Ink: Living Life as Serena Gleis

VIII: A Night in the Forest

Serena, age sixteen.

It's been two years now. My life in the Duke's manor is better.  The servants' attitude and their treatment of me got also better. Lucille and Marshall are casted out of Gleis, as the Duke knew how they punished me. Other than then, the servants stayed in the manor. 

The Duke might be as busy as before but he tries his best to come home and spend time with us. He really is trying to fix his relationship with us and I appreciate it.

I get closer to Caspian and even Emyr. I can now say that I am happy. I finally accomplished what Serena wanted. I am finally cared and loved. All I have to do now is get out the way of the heroine and the male lead then I'll be safe.

All I want is to live a peaceful life where I don't have to work anyway. Truly a dream of a slave of capitalism.

"Sister!" Caspian called. He grew taller over the years but he still kept the innocence and charm in him.

"Slow down, Cas." I reminded him. He sat beside me and ate a cookie that Noelle has served earlier.

"I'm bored." He complained.

"How about playing with Emyr?" I asked.

"He's busy with his classes." Caspian pouted. Emyr is the successor of the Duchy as he is the first son of the Duke so he's always busy studying whatever he needs to do.

My life now here in the manor is pretty laid back. I just attend classes if I wanted to or stroll in the garden and play with Caspian. This is the life. I don't have to work and I can just lounge around, doing nothing but it gets boring, I don't have smartphones nor televisions here for entertainment. I mean, we have thousands of books in the duchy's private library but it's a shame that there's no romance novels there. Well, it's considered as entertainment for commoners so  the library we have here doesn't have a single romance novel.

"You're still wearing the necklace I gave you?" I asked as I have noticed my gift dangling on Caspian's neck.

"Yeah! Mother broke it and threw it away the night you gave it to me but I was surprised when Emyr fixed it and gave it back to me." He said. Emyr might be a cold person on the outside but he has a soft spot for his brother and I find it really cute.

I just hope that their relationship will not be ruined just like what I wrote in my book.

The day has passed just like that. The Duke never pressured Caspian and I to take classes though, we are required to take the court etiquette one as he said that we'll start socializing soon and it is important for us to behave as good as possible.

It is dinner soon. We have to dine together as Father will leave tomorrow to visit neighboring countries, his usual business meetings.

Eversince the incident, he put effort to be a better father for the three of us and I can feel that the relationship between his sons and him has improved a lot. As for me, It's difficult. I forgave him long ago but I can never forget.

"Sister! Let's go together." Caspian called me. So Noelle and I hurried and went to the dining hall where a feast was served.

I sat on our normal seats, I slowly trained Serena's body to sit on chairs while eating and It took me a long time but I am still struggling to unlearn all of Serena's habits.

"Father!" Caspian ran to the Duke and gave him a hug.

"How are you, son?" The duke laughed and hugged Caspian back.

"I'm okay!" He replied and sat on his respective seat.

We ate in silence, the food is as good as usual but still, I can't eat that much. My body is now as healthy as I can be due to the Duke's persuasion to regularly be checked and monitored by the dukedom's doctors.