Episode 4
(I Should've Remembered.)
"Sister, please! I'm begging you! Only you can help me. Please! I swear, this will be the last time!"
"Alright, I get it…" Cecilia's voice was calm, too calm for what she truly felt. It was the kind of calm that masked exhaustion, the kind that came when you had nothing left to give.
"Ah, Really–"
"But first," she cut Seraphine off, her tone unwavering, "tell me."
"H-Huh?"
"What is it that you want so desperately from me?"
Seraphine froze, her wide eyes betraying her guilt. She hesitated, the words caught somewhere between her throat and her shame.
"What do you want, Seraphine?" Cecilia's voice sounded detached, like she was asking about something trivial, but there was a weight to it that dragged down the air between them.
"Ah… That… I…"
"Please hurry up!"
Cecilia's patience thinned, the coldness seeping into her words. It was the first time she urged Seraphine to speak, the urgency of it snapping through the tension. Seraphine flinched, her stuttering only making the moment more unbearable.
"T-That… I… Umm… Father… He…" Seraphine stumbled over her words, nervously biting her lip before exhaling a shaky breath. "Father arranged a marriage for me. With the heir of Lee family. It's set for next month."
For a moment, I was taken aback. I had no idea this was happening—no hint, no warning. But as the initial surprise faded, confusion took its place.
What did this have to do with me? Why was she so desperate for my help?
"Isn't that what you wanted? Isn't this good? Congratulations."
I said, my tone a little sharper than I intended.
"No!" Her voice cracked, loud and sharp, like the crack of glass under pressure. "I never wanted this…"
Her words hung in the air, louder with each breath, each syllable pushing her closer to panic.
"I don't want to! I can't… I still have things to do, so much left…"
I stared at her, my frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "So, you don't want to marry him yet, is that it?"
"N-No! I can't marry him. I don't want to. Not him, never!" Her voice shook, her words raw, pleading.
I felt a hollow ache settle in my chest. Helplessness. Sadness. And frustration that I couldn't quite push down. I sighed, the heaviness of it filling the room between us.
"If you don't want to marry him, then don't." I murmured, my voice laced with exhaustion. "Why did you come t—"
"As if that's possible! Do you really not understand how important Lee Corp is to our family?"
Haa~
I exhaled deeply, rubbing my temples as a dull headache began to form. "So, what exactly do you want me to do about it?"
Seraphine took a deep breath, her voice small but firm. "Please… marry him instead of me."
For a moment, everything froze. The ache in my head disappeared, replaced by the sheer disbelief that washed over me. My world narrowed, the words she'd just said echoing in my mind, too absurd to be real.
"…What?"
My voice barely made it past my lips, trembling, fragile. I must've misheard her. There's no way—no possible way she could've meant what I thought she did.
"What did you say?"
I stammered, the words barely forming.
Seraphine, who had been avoiding my eyes, finally met my gaze, her expression serious—determined. "Please marry him, sister…" The moment the words left her mouth, my heart sank. It was as if the air had thickened, every breath heavier than the last. My hands trembled, my gaze drifted upwards, away from her, unable to bear the weight of what she had just asked of me.
She really meant it.
A quiet, bitter laugh escaped me, the sound hollow. "Hah…"
I looked back at her, my chest aching with disbelief, the exhaustion creeping in like a familiar shadow.
"Do you even hear how ridiculous you sound?"
My voice, though soft, carried a sharp edge, colder than I intended.
"Th-That I…"
"You want me to marry him… for the company?" The words felt foreign on my tongue, as though saying them aloud made them even more ridiculous.
Seraphine flinched, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's not just that. I told Father, I told him I didn't want this, but… he refused. He said it was already decided. Someone from the family has to do it."
I stared at her, trying to piece together the absurdity of it all. "But isn't this what you've always wanted?"
Seraphine flinched at my words, frowning as if the realization stung. "Not anymore… I don't want this anymore…"
Her voice faltered, and all I felt was this gnawing frustration crawling up my chest, choking me. I could see the strain in her face, but I just… couldn't care. Not now. Not after everything.
Haa—
I wanted to cry, I wanted to so badly, but the tears wouldn't come. They were stuck somewhere deep inside, buried under years of indifference, bitterness, and exhaustion. I was just so tired.
"There's no way Father would ever say no to you—"
"Oh, please! Stop with that!" Seraphine's voice cut through mine, sharp and trembling. Her lips quivered as she bit down hard, trying to hold back the rage that finally boiled over.
"Father won't refuse you! Your parents will help you! Stop acting like you know everything when you've never even lived with us!"
Her outburst caught me off guard, but I stayed silent, letting her words hit me.
"If they cared, do you think I'd be here? Do you think I haven't tried? I came to you because no one's listening. Because no one gives a damn!" Her voice cracked as she spat out the words, her breaths coming out ragged, eyes burning with anger, with a contempt that made my skin crawl.
"Can't you just help me?" Her voice softened, desperation seeping through every word. "Just this once... Please."
And still… all I could feel was a dull ache.
"'Help'… You say? Do you even understand what you're asking from me?"
My voice trembled, but not from fear. As I looked at Seraphine, a hollow ache gnawed at my chest, ripping apart what little strength I had left.
"You're asking me to marry someone I've never even met. To give up my entire lif—"
"Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" she cut me off, her voice sharp, dripping with impatience.
"You just have to marry him!"
Her eyes, once pleading, were now filled with scorn and raw anger. That look—like I was nothing more than an obstacle in her way—it froze me to my core.
Ah…of course. How could I forget? That's how you've always looked at me, isn't it?
I should've known. I should've remembered.
"Sister, you don't even have a boyfriend, do you? You never had one. Oh, wait… Do you now? Is that why you're doing this?… T-Then don't worry, sister! You can still meet him after you're married!"
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Shock, disgust, and nausea churned inside me.
How could she say that? How could she even think that?
'Ngh… I'm going to be sick.'
My hand instinctively flew to my mouth, trying to hold back the bile that burned in my throat.
"So please… help me. You won't have any problem."
Seraphine's smile stretched across her face, her pupils unnaturally wide, and something about it made my skin crawl. There was an unsettling darkness in her eyes that chilled me to the bone.
I couldn't stand it anymore.