On the other side, after stopping the fight and dispersing the crowd, Rebecca thought.
'This birthday is the worst.' remembering how her day had been going ever since midnight. 'It's all his fault.' She said in her head, as the face of a white haired boy popped up again.
"Best gift of your life." My god what a liar. he probably forgot or didn't care about me. What did I do to him anyway.' Rebecca thought, remembering what happened last night.
It was then she remembered she hasn't seen that perpetrator of all her pain too. So she looked around, and as she looked up, her eyes met him, standing there, with that same annoying smile on his face from last night's.
'Wait, he was watching it, wasn't he?' She thought, as she looked at Amelia waving her hand holding popcorn in them.
She snorted and started walking towards the stairs to ask him, why was he enjoying the drama, when there was a fight happening in front of him. It's also his family too, and he has the authority too, but he's just watching there.
-
"Brother, I think Rebecca is angry." Amelia said, looking at Rebecca's fuming face, while walking towards them.
"She's always angry." Rio replied, while shrugging his shoulders.
"No, I think she's angry at you. Did you do something bad."
"I didn't do anything. She's probably just mad for no reason, like always." Rio said, as he remembered a scene from original Rio's childhood memories where she went into her kid mode and didn't talk to him for a month because she lost a bet.
"How can that be? I know her. You definitely did something. She's been acting strange for the past 2 days. Did you fight with her? I'll beat you if you did." Amelia said, remembering how her friend's been lost in thoughts for the past 2 days. She wanted to ask about it, but something always came up and she just forgot about it.
"Hey, whose sister are you? Why're you even taking her side." Rio said, looking at her carefully, is this something his sister should say. Why's she taking the heroine's side instead of his?
"Humph, you should just be careful." Amelia said while smiling.
"Whatever. You're both dumb anyways." Rio said.
"Who are you calling dumb?"
"Obviously it's you and your friend, who else?" Rio heard someone ask the question, and without looking back, he replied, thinking it was Amelia.
"Ohh so you think the princess of Schilla is dumb. Huh. Quite the big words, I can just announce you as a traitor to the royal family because of that, you know." Rebecca said. She just came there and the first thing she heard from his mouth was an insult to her.
"Why would you name your brother…" Rio was speaking when he realized it wasn't Amelia's voice, and then came a premonition, that a headache was incoming convincing this girl now.
"Oh hello princess. Happy birthday." Rio said, changing topic as fast as he could, while Amelia at the side could just laugh at that. Which obviously got her the glares of both her brother and friend, so she just stayed silent and focused on eating.
"Forget happy birthday. And tell me, you think I'm dumb, huh?" Rebecca asked, staring at him, she's been wondering this ever since she heard him speaking to her father. And even now, this guy's going around everywhere, calling her dumb behind her back.
'First my father and now Amy, he's been badmouthing me everywhere. I won't let you go today without getting an answer.'
"So why do you think that, tell me or I'm going to call father?" Rebecca asked again.
'She's threatening me by using King's name, while asking for a reason, why I call her dumb' Rio thought.
"So you won't tell me huh. Gu." Rebecca, seeing he was still not speaking, was calling for guards, when Amelia spoke.
"He's calling you dumb because you stopped that fight." Amelia said, much to Rio's dismay.
Looking at Rebecca's face full of confusion, Rio's premonition of that headache really turned out true.
Cause now he had to explain why a daughter of destiny was dumb for helping the hero of heavens for no reason. Easy job right.
"So you really were watching that fight. Why didn't you stop it then. You know fighting is prohibited in Royal halls."
Instead of answering Rebecca, Rio turned to look at Amelia, telling her that she should leave them alone for a little time. Though a little unwilling, thinking she'd miss a fun argument, Amelia still left when she saw her brother was being serious. But obviously she didn't forget to tease both of them before leaving.
"Tsk, you guys aren't even engaged yet and you're already kicking me out. Poor me, I'll just go and play alone in the corner." Amelia said, with a sad look, as she ran away before her brother's hand could slap her head.
"So would you tell me now. Why you didn't stop that fight?" Rebecca said, hiding her flustered expression behind her veil of anger.
"Why is that my job. You saw those guards standing there, they didn't stop them, and it was their duty." Rio said nonchalantly.
"They were afraid of the status of those kids. You aren't. You're the Duke's son, and had you stepped forward they would've stopped it." Rebecca said, though not very bright on the world view, but she was still smart enough on theory parts.
Knowing the hierarchy of nobility, she could guess why those normal guards didn't interfere in the fight. But she still couldn't understand why Rio didn't stop it. His family had the status and the highest respect after the royal family. So why was he just standing there, she couldn't understand it.
"You're right, maybe they would've stopped, if i went there. But why would I do that? Why should I go there, and antagonize 3 noble families, and the future heir of an elite family. All for what, to help a Baron's stupid son. No, I'm good." Rio replied in a straight tone. Like what he was saying was something very obvious.
"They were bullying him." Rebecca said, in annoyance.
Rio shook his head and replied. "How'd you know that. You just came there. Maybe it was the fault of that boy. Maybe he did something bad, and they were just punishing him."
"Even if that was true, everything has a limit and rules. Fights are not allowed here, and it shouldn't happen.Had you stopped that fight the moment it started, then that boy wouldn't have been so badly beaten." Rebecca said in anger, as Rio kept ignoring her questions and answering them in roundabout ways.
"The fact remains, princess. Why would I do that? What do I get out of it? The only thing I get is 4 future leaders of powerful families angry at me, thinking I'm their enemy. That isn't actually smart, is it?" Rio said.
"Is that what you think? Is that why you called me dumb? If you think I'm dumb for saving someone who needed help, then it's not me who's stupid but you." Rebecca replied in a stern tone. Thinking she was right to save the boy. After all, as a princess, everyone in the empire is considered her subjects, so isn't saving them her job. How's she stupid for doing her duty.
"Saving him. Is that what you think you did?" Rio said, smiling a little at her ignorance. "All you did is put a bigger target on that boy."
His words made Rebecca confused, but ignoring her reactions, Rio continued speaking "Those guys would've only beaten him a little and let it go. But now they're all angry, angry that their first impression on the princess is that of bullying a kid. Who do you think they'll take out their anger on. What do you think they'll do to him once you aren't around huh." Rio asked.
His words made Rebecca frown as she realized that maybe she wasn't as right as she thought she was. But her brain still couldn't think straight, so she said -"I'll just have some guards accompany him for the party."
"You, really didn't understand a single thing I said, did you? Forget this party, what about after that. Will you protect him when he's outside Royal castle. Will you protect him when he's in his own city? No, you won't." Rio said, looking at her like she really was stupid. Her righteous habits and heroic words were only making him irritated now.
There was a reason why he didn't like hypocrites and people who couldn't see the other side of truth, that was plainly in front of them. It reminded him of how he was helplessly explaining Ria's death to everyone, only to be shut down with useless words and reasons, instead of any real answers and understanding. It was like him banging his head on a wall, that just won't budge. It felt like a waste of words, a waste of his time and effort. Most of all it was annoying, cause he never met a selfless person who wasn't selfish underneath.
"I _ I can ask father to protect.. " Rebecca was trying to think of ways about how she could protect that boy, but her words were shut down with Rio's words, which even though he didn't intend to, but came out in a slightly higher tone than usual.
"And why the hell do you want to protect him, huh. Do you even know who he is? What he did? Know anything about him. You just came here, and formed an opinion that he's the victim, just cause he was getting beaten.
Did you ever think for a second that maybe he deserved that beating. That, maybe he's an idiot who started this fight because he couldn't understand the reality and respect the hierarchy."
Though a little scared by his sudden outburst, Rebecca still put her point forward. "They _ they were surrounding him, ganging up on him. And that's not fair."
"World's not fair princess. Those who win aren't always right, and those who gets beaten aren't always victims." Rio said in a stern tone.
###
A/N - here we are, teaching this princess that it's easy to judge from the sidelines, but easy always ain't right. Will she listen and learn, or will she stay the same. Who knows?
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