I won't be the villainess

Chapter 15 - a new family

Anastasia flicked back her slightly wavy hair, now at the length to do so. It fell at the height of her breast, now quite long. She took out her uniform, a new one for this academic year. The design for third year, fourth year and fifth year students were different to first and second year, and the uniform for sixth year students was different from them all. She wore a white, three-quarter sleeved shirt tucked into a high-waisted, short, grey, pleated skirt that fell half way down her thighs. Thin grey tights covered her legs, feet covered by black trainer-like shoes that she had customised at the cordwainers. She was wearing a grey tie, replacing the grey ribbon that had been around her neck since first year. Anastasia slipped on her ebony-coloured jumper and looked in the mirror. Her hair was nearing the length that Antoinette had once kept hers at, and she didn't like that. She gave a short laugh internally.

'Well if I cut my hair I think Aunt Marilyn would have a heart attack.'

She picked up her grey bag, slinging it over one shoulder before grabbing her dance kit and exiting her dorm apartment, locking the door behind her. As routine, she saw her 4 closest friends waiting outside the canteen for her.

"Late as usual, Stasia. As your best friend I think you should hurry your ass sometimes."

"Leo shut up, you're just as bad as I am."

Melissa and Kieran burst into laughter as Leo rolled his eyes in mock upset and took Anastasia's dance kit, putting it over his own shoulder. Leonard, Kieran and Jamison were all wearing new uniforms. The uniform included a change from grey shorts to grey trousers. Jamison and Kieran both wore the black jumpers that the school offered. The three of them were in their growth periods, now growing taller than Anastasia. Melissa wore the same uniform as Anastasia, only differing in how she wore a black cardigan instead of a jumper. Anastasia looked at them all laughing, remembering that she wouldn't be sharing classes with them most of the time. The five of them walked into the canteen, for the regular meal.

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They had planned to release the mana phones under a new company under Anastasia's name. In order for her to do so, she needed to have a noble title. This lead to Anastasia being granted the title of the second duchess of Kou. She was granted a manor and servants, a permanent home to go to for the holidays, instead of staying at Melissa's family home. Anastasia found solace with the maids and butlers of her new home, coming to think of them as her own family, as did they. During her holiday stays they became familiar with her and her habits such as how she woke up early to go on daily runs or had them all eat together every now and then. She worked hard alongside her head butler and personal maid as they taught her how to sort out paperwork and make decisions that the head of the house would. Queen Marilyn took in her eagerness and with the smartness inherited from her previous life, she was invited to join 'Majesty's Table'- a group of, now, twelve people that had gained the trust and acknowledgement of ability to serve directly under His Majesty and Her Majesty. Anastasia was one of the only 2 females at the table, and she was by far the youngest. The others taught her how to work efficiently and took her under their wings. Like the other members, she had a mana 'tattoo' of the words 'Majesty's Lady' across her left collar bone, and opted to wear off-shoulder dresses when at balls.

With her working for the Table, doing school work and creating school courses, Anastasia found herself working hard, almost to the point of collapsing. There were times when she felt like giving up, but she continued to work. Unlike the other four of her closest friends, who had already gone above and beyond to take two courses each, Anastasia had gone even further, taking all three courses. She had little to none time to do anything other than work and study. It was only when she had collapsed in her room and was sternly scolded by her personal maid that she began to take breaks every now and then, while Her Majesty sent her on more trips out of the castle and out to other places.

It was on a trip to Her Majesty's orphanage where Anastasia had learnt about a pair of twins, a boy and girl, who weren't close with the other kids or workers. She became close with them, and soon enough she was the only person they would willingly interact with. Anastasia had decided to legally take them in as her siblings. They both had gorgeous platinum-blue tinted hair and green eyes. The orphanage head told her that they didn't have names that they knew of, because the children wouldn't speak.

"Hey guys, I'm guessing someone told you what's happening?"

They looked at her and blinked, before nodding their heads. She ducked down to their height.

"Well then, I guess I'm going to have to know your names since I've just been going 'he' 'she' and 'you' this whole time!"

Anastasia smiled at them and waited patiently, until the girl grabbed onto her shirt sleeves.

"..we don't have names."

Anastasia hid the small pitiful feeling that rose inside of her- they didn't need that- and smiled at them, covering it all up.

"Then, I guess I'll just have to give you names!"

She was reminded of her two foreign siblings as Jieun, and in the moment, she chose their names.

"Then, you are to be Cordelia d'Astello and... you will be Alastair d'Astello- is that okay with you two?"

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Anastasia spent most of her time after that making sure they got used to being around the maids and butlers of the house. The three of them slept in Anastasia's room, before she deemed them ready to sleep in their own section- a area that lead to two rooms that were for Cordelia and Alastair respectively. There was one night soon after they moved into the manor where Anastasia woke up to the two of them crying. She cradled her new siblings seven years her juniors and whispered kind words to them. She ended her ment with:

"Do you know who you were named after?"

They shook their heads in her arms and lay listening to her, quiet from their cries.

"You two were named after two beautiful and talented children that I had once loved. They're now in a place far away from me, but I still remember them. Just like them, you two are so sweet and you're destined to be great- and I'm going to be here to watch it happen. To support you. To raise you. Because I'm your big sister, aren't I? We're the only family we have..."

The pair held on to their new sister tight, and Anastasia wouldn't know how they had fallen asleep vowing to love and trust her in that moment. How they had been vowing to love her like her old family had never.

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guys I did my research ;))

cordwainers - MAKE shoes
cobblers - FIX shoes

also I don't want any confusion so I'm changing d'Astelio to d'Astelo :)