Rags To Royals (Royal #1: Book 1) | ✔

11

-• an enemy •-

Agastya looks like "no rules" man, and that brings me on the edge. Because so far, Yuvraaj has acted like my shield, even if it is for his own reputation's sake. Honestly, I didn't imagine someone to have enough guts to stand up against him. But here it is, my biggest nightmare coming true, being hated in the place I am supposed to settle in as my own house.

He regards me with so much hatred I feel stumped for a moment. We've never seen each other before, never crossed paths before this very moment, yet the look on his face penalises me as the most hateful person in his life. I don't have to wonder why. I'm a daughter of the another woman, a woman he probably thinks was his father's mistress, the one he loved more than his own wife.

Hence, I try to understand him. But even with so much sympathy filled in my heart for his reasons to hate me, I fail to form a concrete evidence as to why he would hate me of all people when I'm just as clueless about the whole thing as him.

I didn't even know my father was alive four days ago.

But the longer I look at him, the larger I feel threatened by his presence.

A shiver racks down my body, causing the fork in my hand to drop down with a clink. Multiple pair of eyes draw back to me and I gulp. I feel dad's hand rest on top of mine and I clutch his fingers in my palm, trusting if no one else, he'll always have my back.

"The room is on the third floor, beside Ayush's, near the library. All the other rooms have been unused for more than ten years. It is closer to the staircase and elevator, offers a good view, and possibly has the best ventilation out of all the other rooms on the third floor." Yuvraaj states nonchalantly.

Agastya lets out a scoff. "You cannot be serious. Don't give me those bullshit reasons, Bhai. We all know how important that room is for all of us-"

"No, it is not." Yuvraaj cuts him off sharply. "Except you, no other person in this family is even remotely attached to that room."

Agastya's face morphs into a look of disbelief. "How can you say that? Does our dead mother mean nothing to you?" He whispers.

Oh.

So that room belonged to his mother once.

But wait, aren't the elders, or more precisely, family members of higher ranks supposed to live on the ground floor? Then why was their mother given a room on the third floor?

Yuvraaj presses his fingers onto his temples. His fingers twitch and jaw locks visibly. I ball my hand into a fist nervously. How can someone ever have courage to get on this man's nerves is beyond me. The one time I did it on the airplane, I still regret it. But then again, they are brothers, blood brothers. And they seem to have the same temper levels. But Yuvraaj's temper is feared, whereas Agastya's temper, by the looks on everyone's faces, is tolerated.

"All you've to do is shift her to a new room and he'll be out of your hair," Vivaan mumbles quietly, trying to find the middle ground.

Yuvraaj glares at him. He does not seem like he is looking for a mediator right now. And he definitely doesn't look like he has the habit to give into people's demands, especially when they contradict his decisions.

"Yeah, or maybe we can bring her down to the ground floor?" Dad suggests.

My ears perk up at that. Not just because of the ease and convenience I'll have, but also for pride reasons. Living on the ground floor seems like a pretty big deal around here. And considering how each one of my half brothers' eyes, except the pair of eldest ones, go wide in disbelief, I can say if I do get to live on the ground floor, I'm winning.