The Crown Meets The Heirs

Chapter 005: An Encounter

(Clara's POV)

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During that time, the only things I really did were pack my belongings and pick up whatever I’d need for school. I also checked on Richard twice a day, and I’d actually just come from his room a few minutes ago.

Honestly, I wished he was awake and able to come with me to Country C. It would’ve made me feel less alone, safer somehow. But even if he woke up tomorrow, I doubted he’d spare me a second thought; he’d probably go straight to brainstorming ways to save my dad instead. Sometimes I genuinely wonder if he’s secretly in love with my father. I shuddered at the thought.

“Clara, are you ready?” Grandma called out after sending the maids off to load my luggage into the van.

“Almost done, Grandma. One minute, please,” I called back, then returned to what I was doing.

I carefully hung the small handcrafted piece of artwork I’d made on the wall of my room. I’d grown attached to this place; it already felt like home to me. Leaving made me a little sad, so I wanted to leave some trace of myself behind, even though I knew I’d be back eventually. I walked to the door, took one last look around, and closed it reluctantly.

Downstairs, my luggage was already being loaded into the trunk of one of the cars. It wasn’t much, just two suitcases, perfectly reasonable for a student. Grandpa had already said everything else I’d need was arranged over there.

I found Grandma and wrapped my arms around her, breathing in her familiar scent. I hadn’t known her growing up, but I’d come to love her deeply as family.

“You big baby,” she chuckled. “Call us often. Be careful, be smart, but have fun too. And stick close to the people you’ll be living with. They’ll look out for you.”

That last part made me raise an eyebrow. “Grandma, why would I need to rely on strangers? I’d rather they just leave me be.”

“Fine, fine. Just be careful. If anyone wrongs you, tell us, and your grandpa and I will fight for you.”

“Hmph. If anyone tries to bully me, I’ll knock their teeth out myself before I come crying to you two.”

Grandma burst out laughing.

“Clara, it’s time.” Grandpa’s voice rang out as he came downstairs. He’d insisted on personally seeing me off to the plane; even with a pilot he trusted completely, he wasn’t going to feel at ease until he watched me leave with his own eyes.

Grandma let go of me and led me to a sleek black car. The chauffeur opened the door, Grandpa climbed into the back seat first, and I slid in after him.

“Goodbye, Grandma.” I waved and watched her wave back as the chauffeur shut the door and got in himself. A few vehicles fell behind us, Grandpa’s bodyguards escorting us to the private hangar.

The drive was quiet, though not in an awkward way, just peaceful. I had things on my mind, and I imagined Grandpa did too. My phone buzzed. A text from Uncle Theo: Sorry kiddo, couldn’t make it today, can’t see you off. I owe you. XOXO.

I snickered. Hmph. And he’d sworn nothing in the world could keep him away today. Well, that was one thing that made him different from Dad, at least.

“Is that your smelly uncle?” Grandpa asked suddenly.

It took me a second to register what he’d said before I burst out laughing. Smelly uncle? “Grandpa, that’s your son.”

“Hmph! I have no such son. In fact, I refuse to admit I have two.”

I laughed again. Grandpa really was too much, conveniently forgetting that one of those sons had inherited his exact personality.

The drive to the hangar took about an hour. Once we arrived, the servants who’d come with us unloaded my luggage and carried it onto the jet. Grandpa’s plane was beautiful, not massive, but luxurious enough to comfortably carry twenty people, complete with a master bedroom, a wine bar, and a restroom. I met the pilot too, a quiet man who barely said a word.

Loading took about twenty minutes, and then it was time to go. I hugged Grandpa tightly, unable to help myself. I was going to miss him and all his antics, grumpiness included.

“Hmph! You’re only going to university. I’m not marrying you off.”

I rolled my eyes, smiling. “I don’t care, Grandpa. I’m going to miss you.”

His expression softened. “Study hard, alright? Make us proud. And listen to your new roommates.”

There it was again, that strange emphasis. What did he mean by that? They were just students, same as me. Why did everyone keep talking like I’d need to depend on them somehow? I didn’t even know yet if I’d like them. Grandma had said almost the same thing earlier. Not wanting to spoil the moment, I let it go and focused on the rest of his advice instead.

Twenty minutes later, after our goodbyes, I was seated on the plane, watching Grandpa through the window as the aircraft taxied down the runway. The wind kicked up by the engines looked strong enough to knock him clean over, and for a second I worried. Then again, this was Grandpa. Old as he was, he was sturdy as a horse.

The plane lifted off, and his figure shrank smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely. I left the window seat, wandered to the master bedroom, and flopped onto the bed.

“Ahh!” I couldn’t help the exclamation. I was about to start a brand-new chapter of my life, and the thought both thrilled and terrified me. What if everyone already had their friend groups? What if I was the only one who didn’t know how to act around people my own age?

I shook my head and forced myself to calm down. No use worrying about it now. I plugged in my earphones and let music fill the silence for a while, then got restless and pulled up my browser to search for Crestfield Imperial University. Most of what I found described a prestigious school full of students from influential, wealthy families, along with a long list of awards and achievements. Nothing especially interesting. I got bored fast, picked up the novel I’d been reading, and lost myself in it for a while.

About an hour later, drowsiness hit hard. I gave in, set the book on the bedside drawer, and drifted off to sleep.

*************************

“Young miss, it’s time. We’ve arrived.”

A soft voice pulled me out of sleep. It was one of the flight attendants, one of Grandpa’s people.

“Huh?” I blinked, groggy.

“We’ve landed in Country C, young miss. We’ve also picked up your train tickets.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll be right there.”

She nodded and left me to myself. I splashed water on my face in the bathroom and patted my cheeks awake before heading out to join the others in the cabin, where they were already waiting with my luggage.

“Young miss, the next train arrives in about fifteen minutes. We’ll wait until you board, as the Chairman instructed.”

“Alright.” I took the tickets from him. I still didn’t understand why Grandpa wouldn’t let them accompany me the rest of the way, though I wasn’t exactly complaining either. I wasn’t some helpless princess who couldn’t navigate a train station on her own, and he’d already given me the address and directions.

The wait wasn’t long. The train arrived, I boarded, and only once they’d confirmed I was safely inside did the attendants finally leave. The ride itself wasn’t bad, just a little motion sickness I managed to push through. When I reached my stop, I checked the time: six thirty. Getting late. I hailed a taxi and gave the driver my destination.

He gave me an odd look, then glanced back again like he was trying to confirm something. Just as I started feeling unsettled, he waved me in. I loaded my suitcase into the trunk and climbed into the cab.

An hour later, we pulled up outside a private estate full of villas and penthouses lit up beautifully against the night. I paid the fare, watched the taxi vanish down the road, and finally turned to take in the villa in front of me.

It was massive. I couldn’t help my surprise. Grandpa had specifically told me I wouldn’t be staying in a school dorm, just a small student apartment.

“Urgh. Tricked by Grandpa again.” No wonder that driver had looked at me so strangely. I pressed a hand to my forehead, hoping this was the last of his surprises.

Taking a breath, I approached the gate, then remembered something and dug through my handbag: a remote control, smart lock keys, a few other odds and ends.

“Hmph. He really thought of everything.” Muttering to myself, I pressed the button, and the massive black gate slid open.

The view inside was stunning, though having grown up around luxury, I wasn’t easily impressed anymore. I made my way to the main entrance without seeing a single soul, not even the mysterious roommates Grandpa kept hinting at. It was starting to feel unsettling.

The front door ran on a smart lock, passcode or fingerprint. Just as I reached out, wondering what the code could possibly be, it unlocked on its own.

“Hmm? Some kind of sensor?” I shrugged it off and stepped inside.

The interior was even more impressive than the outside, and clearly lived-in. A television played some movie to no one. A textbook lay abandoned on the white couch. Car keys sat on the coffee table, and my eyes lit up. Nice, my roommate had a car. Grandma and Grandpa still wouldn’t let me own one, insisting it was too dangerous for a girl to drive. I disagreed completely, but nobody asked for my opinion.

Three bedrooms sat on the first floor. Since Grandpa had mentioned four roommates besides me, there had to be more rooms upstairs, which suited me fine. I’d always preferred the upper floors anyway, and I’d already half decided to claim one for myself. Then it occurred to me: what if they were all taken already? I frowned, then shrugged it off. No point worrying yet.

I’d just reached the staircase when I felt something crunch beneath my shoe. I looked down. A small black figurine, crushed flat, smooth to the touch. Assuming it was just some stray decoration, I picked it up without much thought and kept climbing.

The second floor was just as spacious, just as beautifully done. Wandering through it, I came across an open gym room and froze. A gym? An alarm went off somewhere in the back of my head. Surely not. I shook the thought away and kept walking.

A few more rooms stretched ahead. I’d only taken three steps when a strange sound reached me, coming from somewhere around the corner at the end of the hall, out of sight. Curiosity got the better of me, and I moved closer. The sound sharpened. A woman’s voice, definitely, but strange, almost like she was in pain.

Concerned, I hurried forward, only to freeze at another voice. A man’s, panting, grunting heavily. My eyes went wide.

Sheltered as I’d been my whole life, I wasn’t completely clueless. I knew exactly what I was hearing.

Then came another male voice. And another. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from gasping out loud.

My entire worldview shattered right there in that hallway. I had never, in my life, encountered anything even remotely close to this.