Who am I?
When memories that I wasn't familiar with started to invade my mind, disguised as haunting dreams, I didn't know how to feel.
For some moments when I saw a young girl reading a novel or playing a game of romance I was entranced, was that me, if that was me who was I. I remember my life, my mother who died too early, my indifferent father and my cold brothers. I remember my etiquette classes, I remember the time I fell ill with a great fever, in my body I can still sometimes imagine the pain I felt at the time. So were all these feelings and emotions a lie?
That couldn't be true, I knew in my very being that I was Kaelira Valendhart, the third child of Dominic Valendhart and Catherina Valendhart.
The fact that strange words sometimes appeared in my mind or that sometimes some behaviours seemed abnormal even though they are accepted in my society was just a minor inconvenience.
The girl I saw briefly only appeared when she was reading or playing, I've never seen her family, her behavior, I don't even know her name. That girl isn't me, she was just a means for me to see part of my world that was hidden...I'm Kaelira Valendhart, that was a fact that remained in my heart.
After collecting my thoughts I gave permission for the maids to enter my chambers, it is usual for them to wait outside my door until they are called, some noble ladies make their maids wake them up at a certain time but I don't have a need for that.
The maids entered swifty and formed two lines constituted by four maids each while keeping their heads down.
"Good morning my lady" they said in unison while bowing.
The maids were respectful towards me, they didn't like me but couldn't directly harm or insult me. Their motives for this dislike were based on the fact that I wasn't the most excited person in the mansion when Allara arrived at the tender age of six and since then I have been very opposed to many things she does. I guess that animosity contrasted with the deep love the maids had for a hardworking lovely young lady like Allara.
We are the same age but while she seemed to always gain as the years go by I tend to lose...lose the love of my family, the respect I once thought was something normal that I didn't have to battle and even the favor of the servants.
They weren't at fault really and I never put the blame on someone other than me, but still seeing the contrast on the way they view me and the way they view Allara was quite shocking.
"You may raise your heads" calmly they all start to raise their lowered heads but not fully, never meeting me in the eye, that was the way servants were trained, to show respect but never too much closeness. Allara didn't care about that, maybe that's why they seem so carefree with her, she might seem like an approachable lady that way while I am the common face and attitude of a noble who revels in her superiority complex.
These little things that seemed so normal before start to feel a little upsetting.
Deciding that it is pointless to continue being stuck in my own perturbed mind I begin to get dressed with the help of the maids, starting to get ready to confront the day ahead of me.
After all today Orpheon comes to visit and that is something that requires quite a lot from me mentally.
Maybe that made me have the strange dream from last night, but that doesn't matter I'm sure that he will meet Allara accidentally like they always do in my dream world.
It's like their fates are intertwined, every time he comes to visit him and Allara meet unexpectedly without even wanting to.
That is the beginning of his infatuation with her, he visits every month and every month they see each other even if it's just a quick glance, that makes him start to want to see her more but never really knowing why.
His obsession only grows stronger and he starts to realize his feelings once the story starts after the time skip.
Technically the story starts when the three of us were six and Allara came to the Valendhart household then we have some months of storytime while she gets used to the life at the duchy, her relationships with the family and her quick encounter with Orpheon and the crown prince.
Then time goes by quickly and suddenly she is seventeen, six months before her eighteenth birthday. So right now Orpheon doesn't realize what is the meaning of the curiosity he is starting to feel.
We are now sixteen, so I still have one year before the story starts to put a plan in motion.
I come out of my room with a beautiful golden dress with little red ornaments and my hair styled in a tight elegant bun, my blond hair is the only thing that resembles my late mother and is something that I deeply treasure being the only thing I inherited from her.
As I descend the stairs in the direction of the first floor, I briefly pass in the second floor, coming face to face with Lock Valendhart, the younger twin and my older brother who is now eighteen.
His appearance was quite disheveled, his crimson hair was messy like he just didn't care to brush it but it still remained entrancing, beautiful, like the fire that spread and never ceased and like the vibrant colors of the autumn leaves. His eyes, the eyes that had made him feel ashamed now shone brightly, the grey in his eyes was the only thing that differed from his twin but still didn't take away from the beauty that he exuded.
My twin brothers were both fire, in personality and appearance just like my father.
My older brother, the first born named Araddon Valendhart had the same crimson hair as his father and brother but he was the spitting image of our father with eyes as green and deep as the forests from Dangor, the country reined by the greens of it's lands and abundance of it's earth.
None of us resembled mother with her clear blue eyes bright like the sky, even my hair couldn't come close to the magnificent blonde hair that resembled the fields of wheat swaying in the sun, mine wasn't so bright it would never be as bright as hers.
For my father who was obsessed with mother what he wanted most was a child who resembled the love of his life and yet he received three children who had his traits. My green eyes aren't as deep as father's and Araddon' s but they are not the blue that Allara helds.
Allara with her blue eyes and innocent beautiful face is more similar to mother than her own children.
"What are you looking at?" he asked or rather accused, not really wanting an answer just being spiteful, and taking me away from thoughts.
Lock is always like that, aggressive with his words, impulsive and really annoying, at least to me.
He wasn't like that before mother's death but I guess the countless rumors about me made him change his mind.
"Good morning dear brother. It seems you still think too highly of yourself, I was simply admiring the beauty of the second floor, after all it is nothing like the third were I reside in. How can I explain..." With one hand raised and the other holding my elbow I point my finger in my chin and pretend to wonder "It's just so lively, I guess it's because brother is just a ray of sunshine that illuminates it." I might have been a little too sarcastic and ended up with a little cute laugh just to lighten the mood so he doesn't throw another tantrum about my insolence.
He just makes one of those 'tsk' sounds and bumps my shoulder while continuing down the stairs, could've been worse.
At least I didn't have to listen to another recital about my behavior.
"Brother don't run, let's go together!" I exclaim in a high pitched voice, he seemed to be too calm today might as well take advantage of his good mood.
"Shut up." He shouts skipping down the stairs.
Such a gentleman.
I continue my way down the stairs gracefully not like that savage of a brother.
Reaching the doors of the banquet hall a servant that was guarding the door opens it for me.
"Thank you." I say feeling that I could've done it myself like I always have, but it's good that he did it.
Maybe he's new, I wonder.
It is courtesy for the servant to open the door and announce the person but we are not at a ceremony so there's no need.
But the servants always do it for Allara so I'm feeling quite great with his action, that's why I thanked him even though it's against etiquette.
He lowers his head even further and his ears become stained with a cute red as bright as cherries.
Entering the room I see that everyone except Allara is here.
Father sits at the top of the table, Araddon on his left side and Lock on the left side of the chair on father's right.
That place was where mother used to sit, as close to father as possible, now it's where Allara sits.
It is quite laughable that in the type of novel that based itself on this world fathers don't love their children equally, showing clearly who seems to be their favorite.
I am not just talking about myself the way he treats the twins is different, more distant like he's a sponsor and their the talents that reside in his house.
Since mother's death he's been like that, couldn't blame him until I saw the differences, he is a man who still needs to know how to treat his children right and equally.
"Good morning Father and brother. It is always a pleasure to see you." I bow down, lifting my dress lightly and showing the outmost courtesy to the head of the house.
They look at me and Father just nods his head acknowledging my presence but not really saying anything just sipping on his wine.
I walk to my place next to Araddon and sit down as straight as I was taught to, maintaining posture even while Araddon glares dagger at me.
Such a lovely family.
We stay like this for a while and the silence could easily cut the air around us.
We can't eat until the head of the family starts and Father will always wait for his precious daughter.
And that's when she enters, on all her glory, the female lead Allara Valendhart.
Her maid opens the door for her and she enters excited after thanking the maid and then starts walking quickly to her place.
"Good morning Father!!" Her voice is quite high pitched, not unlikeable, it is quite lovely and is sometimes praised for being pleasent to the ears. "Sorry for being late."
But for me it just seems quite childish beneath all the loveliness but that might be my jealousy talking.
"That's okay Lara, sit down and eat calmly no need to rush." she laughed and Father smiled making the little wrinkles that formed on his sculpted face visible.
"Thank you Father, I'll try to be early next time." Allara promises sitting down.
She doesn't follow etiquette, she should have bowed to the duke and the rest of the family as soon as she entered but Allara was always free spirited and Father was more than happy to go along with her insobordinance.
Allara isn't the type to be unruly, she is quite mature this being her second life but maybe after being too spoiled these years she became a little to carefree not following the expectations of nobles.
Something that should be a problem when she debuted in high society but according to the novel that way of hers makes the male leads fall head over heels. The noble ladies on the contrary bully her for a while before father and the twins find out and ruin their families even Orpheon joined them.
But there's still a year before that, maybe I should advice her to behave more like a lady.
Or maybe not that might backfire and I might be considered the bully.
"Ally don't make promises you can't follow." Lock intervenes laughing "You're always late."
"Don't say that brother, that's a complete lie!" She exclaims feigning offense with a little pout. "I'm a very busy person that's why I someti-"
"Everytime" Lock says smirking with his arms crossed.
"Shut up brother, for your information that makes me seem like I have no manners and I am quite a mannered lady, am I not?"
"Yes you are Lara, you're brother is just messing with you" Father joins in the conversation and starts patting her head.
"Father is the only one who defends me, thank you." They smile to one another.
"Don't say that Ally that makes me feel excluded" Araddon who was silent until then finally speaks up in a light tone.
Contrary to his daily serious appearance it's in these are moments that he is calmer more laid back.
And then there's me in all of my defeated glory.
The forgotten child, the one who no one likes.
Just because of my mistakes as a young child.
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I hope you liked it!
What is your first impression of the characters?