Reincarnated as a Villainess: All Eyes on Me

Chapter 4

[Chapter 4: Aeanthra family]

•>>———∘◦❁◦∘———(Elora / Brianna)

I'm fearing going to Arcane Academy more and more as time comes...

I can't believe I've met one of my future murderers already!!

But I can worry about that in the next two weeks! For now... I'll focus on gaining strength and exercising to have a strong body!!!

I miss my old body back!! *sighs*

"We've arrived to our destination." The driver informed so we got out and Ruby took care of the things I've bought and for paying the carriage as I went inside the palace.

What I didn't expect though, was the scene that greeted me.

Our personal carriage drivers were on the ground in a prostrating position as the palace knights stood before them with swords unsheathed.

"What do you mean the princess didn't ask for you?!!" One of the knights said and I squinted my eyes at them.

"What's going on over here?!" I questioned in a demanding tone and that seemed to get everyone's attention.

"Princess!!! Are you alright m'lady???" One of the maids went to me but all I could do was stare at them with furrowed eyebrows.

"One of the maids informed that you were missing, and no one seemed to saw you come out of the palace. It was Robert who said that you ran away." One of the knights, who I figured was a demi-human due to his brown wolf ears, approached me and bowed his head in a respective manner.

"Are you alright? Susan here was freaking out." He motioned to the maid that greeted me and I looked at her to see her crying.

Oh Susan... how could I forget that she's also one of Elora's loyal and trusted maids.

I approached her and hugged her while tapping her back.

"Its okay Susan. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." I said and finally broke out of the hug and turned my attention to everyone.

"I just didn't want to attract any attention when I go there. And look at our carriages!" I motioned to our very obvious royal carriage.

"I'm very sorry for worrying everyone here..." I bowed at them in 90 degrees and Susan got flustered by this small action so she held my shoulders and helped me up.

When I got up everyone is looking at me with wide eyes.

"M'lady the— whoah! What is going on here?!" Ruby asked in shock and so I turned to her to see her with wide eyes. Probably because many people is gathered out here, add in their rigid posture and shock expressions, and Susan's tearstained face.

"Anyways! Back to whatever you where doing! Nothing's happened to me, so you don't need to be worried." I said while smiling at them.

"Uh--uhm, okay m'lady. Glad to know you're doing fine." The brown eared wolf bowed at me and finally got his fellow comrades to go back to whatever they were doing.

The carriage drivers got up from their prostrating position and looked at me with thankful eyes as they bowed, I only answered with a smile and they went back to whatever they were doing as well.

Soon, everyone was back to their shifts and the only ones left were me, Ruby and Susan.

"Let's go back inside now. Susan will you please assist Ruby with the things she's holding." I said and she nodded her head and took half of the things Ruby was holding.

We then went inside the palace and I led them to my room. I then dismissed them after thanking them and they bowed before leaving.

I could've asked them to send the gifts I bought to each one of my family, but that didn't felt right since it's supposed to be my gift. We're living in the same palace so its not that hard giving them myself right?

With that thought in mind I took Arthur's gift first and headed towards his room. Hopefully he's there.

I knocked first but when I didn't hear anyone, I called out to him.

"Brother Art?" I asked and he replied with a brief 'come in' a few seconds later.

"Uhm..." I trailed off when I got inside and saw him by the window looking at the scenery outside.

"You see... I went to town and I figured I'd buy you gifts on my way home since the money that papa gave me had plenty left." I said and he turned around and lifted his right eyebrow up.

"You didn't have to." He said in an uninterested tone so I started feeling nervous. I gave plenty amount of gifts to different people in my past life and they were all so grateful, so seeing Arthur's reaction now made me nervous due to his foreign gesture.

"But I wanted to!" I pressed but he only stared at me.

"What are these gifts that you bought then?" He said and I don't know if I'm only imagining it but its as if he said the word gift as if it were an alien word, especially when its coming from me. Well, I guess It's obvious he'd feel that way since Elora doesn't ever give gifts to anyone...

"Uhm... they're books." I said but when he didn't say anything I continued, "I figured you'd like books since you have all this bookshelves in your room. So yeah.." I said while trailing my eyes to his bookshelves but he still didn't say anything. He only stared at me as if he's analyzing me.

"M'kay then, I'll just leave it here." I said and placed the books on his desk. As soon as I did, I quickly got out of there with a brief 'goodbye'.

Whoo!! That was nerve wracking!

Well, off to the next one!

I headed towards the bratty Alistair's room and opened the door without knocking on it.

I saw him swinging a large wooden stick as if it were a sword, and his serious and determined expression made me snicker.

"W-what?! Elora?!! Why are you here?!!!" He dropped the stick and stepped back with a flushed face as he stared at my grinning face with wide eyes.

"Your such a doofus." I chuckled walking in and closing the door with my feet. My hands are behind my back, hiding the high quality sword I'll give him.

As much as I'm annoyed by Alistair's annoying attitude, I still think of him as a younger brother; despite our age difference in this world. Considering my age in my past life, 27, 19 years old is young compared to what mine was.

"Why do you care?! And why are you even here? Simply barging in my room without a knock is such a disrespectful thing for you to do!" He glared at me but I only furrowed my brows.

"Is that a way to talk to someone who's gonna give you a gift??" I asked and he looked slightly taken aback, but was soon replaced with wariness.

"What.. gift...?" He asked skeptically and I grinned.

I then whipped the sword in front, startling him and it took him a second to realize what it was. It still had its sheath, a leather case for its blade, so he didn't get to see what kind of sword it was.

"A sword?" He asked and I nodded vigorously.

"Here! Take it." I said and he took it slowly. He then unsheathed the sword from its case and stared at it in awe.

"T-the hard and durable sword made from the rare 1060 carbon steel?!!" He said in shock as he stared at the blade in awe while sliding his fingers against it.

Okay, I have no idea what he just said but it sounded cool so okay.

I stared at him as he looked at the sword with amazement. He was excited and his happy and beaming face made me grin widely from pleasure. I just love the look happy people has on their faces... especially if you're the cause of that; it feels fulfilling, because you know you're the reason for them to be like that.

"Okay. I'll go now. I only came to give you this." I informed him and turned around to leave when he called my name and stopped me.

"Uhmm... thank you.." He said bashfully and I turned around to give him a wide grin.

Oh how adorable! Although very much different by his usual attitude, I'll take it!

"No problem brother Ali." I beamed at him and finally got out of the room after waving him goodbye.

I may not have a good family in my past life as Brianna. But I guess what I can do now while I'm here is fix my relationship with my current family. I don't know if two weeks would be enough to win their hearts but no matter what, I'll do my best!!

I knocked on the door of the study room of my father. That's one of the reason why he had gotten sick in the future. He keeps spending time in his study room to the point where he spends his nights here. And although doing his business and paperwork is good for the kingdom, its still not healthy for his health especially when his schedule isn't balanced!

"Come in." I heard him say so I came in.

"Papa." I greeted and curtsied in front of him.

"What is it?" He said placing his paperworks aside and looked at me.

"Uhm.. I, uhmm." I scratched the back of my neck and gulped nervously.

"What's the matter?"

I didn't know what to say to him so I walked over to his table and placed one of the elixirs that I took from the pouch I had brought.

"An elixir? What's that for?" He asked and that's when I finally dropped my guard. What he said made me snap. How can he act so oblivious? Its obvious he knows what it's for.

"Why are you pretending as if you don't know what's this for already? It's for your muscle pains. You think no one has noticed but I did! So come over here and I'll use it on you." I snapped back rather loudly and as soon as I realized what I said, my eyes widens as I covered my mouth.

Uh oh! I didn't mean to...

"Uh... I-I'm sorry father.. I-I-I didn't mean—" I was cut off from my sentence when he waved his hand off to stop me.

"Its fine. I didn't expect for anyone to notice. Especially you, of all people." He said and sighed, breaking his straight posture and slouching down against the desk.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well you're always so ignorant about everything around you. Always caught up in your own little bubble that you don't notice the little details happening around you. So it's a surprise really." He said making me think.

Elora had always been like that. She's always so caught up in her own self that she forgets the people around her. But I'm not like that, and I'm especially not her. Well.... I guess I'm her in the aspect of appearance, but not in mentality!

"Well, I guess its no surprise you've noticed. You've been acting a little strange when you first woke up from your coma anyways." He mumbled the last part which made me furrow my brows.

"Strange? What do you mean??" I asked but he turned to me and smiled, much to my surprise; he doesn't smile much.

"Its nothing." He said while chuckling and finally standing up from his seat.

"Okay fine, I'll take that elixir. Just promise me you won't tell anyone. I don't want to have our personal doctor come and tell me to rest for one week, that'd ruin all my work schedules!" He said while shaking his head and I couldn't help but giggle. I guess we have the same problem with the doctor.

"Actually, no. I have a better idea." I said which made him quirk his right eyebrow up.

∘◦❁◦∘

"Hmm.." He moaned in pleasure mixed with pain as I pressed on his back harder, hitting the vital spots that causes him distress all the time.

"Who knew elixirs could have an alternative way rather than intaking it?" Father asked in disbelief while chuckling lowly.

"I'm telling you father. This trick is widely known and always used in the kingdom of Zinnia. Due to them not having vast knowledge on magic, their elixirs aren't constructed that well to cure any diseases and illnesses upon intaking. That's why this trick had been in use ever since Amadeus Orman experimented on it 3,000 years ago." I explained.

I still can't believe that people don't use massage here! Just because they have magic doctors and healing magics doesn't mean they shouldn't do this!! Even in my past life, massaging is the key in relieving pains.

I guess I'm also grateful to the time I had spent sneaking out to get a book to read. Not only do I get to explore the palace and memorize my way around in order to not make a fool out of myself, I also get to read and gather knowledge. Thank goodness to my keen memory!!

"How did you know that?" He asked in shock.

"Oh, I read it on the library. Its the book called 'The Kingdom of Zinnia'. That book helped me a lot in learning about the the third kingdom. I enjoyed reading it and learning about their different types of lifestyles." I said happily as I continued to massage him.

That book was fun along with its set; the first book was 'The Kingdom of Sequoia', the second was 'The Kingdom of Aeanthra', and so on and forth.

It was quite lengthy but I managed to finish those four books within three days. Of course I would! Since I had nothing better to do because of being confined in my room, it isn't a surprise I'd finish it in a short amount of time really.

"But I thought you didn't like reading? You said a few years ago that you didn't get to finish that set of books. You said that it was only about our kingdom that you've read." He asked in disbelief and so I scoured my brain for any believable excuse.

I forgot that the original Elora didn't like reading...

"Well... I got bored out of my mind!!" I exclaimed in a believable tone.

What I said wasn't an excuse though! It was true that I got bored of being stuck in my room so I decided to read instead.

Thinking about it now, I guess I can ask my father to put a library in my room just like brother Art. That way, it's less hassle to read a book!

He didn't say anything after that and so I continued on massaging him until he eventually fell asleep.

Poor papa...

I continued on massaging him for 5 more minutes or so until someone knocked on the door.

"Uh.." I trailed off and glanced for a quick moment at papa. I didn't wanna wake him up!

"Umm.. come in?.." I said more of a question.

The door opened and in came Kenton Robert, papa's right hand man. His eyebrows slightly furrowed in confusion when he saw that papa's seat was empty but when he trailed his eyes around the room and towards us, his eyes widened ever so slightly.

Unexpectedly, he whipped his sword out and pointed it on me. Nani?!

"What are you doing to His Highness?!!" He said while slowly stalking towards me.

Then I realized that papa's torso was n***d, I was sitting on top of him, and holding his shoulder that maybe looked like I was strangling him from where Kenton is standing. AND THEN PAPA IS ASLEEP!! Which made it all the more look like his dead or something!!

"I did not kill him!" I said abruptly in defense, and then I realized that that wasn't the right move since I'm only making it look more suspicious!!

I stood up and the empty bottle of elixir hit the ground producing a clanging sound. I backed away slowly and raised both my hands up in the air.

"I promise!! You can check!" I said nervously but he only stared at me, his sword still pointing towards me.

He then walked towards papa with his sword in hand but stopped and stared at papa in shock. I was just as shock as him as I stared at papa.

Do you know why?

HIS BACK IS GLOWING!! A freaking blue sparkly lightish glow!!!

What the heck?!!

Then papa groaned and suddenly got up when the light was slowly dissipating.

What in the world..?

"What's happening? Oh, Kenton! Wait.. what's going on??" He stopped and stared at both of our expressions.

And then marching footsteps can be heard and suddenly the door was slammed open. Soon, ten guards filled the room and were all looking at the scene questionably.

∘◦❁◦∘

It turns out that Kenton actually called the palace guards while we were having a staring contest. His magic was communication; a handy power for a right hand man.

Everyone was shocked but the guards acted upon what Kenton had said: that I endangered the king, so everyone then pointed their swords towards me.

Papa was baffled and ordered for them to stop and then explained what had occurred. Turns out, the massage had done him more good than I expected because when he explained that to the palace doctor, the doctor found no anomaly in his health.

"Maybe.. the massaging technique worked better than the Zinnia kingdom since the production of elixirs here are much better than them. They're not that great when it comes to magic after all..." I spoke up and everyone turned at me.

I then blushed and fidgeted my hands behind my back in nervousness.

"I don't mean that in a bad way though!" I said abruptly, shrinking in my place.

"What do you know about the elixirs of Zinnia kingdom?" The doctor, who only now I had learned the name was Alberto, asked with one eyebrow up.

"Well.. for instance, their elixirs aren't taken by mouth since its not that great unlike Sequoia and Aeanthra that it'd be able to spread throughout your body upon intaking. This is a common technique in Zinnia and is used almost by everyone since the effects are much greater than when you intake it." I said, slowly unclasping my hands when I felt the nerves slowly leaving.

"Amadeus Orman, the father of elixirs, was actually the one who invented it 3,000 years ago. It was written that he was only experimenting on it to cure his father who was suffering from sore and muscle pain."

"Upon further observation, the elixirs seep through the pores of the body and by massaging it, helps soothe and relax the muscles. Whereas, when you take it by mouth, it only spreads where blood vessels are traveling. Not much area are reached due to lack of motion."

"Not many people use this technique in Sequoia nor Aeanthra since people rely too much on their magic. But I think that if we made this technique public many people would be cured!! By intaking it, you're only waiting for its effects to occur whereas when you apply it like ointment along with a massage, your helping it take its effects much better and faster." I explained then my eyes widened when I realized that I suddenly made a speech of some sort without any reason.

"Uhm.. have I said too much..?" I scratch my cheek with one finger as I laughed awkwardly.

"Are you only saying this because you don't have any magic yourself?" The doctor then asked.

"What?"

"By saying its better to help it spread faster rather than waiting for the elixirs natural desired effects to occur by itself, it seems that you're only saying that to make up of what you lack. You don't have magic, just like the Zinnia who doesn't have that great of a magic. So you want people to slightly get used to the non-magic ways so you wouldn't be so out of the ordinary." My brows furrowed.

"What does that have to do with anything? Besides, magic or no magic, the results are there." I motioned towards father.

"The effects already happened within minutes. AND, it had visible effects. Unlike when you intake it, you have to wait and feel if it did any better. I'm saying this not because I want to make up of what I lack; if that even make any sense. I'm saying this because I want more people to get better. Just thinking about the people who can't afford elixirs with greater effects extremely bothers me!" I exclaimed.

"By using massage, they wouldn't have to think that much whether the cheap elixirs would work or not. Because by the looks of it, massage is so much better than intaking it!" I explained suddenly remembering what was to occur to papa a few months later from now.

What would have happened if I didn't take action now? Would he have died just like in the story?! This is my first time of actually having a father who's not high and doesn't beat me up! Even if he's cold towards me, I wouldn't want him to die!

I didn't realize that I had teared up just thinking about father's death.

"Uhm.. I'm going." I said when silence enveloped the room, probably because of my now tear-stricken face. I bowed at papa and rushed out of there.

"Hey brat!" I heard brother Ali call out when I was out in the hallway but he stopped and looked at me in shock. Probably because I was wiping my eyes which were obvious had tears in them.

I went to my room and plopped down tiredly.

I don't want papa to die...

*knock* *knock*

I mumbled a 'come in' hoping the person outside didn't hear, but unfortunately they did since they opened the door and I soon heard footsteps inside.

"Elora?" I heard Ruby's gentle and soothing voice and I look up and found her sitting on my bed.

"Are you okay? Prince Alistair told me you were crying and asked if you were okay." She said and I hugged her waist.

"I don't want papa to die..." I mumbled subconsciously.

"What makes you think that His Highness would die??" She chuckled in disbelief but I only shook my head.

I didn't want to tell her I know what's suppose to happen in the future!

Hopefully she shrugs it off and think it was nothing...

∘◦❁◦∘

(3rd Person's POV)

Elora had fallen asleep after a few minutes. Seeing this, Ruby sighed in relief and carefully got out of Elora's hold and tucked her in properly.

She still couldn't help but wonder back to what Elora had said a few minutes ago. What did she mean about the King dying?

Where she got the idea, Ruby didn't know. But somehow, she knew that there was something more to it than just a slip of tongue.

"Ah!!" She shrieked in shock when Alistair came out of nowhere when she got outside of Elora's bedroom. She then covered her mouth then switched it to her chest as she heaved up and down.

"What are you doing here your Highness?" Ruby bowed then looked at Alistair to see him fidgeting and blushing.

"Uhm.. its nothing." Alistair said then turned around and left.

Ruby was slightly taken aback but soon smiled when she figured that Alistair was probably waiting outside this whole entire time. 'Was he worried?? What a surprise! Keke...'

"Don't worry.. the princess is alright, she's asleep now." She said noticing how Alistair faltered in his steps but continued on his way as if nothing happened.

"I'm not worried!" He exclaimed from far away and Ruby couldn't help but chuckle as she shook her head.

She couldn't help but notice the change of attitude in Elora, and she knows that the King as well as the two princes noticed it too.

'I wonder what made her change?' She thought as she went along her way.

She liked princess Elora. But she was liking her all the more as time comes.

'Oh, what other surprises do you have in store for us?' Ruby chuckled, shaking her head as she walked.

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