Morning came...
"Maxine! Maxine! Look what I have got for you!" Maxwell and Maxillary came running to me with something between their hands.
Their clothes were wrinkled and there was even a cut on Maxillary's left side of sleeve. There were also leaves hanging on their hair and coats as if they went through something dense.
Did they play on the garden again? This early? We have not eaten breakfast yet tho?
Kathelina was standing beside me and she looked so groggy. Did she went several times in my room to check me? She looked tired and lack of sleep.
"What is it Broth -?" my words were cut and my bright smile froze in when they excitedly showed their palms where the 'gift' was with a sweet smile planted on their faces.
Maxwell's present was a bulgy, soft skinned amphibian with four legs and could jump 12 inches high and spits out venom that could kill a person just by touching. Its throat was expanding and contracting. While Maxillary brought a big ten-legged insect with eight round and small eyes that could emit and imprison a child in my age using just its solid webs.
"Ko-kak! Ko-kak!" Maxwell's croaked.
"Sspuuurrr." Maxillary's spurred or should I say vibrated?
I gasped and readied my lungs before,
"KYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH" I shouted in fright and ran away from them. It was not just me who was startled, Kathelina and the female servants near us who saw the 'gifts' my brothers were holding were also. I even heard something fell and broke but I did not looked back to see.
"Hey, Maxine! It is my present for you! Are not this too cute?!" Maxwell shouted from afar. The maids I met while running were giggling while looking at me because of my running.
Cute? Cute?! Nothing is cute in a venomous frog! It is dirty and dangerous!
"Are not mine, cool?!" the latter asked proudly.
Cool?! What was cool with a monstrous spider?! It was scary!
I am not strong like them to beat those kind of...
Argh! I am a girl, alright?! Why did they think of me that I am like them?
"Milady!" Kath called and it looks like she already moved on from the shock while I still remember the incredulous sight of their gifts.
I screeched when I saw Brother Amo approaching. When he saw me, he raised his hand and waved at me excitedly with that kind of smile.
"Good morning, Princess!" he greeted from his spot. I ran again towards him to greet.
"No! Do not run!" he warned but I did not listened to him. I thought I would arrive at him unharmed because I could control my legs better than any other kids of my age but when I was only meters away from him, I was tripped by my own dress.
"Ah!"
"Maxine!" Brother Amo reacted in terror.
I thought I would meet the ground and an unfortunate thing would befall on me again but someone lifted me off the ground.
I blinked my eyes. I did not stumbled with my face first in the ground? I am floating?
I heard Brother Amo's footsteps approaching me.
"Did not Amo told you not to run?" a cold voice rang. My head automatically turned in my side saw Brother Millian whose face was colder than the morning chill.
His hair were messy like he just woke up from the bed even he really was not. He just did not like fixing his hair.
My lips twitched up and down and looked at him with teary eyes. Did I looked pitiful in his eyes?
His expression softened and worry was evident on his face.
"Wh-what?" he asked defensively as if guilty to something. It seems like he as no idea of what he was doing wrong. He did not do anything to me, though.
"Brother Millian! You are scaring her!" amo scolded him when he reached us. Millian looked startled, did not know what wrong he did wrong and ended up asking "What?" again but when he looked back to me, I could fathom a little guilt from his face.
He gently put me down and fixed my posture. I immediately hid behind Amo after doing that.
I peeped beside Amo who was shocked on what I did.
"H-hey, Maxine... Brother Maximillian's not that scary right?" Amo tried to soothe me but I did not answered. I just stared at Millian until I noticed his face drooped.
Huh? He looks like a puppy just like Dad!
Millian turned his back without saying anything and slowly walked to the dining room like an abandoned puppy.
What? Was he sulking on my reaction towards him? But he did not even want to approach me and whenever I approach him first, he was always avoiding me.
I did not mean to do this but I want Brother Millian to realize that he should lower his guard down whenever I was around. Dad was also cold but he lowers his guard on my perimeter unlike Brother Millian who was always up on his guards.
The truth was, I am not sure if I am ever getting closer to Brother Millian or not at all.
I noticed that he also changed but he was still distant to me and I did not know why.
Last week, I tried to be closer with him but he was always avoiding me like I did have some kind of contagious disease.
For example,
***
When I met him in the corridor after the day of my 'crying incident'...
It was afternoon. I was walking towards the library with Kathelina to surrender a book I have finished reading. When we turned left in the hallway, I was stopped immediately because I almost bumped Millian who was also about to turn if it was not for Kath who pulled me back quickly.
"Are you okay, Milady?" Kath asked and I only nodded because my attention was on my brother. As usual, there was a cold atmosphere around him but he still looks handsome.
I smiled awkwardly at Millian. "Sorry, Brother!" I apologized but he abruptly diverted his eyes from me and only nodded his head. Hmm...
"Where are you headi-" I was about to ask him where was his destination but he suddenly turned around from me and walked away in a fast pace, back from where he came from. A big question mark fell on my head because of the way he acted.