Temporary Crown

7 | Heaviness of an unexpected news

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“In the end, it all end to this,” Lucien muttered as he was seating on a chair adjacent to the sofa where Nesta was seating. It wasn’t abnormal to see two people having tea and exchanging words and pleasantries, but the abnormal part of this was his sister. She looked like she had come from a bloody fight and acting so nonchalant about it.

It was his fault that she had become like this, but it was really odd for Lucien who was always formal and neat.

Hearing his words, Nesta chuckled grabbing some towel to wipe some blood over her. She appeared as though she was in a picnic. This was really an odd sight for Lucien. He was staring her oddly.

“Oh don’t fret, little brother. It was my plan to find an opportunity to talk and appease you. You just beat me to it.”

“Appease you say?” Lucien tilted his head a little bit. “Perhaps we should talk now as we don’t want servants barging in seeing you in blood. You ought to prepare for another bath and clean your room.”

“Why bother hurrying up when it’s still night.”

Lucien pursed his lips clearly showing his frustrated expression. “May I ask what is inside your room then?” He brushed his hair backwards. “Is there a corpse there?” He asked after considering his sister’s appearance and the dagger she was holding.

“Right,” She said shyly as though it was normal.

Nesta folded the towel that was stain in blood and square her shoulders. Her hands were still stain red but it wasn’t much vivid like it was before.

In a matter of seconds, everything- especially the atmosphere changed. Now, even though Nesta still have blood stains on her hands and dress, she appeared to be formal enough to talk about serious things.

How many faces does she have? Lucien can’t help but ask. Still he also maintained his cold and nonchalant expression.

“If you are thinking about the successors and inheritance, I would like to assure you that I am not here to rob you of your rights to inherit the duchy. However, I am also here to protect you until you come of age.”

Hearing her words, Lucien frowned. “Am I hearing everything right? I feel like this doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t make sense?” Nesta frowned a little. She considered her words carefully with the hopes that he could understand it easily.

Lucien scoffed.

“Protect? Who? Me?”

“Are you assuming the cliché that I can’t protect you because I am a woman?” She lifted her chin a little bit as her left brow rose. Lucien swallowed.

“No,” He dismissed her idea. “I am the heir of this duchy and I have greater power than you, sister. Perhaps we should think in this direction right?” he mocked.

Nesta laughed. Lucien was already shooting daggers at her but she clearly doesn’t mind. “I am not in the right position to ask but have the duke not told you yet?”

“Told me what?” Lucien’s gaze deepened. In his mind, there were already countless questions emerging wanting to be answered. Furthermore, her attitude was getting more and more complex. He felt like if he will go and continue their conversation like this, he would be the one losing.

Lucien expected that Nesta would soon reply but seconds passed her lips was still sealed. It made him curious and wonder such matters that he doesn’t know. He begun tapping the table.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them. This time, Nesta considered her words well. Gone was her mischievousness and glint of playfulness. She was serious and it was really odd even for her.

“Sister?” he asked.

Nesta flinched feeling a sense of heaviness on his words. It was his second time calling her sister. Nesta wanted that to happen but she did not expect it to be like this. It was definitely odd that her mood changed so fast like this but this was Lucien. Him who had cried for her.

In her mind, the past seemed to resurface making her realize that if she did doesn’t do anything, everything, every suffering he had face will be repeated. She doesn’t want that. However, Lucien deserved the truth no matter how painful it was.

Nesta can feel the thumping sound of her heart as she tried to calm down.

“The duke had contracted an incurable disease back at sea,” Nesta started. Her eyes serious observing Lucien’s expressions.

“ He had been in medication for years now but no matter who the doctors were or even the mages, and the priest, they can’t heal him. Months after I met the duke, I was with him when he was able to get his death sentence.”

“What?” there was a paused between them. The clock ticked signaling the time. Nesta pursed her lips. Everything went serious really fast.

“3 months. That was the maximum time he was only allowed to live now, Lucien.”

“What?” Lucien felt like he was breathless. His pupils dilated for the unexpected news he had received.

He felt something heavy was weighing him down. He had not expect this at all. No, from the very start nothing went according to his plan.

There were many things that was going on in his mind right now. Although he had been in constant fights with his father, he had never wished for him to die like that. How could that be possible?

He had been strong and wise.

In that moment the image of his father who was always cold and expressionless overlapped with his memories when he was just a child with his mother.

They were a happy family before. He had everything before. He was envied by all and was always expected to become one of the people on top of the society but what happened now?

Years after the death of his mother, does the heavens want his father now?

How absurd! How could he accept this!