AURUM was lying restlessly on the bed. She kept checking her sPhone every ten seconds just to see if her brother contacted her. But to her disappointnt, there was still no news. This was the first ti that Argent didn't contact her for the whole day since they separated. Aurum wanted to contact her brother, but then she thought, what if she was doing sothing important right now and that's the reason she hadn't called her yet? She certainly hoped that was the case and not because sothing bad happened to her.
Aurum wished she could also do what her brother could with the sPhones. Like tracking her whereabouts. But alas, she was no genius like her brother. Her strength lied elsewhere. So now, she could only hope that Argent didn't encounter any danger.
She had been staying at the Zhang household for the past few days just like her brother requested. It wasn't that hard since she really wasn't interested in going outside and the Empress hadn't invited her to the palace since the last ti she went there. She spent the past few days mostly with Mada Lin.
The older woman seed to be really fond of her. Aurum was worried at first that Mada Lin might want to match her with her son. She didn't know how she would reject Mada Lin if she really did open the subject. How could Aurum tell her that she was not interested in her stone face son? It didn't really help that the older General Zhang kept teasing Aurum and asking her to be their daughter-in-law.
But then she thought, Mada Lin was not the type who would force a girl to her son. Unless, of course, if her son showed an interest to that girl. On that front, Aurum had nothing to worry about. Because the younger general didn't have the least bit interest in her. In fact, he appeared more interested in her brother. Which was a problem on its own but sothing that she shouldn't really worry about now.
Her focus should be on the safety of her mother and brother. She could feel that her brother found sothing related to their mother's situation. But Argent chose not to tell it to her. Aurum knew her brother. She probably thought that she would only worry more if she knew about it. Argent probably wouldn't tell her about it until she solved everything herself and there's no longer any danger. But this was counterproductive in Aurum's opinion. Since she's just going to worry even more.
Then her sPhone suddenly rang. Aurum imdiately answered it, not even looking at the na on the screen. "Brother?"
"It's ," said a very familiar voice, but sadly, not her brother.
"Oh," she only said, her excitent imdiately deflated.
"Hey, don't sound so disappointed," Mishla complained on the other side of the sPhone.
"I thought we're still on cold war," Aurum said.
Mishla hadn't contacted her for the past month and a half. It's obvious that he was sulking because she didn't tell him that she was going to Xing. As a reasult, he wasn't even able to say goodbye to her when they left for Xing. Aurum didn't mind. But obviously, it was a big deal to Mishla. She didn't want to, but she suspected that Mishla probably thought of her as more than a friend.
Aurum didn't notice it much when they were just communicating through defaro crystals and sPhones. But when she spent ti with him when they returned to Albion, it beca quite obvious. Not to ntion all the gifts he kept showering her, there was also the way he looked at her. As if she's his most important treasure. Aurum never really thought of him in that way. So his attention just kind of made her uncomfortable.
That's probably why she never ntioned to him about her going to Xing with her brother. She also didn't bother calling him. Aurum probably subconciously wanted to avoid him. For her, Mishla was the first friend she made. She also treasured all the conversations they had over the years. He's one of the few people she didn't have to put up an act for. But that didn't an she could think of him in that way.
Aurum was just thankful that he didn't confess to her when they were still in Albion. Because she really didn't know how she would answer him. Ah, having this kind of beuty was really a sin. Aurum thought, not aware of just how narcissistic she sounded.
"Well, apparently a month and a half is my limit," Mishla answered. He always resisted calling Aurum because he was really pissed that she didn't even bother to tell him that she was leaving. He wanted for her to call him instead. But he waited and waited and that call still didn't ca. In the end, he was still the one who called. "Why didn't you tell you're leaving anyway?"
"Our trip was supposed to be a secret. Just in case our good King thought of stopping us." Though Aurum doubted that he would, considering the ss that resulted from popsicle's birthday party. He's probably busy cleaning that up.
"And yet Winter managed to say goodbye to you," he said, a hint of grievance in his voice.
"Just bla yourself for not having a wider information network than popsicle. And just to make things clear, he didn't go there for . He went there to talk to my brother." Why would this guy even think that popsicle would even bother to say goodbye to her? Those rumors floating around about them were just that, rumors. They didn't even like each other. "How are things there?" she just asked as a safe topic.
"The first princess is still under house arrest. But the Queen and the nobles supporting the princess are doing everything they can to clean up her reputation. Though Winter keeps foiling their plan. I just saw the Queen the other day and I think she's on the verge of personally assassinating him. This ti, I think Winter is really serious about inheriting the throne."
Thinking of the other royal children, popsicle was probably the best candidate to be next King of Albion. Though his face muscles looked like it had been dead for years, Aurum could see that he was a good person. He clearly also had the strength to lead people. And most of all, he had compassion in him. As evidence of his love for his mother. If that would make him a good king, Aurum didn't know. But she was sure that he would definitely try to be one.
"Good for him," she just said.
"When will you co back?" Mishla asked.
"I'm not really sure. But we probably would have to stay here a bit longer."
They talked for a bit more and then Aurum said that she needed to sleep early because she had to go sowhere tomorrow. Which was technically not a lie. Since she really needed to attend the seventh princess' hairpin ceremony.
"I see. Good night then," Mishla said.
She could hear the loss in Mishla's voice but Aurum ignored it. "Good night." Then she hung up.
She sighed. She probably should limit her communication with Mishla in the future. At least until she knew how she should response to him without hurting him too much.
She looked again at her sPhone. Her brother probably wouldn't call her tonight. Aurum really hoped that it wasn't because of sothing serious. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. But when she thought that she would have to go to the Imperial Palace tomorrow, she could already feel a headache coming.
[Please, please don't let there be any drama tomorrow.]
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