Russelia looked around. Aunt Dianthe's house was indeed like a castle. It was vast. The surrounding area could even be used as a soccer field. Russelia thought the house resembled her aunt's: beautiful, tidy, and elegant.
From the outside, Aunt Dianthe's house looked like any other old mansion. Yet, it still looked well-maintained. Aunt Dianthe's house was three stories high. Judging by its surroundings, Russelia guessed the surrounding two hectares belonged exclusively to the same owner. Russelia had heard that Aunt Dianthe had a beautiful greenhouse garden. If permitted, she would definitely ask her aunt to accompany her around later.
Aunt Dianthe, whom Russelia was referring to, was Delonix's older sister, Russelia's mother. As far as Russelia knew, Dianthe was 47 years old, exactly 12 years older than Delonix. However, Dianthe did not marry until now, so the large house was occupied solely by Dianthe and several loyal servants who had served the Hailey family for a long time.
"Sis, sorry to bother you. I have important business to attend to, and so does Rey. I feel bad leaving her alone at home, especially if I have to leave her with my mother-in-law." Delonix spoke up once they reached the living room.
"It's no problem. I don't think it's a hassle to look after her. Does Russe still go to school?"
"No, Auntie. Russe is on a break," Russelia replied, shaking her head. She felt the soft sofa she was sitting on. Previously, it was Dianthe who often visited her family's apartment, not the other way around. Russelia found everything in Dianthe's house new.
"Really? That's great. I'll show you around later."
"Auntie's house is spacious! I heard you have a garden, Aunt? Or is there a library here? I want to see it!" Russelia replied enthusiastically.
Dianthe laughed at her niece's remark. Delonix, meanwhile, looked slightly displeased. "Russe, what did Mommy tell you earlier? You shouldn't be naughty here."
Dianthe waved her hand. "Don't be like that, Nix. They're kids. It's normal. It's no problem."
"Auntie does have both. If you get bored, you can play as much as you like there later," Dianthe said again, staring intently at Russelia.
Russelia was even happier. "Okay, Aunt Dianthe is the best!"
.....
Russelia has been staying at her aunt's house for three days. So far, she feels comfortable. Her aunt's house is indeed spacious, with many rooms, a grand living room, other auxiliary rooms, and of course, an equally vast garden. Furthermore, the servants here are quite friendly, especially Mrs. Martha, the Hailey family's old servant. It turns out Mrs. Martha has been her aunt Dianthe's personal maid since childhood. Mrs. Martha is also quite familiar with Delonix. She is the daughter of Grandma Sera, the personal maid to Dianthe and Delonix's biological mother. Grandma Sera was also Dianthe and Delonix's nanny when they were young. Thanks to this, even though Mrs. Martha is a servant, she is quite close to Dianthe and Delonix.
Russelia enjoys asking Mrs. Martha questions, especially about her mother's childhood. She is also a little curious about her aunt's childhood. Mrs. Martha is friendly, she says. However, for some reason, sometimes Mrs. Martha was not willing to tell the full story of her mother and aunt's childhood. It's as if she's hiding something. But Russelia doesn't want to worry about it. Maybe her aunt and mother were sometimes as naughty as I was. They didn't want me to follow their example, so she forbade Mrs. Martha from telling me more. Or maybe... well, they wanted to keep something a secret. But if it was something they wanted to keep a secret, no matter how often I asked, Mrs. Martha wouldn't answer, Russelia thought. As a result, Russelia never inquired further.
Besides that, Russelia was actually more impressed by Dianthe's library. Since childhood, Russelia loved reading. Her mother, Delonix, loved reading to her before she goes to bed, so Russelia enjoyed reading books well into school age. Even amidst the many assignments from her teachers, Russelia had time to read other books.
Russelia preferred storybooks, of course. There were already quite a few storybooks available for children her age at that time. Delonix was quite supportive of Russelia's hobby. As a result, Russelia had her own small library in their apartment. Even now, as she's just about to enter junior high school, Russelia still enjoys reading. Sometimes, if she hasn't bought a new book, Russelia likes to reread her old ones.
Just like the previous days, Russelia returned to Dianthe's library. Russelia loved Dianthe's collection. She found the books here fascinating. Russelia enjoyed reading them until she lost track of time. However, her aunt, Dianthe, had a strange rule.
Books could only be read in the library. They couldn't be taken out, let alone read at night.
Russelia once asked her aunt why she had such a rule. But Dianthe simply smiled and told her to follow the rule. Russelia was confused. She wanted to inquire further, but judging by her aunt's expression, it seemed she wouldn't answer any more questions. So Russelia chose to obey.
But today, Russelia found a wonderful storybook: The Exiled Wolf Prince. This book tells the story of a werewolf prince who was ostracized since childhood because his fur color was different from the other wolves in the kingdom. The prince lives in a world where humans can transform into animals. There, werewolves are the royal family. This is because the ancestor of the werewolf clan was a holy knight who received the blessing of the gods, enabling him to banish the monsters that dominated the world at that time and subsequently establish the Kingdom of Isthania, the only kingdom in the world. The prince lived a miserable life because he was motherless from birth. His mother, Consort Ruella, was the true love of his father, King Theo. Therefore, when Consort Ruella died after giving birth to the prince, his father hated her fiercely for causing the death of his beloved wife.
Russelia sympathized with the prince. She believed the prince had done nothing wrong. He never asked to be born. But fate had the final say. Of course, we can't blame the gods, can we? Not to mention a newborn baby. But it seemed the king had been blinded by his own anger.
Russelia felt more fortunate than the prince. At least her father and mother both loved her. Although both were busy working, she was often alone at home. But Russelia understood that her father and mother were trying to provide the best for her. Her father was busy, but he always made time to play with Russelia when he came home or on holidays. Her mother was also busy, but always made time to read stories to her.
That day, Russelia was absorbed in reading "The Exiled Wolf Prince." She finally realized it when the clock in Aunt Dianthe's library chimed, signaling that it was already evening.
Russelia looked at the time. 5:00 PM. It was already late afternoon. She had to return the book and return to her room before 6:00 PM.
But Russelia felt pity. She had only read to the exciting point. The prince was finally recognized for his divine powers. Then, he was sent out to exterminate a group of monsters that invaded a certain territory. Russelia still wanted to know what would happen to the prince. Russelia was silent for a moment.
What if I break the rules just once? It wouldn't matter, right?
But Auntie said no… while I was curious. Auntie didn't tell me why either.
Russelia thought hard. She looked at the book in her hands reluctantly. Just once, surely… it would be okay, right?
5:30 PM. The clock on the wall chimed again, as if reminding Russelia to go back. Russelia finally made up her mind. She would continue reading her book in her room and return it to the library early tomorrow morning. Aunt Dianthe would not know of this.
....
"My young lady, good night," said Mrs. Martha as she turned off the light. As usual, Mrs. Martha greeted her with a smile. Russelia smiled back at Mrs. Martha.
Not long after Mrs. Martha closed the door to her room, Russelia lifted the blanket she was using. She quietly got out of bed and reached for the small lamp on the table. Russelia turned around and took out the book she had hidden. Russelia wanted to finish reading that night.
However, for some reason, Russelia felt extremely sleepy. Her eyes closed several times, even though she had only read half a page of 'The Exiled Wolf Prince'. Russelia tried hard not to fall asleep. But no matter what, she fell asleep anyway.
Russelia didn't know. Unbeknownst to her, the storybook she was reading was glowing. As time passed, the light became stronger. That was where Russelia's adventure began...