Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

The warm, bright rays of the afternoon sun were the first thing to greet me the moment we left the school building and went for the school gates together with Ariella and Maggie.

Remembering all the past events that happened yesterday, I somehow recalled Alex and I spent the night sitting on the streets next to each other when that idiot slept on my shoulder and caused a great hassle to me all night. I also remembered falling asleep after that though.

But then the next thing I knew, I found myself sleeping in my room the next day.

I wondered if I just suddenly acquired the ability to fly and flew my way towards my room while I was asleep.

Whatever the reason behind all of this, I am not in the mood to know about it.

Today, my friends decided to visit a flower shop since Ariella was looking for some set of fresh bouquet of flowers that she will bring home to give to her mother. She says it is her birthday, that's why.

"I wish you could come with us again Krisella. You are very much invited to my mother's birthday." Ariella said, which alerted my senses to come up with another good excuse to ditch my friend's invitation.

"As much as I wanted to, my grandmother is not feeling well right now. Best wishes to your mother though." I tried to sound as apologetic as I could, and it somehow worked.

At the end of the school day, I found myself waving to my friends as they turned their backs on me and started walking away from here. As for me, I started walking as well.

This is going pretty bad than what I imagined. My lying skills are almost getting better and better each day that my senses are now acting on their own. I winced at the thought of it.

When I reached the marketplace, I happened to pass by a fruit vendor booth who sells freshly harvested fruits of different kinds placed on her small wagon. Since I love fruits and have still plenty of money left to spare, I drew in close to the fruit vendor who is an old woman.

"How much for these ripe mangoes?"

Suddenly, I stopped dead in my tracks the moment I heard that very familiar voice in front of me. When I propped my head up, I saw a familiar tall figure of a man in a set of gardening overalls paired with his straw hat covering his head filled with beige-colored hair…. also walking in and approaching the old lady. My mouth almost gaped at the sight.

I only knew one man who would be wearing this kind of outfit even in public places!

"Brother?!" I almost exclaimed in disbelief.

The one I called out as my brother hesitantly turned around towards my direction, his left hand holding a plastic of ripe mangoes he just purchased and a wooden basket on the other.

And I could have sworn the moment he saw me, his almond grey eyes almost sparkled.

"Kris! It's good to see you!"

One word about my brother before you finally meet him. His name is Devin Lancaster, and he is now eighteen. If I knew, he started working as a gardener for a rich family several feet away from our house, abandoning his dream of becoming a musician in order to provide a living for the family ever since father died.

"W-what are you doing here?!" I curiously asked.

Upon hearing my question, his beaming face swiftly turned into a grim one, and his sparkling eyes were filled with a small amount of rage.

"I think I should be the one asking you that, young lady. Not the other way around."

Fearing that people could hear us talking like this in a crowded place such as this, I dragged him, or at least I tried to, to a corner with fewer people loitering around. By the time I managed to do so, I faced him once again.

"I told you I will be enrolling in a magic institution here after I got my entrance exam results, remember? Then both you and mother… didn't approve it."

"That's because we just want to protect you." he insisted.

"Protect me from what?"

That question made my brother open his mouth to respond quickly but finding himself not able to speak. He would attempt to open it once more, then close it in just a matter of seconds.

Deciding to drop the matter, my brother Devin sighed and asked instead, "How are you doing now? Which household are you currently living in?"

That was the last thing that I would want to hear from him. But since he already asked, my senses are-- once again-- being activated to come up with a better excuse to save me from this kind of situation.

"I… uh… I was just living near here." I managed to say.

"Can I visit it? I just wanted to formally thank whoever let you into their house."

Another thing that I least wanted to hear…

"Not without asking permission first. It would be disrespectful if I just bring with me a visitor unannounced, right?"

He somehow agreed to it and said he would be willing to wait here while I ask permission from the caretaker of this imaginary house that I just made up.

I simply couldn't tell him that I'm actually living in a castle, can I?

With that thought in mind, I speed my way towards the castle and thank the heavens above for keeping the trio inside the castle!

Seeing my disheveled hair, and my worried face while I caught my breath, Lucas was the first one to pay attention to me.

"What happened Krisella? Is someone following you again?" the lad asked. I discreetly shook my head.

"No. It's actually far worse than that. My brother has paid me a sudden visit this day and would like to meet the persons whom I am staying with here in Citadel. Could you please help me with this one?"

I bowed my head in sincere apology for this sudden nuisance that I have caused these three. As expected, I heard Alex clicked his tongue, an action he only does when he gets annoyed.

"It can't be helped but to use my house a few meters away from here. Only my grandma and the maid I hired to take care of her were the only ones who are staying there."

My eyes went round upon hearing these words from Alex. If I understand it correctly, he is offering his house as my way to evade this awkward situation with my brother?

"Right! Alex's house is the most convenient one to use, and the nearest from here as well." Lancelot agreed.

---

And so it was then decided that we will use Alex's house as the house that I am currently staying here in Citadel. The captain quickly went towards his house to somehow inform his grandma and the servant about the situation we are currently in.

As for me, I was told to see my brother once more to where I have left them off and guide him towards Alex's house. With a little guidance from Lancelot, I managed to memorize the streets that I need to pass by in order for us to reach that jerk's house.

Thanks to my sharp memory, my brother and I reached our destination in no time. It took all the willpower I got not to gape and look surprised at what greeted us the moment we arrived at our destination.

In front of us stands a house that is long and narrow, probably only twelve feet wide at the front, but it stretched some thirty feet back like a giant shoebox and is approximately two stories high painted in bright white color. In contrast to its color is its roof which was painted deep red. .A beautiful rose garden was planted in front, that made the house look more gorgeous in my eyes.

"I see the owner likes gardening as well." As expected, the garden was the first thing that caught my brother's attention.

When we stepped towards the doorway, an elderly woman, probably in her fifties or sixties, I am not quite sure, opened the wooden door just in time for our arrival. It surprised me when she beamed at me the moment she saw me here.

"Welcome back Krisella." the woman said, which I didn't know how to address her. "And I suppose this is your brother that you mentioned?"

I swallowed back my confusion and responded. "Y-yes, grandma. His name is Devin."

"What a fine young man you are. Come inside children. I have my servant Rica prepared some delicious snacks for you."

Soon enough, I found myself finally entering Alex's house. Everything inside the house is neat and was well arranged. From the photographs that hang on the wall, all the way to the furniture that were arranged beautifully. The floor was an old fashioned parquet with a blend of deep homely brown and the walls are also painted in white.

The old lady then motioned us to sit on their caramel-colored couch while the servant brought in the food. In return, my brother showed her a basket full of vegetables that he purposely brought with him to give it to the caretaker as his way of saying thank you for letting me inside her home.

"What lovely vegetables you have here." the lady said in delight after carefully examining the insides of the basket.

Just as the servant brings in a tray of freshly-baked cookies and two glasses of orange juice, that would also be the time where Alex and Lucas chose to show up out of nowhere.

"Krisella… I see you're with your brother today." I heard Lucas said, feigning surprise.

And I could have sworn to see my brother's face tensed the moment he sees my friends entering the scene…