I am Athy's older sister??? Oh well

Chapter 19: Town

Quote: "Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you."

—Aldous Huxley

(no proof reading was done) 

------ ----------- ------------- -----

"Ahh, it seems like a bug has gotten into my palace, how annoying." Iris said as she signed and got back to her reading, ignoring the black haired man, who smirked in amusement and took a seat opposite to Iris.

"Seems you are back from the war. You grew so much, it was like yesterday when you were this tiny asking me to carry you around my mansion cause your legs hurt." Viscount Patterson, who gave up on hiding his real identity after the second time he met Iris, spoke with sarcasm.

"....I didn't know you were getting this old, to the point you started having a memory loss...tsk tsk tsk." Iris said with a tired sign. Clearly remembering that it was indeed the black haired who always carried her even though she didn't want to, hell she even struggled and gave him a hard time as she wanted to get down and walk on her own.

"Haha....I have heard that you are mute? Didn't see that coming." Anastacius said with a tight smile as he decided to change the topic.
"You knew about this didn't you? Also it's tiring to talk with people here, especially when I know in the end all I am going to do is start an argument. So what brings you here?" asked Iris, quite curious to see her 'uncle' here.

They had spent quite quality time together in the past before Iris went to war site and Anastacius decided to get down to his serious matters, or as one would say planning.It was Anatacius who had taught Iris the concept of Mana, i know a bit unexpected for him, but he still hadn't let go of the concept of making Iris his stepping stone for the throne.

"Well, I did expect you to not act mute when you came back, glad to see now they don't think you are a boy." Anastacius said as he stared outside the window.

"What brings you here?" Iris repeated her question, still reading her book.

"Tomorrow's your birthday." said Anastacius, as he averted his eyes and looked at Iris.

"Mhmmmmmm....my present!" Iris said as she demanded for her present, with her hand forward expecting him to give her a bunch of gold, like every other year.

"No. This year, let's go to town." Anastacius said with a nod. "Can I have alcohol?" Iris asked, there were many times she had caught Anastasius in the town drinking.

"No. We will go to the festival." Anastacius said as he got up, just to meet Iris's 'are you serious?' stare.

"How's the scar?" Anastacisu asked as his eyes landed on Iris's left hand that was covered with the thin coat she was wearing. He remembers the day as clear as holy water, the time when he came to check up on Iris, and saw her standing there in the kitchen staring blankly at the spilled food on the floor, as her hand burned due to it being splashed on her. He remembers her breaking down after seeing him, it was the first and the last time she had cried, not knowing what to do. All he could do was hug her to comfort her, as he desperately took her back to his mansion and urgently called for a doctor.

After that day, never, he had never allowed her to step back in the kitchen, well before she left to the war site. He had not idea what got into him that day, which led him to panic so much and even threatening to torture the doctor.

"It doesn't hurt anymore! Alright, off to the festival we go!!!" Iris spoke as she dragged the zoned off Anastacius to the town (she changed her appearance, to brown hair and brown eyes (the one she had at the very start of the story when she would sneak out of the palace)).