"I always know that you treat me the best, darling," Harper said. A bright smile bloomed on her face, giving out tender light on that cold night.
A few moments after then, it began to snow again. The whole River City was covered in white, casting a magical glow all over the place.
When Harper woke up the next morning, Matthew wasn't by her side. Instead, Forsythia was standing by the bed. Seeing that Harper was finally awake, she asked, "Your Highness, you're awake. It's snowing outside very heavily. Would you like to go out and have a look?"
"Help me freshen up," Harper stated, ignoring Forsythias' question. Harper got up, got dressed, and freshened up. Only after then did she asked, "Where is Matthew?"
"His Highness went out when it began snowing last night and hasn't come back yet. He said that he was going to deal with something. He took Fred with him and left Barry here in the official inn to protect you." Forsythia promptly explained the situation.
"What is Alexander doing right now?" Harper asked.
"He's reading. He said that he had been skipping a lot of courses these days, so he wants to take this opportunity to catch up. He's actually very focused and determined about his studies." Forsythia couldn't help but praise Alexander. She then added, "Earlier, I cooked ginseng soup for him in order to build up his immune system so that his health won't be affected with all the studying that he's doing. Just rest your heart at ease, Your Highness."
"Has Alexander had his breakfast yet?"
"Not yet, I'll have someone send breakfast to his room later."
"No, just let him go downstairs for breakfast. If he stays in his room all day long, he may feel miserable," Harper commanded. Studying hard was a good thing, but he shouldn't let it affect his own health because of it.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Soon after, Harper went downstairs to the dining hall for breakfast. After a few moments, Alexander joined her. He greeted her politely, "Good morning, Harper."
"Come and sit down for breakfast."
"Yes, thank you so much." Alexander sat down in a well-behaved manner, looking like an adult. Harper couldn't help but burst into loud laughter and lightly pinched his face with her fingers, saying, "You don't have to be overcautious and formal in front of your sister."
Feeling a little embarrassed, Alexander scratched his head and said, "My teacher says that a man cannot become independent if he doesn't behave properly and with dignity. I just want to let you know that I'm trying my best to live up to your expectations."
"Oh you don't need to worry about that. I just want you to be happy." Harper smiled while she handed him a bowl of porridge. "Have your breakfast first. It's getting cold."
"Thank you!" Alexander said while he took the bowl with both of his hands. He couldn't help but be curious when he looked around and didn't see his brother-in-law. So he asked, "Where is Matthew?"
"He went out for business," Harper answered plainly. In a more lively tone, she asked, "Are you going out for a walk after breakfast?"
"No, I am not. I have missed a lot of courses recently and I can't even go to school in the near future, so I'm afraid that I'll be way behind my classmates when I finally go back. If I don't seize this opportunity to make up for the lost time, by then, it will be impossible for me to catch up to them."
Harper picked up a steamed stuffed bun and put it in his bowl. She then reminded, "Don't study too hard. Your health is important as well."
"You have nothing to worry about, Harper. I am very healthy right now. Forsythia cooks ginseng soup for me every day. I almost have a nosebleed because of it," Alexander said in embarrassment.
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