Chapter 36.
As soon as Alex stepped out of Rachel’s room, he ran across the hallway.
He later learned through Rachel that he and Francis weren’t related by blood.
Francis’s only real child was Catherine.
But still, Francis treated Alex like his real son.
The soft, sky-blue eyes that always looked at him kindly.
That strong but gentle adult smile.
Those big, beautiful hands that lovingly messed up his hair, though a bit rough.
Alex believed all those moments were real.
So even if they didn’t share blood, Francis was his father. That much was true.
“You’re her big brother, Alex. You have to protect your sister.”
“In the end, the two of you are each other’s closest family.”
“I’m counting on you, my little friend.”
Francis had asked Alex to take care of Catherine.
So Alex, as her older brother and Francis’s son, had to save her.
And if he couldn’t do it alone—then he’d just have to get help. That’s all.
“Haha, son, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it. You’re still young, and you’ll need help many more times in your life.”
“…But still—”
“Who says it’s embarrassing to ask for help? In the end, it’s you who decides that.”
That was one of the lessons his father taught him—
Different from what his mother believed.
Alex never forgot what his father said.
If someone said Alex and Catherine were a loving pair of siblings, both of them would’ve denied it.
They weren’t the friendly kind of brother and sister.
“Alex, you’re so annoying! Idiot!”
“Whatever, you little brat.”
“Ugh! You jerk! Dummy! You stinky cheese ball!”
“You wild boar with no brains! Weirdo! Monster!”
Catherine was stubborn, sensitive, greedy, and had picked up some bad habits from Rachel—she wasn’t exactly a sweet little sister.
But still, some memories of her were deeply carved into Alex’s heart.
So he could never completely throw her away.
Maybe she had caught a silly kind of “sickness” from Francis—the kind that made her crave love and family.
Either way, letting go of her hand was something Alex could never do.
“Hic… Alex… Mom… Mom said…”
One day, the usual sharp and arrogant girl vanished, and in her place was a child crying.
Huge blue eyes filled with tears.
Red cheeks and painful red marks like someone had pressed them in with a brand.
Tears clinging to her golden eyelashes.
Her platinum hair is all messy and wet from sweat.
That was the first time Rachel had hit Catherine.
“She said she’s throwing me away. That she doesn’t care about someone like me anymore… hic…”
Rachel was cruel and cold—she didn’t say things she didn’t mean.
So what she said was probably true.
Catherine was scared—like there was nothing but a cliff in front of her.
She looked like she was about to fall.
“A-Am I getting thrown away… again?”
At those words, Alex frowned.
Again? When had she ever been thrown away before?
He looked at his little sister crying.
Why is she clinging to this idea of “family” like her life depends on it?
Even though this kind of family might be better off gone.
“Wah… I… I don’t want to be alone. I want to stay with Alex. I’ll eat less, I’ll behave, I’ll listen to Mom, I won’t throw tantrums… and… and…”
Her blue eyes stared at him—begging him not to leave her.
That desperate plea hit Alex deep inside.
He couldn’t breathe.
She looked so pathetic. So sad. It broke his heart.
Francis had been right.
In the end, the two of them were each other’s closest family.
They were each other’s closest person in the world.
So Alex told a lie.
A kind, cruel lie—just like Francis had once told him.
“Catherine, listen carefully. This is just a game, okay? We’re pretending.”
“Pretending?”
“Yeah. Mom does love us. This is just a game. If we don’t do what she wants, she gets mad—but it’s not real.”
“Really? Mom loves us?”
“Of course. That’s what Dad said. He said Mom loves us.”
Catherine looked up at him with big round eyes.
Alex nodded.
“Then… I stay here? With you and Mom? Is it okay?”
“You dummy. Why ask me? You’re the one who decides if you stay or not.”
You’re smarter than me. You should know the answer to that.
Alex gave a little laugh and roughly rubbed her head—
Just like Francis used to do to him.
“I’m your brother. Even if you don’t want me, I’ll always be by your side, stupid.”
Yes. He was her one and only family left in this world.
“I’m your brother. So no matter what… I’ll get you out of there, Catherine.”
* * *
“So, you said you had something to tell me.”
Hereis looked at Eleanor, who had come to his office.
“Please leave the decision about ‘that girl’ to me.”
She looked at him with a calm face.
She was talking about Catherine.
Because of what happened, it had become clear how much Catherine had hurt Eleanor, and how many people let it happen.
The investigation wasn’t over, but it was clear now how much Eleanor had suffered.
Hereis hadn’t expected her to come and ask for this—
She was asking not to punish Catherine too harshly.
“…Why?”
“Because I’m the one it happened to. And honestly… She tried to help me. She’s not the real criminal.”
She’s not the real criminal…?
Hereis didn’t understand.
Was Eleanor feeling sorry for Catherine?
“But that doesn’t erase all the things she did to you.”
“Ha!”
Eleanor suddenly let out a bitter laugh, like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Hereis’s face hardened at the clear scorn in her laugh.
She looked at him with eyes full of disappointment and maybe even anger.
“To me… Catherine, you, the people here… You’re all the same. There’s no difference.”
Her eyes were cold.
Like an iron wall—completely shut.
No emotions, no regrets.
And oddly enough…
Hereis realized those words hurt him.
Even though he didn’t deserve to feel hurt—he still did.
He stared at the girl in front of him.
Her lips were tight. Her eyes are expressionless.
There was no warmth in her face at all.
Why was it only now… that he was seeing her?
“…Do you hate me?”
Hereis tried to hide the shake in his voice.
“Hate…? I don’t know. That’s something you feel when you still have emotions. I don’t expect anything from you. Nothing at all.”
Hereis couldn’t understand her words.
It sounded like she believed he had…
Always…
“I’m the curious one. All this time… you’ve hated me, haven’t you?”
Thud!
His heart sank.
“Even now, you can’t forgive me.”
She spoke with a calm face—
Like she had accepted that her father hated her.
“That’s not—!”
“Because I killed my mother.”
Bang!
“Who DARES—say something like that…!”
Hereis slammed the desk in fury.
He was outraged that those words had come from Eleanor’s mouth.
It was an accident.
A terrible accident—nothing more.
For her to say it was her fault… It made it hard for him to even breathe.
Who on earth told the daughter of the House of Valentine something so awful?!
But Eleanor only looked at him with disbelief.
“Why are you so upset? You’re the one who made me think that way.”
