Evrian agreed, a small smile playing on his lips. It was rare for the Heir of the Duchy to show any emotions, especially positive ones.
This type of positive affection, admittedly, makes Aina's chest ache both in joy and anxiety. There was no way they were suddenly caring for her now. Yet, she also knew that if Leianna's words were really true, then, there was a possibility she had always been a beloved child of the Duchy, right before everything that happened with that tutor.
"How have you been, Ciana?" Yulian asks, and instead of an immediate answer, Aina turns to Leianna, as if searching for reassurance that all of what she said was real.
Leianna nodded and smiled warmly at her, and that was enough to reassure her.
"I'm doing fine, thank you. And you?" Yulian smiles as he answers her, this time he looks at her eyes directly and when Aina didn't have any reactions to it, he didn't avert his gaze.
"I'm doing very well, Ciana" he says.
"Ciana" Aina turns her eyes when Arkin calls her name. Truthfully, she had always been more scared of Yulian than she was to Arkin, despite Arkin being the bigger and taller of the two. Ever since entering the Military Academy, the Arkin she remembered from when she first came into the manor was now gone. Gone was that frail, and skinny boy. He stood at 6'5 with a body that you would think of when you hear the word 'soldier'. In short, he was a huge man.
Yet, Yulian's more lean and a bit shorter than his younger brother, and that scares her. A lot. The only thing that calms her right now is the long silver hair Yulian has.
"I heard you've been joining Lei for tea in the afternoon" despite the ruggedness of his looks, Arkin remains gentle and soft.
"Yes, I have" she turns once more to Leianna who kept her eye on her and was still smiling at the moment. Why? She had no idea.
"How is it? Are you comfortable?"
"Are you implying I make her uncomfortable, brother?"
Leianna raised an eyebrow as she glares at her brother who only chuckles at her. The gentleness of the second son vastly contrasted with his roguish looks. It almost unnerved Aina, if only she wasn't grateful that she finds comfort in the contrast of his appearance and manners.
Arkin laughs, showing a boying grin. "It's okay if you find her uncomfortable, Ciana, she can be a bit too much at times" he assures her and Leianna showed her annoyance with the statement by glaring even more at her older brother.
Yulian laughs at the exchange. Out of the two brothers, it seems he was being more careful with her. No doubt, he knew that Aina was more scared of him than she was with Arkin.
Yulian was the heir to the duchy. Identical to both his brother and sister, he bears a striking resemblance to the Duke. Silver hair cascades down his back held back into a low ponytail, and he had the same striking violet eyes, evident of the pure Evrian blood flowing in his veins. He had been receiving Heirship lessons from the Duke himself ever since he turned 18. He bears the heavy responsibility of being the little Duke of Evrian, and he spends most of his days on heirship lessons, business plans, and helping his father oversee the Evrian duchy. He had no time for anything else other than work. And Aina knew even his marriage would be decided by their father.
Just like hers is.
"U-Um - " Aina was about to inquire about the proposal of the Duke when the doors to the dining hall opens, revealing James, the head butler, carrying a letter in his hands, a polished look on his irritating face, one her maid wanted to punch, according to the woman herself. The thought of her maid makes Aina smile for a moment, ignoring the pointed gaze that James was giving her.
Probably for daring to dine with the Evrians.
The Duke gives Aina a nod, signaling that she would have a chance to ask what she intended after he finished dealing with James. Leianna, who was seated far too closely with her, pats her shoulder and smiles sweetly. The eldest daughter of the Evrians wore a light pink dress, it was simple, but it made Leianna's delicate beauty shine even more.
"Your grace, apologies for the interruption. A letter came from Duke Fremont, and I would assume you would want to read it immediately" The way James spoke held an air of superiority and Aina teared her eyes away from him. She wouldn't allow herself to be bothered by such a person tonight.
"I am having dinner with my children, that letter you're holding can't be more important regardless of who it came from" Aina shivers at the coldness of the Duke's tone, she couldn't even turn her head to look him in the eye. She was terrified. The Duke was angry, very clearly mad.
James recoiled and bowed his head. "I apologize, your grace, I only held your best interests at heart" he said though, his tone was less than apologetic about it.
"Give me the letter and leave" Aina had the feeling the Duke meant more than leave the room.
James bowed, though he probably didn't expect the Duke to fire him and he most likely doesn't even know he was fired. He left the room with his head held high as he gave Aina another dirty look. As the duke opens the letter with a knife, he turns to his right where Yulian sat.
"Fire him and have him replaced. Such insolence" the Duke didn't even bat an eye as he said those words, his hands carefully opening the letter. His eyes passed through them as he read, and just before he dropped the folded parchment on the table just beside the expensive ceramic plate, he gave out a heavy sigh.
"Father? What is it?" Leianna asked, no doubt curious as to what the Duke said.
Aina couldn't even bear to eat anymore. No doubt this news had something to do with her. She slowly places her knife and fork down, her unfinished plate sat before her as she stares at it. Her head hung low as she placed her hands on her lap, she could feel herself shrinking, and the carved, golden walls of the dining room suddenly felt too suffocating for her. Aina breathes shakily as she waits for the news.
"Ciana" the Duke calls. And he doesn't wait for her to look at him nor to respond.
"The Duke has requested to meet you to ask for your hand in marriage"
Aina slowly looked at the Duke, and he knew that he was waiting for her response. To what? To the letter? To his words? She was going to get married to a stranger and she didn't know how to respond.
The table rattles and a loud bang sound echoed in the silence of the dining hall. Leianna had stood up, banging her hands on the table surface with an indignant look on her face. "Father, you can't do this to her! I won't allow you!" she shouted. And Aina couldn't help but wonder why Leianna was so set on fighting for her. To someone as scary as the Duke.
"You don't have any say in this, Leianna" the Duke countered, firm in his tone and his expression unyielding.
"But, you can't do this to Ciana, Father, please. You can't just marry her off, when you know she's still not well!" Leianna's screams bounced on the whole manor, probably. She looked so angry as she shouted at her father. Aina had never seen someone rebel against the Duke. She would've found amusement in this, if only her marriage wasn't the topic they were fighting on.
"I cannot reject the Duke, Leianna, it would put us in a difficult position! You know that!" he started screaming back, his eyes glaring at his daughter, something Aina didn't know was even possible.
Was she under the illusion that the Duke was lenient with his first daughter and gave into her every whims all the time?
"You are the Duke, no one could put you in a difficult position! Or perhaps, are you using Ciana for your political ambitions?" Leianna had tears streaming her face now, and her eyes were feral as she screamed and cried to her father. Her carefully braided hair was messy and her makeup was melting with her tears. She was clutching the skirt of her pink dress so hard it seemed as if she was about to rip it.
"Lei, that's enough, go back to your room" Yulian finally steps in. He eyed Arkin who stood up immediately and walked around the table to escort Leianna out of the dining hall.
Aina feels her chest tightening, and suddenly she feels as if she couldn't breathe. She clutches her chest, as she feels her head aching terribly. Something was crawling in her heart, she could feel it clearly, she wanted to scratch, scratch, and scratch. She wanted to take off her clothes. Aina has never felt this kind of sensation before.
It was unbearable.
"Ciana?" The Duke calls.
Aina's breathing turns ragged as she coughs. She held the fabric against her chest tightly, there really was something crawling inside her. She stood up quickly, as if wanting to run away from the awful sensation and the pain it brought when all of a sudden everything went black.