Rebirth : Rise of the Phoenix

(#37) Family Dinner

How can he say that? To me, to be precise.

At the least, I am a Royal Advisor's daughter. He should have shown the respect for that.

Ana, you are within my grasp?! What nonsense is that? It sounds like I am the one who wants to run into his hands.

He is just a scumbag.

"Ana." Father called me.

"I won't." I said and every one at the table, that is, Father, Belle and Rais looked at me in a, what-the-hell, manner.

"You won't what?" Rais asked. "Nothing, nothing." I said, waving off.

"There is something, definitely." Rais said. "When I say there isn't anything, when there clearly is something, that means that you are not supposed to ask me about it, get it?" I asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I never thought that you can be so scary." Rais said.

"Did you get, or not?" I asked, staring at him.

"I get it, I get it. I completely get it. Goodness, I will do anything to get a scare like that again." Rais said.

"You better." I said, smiling, knowing that it will give him goose bumps. And as expected, he shivered and got goose bumps all over his body.

"You finally know how to differentiate the good Anastasia and the evil Anastasia. Good for you, other wise your life ahead will only get more troublesome." Belle said.

"You should listen to your sister sometimes. Don't always ignore what she has to tell giving the excuse tha you are the Elder Brother." I said.

"Yes, Madam. I will listen to everything that Lady Aesther has to say." Rais said and bowed.

I then got up from my seat and playfully slapped his head.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Remember that, at the end of the day, you are still my brother." I said.

He smiled. "You said it yourself. You can't back off now." Rais said.

"How can you, I mean, how you dare tell that to a member of the House of Aesther? We Aesther are long known for being truthful and keeping their word." I said.

"That I agree." Father said.

"And even if we want to break our promise and become a liar, we can't. Because, honesty is embedded tight in our blood." I said.

"Very true. That is why we are called Bad Liars by the society." Father said.

"But that is not very much of an insult, you see. It can also be interpreted as people who can't lie, that means, honest people." Rais said.

"Wow. Staying with me, you have gotten some of my characteristics and have started thinking about things." I said.

"As much as I would like to oppose, it is indeed the truth. After I started being with you, I started thinking before speaking. I then found out that, most of the things I speak are rather rash and unwanted." Rais said.

"It is a good thing indeed that you found it out by yourself and decided to change." I smiled.

"But," I interjected.

"But?" Rais asked.

"You can be at ease with me and speak your mind. But, only with me." I said.

"Why only with you?" Rais asked.

"Because the other old men in the assembly are vultures, waiting for you to make a mistake. Once they get something, even something small, they will elaborate it, and even make it sound like you did treason." I said.