"He's my brother, how could he possibly…"
"Meika, remember what I said?" Billy quickly interrupted. "You and he... you don't share the same blood."
Meika wanted to argue, but she realized she couldn't.
He was right. She and Alec weren't blood-related. They… they could fall in love.
And suddenly, everything clicked into place… why Billy said this person couldn't help Alec, why Alec would hit him.
It was jealousy.
"I know it's hard to believe, but you can search online. There are even news articles about your brother hitting him."
"Huh?!" Meika exclaimed, surprised. "Did Alec hurt him badly?"
"No, just minor injuries. But the person he hit holds a very high position, so it attracted a lot of media attention," Billy explained.
"Manager…" Meika hesitated, then asked, "Can you at least tell me who this person is?"
Billy glanced around, as if afraid someone might be listening in on their conversation.
He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I can tell you, but you have to promise to keep it a secret, okay?"
Meika nodded slowly, hanging onto his every word.
"That person… is Van Negut, the only son of the Governor of the Teirth Empire."
"What?!!!" Meika couldn't contain her shock.
Her outburst drew stares from those around them.
Billy quickly gestured for her to be quiet. Mortified, Meika covered her mouth with her hands.
She leaned closer, whispering, "Manager, you didn't get it wrong, did you? How could someone like… like him, with his godlike status, possibly be interested in an ordinary girl like me?"
"Ah!" Billy sighed. "Don't say that. Like I said, it's just a guess. I don't know for sure."
"But I wouldn't dare contact Young Master Negut for help. After all, your brother… he hit my Young Master."
"My Young Master is already being merciful by not retaliating, by letting him live. And now you want him to help? If you were in his shoes, would you help Alec?"
Meika feels desperate when she hears that. Alec had dug his own grave, destroying his last chance at freedom.
"Manager, what should we do? Alec… he's… he's my only family, I… I…" Meika stammered, tears welling up in her eyes.
Billy sighed. "Alright, I'll contact the Young Master tomorrow, and see if he's willing to help your brother."
"Go home and get some rest tonight. Staying here won't do him any good."
Meika nodded despondently, a sigh escaping her lips. Suddenly, she remembered something and looked up at Billy. "Manager, I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation with… your Young Master earlier."
"But… you knew what Alec was like, didn't you? Did you know about my parents too?"
Billy nodded slowly. "Yes. The Young Master cares about you deeply, so he kept an eye on your brother."
"You might find this hard to believe, but your brother… he's not the good person you think he is."
"The truth is, he's a delinquent, a con artist addicted to gambling. The Young Master asked us to keep it a secret because he knew Alec was all you had."
"In your eyes, Alec is everything, your only remaining support. My Young Master didn't want to disappoint you. He wanted you to be happy."
"To be honest, I wasn't that surprised to hear about your brother's arrest. What I don't understand is the rape charge."
"That…" Meika stammered. "I… I don't know either. Maybe it's a misunderstanding, or… maybe someone framed him."
Billy shook his head. "That's unlikely. The police officers are all Survivors. They have access to magic and magical artifacts to aid their investigations."
"The chances of them making a mistake are practically zero."
"Go home now. You don't have to come to work tomorrow. Get some rest. I'll discuss this with my Young Master. If he agrees to help, I'll call you immediately."
Meika nodded miserably. As she turned to leave, another thought struck her. "Manager," she began, "Can… can you tell him that… that I'm truly sorry for what Alec did?"
"It would be better if you told him yourself," Billy replied.
Meika nodded silently and walked away, clutching her bag.
Billy watched her leave, a triumphant smile playing on his lips.
'Sorry, Meika. But the Young Master's embrace… that's where you truly belong,' he thought to himself.
"She tricked me!" A young man's enraged voice echoed through the station.
Meika stopped in her tracks, immediately recognizing Alec's voice.
She rushed back inside, only to be stopped by an officer. Billy, trailing behind, gestured for the officer to let her pass.
Alec was pointing angrily at the girl in the red dress, who sat sobbing quietly. "You tricked me! You damn bitch!"
"Officer!" The girl in the red dress cried out, her voice trembling with feigned terror. "Did you see that? He's like a rabid animal, threatening to kill me!"
"You…" Alec snarled. "You lying bitch! Officer! She's the one who tricked me! I never intended to rape her!"
"No, that's not true! She seduced me, used magic on me, clouded my mind!"
The officer frowned. "Sit down. This is a police station, not your personal playground."
"But…" Alec started to argue, but the icy look in the officer's eyes made him reconsider. He sat down grudgingly.
The officer turned back to the girl, offering her a reassuring smile. "We've taken your statement, miss."
"This rape charge… he'll be imprisoned for at least three years. He might even be sent to the Void battlefield, left to fight to the death."
Alec's eyes widened in horror. "Are you deaf?!" he yelled. "I told you… she tricked me! Why are you charging me without a proper investigation?!"
Just then, Meika rushed in. Alec's eyes widened in surprise.
"Meika?! What are you doing here?"
"Brother…" Meika bit her lip.
Alec opened his mouth to speak, but then he noticed the man trailing behind her. He frowned. "Meika, who's that…?"
"Ah! This is the manager of the store where I work," Meika explained quickly.
"What?! I don't want to see him, tell him to get lost," Alec snarled.
Alec's reaction planted a seed of doubt in Meika's heart, and it quickly began to sprout.
"Brother, what are you saying?!" she scolded. "The manager's here to help us. Why are you being so rude?"
"Huh!" Alec scoffed. "He's just using this as an opportunity to get close to you, and then…"
"Brother!" Meika cut him off. "You've got it all wrong, the manager's not like that."
"That's exactly what he's like," Alec shot back, his face contorted in a grimace.
Meika recoiled, shocked by the sheer venom in his voice. She had never seen him like this.
Then, she remembered what Billy had said.
'Could… Could the Manager be right? Does Alec not see me as his little sister? Is he… jealous? Does he… want me for himself?'
'And… Alec must know something about my past. But why is he hiding it from me?'
Confusion and suspicion swirled in her eyes.
"Enough!" the police officer barked. "This is a police station, not a playground."
"You… shut up and sign the confession. If you want to appeal, you can hire a lawyer."
"Damn it!" Alec snarled. "I already told you... she tricked me! I never intended to rape her!"
Meika glanced at the woman in the red dress. Her blouse was ripped, barely concealed by the jacket she now wore.
She sat with her head bowed, tears streaming down her face. There was no sign of deceit.
'Could it be… that my brother actually did it?'
"Fine!" The officer snapped, his patience wearing thin. "You claim this poor girl tricked you, so where's your evidence?"
"She…" Alec stammered. The moment he'd heard the police, he had tried to run. He had blacked out soon after, leaving him with no evidence to support his claims.
The officer studied Alec's defeated posture, a smirk playing on his lips. "Look at yourself. What do you possibly have that she could even want to trick you for?"
"You're not handsome, you're not rich, and you're not a Survivor with high-level abilities. What could you possibly offer?"
"I…I…" Alec stammered, his face turning crimson. He had no counter-argument.
Judging by his cheap clothes, he probably couldn't even afford a 100 credit point meal.
Why would anyone want to trick him?
"Please…" the officer scoffed. "If she were a con artist, she wouldn't be stupid enough to target someone like you."
"Looking at you… even a beggar would think twice before asking you for money."
Alec: "..."