- Promise -
"......."
The room was deadly quiet.
Each of them looked quite tense. Now that her identity was revealed, it was hard to interact like before.
Charlotte was too ashamed to face them. She was also afraid to see them. Bam, on the other hand, he was still guilty.
The scene where Charlotte was holding her chest with painful expression, the scene where every tears dropped from her eyes, the scene where she collapsed on the ground and didn't move anymore. How many times she was hurt because of his incompetence and weakness?
If he was stronger, maybe when Christ broke the chains that sealed her hourglass, he could prevent that from happening. He could avenge his little sister without relying others' help. If at the time the lotuses didn't mysteriously bloom, if there was no high- rankers to assist him, what should he do?
She will truly leave his side.
He opened his mouth, planning to strike a conversation first, "You......"
But what was her name? He didn't even know her name.
'Do I have the right to call her/him as my younger sister/older brother?'
She bit the bottom of her lips.
All these time, she managed to survive because someone else's identity and power. If it wasn't for the one who betrayed her, she would have died. She would have died long ago without a way to sacrifice herself again and again for her brother, died without being able to help him and the others.
"Brother......" She whispered in a very soft tone that they couldn't hear right when Bam opened his mouth to call her.
She clenched the bottom of her fists and gathered the courage inside her.
Who said that facing friends were easier than facing enemies? The courage that you have to summon in order to apologize to your friends, in order to show your weak side to your companions, the courage to tell the truth for your beloved ones, the courage that she needed to summon was more than the amount of courage she needed to face her enemies in the brink of death.
"I'm sorry!"
She finally said those 2 words that startled Bam and the others.
She couldn't see them straight on their eyes for she knew that she was the wrong one here. She just hugged her knees and quietly dropped a tear from her eyes. But even though right now she was the wrong one, she didn't want anyone to see her weak and hopeless side.
She said that she had no longer see them as manhwa characters. Now that she thought about these words, she realized that it was a lie.
If she really see them as real people, why would she be afraid of telling the truth and blend in? Why would she care of the plot? Speaking about her priorities, right now, she was aware that she cared for the plot more than these people.
All these time.....they were just bunch of lies. When she said that she cared for them deeply, her actions didn't prove her words like how it was supposed to be.
'If I truly care for them, then why do I let them suffer again and again?'
"Brother....Bam, Khun.....I'm sorry."
'Brother is right. I've changed. I've become a coward.'
"I hid my identity for a long time and deceived you for all these years. I'm sorry."
'I thought that the worst version of myself is when I lost my legs and my brother. But it seems like.....the current "me" who is afraid to take the risk is worse than the depressed "me".'
"You all have the right to hate me. It's my fault to begin with therefore, whatever punishments that waits for me......I won't run away from it. Everything that happened earlier.....everything was my fault. I'll accept all the punishments.......as it was all my fault."
'Pathetic.'
She had never worried of others' opinions about her. That was one of the reasons why she could live without worry in the cold mansion before that one incident that changed her whole life. But now, she cared for others' opinions a lot.
When the real face of an actress has been revealed, what should that actress do? Life has always been a play right?
Or not?
'I'm scared....I'm really scared.'
What kind of ending awaits her? What will happen next? Unfortunately, this wasn't written on the manhwa. Unfortunately, this kind of scene wasn't written on the books. Unfortunately......she had to face this without being able to see the future.
She always feared the others will rely on her "clairvoyant" ability. But the reality was that she was the one who relied too much in this ability. Now that this ability didn't work, she was unsure which decision or path is the best for them.
It was as if someone had closed her sight.
No longer could see the future.....everything was black.
But she couldn't take a step forward in the dark path. This was the furthest step that she could take.
Tighter and tighter, her body couldn't lie. She was afraid and nervous that she was hugging herself tighter and clenching her fists tighter. Like a child who was crying, she couldn't lift her head.
But she had no right to cry. Would they see it as another act if she cry right now? An act to escape from the punishments.
'The furthest step that I could take-'
A pair of hands touched the sides of her head before lifting it up carefully. When she lifted her head, her big golden eyes looked straight to a pair of cold and deep blue eyes.
Khun didn't show slightest hesitation when he lifted her head. He didn't hesitate to look at her eyes or showed any sympathy or hatred. His expression remained expressionless and solemn. Looking at her golden eyes, he felt that he had just seen a poor little child who was trapped in darkness without knowing her way home.
He couldn't stand seeing her hugging her knees hopelessly as if there was no ray of hope anymore. Now that he clearly saw the problem before him, he felt that this problem might actually be a trivial problem, an obstacle that they need to get rid of in order to live a better life.
Therefore, he walked towards her and sat on the bed close to her. Charlotte was too focused on her thoughts, thinking what kind of punishments await her that she couldn't notice that someone was getting closer. Due to her fear and anxiety, her senses weren't working properly as if her ears and her eyes were being covered by invisible hands.
He silently took a deep breath before he said calmly but solemnly, "....it's not your fault. If you keep thinking that everything is your fault, it will only be a burden and poison you. This....is really not your fault."
Charlotte thought that for a moment, she could breath normally. It felt suffocating when she lowered her head. When someone extended his hand to help her....it felt quite nice.
But she was unsure on how to reply his words. She lowered her head again, although it wasn't as low as before. He was also unsure what he should say. After all, he did this without thinking too much.
"You........what is your name?"
He finally asked.
".....my name?"
She echoed, glancing at the blue haired male who looked away, silently avoiding her gaze just like what she was doing.
"Charlotte Everest" she answered. "My name is Charlotte Everest......"
"Xi."
The image of an old couple with sweet and friendly smiles crossed her mind. Who else could they be but her grandparents? Xi.....the name that they gave to her. She remembered that they gave her that name because they thought that her eyes were bright as if they were filled with hope.
But little they knew that their granddaughter wasn't actually filled with hope, but depression and desperation.
That name was a name that she didn't want to hear. She didn't use it anymore ever since her grandparents' death. It was the first time that she learnt about "death" and it was quite sad. But in the Workshop, at that moment, she felt quite happy, felt that there was nothing she should be sad or afraid of. Thus, she used that name.
Inside, she really wanted to have someone who will call her with that name.
".....your name is also Charlotte?" Khun asked her.
What a coincidence. Or this wasn't a coincidence at all. Before coming to see her, they had heard from Noah. Noah, he risked his life to bring her to this tower and to possess that body to ruin his own father's plan, to bring headache and chaos for him. But he didn't really see this coming. Noah thought that he had completely destroyed the former soul inside that body so that it couldn't report things to his father.
He wanted his father to be destroyed by the puppet that he created so bad....but that Charlotte was hard to convince. So he found another soul.....another soul that he cared deeply at the end.....and he regretted bringing her into this bloody and inhumane place, letting her suffer again and again for saving him and for helping him.
He shouldn't have brought her here.
She nodded her head, feeling a bit calmer after hearing his voice. She was afraid that he couldn't hear her.
"Charlotte Everest. Before.....I also have another name. A name given by my grandparents before they passed away- Xi."
Xi, how could he forget that? It was the name that she used in the Workshop Battle. He always thought that there was something strange about this "Xi". She said that this was given by Altaira but Altaira never called her with this name.
"Xi......" He echoed. "It means hope, right?"
Charlotte glanced at him before she looked away.
"You still remember about it."
He hummed.
Bam stepped forward. Hearing a footstep, Charlotte lifted her head unconsciously. She looked at him.
"Charlotte.....I never hate you. I will never hate you. You've always been my younger sister.....no matter whether it is in the past or the present" he earnestly said with a smile. But that smile failed to hide all his sadness right now.
"But.....I'm not the real one."
"You have always been the real one" Khun immediately said. "For us, you've always been the real one."
"......huh?"
"Well....to be honest.....do you really think that you could fool Bam?" He asked her. "He had spent years with the other one that he knew her personality well. When he knew that his sister behaved differently, of course he knew that there is something off with his sister. And then we looked for the answer together."
"The answer....?" She lifted her head and her eyes began to widen.
"Right, the answer....your identity" he made it clear for her.
".................."
Charlotte was trying to comprehend what Khun had just said. She blankly turned her head to look at Bam who awkwardly and nervously smiled with his eyes closed. Then, she turned her head to look at Khun again.
'Why does it seem like........did he just say that they figure out my identity long ago?'
"Make it clear for us!" Endorsi said. "Why does it seem like I'm the one who doesn't know anything here?"
"It's because you did know nothing" Noah casually replied and ignored Endorsi who was cursing him.
Khun cleared his throat, leaving those two to fight.
"You probably figure it out. Actually, we knew that you are actually someone else....not the Charlotte who Bam knew....." He explained.
"..........since when have you figured it out?" She asked.
"After the Workshop event, I guess" Bam answered, nervously sweating.
"............" She lowered her head and began to count it. "So.....you've known my identity for more than......one year?"
More than 365 days?
"Yes" Bam answered.
"..............."
She looked again at Khun before she looked at Bam.
"Then.....why don't you expose me sooner?"
"Because....." Bam smiled at his younger sister sincerely. "....we don't want to change it."
"......huh?"
"We thought that it would be better if things remain the same. You acted as if you are my real sister.....and we acted as if we don't know that you are.......someone else" he said.
".....we don't want you to run away after knowing that we figured out your identity" Khun added.
"But I......" Charlotte looked at her hands.
Had Khun and Bam were honest and told her the truth....the truth that they knew she was a different person.....what will it be? How will the story goes?
Today's problem happened because neither of them told the truth to each other. They thought that by pretending to not know, everything will go smoothly. But unfortunately, no secrets could remain in the dark forever. It was a mistake to think that she could hide all her secrets without being spilled at least one of them.
Charlotte was unsure how to react to this news. They knew that she was a fake from the beginning.....and at that time, Noah was sealed. There was no way he could tell Khun and the others that she was fake. Who else knew about her real identity?
The back of a blue haired man crossed her mind.
"Could it be....Brother Altaira?!"
Both Khun and Bam didn't respond. Actually, they have promised Altaira that they won't tell Charlotte that he was the one who told them that she was fake. He knew that based on the girl's temper, she won't let him off easily.
But just like how Charlotte couldn't conceal her identity forever, Bam and Khun couldn't hide about it forever.
"I......."
"In another word, you guys know that she isn't the 'real' one, right? But you guys chose to kept it as a secret instead of facing it, leading to today's event right?" Endorsi asked, scratching the back of her head. She thought that since they sincerely wanted to be with each other, then why not say it out loud? Why not be honest with each other? Why must they hesitate?
"Then since you guys want to stay together that badly, why hesitate? I mean, it's not like any of you want to leave this team right? Even though Charlotte's identity has been exposed right now, but that won't change anything. What will change is only that we know about her better."
Charlotte thought that what Endorsi said was right. The others seemed to think the same thing as well. Her words were actually reasonable.
"Charlotte." She looked at Bam who was speaking. "We won't hate you or hurt you. What we want the least is to see you leaving us. You said it before right? You are my younger sister. Wherever I go, you will follow me."
"......."
He extended his right hand.
"Charlotte, I promise. No matter what, I won't leave or abandon you. If you are willing, then I'll be your older brother. I will always protect you."
Now, it was her decision whether she wanted to grab that hand or not.
Charlotte didn't know why but reaching to this step, her fear and worry had vanished. She felt lighter. The feeling as if she was being chained by invisible chains, as if her sight and her hearing were being closed, it had disappeared.
Obviously and unsurprisingly, she took that hand with a grateful and earnest smile.
'Turns out, it isn't hard at all.'
She didn't need to read any books to solve this situation. What she needed at this situation was only honesty and the courage. When it comes to relationships, loyalty, courage and honesty were the most important thing.
It doesn't matter whether she was weak or not, pretty or not. As long as she remained faithful and as long as she wished to stay in this team, the distance between the reader and the characters will slowly vanish. Even though it might take a long time, but it's better to move slowly than stopping.
Therefore, unsurprisingly and with a smile on her face, she took that hand.
In the same time, she raised three fingers.
"I also promise, no matter what I won't leave my brother and my friends. Even if I die, I won't leave you."
Her smile this time was different than before. It was filled with gratefulness, relief, happiness and sincerity. She was grateful to meet nice people like them. She was relieved that they never and won't hate her. She was happy to hear his words and to know that she was accepted. She smiled to them sincerely since she wanted to be honest and treat them as good as she can. No matter what, she will always stand on their side and defend them, even if she had to give up everything she had.
Bam smiled. Earnestly he said, "Don't worry. With me around, you won't die."
'Because knowing that you have died more than once is more than enough.'