Asper Reign Dahlia’s Pov
I have been preparing another batch of cupcakes for the product that Miracle will display in our shop. That is the only thing that I did throughout the whole day. And when the sun finally set, I started taking care of the paperwork that Aasiyah sent to me.
Other than that, I still have enough time to relax and even clean the house.
That is why even though I am staying at home, I don’t get bored here, I have a lot of things to do and everything I need is inside my house.
Sometimes I couldn’t help but laugh at myself because the life I have here is completely opposite to the life I had before.
I often get out of the house and socialize with different people. And I feel like I am going crazy when I limit my appearance to the public and stay inside our house.
And now, I realized that being in solitude is addictive.
I can think clearly about things happening around me and when I want someone to talk, I can just call Miracle.
So, this life I have right now is not a bad one.
I peeked out the window again and saw that the construction team at my neighbor’s lot was starting to measure the whole lot.
They are also posting the building permit they have and some of them were unloading the equipment and materials from the truck.
This will surely disturb me in my sleep if I leave my windows open since they are using big equipment. I am just glad that my whole house is soundproof from the outside noise.
I frowned when I saw a man wearing a suit walking towards my gate. And when he reached the gate, he pressed the doorbell.
I immediately went inside my room, wore my contact lens, and messed my hair to partially hide my face. Then, I went down and opened the gate.
“Hi.” I smiled. “How may I help you?” I made sure that my bangs were hiding my eyes so I could avoid looking directly into the eyes of this man.
“Hello, Miss.” He smiled. “I am Raj. My friends and I will be living in the house that is about to be built on the lot next to yours.” He handed me his business card.
I accepted it and gave it a quick look. Then I extended my hand to him. “I don’t have my card with me but I am Asper Reign. I owned a cafe in the town proper named SweetHeart.” I am still using my name when I am introducing myself. Though I am not using my surname so people assumed that my only name is Asper and Reign, which was supposed to be my second name became my surname.
Well, I am hiding but I don’t want to fake myself from the people that I am going to meet here. So, I just decided not to mention my surname.
He accepted my hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you.” He let go of my hand. “Anyway, it looks like you are busy. I just came here to introduce myself since we are going to be neighbors. Also, I just want to notify you about the construction of our house. It will be very noisy and might disturb you even at night because it will be twenty-four/seven work.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” I said. “My house is soundproof from outside noise so it will not disturb me as soon as I close all of my doors and windows.”
He smiled. “That would be great,” he said. “I got to go. Nice to meet you again.”
I just waved my hand to him when he turned around and closed the gate. Then, I went back inside my house and grabbed my phone to call Miracle.
“What?” Miracle greeted me with an annoyed voice. “You already missed me?”
“Silly,” I hissed. “There was a man who went here earlier. He will be one of my neighbors and gave me his business card.” I stared at the card in my hand. “I think he will facilitate the construction of their house. Though it is not like he is the owner.”
“What is his name?” she asked. This time, her voice became serious.
“Rajiv Fleisko,” I said. “Get information about him as soon as possible.”
Miracle knew about my identity.
She knew that I am the second child of the Axia Region’s duke and she also knew that I am the famous Asper Reign Dahlia who gave a lot of trouble to the palace because the people of Hexoria Kingdom loved me more than the royal family of this country.
She is also from the city and she saw my face when some media managed to take a single shot of my face.
I accidentally bumped her without wearing any disguise. That is why she recognized me. Though she never told anyone about my secret and I am thankful for that.
We met again at the nearest supermarket, talked with each other, and became friends.
And now, she is helping me run my business. Other than that, she also helped me investigate the people around me to ensure that no one will recognize me again and I will continue my life here without any fear that I might expose myself to the people that want to find me.
She didn’t say anything for a while and I frowned at that.
“Mira?” I looked at my phone and saw that it is still connected.
“Y-yeah, I got it and will look into it,” she said. “I will give it to you before sundown. I am nervous that you have a neighbor now.”
“He actually looked harmless.” I peeked through the window again and caught a glimpse of that man that came here earlier. “Tall, slightly tan, and handsome. Although, he has a dangerous aura around him and is kinda intimidating except when he is smiling.”
“Make sure to lock your doors and windows, okay?” she said. “And if someone knocks on your house again, pretend as if you are busy or sleeping. I will call you if I come over to your house.”
“Eh?”
“It is not like we are judging them as bad people but it is better to be sure, okay?” she added. “You are alone there so better be careful.”
Miracle is always the paranoid one and she often worries about me because according to her, I am too careless in my surroundings.
“I already locked the doors and windows because they started the construction.” I went down to the ground floor and locked the main door. “Now, I just locked the main door. So, you can relax now.”
“Good,” she said. “I will deliver your new stocks there tomorrow morning so you don’t have to open those doors for the whole night, okay?”
“Okay.” I went to the kitchen. I put the phone on a loudspeaker and placed it on the counter because I am still talking to Miracle. “Anyway, I finished the order that needs to be delivered tomorrow. Come here early and take the twins with you to help you.”
“Alright, I will take care of it,” she answered. “Make sure to wake up early, huh? Don’t make me wait for an hour again.”
I laughed as I remembered how pissed she was earlier when she waited longer outside my house. “Promise, I will wake up early.”
“You better be!” she hissed.
Well, it is her fault for waiting outside when she can just accept my spare key so she can enter my house without waking me up.
“I got to go,” she said. “Don’t forget what I said, okay?’ She hangs up the call and I just continue cooking my dinner.
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovSince Miracle will be here early, I woke up earlier than usual. I don’t want her to wait outside my house because she will surely hiss at me since we had an agreement last night.That is why when I saw her car arrive in front of my house, I immediately got down to open the gate for them to take inside everything they bought for me even though I still hadn't washed my face.“I thought you would wake up early?” She raised her eyebrows and looked at me from head to toe. It is obvious that you just got up in bed.” She also pointed at my hair.She was with Saki and Sari, the twins that work in my store, who helped me with stocking my groceries and supplies for our product. This is some kind of part-time job for them since Miracle couldn’t handle getting all the things that I need alone.I smiled and slowly fixed my hair. “Well, this is earlier than usual,” I said. “And you arrived earlier than what you used to do.”We both turned our heads to my neighbor’s lot and
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovMiracle dropped me off in front of the grocery store where I usually went. Then, she continued to drive her way to the town proper to open our store.And since I don’t want to waste more time, I immediately went inside the store and started wandering around while pushing a cart to buy everything I needed.Well, I already know what I am going to buy even though I don’t have a list and I know its location so I know where to go to get the things that I need.I have been buying my stuff in this store since I got here so I only have been spending less than one hour whenever I shop here.After putting everything I need to buy in my cart, I immediately bring it to the cashier to pay for it and ask them to deliver it to my house, just like I always do.It is one of their services that I like here. That is why even though there are other stores near our subdivision, I still choose to shop here. I can just leave everything to them and continue shopping at the nearby sho
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovWhen I got out of my balcony, I saw the progress of the construction of my neighbor and I was amazed to see that they already built the whole mansion.Well, they hired a big team for this project and they worked non-stop for the past few days since they arrived, as if they were trying to rush everything.I am just glad that my house was soundproof so the sound of their machines doesn’t bother me, even at night. And we don’t have any other neighbors near us. They won’t bother anyone.However, I was still shocked to see their progress. I mean, it is a huge property but they still manage to build a two-hundred square meter mansion in just a few days, while the rest are just part of their garage and garden.“It looks like their work is nearly done,” Miracle said. She was now staying here, in my room, to be exact, while eating the brownies that I baked earlier and watching a movie.Once a week, I encourage her to take a day off from work. And since she doesn’t want
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovMy neighbor’s house finished after fifteen days only. From the foundation, floor, and roof. It also has water and electricity service. The furniture and appliances also arrived earlier, the only ones missing were the people living there.And from my room, I can see that they have heavy security. A lot of guards were roaming around the property, there were CCTV cameras in every corner and the height of the wall around it was so tall that nobody would try to climb it.Five cars suddenly arrived and parked in their garage so I think those are the people who live in that mansion.I immediately put on my contact lenses, grabbed the box of cupcakes that I baked earlier, and left the house.I make this for my neighbor since according to Miracle, it is better to have a nice relationship with them, so if anything happens to me, I can count on them. And of course, vice versa.Though, I actually doubt if I can help them with anything.I stood up in front of their gate an
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovI didn’t expect that I could get close to my neighbors. And the reason why we become suddenly close? Well, it is my dessert.They love the cupcakes that I gave to them the first time I visited their house. And after Karyu learned that I was the one who baked the product of my shop, they made a made-to-order request for everyday supplies.Rajiv was opposed to that idea. He said that they should be ashamed of requesting something that may bother me or ruin my schedule. But I immediately told him that it was okay. I can make their order every day and deliver it personally since I can include that from the other orders.Of course, they insisted on paying the full price of their orders. Even though I said that it was okay if they didn't. I even tried to give them a discount but they also didn’t accept that. So we come to a compromise by giving them free delivery.So, I always go to their house, stay there for a little bit, and chat with them.And I have been doing
Asper Reign Dahlia’s Pov“I know that I was the one who suggested that you should be close to your neighbor,” Mira said. She just arrived and she saw me leave my neighbor’s house. “But I didn’t expect that in the first three weeks, they got there, you would already have freedom to get in and out of their house.”“Well, they trusted me easily and they loved my desserts.” I opened my gate and we went straight to the kitchen since I made the table and put our food there. “They want everyday supplies of SweetHeart’s product so I’m just giving them a special delivery.”“And it is making you busy,” she said. “You should start hiring someone who will help you make our products.”“For now?” I shook my head. “I can still manage my time with doing our products and some other stuff.”“Are you sure?” she asked. “I can just put a hiring sign so when you need them, we can just call them.”She has a point there.Just like what I told Miracle, I can still manage everything on my own. I have so much t
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovI am not really against any third gender. I don’t have a problem with them, and in fact, I love to engage in a conversation with them because I know that they have so many things to say that I am sure will help me learn about them.But I think Miracle can’t blame me for spacing out after she said that the man that I met twice and the owner of the house next door was Caspian Jyn.Well, he had a lot of admirers, and stalkers, to be honest. And if I heard it right, even the princesses of the Hexoria Kingdom were also finding their chance to make him agree to enter an arranged marriage with him.But sad to say, no one really succeeded.Aside from that, he never really socializes with anyone, especially with girls.And now, I understand why he was like that.“He doesn’t like women,” I whispered. “He likes men!” I looked at Miracle and held her shoulders. “The Caspian Jyn that every woman around the world adores is actually gay!”Miracle was also shocked by what I w
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovI took a deep breath while standing in front of my neighbor’s gate. I am quite nervous after knowing that the person that I met twice in such an awkward situation was Caspian Jyn. I don’t know how to act after witnessing all those things.And I was thinking that he might forbid me from visiting their house and take back the keys that they gave to me.“Until when are you going to stand there?”I almost jumped because of the sudden voice I heard behind me. I immediately turned my back to him.And I was greeted by the enticing eyes of Caspian Jyn. Those ocean-blue eyes made me feel like I was drowning even though he was just looking at me with nothing but cold stares and to be honest, it is giving me chills.“Oh my god!” I covered my mouth. “I… I am sorry.” I went out of his way and stood beside the gate.I don’t know how to face him after seeing everything. And I am still confused about how I should act in front of him.I mean, should I act as if we were close?
Caspian Jyn’s Pov“Something is wrong,” Rajiv said after his phone call and turned to me. “They are all acting weird.”I frowned. “Who?”“Lucky and the rest of Asper’s bodyguards,” he answered. “I don’t know what but Asper has been acting weird ever since she met Reina at Yain City.”I leaned my back in my chair’s backrest and looked at him. “What makes you think that they are acting weird?”“Asper changed, Jyn,” he said. “For the whole year that we haven’t seen her, she changed a lot. She is no longer the type to just stay on the side, keep quiet, and do nothing.”“You think they will cover for her if she is doing something without our knowledge?”He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know how Asper thinks now and the caporegime that we assigned to her are all afraid and loyal to you,” he said. “But I still can’t shake the feeling that Asper is doing something.”I know what he is trying to say because I also felt that way.“Pull out the last batch of security details that we sent there
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovDad told me not to worry too much after I mentioned to him what Hector said to me. He assured me that he and Aasiyah are ready for everything that the palace will possibly do.He already learned his lesson through what happened to me. He has no plans on making any decision for Aasiyah and he will support anything she decides once the palace proposes a marriage for her and Cloven.Well, I know my sister. Even though she is the youngest in the family and my parents kind of sheltered her, she will never let anyone around control her.Just like me, she will fight if she doesn’t want the situation. No one will persuade her to do something she doesn’t like.But to ensure that we have another person backing us up for my sister's sake, I also informed Miracle about this. I can count on her to assure me that Aasiyah will not experience the harassment that I got from the palace before.And it made me feel relieved after talking it all to them. It is reassuring that even
Asper Reign Dahlia’s Pov“I already transferred the foundation to my sister,” I repeated. “My lawyer finished taking care of the paperwork last year and it was finalized last week. The foundation is now formally owned by Aasiyah.”Shock was still all over his face after I explained that.Aasiyah will hold a press conference about this to publicly announce the transfer. It was scheduled for next week but since there are still threats to her safety because of me, they might reschedule it once Dad formed new security details for her.I frowned when I saw the concern on Hector’s face as if I made a huge mistake.“Aasiyah took over the foundation when I left our home two years ago,” I continued. “And because of what I have to do, I decided to completely let it go. And Aasiyah decided to shoulder everything since she fell in love working there.”“You…” He cupped his forehead and sat on the floor. I don’t know what his problem is but he is acting as if it was big news for him.And it is not
Asper Reign Dahlia’s Pov“You are really out of your mind, Asper,” Hector shook his head after I told him what I did to Jyn’s men who were assigned as my bodyguards. “You used yourself just to hold them in the neck.”“I only have myself, okay?” I said. “I can only take advantage of Jyn’s feelings for me to make them what I want.”He shook his head again and continued bathing the horse. “You like taking advantage of everything around you to make sure that every situation will side with you.”We are in the horse stable right now. He is working while I am sitting in the corner.“Don’t talk to me about taking advantage of things, Hector. You have done worse than what I am doing right now.” I rolled my eyes. He talked like he never abused his position as the crown prince to get what he wanted before.He looked at me and pointed to himself. “I am trying to change myself for the better, right?” He pointed at me. “But you? It seems like you are changing your path.”“Well, I am entering the wo
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovI received a warm welcome from the original workers of the farm. I have known most of them since they started working here when Granny was still alive. Some of them were hired by me when I started handling things around here and there were new ones that Dad hired to help Judith with the work in the mansion.And of course, Hector, who immediately got along with the people here. They know that he is the former crown prince but it seems like it doesn’t matter to them. They might be treating him as a normal person but they are all nice to him.Which is good since we never know how long he will be working here.Since I let him choose what work he wanted to do here, he chose to take care of the horses we have here. Maybe because he is already familiar with that since they have been taking care of horses in the palace. And he often joins horseback tournaments so he knows how to handle one.After taking care of things around the changes that will happen around the far
Asper Reign Dahlia’s Pov“Sorry, Dad.” That is all I can say to my father who I was talking to through Lucky’s phone right now. I am standing in an abandoned port while staring at our helicopter that was burning down through the sky. “I am still not sure about how much money I have right now but I will try to buy a new one for you.”I heard Dad sigh. “Don’t worry about that. I already had plans to buy a new one for myself and give that to your brother.”“Oh.” I scratched my head. “Now, I feel even more bad. Helicopters are the easiest mode of transportation that he can use to go to Yain City without neglecting his job here at Ilore City.”“But you are okay, right?” Dad asked. “It is good that you noticed the problem in the helicopter sooner than later.”“Maybe I was getting sharper when it comes to danger.” Ever since I learned about the Rioghail, Dad made sure to train me every day. Not just some self-defense techniques, but also about the things that I should be looking around me th
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovEverything that I need to move to the farm is all set. Dad already sent there the people that will help me to start the new chapter of my life.Though, I will still visit here from time to time. That is why I don’t understand why my siblings and mother are crying right now.“Seriously, guys?” I shook my head while looking at them. Especially Kezia who has been hugging me tight. “I am just three hours’ drive away. You can visit me any time you want. And I will also try to visit as much as I can. This is not something like when I was hiding in Yain City. You can call me whenever you want.”“It is still different whenever you are here,” Kezia exclaimed. “Why do you have to live there? You have been taking care of Granny’s property remotely since you all got it, right?”“I know.” I sighed. “But now that I don’t have the SweetHeart and the foundation, the farm is currently my primary source of income. I had to study everything about it from scratch. So, please? Sto
Asper Reign Dahlia’s Pov“Give him time, Asper,” Miracle added and lay down in my bed. “He is not used to what is happening to him right now.”“I understand what is happening to him and I am trying my best not to become his burden while he is fixing everything around him,” I explained. “Isn’t that the reason why I am leaving? I chose the farm because I know that I can do everything to protect myself there without holding back. So that when he is finally ready to come back to me, he will not worry about my safety anymore.”“Does it mean, that when he finished solving all his problems and he is ready to come back to you, you will not hesitate to accept him again?”“Yup,” I immediately answered, which made her get up. I looked at her and smiled. “Moving on from him is not really part of my life. I just want to give him space while he is working on his personal issue. And I am working on my life so I can live it the way I want without fearing for my safety.”We will not be able to do anyt
Asper Reign Dahlia’s PovPeople in the house were shocked by my decision to hire Hector and as I expected, Jasper and Kezia voiced their disagreement with my decision. Though Dad didn’t say anything, I can see in his eyes that he is also on their side this time.Mom, Easter, and Aasiyah also do not agree with it but they choose to respect what I want to do, just like what they kept doing for the past months. I guess they trust me that much now.“He is changing!” I insisted on them because they kept telling me that I shouldn’t trust Hector since we all know who he really is. “Why don’t you give him a chance?”“Do you really believe that he is capable of changing?” Jasper asked. “What if he is only pretending to get your sympathy? And when you are finally comfortable with him, he will use that opportunity to take back everything he gave up and force you again to marry him.”I narrowed my eyes on him. “Are you hearing yourself now, brother? We all know that Hector is incapable of pretens