Chapter 5 - Arc 0 - Chapter 4

Family and friends gathered around in the living room to open the presents the two girls got.

The family gave simple gifts- a small sum of money, new clothes, new bed sheets...

While friends gave more personalized gifts- Anna gave Maria the new lipstick she has been eyeing, and Johnathan gave her a new computer game they were both excited about.

Maria's friends didn't know Theresa's likes, so each gave simple things as well.

The only one who didn't prepare two gifts was Nathan. He bit his lips as he saw Maria hug Anna tightly, thanking her for the expensive makeup product she couldn't afford to buy.

Nathan almost snorted.

He coughed a few times before taking Theresa's hands into his own, smiling at her brightly while trying to avoid that blue figure from the corner of his eyes. "Happy birthday, baby," He kissed her cheek and put something in the palm of her hand.

All eyes were on Theresa as she opened her hand, letting out a shriek of happiness as she jumped and hugged Nathan with excitement.

People couldn't see clearly what was she holding until she showed it to her confused parents.

It was a blue-whites car key with a snowflake symbol on the back of it.

"An Ice-Rover car?!" One of the younger male cousins looked at it with amazement. "That's so cool!"

Nathan smirked and put an arm around Theresa's shoulder. "The newest pale blue model- since it's my baby's favorite color." He looked to the side at the girl holding a simple video game in her fair hands, his smile grew bigger.

The younger male cousins and some old classmates swarmed Nathan, asking how many cars he currently has. While the girls came into Theresa who giggled happily as they complimented her for getting such a fantastic partner.

"Theresa," A stern voice sounded from the side. "Come here please, we want to speak with you."

Theresa walked towards her father with joy, still not noticing the grave expression on his face and that her mother walked everyone to the door quite early.

Theresa smiled sweetly at her father. "Yes, Daddy?"

Her father glanced at the door, seeing that everyone was already gone while his wife talked to their youngest, his oldest's boyfriend looking at them with apprehension.

He sighed heavily. "Return it."

Theresa's smile was yet to drop completely. "What?"

"This gift is too expensive- return. it."

Theresa's eyes widened. "But, Daddy, why are you-?"

Nathan couldn't watch it any longer. He walked forward, bypassing his lover and shielding her behind his back with a serious attitude. "Mr. Albert, if I may- I have no bad intentions with this gift, it is simply because I love your daughter."

"You both are still young! Why spend such a large amount of money if you didn't have shady intentions?!" The older man was fuming. "Where did you even get this much money when you only now finished school?! I don't want my daughter to entangle herself with bad people!"

"Daddy!" Theresa screamed while tears came out of her eyes, ruining her makeup once again. "Stop!"

"Theresa, he didn't even bring a small gift to your sister..." Their mother hugged Maria sideways, her eyes were cast down as if she remembered another birthday where her youngest was neglected.

"Why should I care about this?!" Theresa screamed hysterically, startling both her parents and her lover who weren't used to seeing her this way.

Maria widened her eyes, tears came out of those beautiful shining orbs. She seemed so pitiful that she aroused both her parents and even Nathan's pity - giving her charm points that contrasted nicely against Theresa's; '+ 200 Poison Points'.

Satan surprisingly appeared next to the space where Lilith was behind Maria, the three of them watching as the family argued.

"Your family is really agitated," Satan pointed out, his bored blue orbs following Nathan's clenched fists - wanting to see if he will ruin it all and start a fight with the father of his beloved.

Maria curled into her mother's chest, appearing pitiful to hide her mirthful eyes. "My sister got too comfortable with her new rich lifestyle, so much that she forgot her humble origins; a religious and superstitious family that puts family above all else and thought that the only way to make money morally was by hard work. In their eyes, those people high-up sold their soul to the devil in exchange for money and power." Maria glanced at the bulked-up Nathan who used to be a simple tall bully. "Not that they are completely wrong."

"Sir," Nathan clenched his teeth, his hands instinctively going to his side - where his precious gun that he chose not to bring with him always was. "The vehicle was already bought, I'm sure that if you come to A country with me and Theresa you'll like it as well."

Maria's mother stopped hugging her, looking at Nathan with a sudden realization. "Why did you buy a car overseas and not here?" She turned her gaze to Theresa who was still wiping her tears. "Theresa? Will you explain please why would you need a car overseas when you are living here?"

Theresa bit her lips until they bled, she sniffled and held her locket tightly. "Mom... I'm going to live with Nathan at A Country."

Her mom covered her trembling mouth. "Then, when a year ago you said that the school was so satisfied with you that we didn't need to pay for the dorms anymore... you both were living together?"

Theresa paled.

"See, this is why I always insist that you learn to stay calm," Lilith whispered into Maria's ear. "She could have easily got out of this tricky situation if she just said he paid for her apartment and they didn't actually live together."

Maria looked with no emotion at her trembling sister. Yes, now Theresa was expecting a whole other hell than just getting that car. Because, after all...

Lilith smirked at their father's livid expression while Satan snorted disdainfully.

Their Religion values many morals, for both men and women.

One of them is chastity.

"Theresa, go to your room," Their father lifted his sleeves, showing his over-the-years hardened hands from construction work. "I'm going to kill this boy."

"Daddy, no!" Theresa hugged her father's waist from the front, shielding her boyfriend who was not quite calm himself.

"Dad, please stop!" Maria cried as she hung onto her father's arm, managing to calm him down a bit.

Nathan's veins were clearly shown on his forehead, his eyes held crazed rage as he desperately wanted to shoot those who disrespected him like he is used to at home. "I promise to take responsibility and marry her."

"Get out of my house! Now!"

Theresa cried as she hugged her father in desperation. "But where will he sleep..?!"

Their father gritted his teeth, his wife and youngest daughter reminding him to be careful of his blood pressure. "I don't care! And you-!" He pointed at Theresa and coughed in a hoarse voice. "Go to your room!"

Theresa sobbed and ran up to her old room, not looking once back at her lover who was kicked out.

Nathan took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger and not slam the door and break it off its old hinges. He sat outside next to his parked car and smoked a cigarette to calm his raging nerves.

A sudden quick tap on his back startled him. He used a martial arts move to restrain the person who dared sneak up on him, surprised with seeing a beautiful girl on his lap.

The beauty struggled to free her slender arm. "Let go!" She cried in an almost coquettish voice. "Please, it hurts..."

Nathan was only stunned for a second before he let go, not taking off his eyes from those enchanting eyes where the tips were red due to crying. Yet even that lovely redness couldn't hide the charm of the beauty mark at the tip of the left eye.

Maria looked up at Nathan before she got up, her wary gaze gave off the feeling of a little lamb that is afraid to trust the big bad wolf.

The lamb was more interested in the rose next to the wolf.

'+150 Charm Points'

Nathan didn't apologize as his eyes tried to focus on his car. "What did you come here for?"

Maria rubbed her arm where a bruise was forming. "I came to apologize on behalf of my parents, my dad especially."

Nathan snorted and took a puff off his cigarette. "Apologizing should be done face to face by the apologetic party, not by sending someone."

Maria coughed and waved the smoke next to her face with her hand. Nathan couldn't help but look at the red markings on her delicate arm.

'+100 Charm Points'.

"My parents are very old fashioned, they believe people should save themselves for marriage as they did," Maria hugged herself in self-comfort. "but I'll try to explain to them that things have changed, and relive the tension a bit."

Nathan chuckled in mockery. "So will you also behave like an obedient daughter and save yourself?"

Maria took a step back, seeming to be a bit taken aback by the personal question. The setting sun rays shone on her blue dress with a golden-orange glow, like a sea goddess trying to swim towards the sun that seemed to set in the ocean.

She nodded hesitantly. "Because that's what I've been taught, and I also think it's a bit..." Her cheeks flushed lovingly. "Romantic."

Nathan snorted, he got up and dusted his expensive jeans off. "That is the reason why I can't let Theresa stay a minute more with you bumkins from the countryside." His eyes narrowed at the girl. "Especially you, you liar shrimp."

Nathan wanted to slap himself for the childish nickname he gave to the girl, it seemed as if his brain gave the order yet his mouth refused to curse her seriously.

And even then, it seemed the girl was deeply hurt by the familiar insult. "I never understood why..." She held back her tears from flowing out. "Why you used to bully me so much back then..?"

Nathan smirked. So she did remember him, that lying shrimp. He knew she was faking it, he always had the upper hand with her.

'+200 Charm Points'

Nathan gripped the girl's chin, shining eyes looking at him from below as tears slid down onto those flushed cheeks, making his heartbeat increase so much he felt it in his eardrums.

Her gray eyes seemed to hold diamonds in them when the sunlight hit them like this.

"I kept an eye on Theresa and the people around her since I was a little shrimp like you," His sharp blue eyes narrowed at her. "you always reeked of jealousy towards your sister, and you proved me right when you lied that she didn't even remember me to invite me to your birthday!"

"Children are very easy to perceive such emotions," Satan mentioned to Lilith and Maria. "Especially children who developed their survival instincts like Nathan."

Maria was truly taken aback this time. Did he see through her all along?

She calmed herself down as she saw the two from the corner of her eye, forcing herself to keep going through her agitation.

And even use it to her benefit.

"Nathan, I was a ten-year-old child," She looked at him as if he lost his mind. "Of course, I was jealous that my sister got the present I always desired. Everyone made up lies when they were children!" She turned her head, giving Nathan a look at her white and pale side profile.

Nathan gulped and took a step back as he realized how childish he sounded.

Maria sighed and hugged herself for warmth from the cold wind. "My sister cares about you deeply. And I can see..." She smiled genuinely. "That you feel the same, and that you'll give her the life she deserved. I'll talk with my parents for you two."

Maria turned her back on the stunned Nathan, she didn't even have the time to form a smirk as she heard another 'ding' sound and a hand turned her around.

'+50 Charm Points'. A warm and expensive jacket was placed on her shoulders, swallowing up her small frame.

Nathan coughed. "Theresa will kill me if you caught a cold because of me."

Maria sadly smiled at Nathan once again and thanked him quietly, knowing that his gaze lingered on her body covered by his jacket due to the feeling of eyes watching her and the notification of '+300 Charm Points'.

Maria heard the arguing voices from her parents' room as she went up the stairs, she waited a bit in her place- only continuing her walk when she heard the slam of a door and the sobbing of her sister.

Theresa bypassed Maria while rudely bumping her shoulder into hers, slamming the door of her old room as well when she entered.

Maria smirked and went into her own room, covering her shoulders with her new cozy jacket. She wondered...

Theresa sat on her bed in despair when she suddenly realized. "That soft feeling on her shoulder- was that...?"

+500 Poison points.

When will her dear sister realize?

Breakfast was awkwardly quiet. The only sound was the cutlery bumping into plates and chewing.

Theresa looked awful- she had dark circles beneath her eyes and her pale face clashed weirdly with her fake tan.

Their mother looked worriedly at her eldest daughter before swapping her gaze to her youngest.

Maria tried to focus on her plate which had scrambled eggs with a simple salad, her head leaning on one hand as her tired eyes tried to stay open. The reddish hue stayed on her delicate skin from the excessive crying yesterday, her mother couldn't help but feel pity for her daughter whose yet another birthday was ruined. She imagined that she must have cried all night.

Maria was indeed extremely tired, but not because of her body not getting enough sleep- her physical body in fact was getting all the rest it needed. It was her mind that needed rest- since Lilith and Satan spontaneously decided to give her a lecture on ancient "game" planes.

If only she didn't browse the Rose store clothing section and showed them that ancient dynasty dress with awe- they wouldn't get so heated.

Blame her kindness in sharing.

Their mother couldn't take that silence any longer. "Did Nathan go back to the hotel yesterday to sleep? Or did he find other arrangements?"

Theresa nodded perfunctorily. "He went to the hotel."

Their father snorted while their mother stroked his hand, reminding him quietly that he was still their daughter's boyfriend and should show sincerity if they don't want to alienate her from them.

After they ate, Maria's mother drove her to school as always- looking a bit hesitating to speak to her daughter.

"Darling," She finally spoke while still focusing on the road. "I'm sorry it had to be like this yesterday, I hope that at least in the beginning you had fun."

Maria nodded and smiled at her mother. "Of course I had. You don't need to worry about me, Mom."

Yet the worried mother couldn't miss that sad glint in her downcast eyes. "Sweetie, I..." She sighed tiredly, her eyes showing the signs of aging any woman who was tired from both a job and kids has. "I didn't want you to feel like you felt at your 10'nth birthday- that day was truly a horrible mistake of your father and mine!" She parked the car and turned to her daughter as she wanted to wish her a nice day in school.

Maria looked at her mother's guilty eyes. "Mama," Maria didn't show any expression on her face as she uttered: "I felt it long before my 10'nth birthday party."

Maria's mother's tears slide down her cheeks miserably as she watched her daughter go out of the car with an indifferent face.

"Satan," Maria talked in her mind as she went through the school gates. "Can you buy car protection effect for my mother today? Her emotional state is not very good right now."

Satan sighed. "You should know you won't be able to use it in "game" worlds on certain characters. Don't get used to it, and it will be expensive- 15,000 charm points."

"Buy."

Satan bought it and applied it to Maria's mother's car.

Lilith chibi form appeared on Maria's shoulder as she cuddled her neck. "Did you get a bit of closure?"

Maria looked down as her friends approach her, fixing her expression and smiling happily at them.

"Just a bit."

As the school day ended, Maria exited the gates with Anna and Jonathan. The young teen boy trying to desperately convince the girls to go to his house to play the new game he has been obsessing over lately, while one of the girls rolled her blue eyes at the idea- she argued that going shopping will be better.

The three teens stopped their steps as an extravagant car stoped at their side.

The car window rolled down and showed a scowling youth. "Shrimp, get in."

While Jonathan gushed over the car Anna frowned, gripping her friend's delicate arm while her eyes held a warning sign- 'This is not a good idea'.

Maria smiled, placating Anna while waving goodbye to Jonathan. She got inside the black car and nodded at her brother-in-law.

Maria put her school bag next to her feet, jumping at the feeling of Nathan reaching out to her, yet relaxed as she saw he only fasted her seatbelt.

They started the drive quietly, Nathan bit his lips while reassuring himself it was only because of the force of habit he developed with Theresa, while Maria quietly sighed at Satan screaming at Lilith in the back of the car.

"I won't do it! Last time I did it you forced me to wear all these ridiculous outfits!"

Lilith giggled. "Well, can you blame me? You were so handsome!" Lilith dreamily sighed, she couldn't bother hiding the sadistic joy in her eyes. "Although you are very cute like this, I much prefer your original fo-"

"Maria!"

Maria stopped listening to their bickering once Nathan called out to her. His strong blue eyes glanced at her from the front mirror. "Will you stop daydreaming? I am trying to discuss something important with you!"

Maria pouted and rubbed her eye, making it a bit red. "I'm sorry, I didn't get much sleep at night so I'm a bit sleepy," She turned to him, and even though they were at the same level because of the sitting of the car her eyes still seemed to look up at him.

Nathan gulped, his ears were red. "I'll go inside with you today and convince your father of something, I am in need of your support." +50 charm points.

Maria showed a baffled expression but looked down once Nathan glared at her in annoyance.

The two of them arrived home in a short while, coming inside to see the three residents of the house sitting together in the living room with a tense atmosphere.

Theresa watched as they came together from the corner of her eye, she bit her lips yet said nothing. + 10 poison points.

Their mother smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Nathan, for taking the time to bring Maria back." Her voice trembled a bit as if retaining the sadness from this morning. "You are a good brother-in-law."

Their father's expression was hard and unmoving, yet he still nodded to their mother's words.

Nathan took a sit next to Theresa while Maria sat next to her mother on the other sofa, the young man tried to hold his beloved's hand yet was rejected by her as she retreated her hand to the side.

Nathan took a deep breath, his posture was straight and slightly respectful towards his elders, yet you could not help but notice the arrogant air of pride around him. "Father and mother, both of you are the parents of the girl I wished to pursue since I was a young boy still wet behind the ears. At this birthday party, I wronged both you and your youngest child. Let me prove to you that I am serious about your eldest daughter while also giving your youngest the gift I foolishly did not prepare for her."

Their father, although a bit angry, sighed heavily. He was trying to accept this relationship as he saw how deeply the two youths cared for each other. "What is your suggestion?"

"Winter break is fastly approaching, since it snows heavily at this time of year, and school is closed off even after the break is over due to the dangers of the heavy snow- let me take the two girls on a vacation in Country A.

Country A has a warmer climate so the winter is not dangerous unlike here, and the capital city is most beautiful with the holiday spirit.

Next month is my 18 birthday, my family will celebrate for me at a grand ball that both of your daughters will be sure to enjoy. After the party, I will bring them back safely." Nathan finished with a proud smile.

Their mother showed confusion at his words. "You are almost 18, how can it be? Weren't you Maria's classmate in elementary?"

Nathan showed an awkward smile, his eye twitching a bit at the mention of his shameful childhood. "My parents moved a lot before coming here, and even though I liked studying it was unavoidable to have a gap in education from the others my age."

The parents looked at each other and excused themselves to the kitchen to discuss.

After a few minutes of awkward silence between the three, the two elders came back with their approval of the trip. The worried mother made sure her daughters will be well taken care of, and the stern father warned the young man to always keep an eye on them.

Maria smiled happily to her parents, she now had to consult with Lilith on what clothes to take.

"Let me buy you both a hot drink. What would you like, my love?"

Theresa sighed tiredly as she looked at her phone. "You know what I like."

Maria watched in relish as Nathan's eye twitched, indicating his surpassed anger and frustration.

"What would you like, Maria?"

"Oh! A hot chocolate mocha with two drops of vanilla extract and whipped cream with nut chips! Anna showed me a video of a coffee shop making it, and I wanted to try it!" She clapped her hand excitedly as she looked up at the standing Nathan. "Would you be able to remember it?"

Give him a slight challenge and...

Nathan snorted proudly. "Remembring such a simple thing won't be a problem."

"Wow! Big brother is so smart!" Maria's eyes widened and sparkled in admiration.

Nathan cleared his throat and made his way to buy the drinks, a rose symbol shone next to his flushed ears. +150 Charm Points.

Give him a fitting reward.

Men love it when you appreciate their capabilities and effort, no matter how small they are.

Maria expected to get poison points from her dear sister, yet Theresa was immersed in her phone, her eyes with dark circles not even flinching when the bright screen was very close to them.

Maria leaned back in her seat, watching the phone screen displaying a message chat.

Theresa suddenly turned towards Maria, vigilantly guarding the screen of her phone and closing it. Her eyes held anger as her mouth opened for an accusation.

"Were you texting Mom?" Maria smiled innocently. "Tell her I'm feeling very comfortable."

Theresa narrowed her eyes and didn't say anything, she went back to her phone- scrolling through social media and not caring if Maria peeped at it.

Maria could almost delude herself into thinking she was just like the other nosy little sisters around them that liked to annoy their older sister, getting into a fight yet making up every time.

Maria let out a cold breath as she saw Nathan come back with their drinks.

It hurts seeing other people acting normally around you, knowing that you would never be like them.

They could no more be normal sisters since the last time they were in the airport together.