For Melissa, it was the harshest insult she could muster. Idiot.
It was when Rael roughly said there was no need to reply to such a letter, resting her chin on Melissa’s shoulder.
Words she had never heard before in her life fell from her lips.
Words that might be so ordinary and everyday to others. But words that Rael thought she would never hear, even if she died and came back to life…
“I love you, Rael.”
Rael collapsed right there, unable to even breathe.
* * *
To be honest, regardless of how others might see it, Melissa believed this was right.
Melissa and Rael were twins.
When they were young, the distinction wasn’t clear, but as they grew up, their auras became so different that anyone who knew them wouldn’t confuse them.
But even knowing they were different people, how could one not be affected by having someone who looked remarkably like oneself existing in the world?
Rael was like Melissa’s mirror.
She was also like a shadow that couldn’t be separated no matter how much you wanted to, and sometimes she was like shackles binding her ankles.
But on the other hand…
There were definitely times when it was love.
When they were young, Melissa had admired Rael who seemed so brave and cheerful. Because Melissa was always too scared to take risks.
Melissa was afraid of getting scolded. So even when Rael rebelled, Melissa would diligently follow wherever their grandfather pointed, all alone.
Do you know how much I envied you, who seemed so free in the outside world, who could live without caring what others thought?
Melissa felt her own festering heart melting as she stroked the hair of Rael, who had fallen asleep after crying for a long time.
What was blood, and what was family anyway?
Even though she hated you so much, she couldn’t ignore you.
Because if Rael died, surely some part of Melissa would die too.
Perhaps she had saved her for selfish reasons, unable to bear that reality.
But she didn’t regret it.
Rael was deeply rooted in Melissa’s inner self as a part of her. So when she saved Rael and got her out of the establishment, it felt like she had saved one of the many Melissas that existed within herself.
This was the method Reizen had taught her.
She knew that if there was even one person in the world who would embrace you and tell you to live, like Reizen did, you could find hope to live on.
If such a person hadn’t been by her side, and if it seemed there never would be, Melissa too would have crumbled and disappeared.
That’s why this time, Melissa wanted to be that person for someone else.
Because even if the person telling you to live isn’t someone who specially loves you, cherishes you, or holds affection for you, those words could still be salvation to someone who desperately needs to hear them…
For Melissa, those first words from him telling her to live were exactly that. Perhaps time had stopped since then?
She lay down next to the peacefully sleeping Rael, using her arm as a pillow, her expression pained.
Two days later, the car they had ordered previously arrived.
The two excited men practiced driving around the empty area near the hotel, gripping the steering wheel.
The car made low, dull vibrations like a threatening wild animal, going vroom, vroom. It was fascinating how the mysterious humming noise mixed with the vibrations from the rotating belt.
When Reizen sharply turned the car’s steering wheel, the vehicle swayed, making Whilton, who was standing in the passenger seat, stagger.
“Aaack!”
Melissa and the maids burst out laughing at the sight of the large man screaming and making a fuss.
Rael, who was still too weak to walk properly, had come outside for the first time in a while in a wheelchair. She frowned, clutching the bandages wrapped around her left hand.
Melissa added a brief explanation for Rael, who might find this strange.
“The one driving is His Highness Reizen, and the one in the passenger seat is Sir Whilton, the driver.”
Rael nodded silently with cold eyes. Her look suggested she already knew without needing the explanation.
“He used to come to the establishment often.”
Perhaps due to her direct manner of speaking, Rael’s voice rang particularly clear. Melissa’s breath stopped for just a moment. It didn’t seem like she was joking.
“Which one?”
Melissa came closer and whispered.
Rael raised her right hand and pointed at the man.
At that moment, their car crashed into a croquet set, sending the rackets clattering everywhere. Finding something amusing about it, Reizen laughed brightly under the sunlight.
* * *
Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the imperial palace’s office. The documents on the Crown Prince’s desk collapsed and scattered into the air.
“Your Highness!”
His aide rushed in after receiving an urgent message, but the place was already in disarray.
Selheim turned around, looking composed and immaculate as if he hadn’t caused any of this. The lazy smile on his lips twisted slightly to one side.
It was a fierce smile rarely seen on him.
His blue eyes glinted dangerously with murderous intent.
The man in the white Crown Prince’s uniform adorned with multiple gold decorations chuckled, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
Whatever he found so amusing, he continued laughing while furrowing his brow at the aide.
“Your Highness.”
As the aide approached to calm him, Selheim suddenly grabbed his throat and shoved him against the wall.
With a thud, the strangled man’s face turned dark red. He knew well that a person’s face wasn’t beautiful right before death.
Selheim preferred shooting people, partly because he disliked that unattractiveness.
“You should have checked the contents of the letter.”
“…I… did…”
“Did you? Really?”
He asked again with a gentle face.
“But you couldn’t predict that my lovely Mel would rush right over after seeing the contents?”
“Urgh…”
“Because your rotten brains don’t have that kind of thought process. Right? You had no idea Mel would go that far for her sister.”
The aide’s face grew increasingly dark blue.
“I gave you the ball and showed you where the goal was, but if the team is too stupid to score, f*ck, that’s a problem.”
“Kh, kk, I…”
Any more pressure and his neck would shatter, killing him. He didn’t want anyone to end their life so unattractively here.
Because the office was a sacred place.
He didn’t want to create unpleasant memories here.
That’s why he had entrusted all his bad memories to Marita Loge for careful management, but with her establishment burning down, Selheim’s toy storage had disappeared too.
Instead of putting a bullet in his head, Reizen had sent him a new gift this time.
‘Cheeky bastard.’
I raised you with such affection, and now you’re trying to climb the real tree?
When Selheim suddenly released his grip, the aide collapsed to the floor, coughing and spluttering.
Hacking and gasping for breath, physiological tears formed and fell from his eyes.
“I’ve known he frequented Loge’s establishment for a long time. He often went in and out through David Moore.”
Selheim approached with a calm face and mercilessly stomped on the aide’s hand.
“I wonder, did things start going wrong from then? After Moore died?”
There was a cracking sound as bones broke under his shoe.
“That’s how I remember it.”
The aide, who had been silently enduring the pain, trembled as he clutched his wrist when the shoe finally lifted.
“Now the game is over. I’m done with the match. That f*cking bastard fucks Mel every day, doesn’t he?”
“…”
“Hah… It’s so f*cking annoying, I can’t stand watching anymore.”
Selheim slowly approached the man and pressed his knee down, smiling sweetly.
“Let’s shut down the game. Go put a bullet in his head to make him come to his senses.”
The aide’s fist clenched.
“And bring Mel to me.”
His cold blue eyes now gleamed with madness.
This was no longer a game. The clean match where they took turns kindly like a sports game had come to an end.
‘From now on, someone will really die.’
And Selheim had no doubt that Reizen would be the one to die.