chapter 3~

"Now that father's already gone who will manage our dukedom?"

"what do you mean dear?, it was you of course. your father and i had already discuss the successor of our duchy and you are the fist born child so it is only right that you are the one to succeed."

"i decline that mother i can't be the one managing this household!! it is far better for lix as he has the talent and power as a leader."

"wait sister i wont be taking that position , it belongs to you from the very start nothing will change about that."

"enough it is what it is and that is the end i wont reconsider my decision and i am already set on just helping my little brother to become a fine young man."

leona left the dining table and started walking around the inside and outside of the mansion as she strolled around the garden she used to play at with her father alongside she cannot stop her tears from falling and and started having a breakdown she cried her lungs out until she cannot shed a single tears anymore.

she was about to stand up and walk through her bedroom until a maid stumbled her there sitting alone.

"oh it's you milady what brought you out here this late at knight?"

the maid leaned in and saw her crying again.

"ohh god what seems to be the problem!!"

the maid was shocked in the scene in front of her as she had been taking care of leona since she was but a young child.

"ohh its you eve i am sorry you have to witness this embarrassing moment of mine...

"what do you mean by embarrassing it is normal because of how you, young master and the madam were feeling. even i was devastated when i heard the news of the lords passing."

"now now you must stop crying or your eyes would be puffy the next morning, you know how you have ended up like a pufferfish when you cried all night because of the birds egg that fell off the tree and you are not able to save the eggs??"

the maid joke around to ease leona's grieviance of her loss father.

"yeahh you are right eve but next time you do not need to recall that hehe."

"ohh well i think about that some other time and depends on what the situatuon is hehehe..."

"now you are just teasing me eve!!..."

"ohh yeahh i remember i am sorry i did not approach you a while ago since i am so focus on our family matter..."

"its fine milady it's not like you could do anything about that."

a chill breeze blew up as nia looked up the calm sky that cleared her chaotic mind.

"it's getting chilly now so i will escort you back to your room now, shall we go?"

she tucked up her hair flowing through the to her ears end began feeling lighter.

"yes we can go now."

as they walked by the alley the maid gently said

"it is hard to lose someone you treasure but it is harder for the one who had left because it is not only you that they left forever but also the entirity of what his life are made of, so learn on how to treasure while they are here."

She added that

"as they said it is always the beautiful flower that is always picked. so be at ease as he is now in the peace."

as eve about to end her advice they already reached the front door of leonas room. leona stayed silent as eve open the door for her and went in.

leona stood at the back of her door silently accepting her fathers death...

the next morning leona woke up early and began her patroll around the mansion she assessed how the gardeners, servants, butler, horse keeper, and the knights work.

she praised on how they are good at managing thier own work. she crossed path the horse keeper that was her childhood friend even though there are a huge difference of thier status.

"oww watch where you're going or someone might be badly hurt the next time..."

"i am so very sorry milad- lady nia is that really you?"

"ohh its you shin so you are still working here huh."

"yeah i cannot seem to leave the duchy as you might come back anytime soon, i have been waiting for your return!!!"

"me too long time no see my FRIEND!! how have you been?"

"ohh i am fine the whole time. "

in his mind

*ohh a friend.. huh that hurts pretty bad...*

"i hope you have been in a good care all this time shin but just from the look of your physics i guess you are absolutely fine hehe."

" yeahh i am although look at how your body is covered in scars it must be pretty tough in the battlefield but since you are here alive and pretty well i don not have anything to worry about, ..... and uhmm i offer you my condolences lady nia...."

" thank you shin anyways i have some matter to attend to so i must go out of my way now, its nice to see you again!!."

"same goes to you milady until next time then." [bow and showed respect].

"so he is here i were thinking on how shins been since the day of my departure i am glad he is alright."

she cluthed her hand on her chest as she sigh a relief.

"i must go on My way and see how my brother is fairing, lix are you in there?"

"ohh its my sister she's here!! hello sis!! whats up you need something from me?"

"what do you mean if i need something from you, can't i see my lil brother without reason huh?" [pouting]

"uhh no sis i did not mean it. come in and lets have a chat."

"ohh wel if you say so. so how's mother last night when i left?"

"she was crying about fathers passing and overstimulated by the duchy...."

"well i am to blame to that. no! sis you are not to blame."

"but i am the one who diclined mother from appointing me and now you must have hated me for putting all the burden onto you...."