[4]

(A/N: What you're wearing and ignore the mask and flames, you also won't be wearing your eyepatch anymore)


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'Nothing has happened since then and it's already midday...' Arien thought 'It's boring and we have nothing to do, and Allie's meditating while doing that breathing exercise she kept on doing non-stop since a year ago'


(A/N: Yes, it's Total-Concentration-Breathing-Constant)


"Arjen" Arien said "Yeah?" he asked "Just how long do we have to stay in this room? And with all those servants..." "..."


"The only time there not there is when we're asleep" she continued "Yeah" Arjen replied "Do you think the Emperor ordered this?" she asked "Probably" he said again.


"Ugh..." "Imperial prince, Imperial princesses" A maid said to us "We can escort you to the backyard if you want"


"Backyard?" Arien said "=Garden??" Arjen continued "=Outside?!" they both said, while I sweatdropped in the background.


"We'll go!" they said simultaneously.


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'Woahh...!!' they thought "It's beautiful! There are many different types of flowers that I've never seen before!" Arien said "Rurahel's garden is nothing compared to this..." Arjen said.


'It feels like I can finally breath again. Even though there are still countless eyes on us...' Arien thought.


"Arien~ Let's make a flower crown." Arjen suddenly said "Let's act like children our age" he said "No thanks, you act like normal kids while I'll be training" I stated bluntly.


"Fine" he grumbled "Ah, sure!" Arien said as I walked away 'Finally, now I have time to practice my breathing styles' I thought.


I grew in size, stretched out my hand and slowly a black, red, and mint colored nichirin blade appeared in my hands.


'I wonder, should I practice the Mist Breathing, or the Moon Breathing?' I thought 'Hmm? Someone's watching me? If I'm right it should be the Second prince 𝔸𝕝𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝔼𝕦𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕖 𝕐𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕒. Though in the future he'll tell us to call him Alec'


'...Alright then let's give him something to watch' I strapped my sword to my waist, and stretched out my other hand, it glowed grey for a second before a large boulder appeared in front of me.


I could tell that he was confused with what I did through my nose, so I unsheathed my sword and said "Mist Breathing - Second form: Eight-layered mist"


The boulder was falling into pieces by the time I finished my move, I could tell that he was rather surprised by me being able to cut such a large boulder, with a clean slash at that.


So I said "I hope you enjoyed the show Second prince" but before he could reply, I was already gone.


(Meanwhile with Arien and Arjen)


"Do you like the yellow or pink flower more?" Arien asked "Arjen" "The pink flower" he replied "Hm?" he asked "Let's put this one here" "Are the servants still there?" she asked "Okay" "They haven't blinked once."


'Ugh... If there going to let us play outside, why can't they leave us alone?" Arien thought 'You can stare at us as much as you want, but we don't even have the strength to run away.'


'It's so uncomfortable I could die. Is there a way to escape thi-' "What are you two doing here?" someone asked "...?" 'A familiar voice...'


"You look like you're having fun" he said '...!! It's definitely the noble from last time... but with golden hair?!' she thought 'Then that means...' "Let me properly introduce myself this time"


"I am the Second prince of the Yuriana Empire, 𝔸𝕝𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝔼𝕦𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕖 𝕐𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕒" he said, while kneeling "Your Highness...!" a maid said "How could you kneel before those Illegitimate..."


I suddenly appeared beside Arien and Arjen and said glaring "Illegitimate children? Is that what you were going to say?" I asked while releasing my killing intent and unsheathing my sword a bit "N-No, please spare me!" the maid begged, I looked at Arien and Arjen "...Fine" I said sheathing my sword and withdrawing my killing intent.


"Move back, your disturbing my siblings" I said to the rest of them. Then suddenly I turned back and looked at Arien and Arjen "Arien, Arjen I've finished training" I said smiling


'You sure can change your mood quickly' they both thought, I looked at the Second prince and said, grinning "Nice to see you again Second prince"


"Ah, nice to see you again too" he said as I sat down. 'It's good that the servants are gone, but now it's the Second prince...' Arien thought.


"Arien, Allie" Arjen said "Hm?" Arien asked "Wasn't the Second prince only 10-years-old?" he asked.


"WHAT?!" Arien shouted, I looked at them deadpanning "This is why I told you to study" I said "If you did then you would know the reason for this, Idiot."


An imaginary arrow with the word 'IDIOT' in bold letters pierced their heads "Is something wrong?" the Second prince asked sweatdropping "N-No... nothing is wrong" Arien assured.


"Yeah, it's nothing" I said '10-years-old? Where?? Is this also part of the royal powers?' Arien questioned.


"Your finally speaking to me" he said, smiling 'Now that I think about it, they did say we were pretty small for our age...' she thought "Arien, Arjen, Alison. How does it feel to finally be at the beautiful place you mentioned when we first met?" he asked.


'I've said this before, but why is he so interested in us? To be fair, were still illegitimate children from the prince's point of view so it would be completely reasonable for him to ignore us' Arien thought.


'It could just be curiosity. He could be curious about the siblings that suddenly appeared one morning, or the strangers that are trespassing into his territory.' 


"...I hope you like this place" he suddenly said "My name... you can just call me Alec. Since we're family, I would like it if we could call each other by our nicknames."


'Family'..., this person doesn't know... how sensitive we are to that word.' Arien thought "Can you tell me about your nicknames?" Alec asked, Arien and Arjen stayed silent.


"My nickname is Allie, while these two don't have one" I said pointing at them "It's probably because your names are already pretty" he said.


"...Isn't that right? All of my brothers were named by my mother, but you three were the only ones who were named by my father." Alec said.


"Yes..." Arien said 'What difference does it make? It was just something he did on a whim.' she thought.


'If he really thought of us as family, he wouldn't have left us in the hands of Rurahel for five years!' *squeeze* "?! Ahh...!!" Arien suddenly shouted.


"Arien?!" Arjen asked "My hand...!" "You must've gotten bit by a bug on one of those flowers" Alec said.


"I'll heal it, come here" he continued "...What is this?" I looked at her arm to see that her scars were showing 'Oh no' I thought.


"Ack!!" Arien cried out "Ugh...!" "Let go of Arien!" Arjen shouted 'Why is he doing this?' Arien thought.


"Arien...!" Arjen shouted again 'First the Emperor and now the Second prince. Why do they randomly grab, stare, or act surprised by it?'


"Here... why is it like this?" Alec asked, releasing some bloodlust. When I saw Arien scared and on the verge of tears with Arjen trying to help her.


I felt something snap inside of me while activating the protective seals I had put on Arien and Arjen so that they wouldn't feel bloodlust or get hurt.


Everyone within the palace felt the enormous amount of bloodlust coming from the garden. And every servant near or within the garden either fainted or fell down due to the pressure released.


I looked at Alec glaring with every single ounce of bloodlust I had, and with my sword at his neck and Arien on the ground I shouted "What do you think you're doing?! Heal?! The only thing your doing is scaring her!!"


I could tell that he was suffocating from my bloodlust but I didn't care, but a voice called me in my mind and said "Allie breath, calm down Arien and Arjen are fine."


I finally came back to my senses and recognized the voice, it was Yoriichi! So I retracted my bloodlust and sheathed my sword, I bowed to Alec and said "My apologies Second prince, however I hope you won't scare my sister next time."


Or else was left unsaid as I left to sit on a tree, "I'm sorry. That was my mistake" Alec said both to me and Arien and Arjen  "...Should I heal it for you?" he asked.


Arien and Arjen stood up "I'm just worried. Since you guys aren't pure blood royals, your healing powers should be weaker. And it could've been a poisonous insect." he explained.


"Pure blood?" Arien and Arjen thought simultaneously while I facepalmed on the tree I was sitting on.


"...What is pure... blood?" Arien slowly asked "Are you interested in it?" Alec questioned, she nodded "Do you know what the Imperial family is called?"


"Yes, the family blessed by God" she answered 'Rurahel said that once when she was drunk...' Arien thought.


Incredible magic and physical abilities, golden hair and a beautiful appearance. Their healing powers are so great that they can regenerate from any illness, poison, or injury. And so the Imperial family is called 'the family blessed by God' , because of these wonderful abilities.


"That's right. Since you guys are Illegitimate children, your royal healing powers are weaker." he explained "And you won't have a 'manifestation' either..."


'Manifestation?' Arien thought "Ah!!" she suddenly shouted 'That's right manifestation!! So that's why the 2nd prince has an adult appearance even though he's only 10-years-old!' she concluded.


Before their teens, members of the Imperial family will go through a growth called 'manifestation' . After they go through manifestation they will have an adult body unlike regular people.


If they undergo manifestation at 3-years-old, their body will look like an 18-year-old and they won't grow until their real age is 18-years-old... At 19-years-old, their bodies will begin to grow again. And they stop aging at the age of 30! Because of this the Imperial family is said to be blessed by God.


'So this is why Rurahel wanted the Imperial family's pure blood...?' Arien thought 'But... we didn't have a 'manifestation.'


'Then... we'll only be able to leave this child body in a few years. Like a regular person...' "Arien" I called out "It's not really impossible for you to have a manifestation, after all I've had one myself." I said.


"Ehh?!" she said "Remember that time where I went missing for nearly a day when we were three?" I asked "...Yeah?" "At that time I was looking for a good place to train but then I felt like my head was being split, and I fell passed out from the pain. When I woke up I was in an adult body and my hair was longer."


"So I concluded that I went through a manifestation." I finished "But, how did you hide it?" Arien asked "First, I cut my hair to how it were before, Second, I removed the scent of roses, and Third, I simply quickly finished training so you wouldn't be suspicious."


"Oh... so that's what happened" she said "Arien" Alec called "I'm sorry that I hurt you. Would you allow me to heal it?" he asked "I don't want to just stare and do nothing".


"...I swear I will only heal it" she looked at me as I nodded "I understand" Arien said "Okay!" Alec happily said.


"Then please excuse me." *shines* "All done. It doesn't hurt anymore, right?" he asked "Yes..." Arien replied.


'I thought he would heal it with medicine and bandages. Instead, he did it with magic... as expected of the Imperial family.' she thought "Arien, those injuries... could you tell me who did it?" Alec asked.


"..." the stayed silent "Please, I beg you." he begged "...Rurahel and the servants did it" I said as they glanced at me.


'Is he really worried about us?' Arien questioned "Did you not know about us?" she asked "...I knew of your existence, it's just that I wasn't interested" he said.


'I knew it... well it was to be expected. Every one knew us but they neglected us anyway.' Arien thought "But I didn't know you guys were this small... and already covered in scars. When an Imperial family member is 5-years-old, they would almost already be a teenager" he explained.


'We don't want these tiny bodies. We don't want to be an Imperial family member either.' Arien and Arjen thought "Arjen, Arien, Allie" Alec called.


"The palace is very luxurious... however behind that cover exists another place, a cruel and tangled one. As long as you are acknowledged by Father as a member of the Imperial family, you guys are also owners of this place" he said.


"There will be more weight on your shoulders than before, but... there's also comfort and wealth" he continued "I hope that you'll live here and experience plenty of new things that you didn't know before."


"..." they were silent "For example, this." he said as he took Arien's hand and put magic in it *swoosh* 'W-What's this?!' Arien questioned.


"All done~ ^^" Alec said, he turned to Arjen and said "Arjen your hand?" and Arjen gave him his hand.


"Allie?" he asked "...Alright, thanks though I would still be fine even without this." I said as I gave him my hand.


When he finished he said "This is Big Brother's present to you <3" 'This person is surprisingly sly!!' Arien thought.


(2228 words)

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