Hilise POV
The two had their mouths fall open when they saw the mess on the table, and me sitting alone in front of it.
"...What on earth is going on here?"
Father finally came to his senses. His expression changed into a cold look and spoke.
Ricardo's pace increased as he walked to me and grabbed my arm.
He then whispered in a low voice, low enough so that Father won't hear.
"Hilise, what the hell are you trying to do?"
I snatched my arm from him and faced the table again.
"I know I don't come here often, but I can't see why you're making such a big deal of it."
Ricardo's eyes narrowed at my dry response.
"Who said it's because you're here? I'm trying to point out your rude behavior."
After putting up with everything that happened today, his patience seemed to have finally reached its limit.
"I just let you off earlier, but now it's too much. What's wrong with you? If you're going to dine here, you should've waited until Father and I arrived!"
Before I knew it, Ricardo was already admonishing me. It was like a brother scolding his spoiled sister.
However, no matter how he acted, he would never be a brother to me again.
"I'll just lose my appetite if we eat together, so why should I?"
Ricardo had a stupid look on his face as if he never imagined that I would say such words to him.
"Hilise! What's with that attitude?"
A voice resounded behind Ricardo.
"I didn't say anything about it since Ricardo told me to leave you alone because you must've been very surprised by the events today, but I can't let this go now!"
Ah, Ricardo said that?
Though I don't think he did that out of concern for me.
He just wanted to ease the guilt that's been eating him up since he left me alone in the middle of the garden earlier.
"You've been acting up towards me and your brother since earlier...! Is that what I taught you?!"
I tilted my head at the sight of my furious father.
(Is that what he taught me? That's quite an interesting question.)
"No. That's not what Father taught me."
I stared at him and answered with a flat tone.
"That's right, but how come your preposterous behavior right now..."
"To be precise, father has taught me nothing in his entire life."
"What—What did you say?"
My father froze right on where he stood. He looked like he couldn't comprehend what he had just heard.
Ricardo and the servants held their breath. All this drama right now makes me feel like I'm watching a boring play by some third-rate actors.
I continued speaking.
"You've never been a father to me, so I'm sure you know it yourself."
My father neglected me the moment I was born. He ignored me as if I wasn't his family, and he would look at me with unpleasant eyes as if he was looking at an old stains on a wallpaper.
"Honestly, it's funny to call our relationship a father and daughter relationship."
The same thing can be said for Ricardo, but the proportion of a parent's role is different from a brother's role. So it was absurd for those words to come out of his mouth.
I've always thought that it was natural for them to make a fool out of me, but it's different this time.
I placed my spoon on the table and watched as my father's eyes shook violently.
"I've never been taught anything by my parents nor my brother in my whole life, and now I'm spoiled. What should I do, now that I've grown up like this? Isn't it all because of my father who didn't educate me? So if it bothers you, why don't you reflect on it even though it's too late?"
Father was completely stunned by my unconventional remarks. So was Ricardo.
**Drrkk
I got up from my seat, leaving the remaining raspberry sorbet.
"You've never fulfilled your responsibilities as a parent, so don't start looking for your rights now."
I glanced at the servants that stood like rocks.
"Thanks for the meal."
The servants stared at me nervously, as if they did not know how to answer my humble gratitude. They too, were astonished to hear everything I said to Father and Ricardo.
However, the servants were soon startled when I spoke again, their eyes turning wide.
"But from now on, do not discriminate against me."
"Wh-What are you talking about...?"
"I've known for a long time that you only send food leftovers to my room."
The napkin that I was holding fell into the sorbet's glass. Soon, the red liquid spread over the white cloth.
I walked out of the restaurant, leaving the frozen servants behind, and past my stiffened father and Ricardo.
"What did Hilise mean by that?"
"We—We have no idea. The young lady must have misunderstood something..."
I heard Ricardo's voice as he interrogated the servants. As I continued walking, the servants' excuses gradually faded away.
I went back to my room, laid on the soft mattress, and fell asleep.
* * *
"Hello. We will be your mother and sister from now on."
That happened when I was six years old. Over the course of so many lives, it has become a very old memory of the past.
But because it was the turning point of my life, it still lingered in my memory as if it was just yesterday.
"Nice to meet you, children."
Our father, Diego, brought them here. The beautiful woman and the girl, who looked like she's a year younger than me, both have honey blonde hair and dreamy doe eyes.
"Please get along with Gabriel too."
They looked strikingly similar to the portrait of our mother in the corridor.
When I saw Ricardo's face, I could tell that he was fascinated by the people that Father brought. I also liked the two who looked like my mother that only existed in a portrait.
However, they didn't usually call me at family gatherings. So I had to spend time in my room more often than before.
"Daddy!"
One day, I opened the window in my room and saw them in the garden. Gabriel was running on the green grass towards Father, with her shiny hair fluttering.
Unconsciously, I almost tried to stop Gabriel. The other day, when I approached father and held his hand, he harshly shoved my hand and turned away.
Hot tears streamed down my face. I had no choice but to hold my hand that turned red and gaze at my father's retreating back.
I was worried about Gabriel.
(Don't. Father will get angry because he doesn't like being touched-)
But he lifted the running Gabriel with a warm smile that I've never seen before.
**Crack
The sound of glass breaking was heard from my chest. Ricardo and our stepmother, who stood right beside each other, approached the two.
It was like a family painting. It came as a big shock to me. What I have only imagined in my room so far, was finally happening.
But contrary to my imagination, it was Gabriel, not me, who was in that beautiful landscape. Gabriel, who resembled her mother, was a pretty child. She was like an angel.
That's why I thought it was only natural for my father and brother to like her. I really liked Gabriel and our stepmother too.
Yet, even though that's what I thought, I sat back against the window and covered my ears. But the laughter outside seemed to penetrate my eardrums as it kept on getting louder.
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