"How...how are you two together?"
Roseanne used every resourced she could to find Jimin, when all this time he was by Lalisa's side. Suddenly, she remembered that he had wanted to enter the palace as Lalisa servant. Was there a connection between the two that she didn't know from the start? Come to think of it, Roseanne had first met him at the lodging Lalisa reserved for them. The suspicion in Roseanne's mind gradually grew into conviction.
"The person that made Jimin leave me was elder sister Lisa?"
"What are you—"
Lalisa stared at Roseanne incredulously. She suddenly realized that there were other people around them, which included the nanny, the maid who came to attend her, and the guards. She looked around and spoke in an authoritative tone.
"I would like to speak with Mirabelle privately."
Everyone around her bowed at her command.
"Yes, Your Highness."
The escorts moved away at a certain distance from Roseanne, Lalisa and Jimin. Although not explicitly ordered to, they also kept other people clear of the area. It was only then did Lalisa look back at Roseanne with a more composed expression.
"Roseanne, I don't know what you're talking about, so please explain it to me."
"You should answer my question first. Did you know Jimin before I did?"
Roseanne's expression tensed. It was the first time Lalisa had seen her little sister so angry. While she pretended not to know Jimin when he came to Blaise mansion as a servant, in truth she knew him well before Mirabelle did. It was another in a pile of secrets, including her contract marriage and her previous life.
Lalisa found herself unable to answer, when Jimin spoke up.
"Young lady, it's nothing like that. Her Highness did not pull me out of Blaise mansion. I came here on my own volition."
Roseanne's eyes trembled even more. Jimin, who usually displayed little interest in other people, suddenly took Lalisa's side. It was clear that there was something between Lalisa and him.
"I didn't speak to you, Jimin. Tell me the truth, sister."
The two most important people in the world to her—Lalisa, her most precious sister, and Jimin, the man who had taught her what love was—were standing before her, denying their secret betrayal.
Lalisa had no idea why Roseanne was being so confrontational, but she had no choice but to answer honestly.
"It's true. I've known Jimin for a while now."
Roseanne's expression sank as she heard the confession directly from her sister's mouth.
"Why were you dishonest with me?"
"It's because His Highness—"
"Is it because you like Jimin?"
"What?"
Lalisa stopped mid-sentence. While Roseanne might have suspected some form of connection between her and Jimin, Lalisa never dreamed that it was romantic.
"You think I like Sir Kasha?"
"Yes. Do you enjoy lying to me without me knowing anything? You always do. You never tell me what's really important. If you weren't thinking about getting married, you would have kept Jungkook secret until the end."
Roseanne was upset that Lalisa always kept secrets from her, not only about her relationship with Jungkook, but about all her work. Roseanne was always the last to find out about it from the mouths of other people. While she always spoke to Lalisa before anyone else, her older sister never did the same. All the heartache of being left out finally exploded out of Roseanne.
Lalisa's eyes turned towards Jimin standing next to her. He had never mentioned a single word to Lalisa about this.
"Have you two been going out together without me knowing?"
Jimin shook his head with a confused expression.
"...No, Your Highness."
"No?"
Lalisa thought that no matter what man asked for Roseanne's hand, they would never be enough for her precious younger sister. It was even more undesirable for Roseanne's to meet someone in Jimin's profession. But what she didn't like more than that...
Jimin kept a blank expression in front of Roseanne's devastation.
"Surely...Roseanne, do you like him?"
Lalisa's red eyes widened in surprise, then she turned her head sharply towards Jimin. For a moment, it was as if a fire had risen within her. Lalisa couldn't let Roseanne be hurt at any cost, and had suffered tremendous hardships on her own to protect her. The fact that Roseanne would recklessly give her heart to someone distressed Lalisa greatly.
"Roseanne, are you a fool? Why would you desire someone who doesn't care for you?"
"...Huh?"
Shocked tears started to stream from Roseanne's large, doe-like eyes. Lalisa's chest tightened at the sight of it, but her anger only continued to mount.
"What are you lacking for you to be crying over a silly thing!"
Lalisa's voice rose to a shout, her blood pounding loudly in her ears. Roseanne looked at Lalisa with resentful eyes.
"You don't have the right to say that to me."
"Roseanne...!"
Roseanne turned heel and fled, leaving Lalisa and Jimin alone. As Lalisa watched her younger sister run away with her face in her hands, her heart shattered into a million pieces. The wound on her back was aching like hell. Had she let her emotions turn her irrational?
"...Ugh."
Lalisa clutched her chest in pain, and Jimin looked concernedly at her.
"Are you all right?"
"How can I be alright? How..."
She couldn't understand why Roseanne loved Jimin. She had meant to turn her anger towards Jimin, as the human mind did not always react the way one wanted to. Roseanne's affection for him, and his disregard of it, was not a matter for Lalisa to intervene. What she had done wrong was beating down the person she cherished the most and making her cry.
"Ah..."
Lalisa doubled over in agony. It was worse than being stabbed with a sword. She didn't know if the pain in her was because of the wound or a sore heart. Jimin looked at her in alarm.
"Please wait here. I'll call someone."
"No, I..."
Lalisa was about to refuse, but Jimin interrupted.
"And I'll bring the Young Lady back."
Jimin's gray eyes turned in the direction where Roseanne disappeared.
"I'll explain to the Young Lady myself what I haven't been able to say."
"If this is because of me..."
"No. I'm saying it because I want to."
Jimin stared at the distance a moment longer, then soon turned back to Lalisa. Somehow, his eyes looked darker before.
"Please let me take care of this with my own hands."
"..."
In the end, Lalisafinally nodded.
She felt like she would collapse at any moment, so she immediately returned to the palace in the carriage. The doctor inspected her back, informing her that her condition may have worsened. Before he could treat it however, she ordered him out of the room. She then shut the bedroom door and ordered no one else to go in.
After receiving the news of Lalisa's state, Jungkook pushed all his work aside and headed for her bedroom. He first spotted the nanny and maid standing worriedly outside the door.
"What the hell happened?"
The nanny gave a troubled glance towards Lalisa's room.
"We don't know, as she hadn't said a word. She met Lady Roseanne after the tournament, and I believe something bad happened between them."
"I see. Everyone, leave."
The servants bowed nervously.
"Yes, Your Royal Highness."
After everyone was dismissed, Jungkook entered the bedroom.
When he opened the door, the first thing that he noticed was that there were no lights on. Lalisa had never done this before. Jungkook's concern grew.
"Wife..."
Before he could say anything else, he heard a faint sob. His footsteps stopped. On the bed, he saw Lalisa lying with the blanket over her head, and he quickly moved towards her side.
"What are you doing here?"
Jungkook carefully pulled away the blanket, revealing Lalisa's tear-stained cheeks. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying.
"Lalisa..."
Jungkookcouldn't find it in himself to speak as he watched tears continue to stream down her face. She bit her lip to hold back her sobs, but it was a futile effort.
"...Kookie, heug."
Lalisa couldn't even begin to express how special Roseanne's existence was to her. In her last life, she missed her younger sister to the point it felt like her bones were crushed.
In this life, Roseanne had always supported her when their father didn't, and was always there when Namjoon was absent. Roseanne was the pillar that supported her for so long, but Lalisa had never done the same. Not only did she not stay with Roseanne when she was needed, but she had reduced her sister to tears.
"I've been so selfish. I didn't even know what was in Roseanne's heart..."
Jungkook held her face in both hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs.
"You, selfish? You need a new definition of sacrifice."
"No, I had no idea what Roseanne wanted. I just thought I had to protect her, but I couldn't help her when she needed it."
"My wife..."
"Roseanne has always brought me comfort, but I tried to force my opinion on her without even knowing it. I just wanted her to choose the right path for her heart. What if I'm doing the same thing my father did to me?"
It was already enough for Roseanne to harbor feelings for Jimin by herself, but Lalisa had tried to stop her instead of supporting her.
Jungkook gazed at Lalisa's crying form, and then immediately wrapped his arms around her. He rubbed her back soothingly with the palm of his hand.
"Whatever it is, don't blame yourself. Everyone knows how much you care about your sister."
"You're only saying that because you see me as beautiful."
"Well, maybe. You're the only one I can see."
Carlisle didn't deny it. Anything Elena did was lovely in his eyes.
"Caril..."
"I know you care about your family terribly. You'll be able to fix this. If you reconsider your actions, things may change."
Carlisle was right. Tears never accomplished anything. If one did something that they regretted, it was important to make sure they did not do it again.
Elena settled herself in Carlisle's arms, and she murmured to him in a soft voice.
"I'm sorry. I must look so foolish right now..."
"You do, which is why in this situation, I'm supposed to hold you."
Elena felt a little relief from the sadness that shook her body. Carlisle's presence was as comfortable as a warm fire.
"...Thank you."
When she met Mirabelle again, they would have an honest talk.
After a while, Elena's tears abated. Carlisle looked at her calmer form.
"I am greedy when it comes to you."
"...Hm?"
"You are my only wife, and yet you cry like this for someone else other than me."
"I...I can't help it. My family is more important to me than anything else."
A bitter smile flickered on Carlisle's face.
"....I want to be the only one in your mind."
Elena, who still had tears clinging to her cheeks, replied with a faint smile.
"Are you jealous?"
"Very much so...but it's alright."
Carlisle's hand reverently stroked Elena's cheek. It was just as gentle as the way he touched her back.
"You don't have to give up everything for love. You have me, and I'll take care of everything else. If you want to protect your family, I'll help you, and if you want to reconcile with your sister, I'll help you too."
"...Caril."
Elena's eyes moistened again at Carlisle's confession.
"This is new to me. I want to make you happy."
Carlisle's hand, which brushed against Elena's hair, carefully came down and covered her cheek.
"I am very possessive, you know. But I'm doing my best and repressing my dark instincts for you. So..."
Carlisle's long fingers touched the tracks of her tears.
"...Don't cry too much."
Elena tipped her head upwards at Carlisle. She understood the earnest desire he had for her, as she felt it with the same intensity. In a way, while Carlisle's desperate want for her affection was cute, it seemed to have evolved into something more mature.
It was also a change for Elena. This time, she thought it was touching that Carlisle would act with her happiness in mind. It was as if she had the most powerful ally in the world by her side.
Though the tear marks on her cheeks remained, she smiled.
"Don't worry. I don't think I'll cry much by your side."
*
*
*
"This is..."
Mirabelle woke up, touching a hand to her aching forehead.
She struggled to remember the events that happened before she passed out. After her fight with Elena, she had fled from the stadium. She had run away blindly, not wanting anyone to see her, before realizing that she had walked into an alley.
She suddenly sensed footsteps behind, but it was too late. Several suspicious-looking men blocked the exit from the alley, their eyes gleaming greedily at the dress and jewelry she was wearing.
— Do you think she'll fetch a good price?
— Kekeke, you know. It was the tournament I was looking forward to today, but we've come across a windfall.
Mirabelle, sensing danger, had stepped back, and then tried to run away in the other direction. She only got as far as a few steps, before the men quickly narrowed the distance. They pushed a harsh-smelling handkerchief to her nose, and it was then that she had lost consciousness.
"No..."
Mirabelle tried to move, but her hands were bound behind her back. She didn't want to imagine it, but if her intuition was right...
She had been kidnapped.