The Alchemists

0At first, Rose thought that the Schneider family was a rich family that was very reclusive and kept to themselves because their status was above the others.     

However, after getting to know Rune more, she realized that he and his whole family were very friendly people and were happy to accept Rose's presence.     

***     

Ten hours later, the pilot announced that the plane had arrived over Germany and that they would soon be landing.     

The passengers then packed up their things and sat on the chairs while waiting for the plane to land. Not long after, Aleksis and Rune, and his family walked out of the plane.      

Since they were using a private plane, the small group did not need to go to the passenger lounge first. Their bags were immediately delivered without having to wait like most airplane passengers.     

After checking all their belongings and making sure nothing was missing or lost, they were transferred to a private helicopter to continue their journey to the Schneider family's castle.     

Their journey by helicopter was quite pleasant. They flew a little low so that Rose could see the city of Stuttgart and its surroundings from above in all its beauty. The scenery was truly extraordinary.     

As their helicopter nearly arrived at their destination, Rune showed Rose the Schneider family castle from a distance.     

"That's our home," he said proudly. "I was born there."     

"Aww... it looks really beautiful," Rose gushed. She was amazed to see that the ancient-looking castle was still standing strong. The appearance was also very good and well maintained.     

The majestic castle had four tall towers. The roof was blue and the stone walls were white. They have a very clean and comfortable impression. The natural scenery in the surrounding area also added to the antique impression, along with a wide garden that surrounds the building.      

There was also a small lake not far from the castle, across from a large courtyard decorated with so many trees and flowers. Since it was the end of spring, the earth was looking the most beautiful. Rose held her breath when she saw the vast courtyard and garden.      

Inwardly, Rose thought about how the castle had been standing for hundreds of years. She wondered how many generations had the Schneiders owned the castle?     

From bits and pieces of information she managed to find about the family, Rose discovered that this Family had been rich for generations and they were able to maintain their family fortune until now.     

This was something admirable because normally it was a very difficult thing to do. Many powerful, famous, and wealthy families were not able to maintain their wealth and influence because their descendants ruined them.     

Many powerful and wealthy families in the past now slowly disappeared altogether.     

Rose glanced at Rune who was sitting quietly beside her. Seeing this man, made her smile to herself. Ah, she only kept all her admiration for Rune and his family in his heart.     

Their helicopter finally landed on the helipad in front of the castle.     

***     

When the propellers of the helicopter had come to a complete stop and the roaring sounds had died down, Rune got off the helicopter first and waited for Rose by the door. He reached out his hand to help the girl out of the helicopter.     

Several servants who were already prepared immediately greeted the arrival of Rune and Rose and the Linden family. One by one, the servants came over to bring their things.     

When Rose was standing right in front of the Schneider family castle in Stuttgart, her steps were stopped because she was again amazed by the magnificent building. It looked even more grand when she saw it in person.     

When viewed closely, it turns out that the castle walls have their own intricate carvings on the top. It is even more majestic than when viewed from a distance. You could say their castle was no less magnificent than the royal palace in Medion.     

However, soon that impression was replaced with a feeling of nervousness. Rose thought about how Rune's parents would react when they met her. Would they like her?      

Rose was also thinking about what her reaction would be if she saw the newborn baby who was given birth by Rune's mother who must have been very old. It's hard to imagine it all. She didn't want to be rude to the parents and baby by asking about Finland's age and other sensitive topics.     

However, Rose did not express this concern. She was just standing still in her place, letting the spring wind blow her long blonde hair. The warmth of the sun that was already high seemed unable to warm her heart. She looked down and bit her lower lip.     

Seeing that Rose suddenly fell silent and seemed to be thinking of something serious, Rune took this opportunity to invite the girl to tour the castle before meeting his mother, Finland, and seeing her newborn baby.      

The man grabbed the collar of the girl's long brown jacket to fix it. He then smoothed her blond hair and tugged it behind her ear to get the girl's full attention. When Rose looked up and stared at Rune, the man gave her a small smile.     

"Want to go for a walk by the lake first?" asked Rune. "This is your first visit and it would be great if we get to know the place first. I wanted to show you my favorite places."     

"Oh, that's a good idea," Rose agreed with a small nod. She looked relieved. Her heart also wanted to calm down and so she faked a smile. The girl couldn't show her worried face like this when Rune's parents were happy with their new child.     

Rune and Rose then said goodbye to the Linden family.     

The man said to Alexis, "I want to show Rose around first. Please tell Mom and Dad I'll be there as soon as I'm done."     

Aleksis nodded. "Okay, we'll be waiting for you."     

"Have fun, Uncle Rune, Aunt Rose," said Ireland waving his hand, followed by Scotland.     

They separated.