Chapter 140: Brother and Sister Bond [1]
Elina sighed and was about to turn away when a movement caught her eye.
Near the academy’s main entrance, a cluster of girls had gathered around someone.
Their laughter carried across the courtyard, bright and flirtatious. One of them gave a playful smack to her companion’s arm while another brushed invisible lint from his shoulder with obvious concern.
At the center of their attention stood a young man with obsidian black hair, wearing a well-tailored dress with subtle red embroidery.
Even from this distance, his easy confidence was unmistakable.
"Alaric?"
Elina’s hands pressed flat against the window as she watched him, flirting with half the female population of their semester.
He said something that made the entire group erupt in giggles, then offered an exaggerated bow that earned him another round of playful swats and admiring sighs.
"Unbelievable," she muttered.
Here she was, abandoned by her roommate and left to spend her free afternoon alone, while her supposed brother entertained a gaggle of admirers like some traveling performer.
The casual way he accepted their attention, the confident smile that suggested he was thoroughly enjoying himself, it all grated against her already irritated mood.
She watched him lean closer to whisper something in one girl’s ear, causing her to blush furiously and fan herself with her hand.
"You ungrateful bastard."
Elina clenched her fists aa she spun away from the window and grabbed her jacket from its hook and headed out of the room.
By the time she reached the courtyard, Alaric had extracted himself from his admirers and was walking toward the dormitory entrance.
"Alaric," she called out sweetly.
"Perfect timing. I was just thinking we should spend some quality time together."
Alaric paused and looked at her, blinking.
"What kind of quality time?" he asked warily.
"A trip to the capital, of course. As siblings, we should get to know each other better."
Her smile brightened.
"Don’t you agree?"
Alaric narrowed his eyes, studying her sudden shift in demeanor.
Why is she acting like this? What does she want from me?
"There’s no need to think that long, brother~" She tilted her head, smiling with sweetness, hands clasped behind her back like a child asking for sweets.
"I noticed our relationship has been strained because of my brooding. We never really get to know each other properly."
Before he could process her motivations fully, she stepped forward and grabbed his arm with surprising firmness.
"Don’t you think today is perfect for a casual walk to the capital? We could enjoy our free day together." Her grip tightened slightly as she began tugging him toward the academy gates.
Alaric let himself be pulled along for a few steps while his mind worked through the sudden change.
This wasn’t the Elina who’d been giving him cold shoulders and sharp retorts for weeks.
"Let’s go," she said, practically bouncing on her feet now. "It’ll be fun."
The last part she muttered under her breath with a grin that suggested her definition of "fun" might differ significantly from his.
She’s plotting something. Definitely plotting something.
"You know," he drawled, voice dry as sun-bleached parchment, "seeing you smiling like that, I can’t help but hear the knives sharpening in your head."
Elina gasped softly, feigning a wounded look, though the corners of her mouth twitched.
"Knives? How cruel. I’m just trying to spend some time with my dearest brother. You should be happy. Afterall, this is what you wanted, isn’t it? Spending time with your sister?"
He just raised a brow and then shook his head.
Hmm... Let’s see where it goes.
He allowed her to keep dragging him, then smirked faintly. "You’re really desperate, aren’t you?"
Her head snapped toward him, "Desperate? For what?"
"For my attention, ain’t it?" His voice was quiet, cutting.
Elina froze mid-step, grip tightening on his arm before she forced herself to relax and give a breezy laugh.
"My, my. Look at you, overthinking everything. You should save that sharp tongue of yours for later."
She resumed tugging him along.
I was going to go easy on you at first, but now...
She looked back at him, and saw that same smirk plastered on his face, which irritated her even more.
You’re done Alaric Glimor.
*********
The capital’s shopping district sprawled before them in a maze of colorful storefronts and bustling crowds.
Elina’s eyes lit up as they passed beneath the ornate archway.
"Oh!" She stopped so suddenly he nearly collided with her.
"Look at that gorgeous silk. I’ve been meaning to add new collection to my wardrobe."
Before he could object, she pulled him inside the shop.
The bell’s sweet chime announced their arrival.
"Welcome! How may we—"
"I need to see everything," Elina declared, releasing Alaric’s arm. "My dear brother has excellent taste and will be helping me choose."
Dear brother? The emphasis made his eye twitch.
"Will I now?"
"Of course!" Her smile was sunshine. "What’s the point of having a brother if he can’t offer honest opinions?"
Then she chose a dress and vanished behind a curtain, leaving him surrounded by bolts of fabric and the curious stares of other customers.
The rustling of fabric from behind the curtain grew elaborate.
Then Elina emerged in a cascade of emerald silk that caught the afternoon light streaming through the windows.
"What do you think?" She turned slowly, the fabric swirling around her legs. "Does the color complement my eyes or wash me out completely?"
Alaric studied her reflection in the mirror, noting how she was watching his face rather than her own appearance. "It’s green."
"Green, yes, but is it the right shade of green?" She pivoted again, examining herself from different angles.
"Does it bring out the gold flecks in my irises? Perhaps the sapphire would be better suited to my complexion?"
He shifted his weight, already feeling the beginning ache in his shoulders from standing still. "The green looks fine."
"Fine?" Her eyes widened in theatrical horror. "Alaric, ’fine’ is what you say about weather. I need actual feedback."
With that she disappeared again.
And then followed with different set of gowns, Saphire then burgundy. Then something so pale it barely qualified as blue.
"The sleeves on this one..." She held up her arms, fabric draping from her wrists. "Too wide? Or is that fashionable now? What’s your impression brother?"
Is this payback for something? Alaric watched her fuss with the fabric, noting how she kept glancing at him to gauge his reaction.
"The silhouette is... adequate."
"Adequate." She repeated the word like he’d suggested burning down the shop.
"Brother, I need your genuine opinion. Does this gown make me look sophisticated or does it make me look like I’m wearing my grandmother’s curtains?"
"I don’t know. Just buy what you want."
Elina glared at him, but then huffed and turned away.
Twenty minutes and six gowns later, they finally approached the counter. Elina’s selections had grown into a small mountain of silk, velvet, and delicate accessories.
"Excellent choices," the shopkeeper murmured, wrapping each item with reverent care.
Alaric found himself the designated pack animal, arms laden with boxes while Elina walked freely beside him, humming under her breath with obvious satisfaction.
"Wasn’t that productive?" she asked as they emerged onto the street. "Oh, look, they have hats!"
Of course they do.
The milliner’s shop proved even more elaborate. Elina approached each display with the focused intensity of a general planning siege strategy.
"This one makes me look mysterious, don’t you think?" She angled a wide-brimmed confection decorated with black lace and what appeared to be small pearls.
"Or does it suggest I’m in permanent mourning?"
The hat perched on her head at a jaunty angle that emphasized the sharp line of her jaw.
"It makes you look like you’re wearing a hat."
She pouted, adjusting the angle. "You’re not taking this seriously. Fashion is an art form, Alaric. It deserves proper consideration and thoughts."
And then their spree continued.
By the time she declared their expedition complete, the afternoon sun had begun its descent toward evening.
Alaric’s arms ached from package-carrying duty, his feet protested from standing in countless shops, and his patience had eroded like a cliff face in a storm.
"I think we’ve covered the essentials," Elina announced, surveying their accumulated purchases with obvious satisfaction.
"Though I should probably look for new gloves before we head back to the academy..."
"No." The word escaped sharper than he’d intended.
Several nearby shoppers turned to stare.
"No more gloves. No more shops. No more requesting my aesthetic judgment on merchandise I will never wear."
Elina’s eyes sparkled with barely contained glee.
"But we’re having such a lovely bonding experience," she said with mock innocence. "Don’t you want to continue exploring together?"
There it is.
Finally, he understood. This wasn’t random sisterly torture, this was targeted revenge. But for what?
"What I want," he said carefully, "is to sit somewhere that doesn’t sell anything and doesn’t require my opinion on anything."
"Oh." For the first time all afternoon, her smile turned genuinely warm. "There’s a lovely café just around the corner. They have excellent pastries and very comfortable chairs."
Then she grabbed his arms and began tugging him again.