Everyone is Obsessed With Me (reupload)

Chapter 24

The taste of bitter tea filled his palate like poison. Hanbal's palate is naturally mild. Years of eating stale leftover bread had left his original body very reluctant to accept anything flavourful. Although there were a few times he was allowed to join his family at the table, those times were few and far between. He was fortunate that the few times he was allowed into the dining hall were on the day of his transmigration.

Rayder sat there, watching, a twinkle of amusement in his dark eyes. His eyes were of a similar shade of yellow as his siblings' and father's, but his were of a darker shade, very similar to hazel or brown. His mother was beautiful, with long white hair and hazel eyes. Unlike her sister, a pure albino, her beauty was like nature itself.

As Hanbal swallowed the bitter tea with great difficulty, there was a heavy knocking at the door, causing him to glance over with the teacup slowly creeping up his lips. As if stalling, he paused and waited for Rayder to voice his permission, but for a long minute, there was silence. Rayder did not even lift his gaze away from Hanbal's face. It was as if he chose not to acknowledge whatever was going on at the other side.

But the person seemed persistent enough to keep knocking.

Rayder's face twisted slightly in annoyance, and the once gentle curve on his lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He did not bother to raise his voice - instead, his fingers tapped against the armrest a few times. A shadow appeared behind him with eyes as cold as the winter's night. Dressed in all black and stood as tall as a wall. The man bowed once and wordlessly moved towards the door. With a flick of his hand, the door flung open, revealing a small stature.

With long white hair tied up into pigtails, adorned with pink flowers and a pink ribbon. She wore a long white dress with ruffles on her sleeves. Her dress was flowy and layered, making her look like a fairy. Her eyes were wide with innocence and the bewilderment of a newborn deer. A small blush crept across her face as she looked down at her pink shoes. She was a peasant child who shared the blood of a noble, yet from just looking at her, no one would know she was born and raised in the slums. She had an air of grace around her that was prevalent amongst young noblewomen. A type of grace that is hard to fake unless you have lived a privileged life.

Hanbal lowered his gaze to his cup, his lips sealed into a straight line. Suspicion rose in his heart, yet he kept it down so as not to show it on his face. He found it strange how she would appear wherever he was, but then again, it was inevitable that they would have to cross paths one way or another.

"Brother?" Berenike spoke in a soft, bird-like voice. Her white lashes framed her wide doe eyes like curtains. She stared at Rayder, her smile beautiful and soft, her cheeks bulging with baby fat. A small, almost unnoticeable dimple appeared on her right cheek. From the outside, Rayder did not look like her at all. Well, he did not look like any of his siblings. His appearance was similar to his father's in many ways. With black hair that looked brown in the sun and warm hazel eyes, his appearance clashed greatly with his siblings'.

"You?" Rayder stared at the child for a moment. He flicked his wrist once, dismissing the guard without taking his eyes away from Berenike. His eyes scanned her, as if trying to pinpoint her existence in his brain. "Berenike?"

Her eyes widened slightly - a dazed, charming smile stretched on her lips, causing the dimple to deepen.

"Brother," She said, her hands clasping together, her eyes twinkling lightly. "Berenike misses brother..."

Rayder quirked a thick brow for a moment before the smile deepened. He got up and slowly bent down to Berenike's eye level and gently patted Berenike's white hair with brotherly affection. Berenike's eyes glanced upward slightly before they brightened significantly.

Hanbal placed the barely touched teacup on the table and watched with newfound interest. The display of familial affection greatly interested him. He grew up watching the children around him receive the love he could no longer bask in. Watching them made him feel as though he could experience it himself. However, what greatly interested him was not the overwhelming sweetness emanating from the two, but more so the way Berenike would glance to the side at times, as if looking at something.

Just as he was enjoying the show, Berenike turned to look at him. Her fawn-like eyes widened with excitement as she ran up to him.

"Brother, how is your head? Berenike was so worried. Are you okay?" She hugged his arm and pressed her body close to him, causing him to slightly move back. His eyebrow twitched with slight irritation, as he was not used to close contact with anyone. But just as he was about to scoot away, she leaned close to his ear. Her breath was hot against his cheek. She whispered something into his ear, her face so close he could feel the heat radiating off of her.

Hanbal froze slightly before pushing her away gently. He knew something suspicious was going on. But he could not express his worries as he was under the probing gaze of a predator.

"I was not aware you two were close," Rayder commented. His tone was mild and amused. He lazily leaned on his hand and watched with a new pair of eyes.

"We talked a few times," Hanbal smiled lightly.

"Yes, yes," Berenike nodded enthusiastically. "Hanbal is Berenike's baby brother. Berenike wants to get close with Hanbal."

Hanbal smiled lightly and nodded.

"I see," Rayder smiled, "It is wonderful to see my fellow siblings getting along."

Hanbal felt a slight chill climbing up his spine. He could not fully remember the dialogue in the novel, but from context clues, he was aware it was not something good. And coming from Rayder, it felt as though it was a death sentence of some sort.

"Big brother is so sweet," Berenike giggled, her pigtails swaying like bunny ears whenever she moved her head.

As Berenike spoke, Rayder's eyes locked onto Hanbal's - it was sharp and cold. He got up from his chair and slowly walked to the other side. His long, muscular arms reached out and scooped Hanbal into his arms. He glanced down at Berenike, a kind smile playing on his lips.

"Are you done talking?"

Berenike's smile froze, but she obediently nodded her head. Tears gathered in her eyes like raindrops. She folded her arms on her lap and looked down on it. But Rayder did not seem to notice - or maybe he did, but he did not seem to care enough. He simply walked to his desk and kissed Hanbal's fleshy cheeks.

Hanbal's eyes glanced to the side in growing annoyance and bit his cheeks to stop himself from sneering. He thought back to what Berenike had said and clenched his fist. He glanced out the window and stared down at the garden before a small smile made its way across his face. 

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This isn't edited because I just wanted to put this out there after not posting anything for weeks. My bad.