How much time had I spent in agony all those years?

Robi and my father had been too harsh on me. They should have been grateful that I didn’t slap them when I opened my eyes again.

I couldn’t remember how many years I had thought it might have been better to be an orphan.

‘He couldn’t possibly understand my feelings. People tend to trivialize experiences they haven’t personally gone through.’

Yujin had only shown me kindness. He offered to cover the treatment costs if sending my father to a treatment center was too burdensome for me.

The reason his words made me so angry was that, deep down, I didn’t want to waste someone else’s money.

‘Even if I said I knew from personal experience, no one would believe me.’

The years of suffering I endured because of them had vanished into the reverse-flowing clock.

To others, I was just a cold-hearted woman who wanted to send her brother to jail simply because he had asked for money once during his visit to the capital.

“Titi.”

As soon as I entered the hotel, I collapsed into the corner between the bed and the wall. After leaving me alone for a while, Yuri eventually came over and crouched down beside me.

I felt ashamed, as if I had exposed my innermost self by revealing my family problems. I didn’t want to show any signs of being shaken. I pushed him away with all my strength.

“Go away.”

Of course, Yuri didn’t budge when I pushed him. Instead, he grabbed my wrist and, with a slight frown, gently asked, “Are you crying?”

I didn’t want to cry, but the tears came anyway. It wasn’t as if I could hide them at this distance.

Yet, stubbornly, I answered, “I’m not crying.”

If I said that, he should have just pretended not to notice. But Yuri deliberately leaned closer and said again, “It looks like you’re crying.”

“Why would I cry? What did I do wrong?”

Even as I spoke those words, tears fell again before I could finish. Forcing my trembling lips to part, I let out a rush of words.

“I’m a bad daughter, aren’t I? If I were a good daughter, I’d kneel and beg, or cling to his pants to get money and put him in the hospital. Just like he said.”

If I thought about it emotionally, Yujin’s suggestion was the right thing to do.

No matter how hopeless it seemed, what could I do? He was my father.

“But for how long?”

Having already tried to fill a bottomless pit twice, his suggestion to send my father to a treatment center sounded like wishful thinking.

The painful past kept resurfacing, and tears flowed. It wasn’t because I felt sorry for my family, but because I pitied myself for being pushed to this point.

Yuri’s warm hand touched my damp cheek. As he gently rubbed my cheek as if handling delicate porcelain, he whispered kindly,

“You don’t need to listen to people who don’t take responsibility. Your life is yours.”

“People point fingers at me, saying it’s foolish to suffer losses, but suffering losses for family is considered noble.”

“Then let me say on behalf of everyone, that’s not noble; it’s foolish. Titi, you haven’t done anything wrong.”

His gentle reassurance only made me cry harder.

I continued, my voice trembling. It was a vulnerable confession I could only make to Yuri.

“Do you think I feel at ease sending my family to jail? They don’t even know how long I’ve suffered….”

“Titi.”

Yuri cupped my cheeks with both hands and gently lifted my face. His light blue eyes looked at me seriously.

“When you make decisions and feel sad alone, I feel sad too. I admire how you handle everything so bravely, but it’s hard when I don’t know how to help.”

I pouted like a goldfish and replied, “Fool, just comforting me like this is helping.”

“Isn’t that too simple?”

“It’s simple, but not everyone can do it. Just like not everyone comes to hug you when you’re scared and crying as a child.”

“Oh.”

Yuri looked as if he had realized something. Seeing his absent-minded face made me smile involuntarily.

Was it because he was a mage? Sometimes, Yuri didn’t grasp the most obvious things.

Like not realizing how significant it is to stay by someone’s side during tough times.

When I smiled, Yuri finally relaxed.

“Titi, your eyes and nose are red.”

“Don’t look, it’s embarrassing.”

“Why? I think it’s cute.”

In the spacious room, we sat side by side in the narrow corner. Yuri fiddled with my hand and muttered,

“Being with you feels like learning to walk all over again.”

“That’s an honor.”

Though I wasn’t sure what I had taught him.

As I looked at his large, strong hand in contrast to mine, I spoke in a small voice.

“…….Lend me your shoulder.”

“As much as you need.”

It wasn’t that I wanted to cry more. I had just realized, somewhat embarrassed, that we had naturally grown close enough to hold hands.

When I buried my face in his shoulder, as if hiding behind him, Yuri chuckled softly. Then, in a lighthearted tone, he began to speak.

“Since Titi is feeling shy, should I tell an old story?”

“An old story?”

“It might not be interesting. It’s a pretty common tale.”

His voice was cheerful, but the content was anything but.

“It’s the story of why I left the Esrenche family.”

This was a long time ago, when Yuri and Sabina were still staying with the Count of Esrenche.

***

“Is it fun to just read books all day?”

Yujin, who was turning the pages of a book, frowned.

His fluffy pink hair resembled cotton candy, and his round blue eyes peeked out from under the desk.

Did Yuri know that Yujin deliberately kept his curly hair neatly combed because he didn’t want to resemble him?

He didn’t like those innocent-looking eyes either. Looking at them made him feel as though he was the only one suffering and struggling.

Even harboring such feelings of inferiority was annoying, so Yujin simply turned his gaze away from Yuri. Then, in his usual blunt tone, he replied, “It’s not fun.”

“Then why do you read?”

“Because I can’t remember everything after seeing it once, like you.”

Although he retorted sharply, it was Yujin who felt hurt.

Yujin bit his lower lip. The letters on the page no longer registered in his mind.

‘Why am I even saying things like this?’

While Yujin was tormented by self-loathing, Yuri responded nonchalantly.

“You don’t really need to memorize everything. The job of a superior is to give orders. You just need enough knowledge to understand what’s being said.”

“…….”

His words, spoken as if they were obvious, were remarkably insensitive. Yujin twisted his lips.

‘He doesn’t even understand what he’s hearing.’

The family compared Yujin and Yuri in every aspect.

“Master Yuri is so brilliant!

“Not only is he good at memorizing, but he’s also quick with calculations. He’ll manage the business well.”

“Master Yujin is excellent too, but compared to a genius, he seems to fade into the background…….”

Even a sane person would go mad hearing such things repeatedly, and Yujin had been compared to Yuri every day since he was born.

He would have felt relieved if they had just told him to get lost and never wanted to see him again. But he feared losing the only thing he was praised for over Yuri—his calm and gentle demeanor—so he simply ignored Yuri.

Yuri soon grew bored of his taciturn brother. Crawling out from under the desk, he plopped down next to Yujin with a thud. Resting his chin in his hand, he asked,

“Are you going to stay in the study?”

“I don’t have anything else to do.”

“Why don’t you have anything to do? There are so many fun things in the world.”

‘That’s easy for you to say.’

He barely swallowed those words. Not saying harsh things to Yuri was the last boundary he maintained.

‘He won’t stay by my side for long anyway.’

Yuri, loved by many, had little time to sit next to Yujin because so many people sought him out.

Sure enough, soon a sharp voice called out for Yuri.

“Yuri!”

The one who entered was a beautiful girl with cheeks as rosy as a blooming rose.

It was Princess Sabina.

She didn’t seem to notice Yujin, who had bowed his head, and instead walked straight in and clung to Yuri’s arm.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere! You should have told me if you were going to the study!”

“You went out, Sabina. How could I tell someone who wasn’t home?”

“You could have used magic! You can do anything, Yuri.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Do you think I can do everything with magic?”

Yuri openly showed his annoyance. Anyone else would have been in trouble for that, but he was the only one in this house who could express his feelings so honestly to Sabina.