The Rival Queen

Chapter 7| Mana and IQ Ceremony

"Luisa ?"

She avert her eyes, making me more suspicious of her. The children, who finally stopped bowing, was looking at me and Luisa with a confused look, possibly guessing we were fighting. Gritting my teeth, I forced a smile to keep the children happy.

"Sorry, we're just talking, no need to worry" I assured the children, secretly giving Luisa a look that seemed to be saying 'We'll talk later'. But that talk never came. After two weeks in the hospital, I was released with the children.

With no orphanage to go to anymore and no parents wanting another child, I was forced (albeit happily) to take them in as my servants in my home. There was no argument with my mother and my father was still ignoring me, so I was able to keep them without any opposition from my parents. The servants were delighted to have new faces so there wasn't any problem whatsoever about them fitting in. Overall, they were all very happy with my decision of taking them in.

The rest of the month, my mind would began wandering to my IQ and Mana Ceremony. How will my sister and I meet ? Is she as snobby as the rest of the snobs ? Or she really kind as the rumors say she is ? Questions of my sister would pop up on my head though that wasn't all my thoughts. I also thought of the boys and the test. What would it be, I wonder ?

As the month reached to an end, I prepared myself for the upcoming ceremony. Though most of my female servants would love to see the handsome prodigy that will do the test this year, I picked Luisa and North to come with me since Luisa only cares about my safe being and North is male. I figured that was the right choice too because North has been learning the ways of the knight under my maternal grandfather, who was a respected knight captain in the Army.

Packages and luggage packed and ready, I was about to go inside the carriage when mother stopped me. It was months since she last talked to me and just hearing her wanting to talk to me was a great happiness to me.

"Rein..I want to talk to you" my mother, Elizabeth, pulled me to a side. I was hesitant however. From all my years of staying inside the mansion of the Aurelia Family, I learned the hard way she hated me. What if she try to hit me to satisfy herself that she isn't wrong or something ? Even though those doubts were in my head, I still went to the side she was on. Once reaching there, she smiled weakly at me. I was about to excuse myself when she began to hug me tightly like I might leave forever.

"Dear, I'm so proud of you" she said to me affectionately, "I know I haven't been the best mother in this seven years in your life and I know your just a child but I just wanted to say I'm sorry for causing you so much pain, when I saw you in that hospital bed bedridden, I was truly terrified, what if I lose you too ? What if I lose my chance to care for you and you'll leave me like your father ? Those were my thoughts" she was crying already.

I felt sympathy for my mother. Every birthday of mine, she would hide inside her room, crying for my father to love her and forgive her. She was so sad that it made my heart ache. I was so scared she might even try to kill herself just to ease the pain. And now she's here, apologizing for the years I felt many emotions that could have made me do wrong.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" she apologized with her knees buckled to the ground. I wanted to hug her back. I really did. But my heart was already wavering from my resolute to see her smile this past few months. I feel so ashamed I even thought of letting go of one of my goals. Instead of hugging her, I smiled as wide as I can. I kept chanting that it was okay and I shouldn't cry but my thoughts failed me.

I was tearing up. And as much as I feel stubborn to admit it, it made me feel lighter inside my chest. Finally finished with our wailing, I left the dukedom with a lighter chest. Luisa and North, confused by my smiling face, asked me why I was so happy.

"Ojou-sama/Miss Rein, you seem so happy, what happened ?"

I smiled at their confused faces but I shook my head, not telling them what happened.

It was me and my mother's secret.