** Hein POV **
I don't know what came over me. I'm now wearing the ring he gave me. Though I like its design, I still need to talk to him later. But first, I need my sleep before my next schedule begins.
When I wake up, everything that happened comes rushing back.
I groan.
And to make things worse — I just got my period. Great. I skipped my shift at Dia Hospital but still went to the orphanage.
Argh! This is crazy.
I grab my phone and call the hospital. It rings only once before Elena answers.
"Hein? Where are you? Are you coming today? You've never been late before! What's going on?" she fires off one question after another.
I stay silent, waiting for her to stop.
"You done?" I finally ask.
"Ehehe! Sorry, I just got worried. We couldn't find you here," she says, her voice softening.
"I apologize for today's mishap. But I'll come tomorrow, if you don't mind."
"Is something wrong?" she asks again.
I don't answer. She sighs.
"Okay then. You can come tomorrow."
"Thanks."
It's already Sunday. After Stanlee and I finished at the orphanage, I asked to go home. It was late anyway.
When I check the time, it's 4 a.m. I get up and start my morning routine. As I open the gate, I know I'm doomed.
"Bonjour, ma très chère sœur," my brother Haze greets cheerfully. (Hello, my dearest sister.)
I stare at them blankly. I already expected they'd come — with the three of them are already here, it was only a matter of time.
"Oh! Allez, princesse. Ne sois pas comme ça," Hail teases. (Oh! Come on, princess. Don't be like that.)
"Assez, les garçons!" Hans cuts in firmly. (Enough, boys!)
I sigh. "Parlons, mais pas ici," I say calmly. (Let's talk, but not here.)
They nod, slightly off guard. This is going to be a long talk.
"Mais enfin, pourquoi ce soupir? Serais-tu déçue de nous voir ici?" Hail asks, pretending to be hurt. (But really, why the sigh? Could it be that you're disappointed to see us here?)
Skipping my morning jog wasn't part of my plan, but we need to fix this issue first.
We go to a nearby café. I order their favorites while they still stare at me in disbelief.
"Tu peux arrêter de me regarder, s'il te plaît?" I say politely. (Can you stop looking at me, please?)
"Allez, tu ne vas pas nous en vouloir, quand même?" Haze says with a grin. (Come on, sister, you're not going to blame us, are you?)
"Eh bien, princesse, tu nous as abandonnés si longtemps... à quoi t'attendais-tu?" Hans adds dramatically. (Well, princess, you abandoned us for so long... what did you expect?)
I'm speechless. When our orders arrive, they just eat quietly. Watching them I just smile, I feel that familiar warmth again — the comfort of being with them. I missed this. But there's still something I need to tell them — something important.
When they're nearly done, I speak.
"Mon frère, je souhaite que tu reviennes au royaume pour aider Papa à régner sur le trône." (My brother, I wish for you to return to the kingdom to help Papa reign on the throne.)
They freeze, eyes wide, silently demanding an explanation. I shake my head, take a sip of coffee, and let them see what they need to see.
"P–princesse..." the three of them whisper in unison, staring at the ring on my finger.
"Quand cela est-il arrivé?" Haze asks, worried. (When did this happen?)
"Pouvons-nous le rencontrer?" Hans follows. (Can we meet him?)
"Il est bon?" Hail questions. (Is he good?)
I look at them one by one until they finish.
"Quoi? Tu vas juste regarder?" (What? Are you just going to look?)
"Tu ne comptes pas répondre?" (Are you not planning to answer?)
"Nous devrions nous concentrer sur cette affaire, tu sais?" (We should focus on this matter, you know?)
They start bombarding me with endless questions. I sigh and stand up to leave — but they stop me, realizing I hate being overwhelmed.
"Attends!" (Wait!)
"D'accord." (Okay.)
"Alors..." (Then...)
I sit down again.
"Mes chers, êtes-vous apaisés maintenant?" I ask softly. (My dear ones, are you calm now?)
They nod repeatedly.
"Eh bien..." I begin. (So, then...)
I explain everything — my plans, my reasons, my choice. By the time we're finished, it's already six in the morning.
"Vous comprenez bien, n'est-ce pas?" I ask sincerely. (You do understand, don't you?)
"Oui, m–mais... pouvons-nous rester ici un petit moment? Nous voulons être avec toi. Tu sais, notre petite princesse nous a manqué aussi," Haze says softly. (Yeah, b–but... can we stay here for a little while? We want to be with you. We missed our little princess too, you know.)
"Ce sera juste une semaine, d'accord, mon frère?" I plead. (It will be just a week, okay, my brother?)
"Bien sûr, ma sœur!" (Of course, my sister!)
"Oui, bien sûr, aucun problème!" (Yes, of course, no problem!)
"Évidemment, ma sœur. Aucun problème." (Naturally, my sister. No problem.)
I can't help it — I smile widely at them. For a moment, everything feels right again.
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**IceQueenStoneHeart**
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The Running Heir
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