Chương 29: Winter

Winter was wandering through her family mansion as she was deep in her thoughts. Thus, she completely ignored the servant who stopped in their work and given her respectful bows.

Seeing that their mistress was once again absorbed in her thoughts, the servants just returned to their respective tasks as they were already used to theirs mistress quirks.

Winter, who was absolutely unaware of just how much her family servants seen throughout her, was thinking about the multiple changes in her life in these two years.

Winter always knew that the biggest problem to her family and even to Remnant as a whole was her father, no not father, that man isn't worthy of being a father of hers or even her siblings who she now marvels at the miracle that not the apple fallen far away from that rotting tree.

Winter still remembers the times when the walls of Schnee's mansion were nothing but cold and full of luxury that masked just how much their family wrecked was. At that time, the visage was everything, and everything must look perfect.

Now? Now when Winter walks through these walls, all she feels is warmth and content. Gone were the paints that brought feelings of coldness and distance. In their place is wood and colors that give these long halls a homely feel.

The mansion, which was once empty of souls, was now full of servants who were nothing but respectful, and not because of fear but because of...

Well, even now, Winter doesn't know why they were so respectful, but she could see that in theirs eyes nothing but gratitude and respect.

And all of it wasn't because of her a firstborn, or her mother, or any miracle.

But of all changes that were made by her little brother, who even now works to the bone to make them happy. Winter knows that from that day when she asked for forgiveness for her cowardly or petty acts to Aegis felt something taken root in her heart.

Winter wasn't blind or stupid to not know that she loved her little brother more than her sister was supposed to feel, but as once some person said, you can not pick who you will love.

And honestly, how true that is?

So she returned to the academy even now that the monster is away from their home. She wanted to know that even if she is away from her little brother, would her feelings stay the same or if it was just a fluke of that moment?

What she found was both desired and undesired.

Winter found out that even the distance didn't change the feelings that started to bloom in her heart for her little brother, she tried she truly did try to think about different things, from school work to training, or even thinking that if she gained a boyfriend, she could suppress these feelings.

Nothing worked, and just the mere thought of letting any other person touch her in that way other than her little brother brought her nausea.

So she stopped fighting, and at that moment, she felt as if wight of the world fallen from her shoulders, she felt free, she felt great.

Soo soo great, and at that moment, Winter knew that it was stupid to fight against what her heart desired, and as such, she just let her forbidden feelings bloom no matter the consequences.

Winter awakened from her memory trip as she heard impacts of steel and made her way to the sounds of battle with her curiosity piqued.

Winter knew there was no way for anything dangerous to happen as her brother was working from home, and from the multiple spars Winter had with him, she knew that even top teams of Atlass finest specialists would be hard-pressed against him.

No speaking about the multiple security systems ranging from hidden auto-turrets in walls to unmoving droids that looked like knights in armor, but the moment there would be a danger, Winter knows that these droids that looked like knights statues would give the uninvited visitors big surprise.

Finally reaching her destination Winter looked from the window on the training country yard to see who was making these sounds and found out how three girls were now fighting three-way battle royale that her brother taught them.

Three girls were engaging in ferocious exchange of blows, one with white hair made into a side ponytail, another had long wild and curly black hair, and last was a girl with shining red hair made into ponytail.

Winter smiled as she saw even from such distance that even if they were throwing almost fatal blows that would cripple a person without aura with ease.

All of them were wearing training clothes that were completely different.

Weiss clothes were white with blue straps, Harriet wore black with green straps, and Pyrrha wore bronze with red straps.

Weiss was holding her rapier that was ready to skewer anybody who comes close to her, Harriet was equipped with a saber sword in one hand, and in other, she had one handed gun, a gun that could be classified as hand cannon from just one look, and Pyrrha was fighting with spear and shield.

And in save distance from the fight was sitting her mother Willow, who was speaking with a woman who had short red hair and deep green eye.

A she was the mother of Pyrrha Nikos Winter thought as she remembered meeting her. Alexandra Nikos was a meek woman with a gentle tone as her daughters and with manners that you could find in most refined Atlas nobility, but that didn't mean she was a pushover.

Winter did some research as she was interested in what kind of mother and person she was.

And she was pleasantly surprised that such gentle-looking woman could be very ferocious when provoked enough.

There was one incident where some managers of festival tournaments tried to blackmail her under the precedent that if she doesn't do what they wished, something could happen to her and her daughter.

There was no need to say that when the sirens and cops came, the hooligans were nothing more but wrecks on the floor with multiple severe injuries.

And no matter under what reason Alexandra has done it, she still started the fight and permanently injured multiple high standing people whose families were calling for blood and 'Justice'.

Even if she was not arrested, her money and property were taken as compensation, but that was not enough as these families made sure that everybody who helped her would pay for it.

And thus, she and her daughter were in a tight spot, at least until her little brother accepted them under his wing and started to sponsor Pyrrha.

Now both of them lived in the mansion. Winters's mother, Willow, and her little brother secretary Iris became quick friends with Alexandra, with Willow teasing them with questions if they aren't really related.

And same as adults, her two little sisters became friends with the well-mannered and polite hoplite Pyrrha.

Looking at such a peaceful and lively scene brought warmth to Winter's heart until she remembered her previous thoughts.

Winter knew that she wasn't the sole person to love her little brother more than she should.

Winter knew that her mother loved Aegis more than mother should, and she was alright with it. However, there was some little jealousy, but that was nothing significant.

And Weiss? Weiss was still young, but Winter knew that she loved her big brother more than her little sister should. Winter knows that there was something wrong with her little sister. After all, love is one thing, but...

But Winter is sure that the eyes Weiss has when she looks at Aegis and thinks that nobody other is looking arent alright...

The eyes Winter saw on her little sister making still brought a chill to her spine. Such intensity and wrongness were just disturbing...

She saw love in them, but that love was twisted with madness, and that scared Winter...

Still, if Winter had one thing, it was her patience. Winter was alright, waiting and observing how her little brother will take the affection her mother and little sister are starting to show.

Winter wasn't scared that they take her little brother from her. After all, if there was one thing about Aegis, it was that he always adhered to his promises.

And Aegis promised to her that she would always have a place in his heart.

So Winter would wait, and when the time comes, she will make him hers...

And If she needed to share him with others? Well, she didn't care after all as long as they are all happy. Who is she to take that happiness from herself and them?

After all, she would always be the big sister, and he would always be her little brother...