My Sisters are Strange

“You don’t have to find the pendant.” 

As soon as I returned to the mansion, I said these words to Isabel, who greeted me, and then I went into the room alone.

 

Isabel chased after me, not knowing what was going on, but she quietly left the room when I said I wanted to be alone.

 

Left alone, I stood still in the room and turned my head to the mirror.

 

In the mirror, unlike in the morning, a woman with scattered hair stood there with a haggard face as if she was about to collapse.

 

At Adelio’s last words, I had given some reply.

 

Probably because I was out of my mind, I couldn’t answer anything.

 

Adelio wanted to take me to the duchy, but I refused because I didn’t have the confidence to look at him any longer, and we parted ways.

 

That was how the meeting with Adelio ended.

 

I sat on the dressing table in a daze for a long time, then I heard a knock outside.

 

“Daisy, this is Mother. Can I go inside?”

 

At Mother’s voice, I cleared my throat and replied.

 

“Yes, come on in!”

 

At my reply, the door opened and my mother poked her face in.

 

Unlike me, who had a friendly smile on my face, Mother’s face was full of worries and concerns.

 

“Oh, my God. Our youngest flower. Why is your complexion so bad?”

 

As soon as my mother saw me, she was startled and quickly approached me and touched my cheek, unable to hide her negative feelings.

 

“I heard you went out. What happened out there?”

 

I felt like Mother’s warm concern would bring up my sad feelings.

 

Even though I knew I had to endure it, I wanted to somehow vomit up this confused feeling

 

As tears flowed from my cheeks, Mother was even more startled and gently wiped my eyes with a handkerchief.

 

“Did something really happen?”

 

Unlike the voice from before, she sounded a little angry.

 

“Was someone being mean to you? Huh? Tell Mother.”

 

She sounded like she wouldn’t leave until I mentioned a name, so I shook my head.

 

“I lost one of my parents’ pendants.”

 

“Oh, my. How did it happen?”

 

Mother asked me back with a surprised look.

 

“I don’t know either. Where did I lose it?”

 

Why on earth was it in Adelio’s hands, and when did he and I ever meet?

 

I didn’t know anything.

 

I pressed down on the words that felt like would pop out any moment, and I pulled up the corners of my mouth.

 

“You’re having a hard time because of Grandmother, but you even lost your pendant. You must have been so upset.”

 

Mother hugged me tightly and patted me on the back.

 

“I am sorry. I didn’t want to make you worry, but I was upset and my complexion wasn’t good.”

 

“Why are you apologizing? Mother is happy that Daisy is able to express her feelings like this.”

 

Mother’s touch was soft and cozy as if to comfort my injured heart.

 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find it. Mother will help, too.”

 

“No, it’s all right. I’ll look for it myself.”

 

This was something I had to do, so when I shook my head, Mother swallowed her disappointment and nodded.

 

“By the way, Mother. I have a question.”

 

“Oh, what are you curious about?”

 

I usually didn’t bring up questions first, so Mother’s eyes filled with anticipation.

 

“Have I ever gone out of town after I came to the duke’s house?”

 

“Well. No. In your childhood, your body was very weak, so you recuperated in the annex, and after that, you didn’t go to the academy.”

 

“Then I’ve never been abroad, right?”

 

“I wouldn’t know if it was before coming to the mansion… You haven’t been out of the capital since you came here.”

 

My expression couldn’t help but turn serious at Mother’s words.

 

‘I really don’t know.’

 

The day with Adelio was an ongoing series of confusion for me.

 

Adelio was the one who had the pendant I thought I had lost.

 

I had lived at the duke’s house since I was a baby, which meant that, according to my mother, we never met outside the Capital.

 

‘Then when on earth?’

 

Adelio was an unforgettable person from his appearance to his personality, so it was even more frustrating.

 

No matter how much I thought about it, the first time I actually met him was in the temple.

 

‘It’s not some kind of riddle.’

 

The headache made me sigh.

 

“Come to think of it, Daisy has really never been out of the Capital. I hope we can go on a trip together sometime.”

 

“You don’t have to bother yourself because of me. And Mother isn’t feeling well either.”

 

Mother smiled at my words and lightly slapped me on the head.

 

“I am still very lively.”

 

It didn’t hurt at all, but when I rubbed my forehead and pretended it hurt me, my mother covered her mouth and laughed.

 

“I don’t think I can eat together today. I want to go to bed early.”

 

“Yes. Then should I sing Daisy a lullaby today after a long time?”

 

Unlike before, Mother got up from her seat with an excited expression.

 

Soon, under Mother’s call, the maids came in and began to prepare for my bath.

 

When I came out after getting washed with their hands, Mother was sitting on the tidy bedding.

 

“Come on, come here.”

 

Mother called me in a bright voice, tapping the seat next to her.

 

With a broad smile, I jumped to her side and threw myself on the fluffy bedding.

 

“Oh, my. You might get hurt if you do that.”

 

Even as she said that, Mother’s hand drying my wet hair was still warm, so I was able to put my worries away for a while.

 

I fell asleep in the hope that my mother’s lullaby could blow away my complicated thoughts even if for a moment.

 

✲ ✲ ✲

 

With the familiar feeling of sinking below the surface of the water, the sight around me changed.

 

People were gathering on the cleanly organized road.

 

To block such people, people in the Imperial Knight’s uniform stood in line around the road.

 

“Why are there so many people?”

 

I sat in the cafeteria with a clear view of the road, looking down and tongue-tied.

 

“It seems everyone has come out to watch because it’s the engagement parade of the First Prince.”

 

I knew it well, but I nodded lightly at Isabel’s words and then looked out the window again.

 

People were struggling to move forward to see the main characters who would appear soon.

 

“I hope no one gets hurt.”

 

I was worried that there would be negative comments at the engagement parade if casualties happened.

 

In the meantime, the main characters of the parade finally began to be seen from afar.

 

Knights led the way with each step, and military orchestras blew marching trumpets.

 

And in the splendid carriage that followed, there was a fine man and woman who were praised by everyone for their good looks.

 

First Prince Ronald Odphelia and my sister Liliana Liviatan were greeting the people gathered around them while holding hands.

 

‘It’s not even a wedding, so why go this far?’

 

There were opinions about the parade ceremony that they were overdoing it but some people also said that they should do this much since it was the first engagement of the current Imperial family.

 

So, I prayed that no trouble would come to Liliana.

 

‘I hope everything goes well.’

 

People stretched out their hands and shouted the names of the two, hoping to reach out to the nobles of the Imperial family.

 

At first glance, the sound of shouting hurray-hurrah- was similar to the greeting toward the crown prince.

 

‘Umm, seeing this scene, I think I can understand why they wanted to do this.’

 

“Having power is difficult.”

 

I sighed a little and turned my head before I saw a man with a suspicious robe entering the alley not far away.

 

‘What?’

 

I knew that if they went down that alleyway as a passerby, they would be blocked off.

 

‘They must have taken the wrong way.’

 

I turned my head, thinking that it must have happened because there were so many people, but screams suddenly began to fill the street filled with cheers.

 

“Argh!”

 

“H-Help me!”

 

“Help!”

 

When I turned my head in surprise at the sudden scream, I stiffened with fear.

 

“Lady! It’s dangerous! Get behind me!”

 

Even at the words of Isabel and the escort knight, my body didn’t move easily.

 

A huge demon, which mimicked a wolf, was running among people, attacking and biting everyone around.

 

“Protect the young ladies!”

 

When I hurriedly turned my head at the voices of the knights, I saw Liliana, who couldn’t escape from the center of the people.

 

Since Viola wasn’t there, the vice-captain was leading, but it was clearly obvious that he was struggling with the sudden terror.

 

“Aim for the prince!”

 

At that moment, a suspicious man I had seen a while ago in the alleyway revealed himself.

 

Several similar people appeared behind the man wearing a robe and began to give orders to the demons.

 

“It’s dangerous, Lady!”

 

“But Sister is there!”

 

The escort quickly pushed me back and cut down the beast that jumped high in front of me.

 

I grabbed my started heart and turned again to find Liliana quickly.

 

“This is heresy! Drive out the heretics!”

 

“What are you doing, catch the heretics right now!”

 

The street, which had been colorful with a festival just a moment ago, was filled with the screams of people and the cries of demons.

 

“It’s dangerous!”

 

And one of the biggest demons threw himself at the fancy carriage.

 

As if following the orders of those wearing robes, the demon rushed towards Ronald with its mouth wide open.

 

“No, Your Highness!”

 

“No, Sister!”

 

And in that moment Liliana threw herself in front of Ronald.

 

The moment the monster’s wide-open mouth touched Liliana, time passed very slowly.

 

Blood splattered towards the sky and Liliana collapsed helplessly.

 

The moment I made eye contact with her, I woke up from my dream.