Summer Rutheford.
The only daughter of the empress, Elena Rutheford, and the younger sister of Augustus Rutherford.
Her beauty captivated all those around her, for when she came of age, every noble child, men, and women, asked for her hand in marriage.
But she refused all the proposals that came her way.
She always believed that the need for conventional marriage was outdated, and that she would marry the one she genuinely loved.
An outspoken person who voiced her opinions aloud and stood by the side of justice. Always kind and willing to help everyone, being optimistic even during harsh times, while always wearing a bright smile on her face.
The day that the empress, her mother, died brought a new ordeal to her life. Many nobles tried to use her for political reasons, or even as a bargaining chip, for their own benefits.
But she refused to be used as a pawn and aimed to attain power to protect herself.
One day… In the same library of the Royal Palace, she came across a book all about spirit summoning. She always went to the library to attain any sort of knowledge that will help her get stronger, both physically and mentally.
Upon looking at the cover of the book, she fully decided to teach herself how to summon her own spirits not only to aid her in her journey, but to also make friends that will never betray or use her like they did with his brother.
Spirit summoning requires high affinity towards a familiar spirit to not only summon, but contract with. This requires extensive perseverance and willpower, making it a difficult path that most people will give up on.
Each spirit is ranked according to their power and Mana they possess: Low Tier, Middle Tier, High Tier, Mythic Tier, and King Tier.
All spirits start at the lowest tier, and they begin to grow alongside their contractor and become even stronger while raising their rank.
The King Tier only belongs to only one being: The God of Spirits, Astraeus, the Whisperer of Essence. But no one has had the opportunity to summon them in this world.
Summer had a high aptitude with a spirit familiar that grew to be a Mythic Tier in the novel.
A golden brimming Lion with their ruff glowing a mixture of gold and white, their eyes shimmering a sky light blue while the end of their tail were lit on fire with a golden hue.
Each spirit is unique and different. Few things are known about them, but they all have their distinctive and unique personalities just like humans do.
She soon became a renowned and powerful figure for all spirit summoners to become.
So, when Seraphina was taken in at the Imperial Palace when she ran away, Summer was there to help her figure out her power that came from the Blessing of the Spirits.
Their relationship was not… the best in the beginning.
Summer refused for her brother to be with someone who was related to the crazy duke, Lysander. But as time went on, their friendship deepened, and they became inseparable, just like sisters.
The Summer that stands before the door out of breath is the same one who will become a powerful spirit summoner.
August hurriedly walked towards her until he stood in front of her. "Summer! Aren't you supposed to be in class right now? What are you doing here?"
Summer takes a deep breath before making a slightly angry expression. "Brother! You should have told me that you arrived! Do you know how lonely this place has been without you?"
August sighs before patting her head with a bitter smile. "... I'm sorry. I suddenly got the news that mother was bedridden. I came here in a hurry to see how she is doing and forgot to tell you that I'm back..."
She slowly shakes her head before smiling at him. "I'm just teasing you." She looks at the empress before smiling bitterly. "... I know how things have been ever since mother got bedridden. I have been under strict regulations so no harm is done to me."
She then wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, still smiling as brightly as she could. "I'm just glad that you are back."
August stood there frozen for a second, closing his eyes with a solemn expression before gently hugging her back.
I continued to look at them, my smile as they finally reunited… slowly turned bitter.
The time spent with your siblings and those you care about should always be cherished... You never know when it will be the last time you will meet them.
I looked at the Mage, who understood my intentions before nodding, and looked back at them once more. "Why don't the both of you go to another room and rest while we begin analyzing the empress's condition?"
August quickly turned his head. "No! I can stay here and–"
The Mage coughed as he interrupted August. He began stroking his beard before looking at them with a smile. "Your highness, it's best that you rest. Take this moment to spend some time with her highness. We'll let you know when the analysis is complete."
August's face turned discontented while the Mage continued to show a smile. August soon looked at me with a questioning face, trying to figure out the intentions behind our words.
I let out a smile to ease his worry. "Just rest for the time being. This might take awhile, so take this chance to be with your sister... Never miss an opportunity to be with your sibling."
He flinched once he heard those words before looking solemnly at me.
Once our gaze interlocked, I instinctively looked away.
Ah... I forgot that he can feel my emotional state…
I grabbed the clothing's near my chest and squeezed them tightly in my hand before taking a deep breath. I fixed my bitter expression before looking back at him calmly.
I can try and fake my emotions like I usually do, but such things won't work on him... Even then, I try to show a smile behind this sadness. August clenches his hand as he sees my forced expression before letting out a sigh. "... Okay, I'll be in one of the guest rooms if you need anything."
I forcefully smiled once more. "Okay. Make sure to rest well."
He sadly nods before Summer grabs his hand. He looks at her for a moment before looking back at me one more time. "... Lys. Don't over strain yourself."
My eyes slightly widened as he said those words. He then walks towards the door with Summer and leaves the room. I looked dimly at the ceiling in utter silence before I felt a hand placed on my shoulder. I look up to see Nilo with his usual stoic expression.
"... Young Master, are you feeling unwell?"
I look at him for a moment without any response before shaking my head. "... It's nothing. Just reminding myself of my past, that's all."
Nilo looks at me worriedly. "If you're feeling unwell, make sure to say so. I am here to support you in any way that I can."
"Thank you... but I'm feeling fine."
I shifted my gaze towards the Mage. He subtly smiles, still stroking his beard. "... Do you still wish to proceed with the analysis?"
Once again, I nodded.
Even during this important moment where I can change a major plot of the Novel, I feel empty...
I can never have such interactions with them anymore....
Seeing August and Summer happily talking between themselves like any normal siblings would, I can't help but feel this awful feeling lingering in my mind.
I know I shouldn't feel like this when I have Seraphina by my side. Always talking about what we like, how our days went by, and what we expect for things to happen.
But she isn't the only sibling I have in this world.
Alongside him, I also have Chun-Jan and Minji.
Even when I try to not recall such painful memories, they're also one of the happiest that I have...
I feel hopeless that I can never talk to them like how I do with Seraphina or August. Hopeless that I will never get to meet them anymore...
Still… If there is one thing that can override this hopeless feeling...
It might be knowing that both of them are safe and happy.
Especially with me not around...
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ .
In one of the guest rooms of the imperial palace, a young girl sits in one of the luxurious couches with a tea in her hand while the midnight-haired boy sits next to her, deep in thought.
Varieties of pastries line up on the coffee table in front of them. The girl eagerly looks at them, deciding which one to eat first.
The girl places the tea cup down, then moves her finger in between each pastry. "Which one should I eat first? The cake? The cookies? Oh! How about the muffins? Hm... no maybe I should get the cake instead... Ah! This is so difficult! What do you think, August?"
Summer shifts her gaze from the pastries to August as she asks the question. But August continued to zone out as he looked out the window, gazing at the golden sunset. Countless spring leaves shifting towards the fall, leaves swirling and dancing with the wind before gliding down into the ground.
Even with the harsh winter approaching, the trees still retain their green vigor that signifies life and perseverance.
Summer changes her gaze from his face to the window before looking back at his empty face. "... August...?"
She gently shakes his arm. August flinches before looking at her with a worried expression. "Is something wrong, Summer?"
She pulls back her hand, worriedly looking at him. "Nothing is wrong… But is there something bothering you?"
"Ah..." August scratches his cheek before looking down at the ground. "I guess you can say that. Mother is bedridden, and Lys..."
Summer tilts her head with a hint of curiosity. "Lys...? Is it the boy that you always mention in the letters you sent to me each week?" She strokes her chin before coming into a realization. "Oh! Is Lys the boy that was inside the room just now?"
August shifted his gaze from the floor to Summer, showing a warm smile. "Yes, that's him."
She claps her hand with awe. "I see! He is indeed beautiful like you mentioned." She scratches her cheek with embarrassment. "I almost mistaken him as a girl..."
August lets out a small chuckle. "You're not the only one. When I first saw him, I also thought he was a girl." He smiles as he looks through the window once more for a long minute before talking again. "... There are still things that I have yet to know about him."
Summer looks at him curiously. The mention of his name immediately brought his solemn look back to his happy going self. That means he isn't just a regular friend. "... Do you like him?"
August continues to look at the window before looking at her. Once his face was in full view, his eyes looked so gentle and calm while he smiled brightly at the person in front of him. In that moment, the orange sunlight shimmers from the window on to him to convey his endearing emotion. "Yes… I like him…"
Summer couldn't help but smile back at his declaration. "I see." She looks down at the ground with her eyes closed, still showing a smile as she swings her feet. "... Do you think he likes you back?"
August stayed silent before closing his eyes, still showing a smile, yet shaking his head. "I don't think so."
Summer looks back at him with a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Oh..." Her eyes lingered with small sadness for his brother. Despite recognizing that his feelings might not be mutual, he continues to smile. That smiling face put her at ease. "... Do you want him to like you back?"
August slowly shakes his head before looking at her with a smile. "My feelings for him... I just realized them today." He stops for a bit before looking down at the floor once more. "... I don't wish to burden him with my feelings..."
He looks out the window, seeing the thin clouds covering the sunset as they absorb the orange hue. He looks at the trees once more.
"What meaning does spring bring into life before it ends?"
August smiles as he asks that question to himself. "I'm happy just staying by his side as a friend."
Summer tilts her head with slight confusion. "... But what if he likes you back?"
His eyes widen at the mention of those words. He looks straight ahead before showing a dazzling smile that could captivate anyone that sees it. "Then I'll be the happiest person on earth."
Awe-struck before that smile she never saw her brother make before, Summer couldn't help but respond with a smile to match his presence. "I see... Knowing how you feel about him... It makes me want to learn more about him. What made you so captivated about him...?"
August lets out a small laugh. "There's a lot of things to say about him, and a lot of things that I have yet to know." He stops for a moment before talking again. "But I like him for who he is..."
"I see..." Summer begins to fidget her fingers with anticipation before speaking once more. "... How did you two meet?"
He contemplates for a moment to share some details of the person they're talking about. "It was a few months ago, I stumbled upon him when I first arrived at the Blakesty estate... When I first looked at him..."
He stops for a moment before extending his hand in front of him, reaching for the sunlight that hits him from the window. "When I first looked at him, the aura behind him felt so soft and warm... So fluffy and filled with pureness and kindness... During the few months of being by his side… I got addicted to his presence... to his aura..."
He retracted his hand before looking at his open palm. "You know about my ability. Being able to feel aura makes it easy to know a person's true personality, their true intentions, and..."
He slowly grasps his hand. "... be able to feel their current emotions."
He looks up at the ceiling and places both of his hands on the couch. "The first time I met him, his emotion was filled with a hint of worry and fear..."
He closed his eyes as he smiled. "I don't know why, but I felt like cheering him up at that moment. I even told him about the blessing..."
Summer eyes widen. "You told him about the blessing?!"
He chuckles before opening looking at her. "Indeed. Quite risky. But I felt like I could trust him." He smiles brightly once again. "Surely enough… Everything he did was so virtuous. His words were filled with so much kindness... so much patience... so much optimism about the world, and about the people..."
He looked at his hand once more before blushing. "... The more time I spent with him, the more I got used to his warm and kind presence. As I continued to learn new things about him, I continued to try to grasp closer to that feeling I had in my heart... constantly being within his warm presence. Grabbing and holding his hand with mine to know the warmth emitted from his skin... I soon realized that the feeling I was experiencing was love..."
Summer covers her mouth with awe. "I didn't know you could be so assertive!"
August blushes before waving his hand in denial. "I didn't mean it like that!" He then scratches his cheek with embarrassment. "... I just wanted to feel closer to him... and continue feeling that warmness and kindness from him..."
Summer smiles before looking right in front of her with curiosity. "What else is there to learn about him?"
He looks at the ceiling, trying to find another thing to share about the white-haired boy. "... To start off, he has two younger siblings..."
Summer tilts her head in confusion. "Two siblings? I thought he only had one… Wasn't her name... Seraphina?"
August nodded. "Yes, Seraphina is his younger sister... but he also has a younger brother, but..."
He hesitates to answer. "... He is currently… ill."
Summer covers her mouth. "Oh no… Is it something fatal?"
He shakes his head. "It's nothing fatal... but he has a weak immune system and is constantly induced by a fever... Even as a sibling, Lys is rarely able to meet him. Even when he does, he seems to be sleeping most of the time. Because of that, Duchess Isabella always has to take care of him personally."
He closes his eyes before looking at her once again. "Still... the duchess always tries to make time for both of them everyday, so they don't ever feel lonely."
Summer bitterly smiles. "I see... I can't imagine such a life... always being sick and unable to meet your other family members..."
"Indeed. But even then, Lys tries to visit him whenever he can... even when it's impossible for them to communicate."
"... How old apart are they?"
"I believe Lys and Seraphina are two years apart, his younger brother is a year younger than Seraphina... So he's around seven now."
Summer places both of her hands on the couch before looking at the same window that August stares at. Green leaves once again, showing how strong-willed spring is before its transition to another season. "August... What is his name?"
August contemplates for a moment. "... His name is Everett..." He looks out the window. "That name... I heard Lys say that it signifies endurance just like the spring season..."
Summer smiles once again. "What a fitting name. Even when constantly suffering, he continues to persevere through..."
August nodded. "Indeed."
The doors slowly opened, showing the white-haired boy. "August, we just finished the analysis. There are some things that we should begin discussing as quickly as possible."
August nodded before looking back at Summer. "Summer, make sure to attend your next class and–"
"I know brother, you don't have to worry. Just make sure to help mother feel better."
August smiled before patting her head. "Okay, I'll see you later then."
Summer smiles as he sees August walking to where the white-haired boy was.
His dazzling smile and affection is so obvious to even a child like her, yet the white haired boy remains unaware of his feelings. They soon leave the room, leaving the young girl by herself with guards waiting outside any second to escort her out.
She continues to sit silently, staring at the same window once more. The green leaves continue to glide down from the tree branches before reaching the ground. "... Everett." She smiles at the thought of that name. "It truly is a beautiful name..."
A name that signifies eternal endurance...
As the white-haired boy continues to walk alongside the midnight-haired boy, he stops before looking out of the window. The spring trees go into fall, changing and adapting to their current environment for endurance and survival. Those two meanings remind him of someone dear to him.
"... Chun-Jan..."
The midnight-haired boy looks back to see the white-haired boy staring out of the window before walking towards him, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Lys, are you feeling unwell?"
The white-haired boy stood there silently before gently shaking his head. "I'm fine. The tree's just reminded me of someone..."
"Your younger brother?"
He flinched before he realized the meaning of those words. "Yes... my younger brother..."
Chun-Jan... Everett...
Strangely enough, I can't deny that it reminds me of both of them... Still, looking at the scene in front of me. I can only hope for the well-being of both of them.
Hoping that they are both safe and happy...