My Sisters are Strange

“Lady, at this hour the temple wouldn’t even be open.”

 

I just smiled because I knew Isabel’s worried words weren’t wrong.

 

‘I don’t know why I came out like this either.’

 

Strangely enough, I was convinced that I would meet Adelio if I went to the temple.

 

‘Is it my intuition?’

 

It was an act I committed on impulse as if God were leading me, but I didn’t regret it.

 

“As expected, you’ve been having a hard time these days. You’ve been busy…”

 

Isabel looked around restlessly.

 

Her worries were understandable because I ran without an escort and was accompanied only by the coachman.

 

“My mind is confused… I wanted to pray to God. I can’t come out during the day.”

 

Isabel nodded as if she understood the words I threw to comfort her.

 

“Because your grandmother keeps the light on and watches over you.”

 

After a small sigh, she hurriedly closed her mouth.

 

“It’s fine. No one is listening.”

 

When the coachman announced that we had arrived at the temple, she slightly poked her head out.

 

It was definitely late, so the lights in the temple were off, giving off a dark and chilly aura.

 

“Lady. As expected, we should go back…”

 

“Daisy?”

 

Isabel’s dissuasion didn’t last.

 

As if bewitched by the familiar voice, I turned my head through the window and heard footsteps approaching.

 

“Why did you come to the temple at this late hour?”

 

I opened the door and was about to get out of the carriage quickly due to a voice coming from not far away, but I tripped.

 

“Oh!”

 

“Lady!”

 

As I fell forward, I lost my balance and I thought I was about to hit the ground.

 

However, instead of the ground, my body fell into the arms of someone who ran in a hurry.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

A familiar uniform spread out in front of me and blinked.

 

Even though he had been quite far away, he must have rushed to grab me in an instant.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

He asked me again because I kept quiet.

 

Looking at Adelio’s eyes, which were wide open as if in surprise, I inadvertently smiled.

 

‘I really met you.’

 

“I’m fine.”

 

He flinched at my gentle smile, then smiled his usual friendly smile.

 

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

 

“Yes. I am not hurt at all.”

 

I took a step back from him and spun around in place.

 

His expression seemed strange as I showed off that I was fine.

 

‘You’re still in uniform at this hour.’

 

I thought he was on patrol, but then I heard an urgent voice behind me.

 

“Lady! Are you okay?”

 

Isabel hurriedly got out of the carriage and began to examine me.

 

Then, the moment she confirmed that nothing was wrong, she stepped in front of me and greeted Adelio.

 

“Thank you for helping my lady. Thanks to you, she didn’t get hurt.”

 

At Isabel’s words, Adelio replied with a kind smile.

 

“Of course, I just did what I had to do. May I ask what happened that you came to the temple at such a late hour?”

 

Isabel glanced behind her, and as soon as our eyes met, she looked back with a determined expression on her face.

 

“Since Lady didn’t have time to come to the temple during the day, I risked being rude to visit at this time.”

 

“…”

 

“Lady is a very faithful believer. It won’t take long, so please let Lady pray and come out.”

 

Isabel seemed nervous at the thought of being caught in the night by a patrolling knight.

 

“Please.”

 

Isabel bowed and I grabbed her arm in a hurry.

 

“Isabel. He’s someone I know.”

 

“What?”

 

Whispering softly, she looked at me and Adelio alternately, startled.

 

“Everyone in the temple knows that Daisy is a faithful believer. I’ll open the prayer room. Follow me.”

 

“N-Name….”

 

At Adelio’s words, Isabel couldn’t hide her bewilderment and her eyes shook.

 

“Thank you, Adelio.”

 

“Don’t mention it.”

 

“Y-You call each other by name…!”

 

This time her eyes widened so much they couldn’t get any bigger.

 

“Then, let’s go in. Isabel.”

 

I followed Adelio, who was leading the way, and she came back to her senses and followed.

 

I walked looking forward, pretending not to notice that she was looking alternately between me and Adelio.

 

‘To be honest, I didn’t expect to actually meet him.’

 

My heart was still beating loudly, surprised by the amazing coincidence.

 

‘I came to see him, but….’

 

What should I say in this situation?

 

The only thing we could hear behind the silence that engulfed the silent hallway was our footsteps.

 

Seeing a familiar door, Adelio opened it himself and reached out to point inward.

 

Isabel said she would wait outside the door, so it was only me and Adelio who came inside.

 

Only dim lights illuminated the view in the extinguished prayer room.

 

“I’ll turn on the light.”

 

“It’s all right. It’ll only take a really short time.”

 

I dissuaded Adelio and walked slowly down the dark path.

 

Passing by the chairs in the front, I knelt down in front of the altar where the priests recited the scriptures.

 

Then I put my hands together, closed my eyes, and made a wish in my heart as if whispering a secret.

 

‘I don’t know why I had this dream, but please don’t let me give up on anything.’

 

I decided not to wish for something to come true anymore.

 

I sincerely hoped that the path I was going on was the right path, and that I could become an adult who could take responsibility for the decisions I made.

 

‘Please keep an eye on me so that I don’t regret everything.’

 

A faint light penetrated into the black space where I could see nothing with my eyes closed.

 

When I slowly opened my eyes, my surrounding was filled with bright light, and the inside of the prayer room was bright.

 

Raising my gaze along the light, I saw a dazzlingly beautiful moonlight pouring down on me.

 

The brilliant light was so beautiful that I reached high and put my hand down because I couldn’t reach it.

 

‘Yes. I’ll do well.’

 

It felt as if God was answering my prayers, so my anxiety went away.

 

I got up from my seat and looked back.

 

I was alone under the bright light, so I couldn’t see Adelio, who was standing in a dark space.

 

Strangely, however, his face looked displeased.

 

“Adelio?”

 

As he took a step closer to my call, the smile disappeared from his shadowy face.

 

“Daisy.”

 

Adelio called my name in a calm voice.

 

“What did you pray for?”

 

“I made a wish.”

 

“Wish? May I ask what kind of wish it is?”

 

It was a calm voice.

 

But for some reason, I had the illusion that it had a deep emotion that I couldn’t fathom.

 

‘Nah. That couldn’t be.’

 

I stopped the ridiculous thoughts.

 

It was an embarrassing wish, but it was fine to tell Adelio.

 

“I’ll do my best so that I don’t regret my way forward, so I begged Him to watch over me.”

 

“Is that all?”

 

“Yes. Is it weird?”

 

He began to walk towards me, saying that it wasn’t weird.

 

Come to think of it, there was something I couldn’t tell him.

 

“Um, Adelio.”

 

“I’m listening.”

 

“I’m going to get engaged.”

 

The approaching step stopped.

 

I was staring at him who had stopped near me when suddenly a wind blew from somewhere.

 

‘What? This is indoors.’

 

I looked around to find the source of the wind, and Adelio took the last step and stood right in front of me.

 

The moonlight that had been filling in disappeared before I knew it, as if the clouds were moving hard with the wind.

 

As if I were swallowed up by the shadow of the cloud, the surroundings were stained with darkness.

 

His face was dimmed through the subtle light of the light.

 

“Adelio. Why do you make that face?”

 

“What kind of expression am I making?”

 

I felt agitated by the words he brought up after a short silence.

 

“I think you’re angry.”

 

“…”

 

At my words, Adelio opened his mouth and said nothing.

 

He was just looking down at me silently with eyes stained red as if they were going to explode at any moment.

 

“I can’t be angry.”

 

His voice was calm, but there was a subtle tremor.

 

“I’m just curious. Why did you decide to get engaged? Daisy…”

 

I had said I hated it.

 

I answered the suppressed voice that sounded as if he had pulled those words out with his teeth clenched.

 

“I decided to do the best I could.”

 

“Do you really think it’s for the best?”

 

“At least for now.”

 

“Ha.”

 

Adelio gave a false laugh as if my answer was not satisfactory.

 

“Didn’t your family oppose it?”

 

“They said they’d respect it if that’s what I decided.”

 

At my words, Adelio frowned, which was rare.

 

“Your sisters, too?”

 

“Hmm, for now.”

 

I didn’t have to say they were against it.

 

It bothered me that I lied to him, but I just nodded because I didn’t want to make him worry.

 

At my words, Adelio murmured softly.

 

“That can’t be true.”

 

“Yes? What did you say?”

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

I couldn’t hear him well, so I asked him again, and he immediately shut his mouth as if to ask me to forget it.

 

“Would Daisy still get engaged if there was someone against it?”

 

“…I am not sure.”

 

At my ambiguous words, Adelio pursed his lips as if it was unfair.

 

The look was unfamiliar, so I quickly changed the subject.

 

“I’d better go back soon before it’s too late.”

 

After trying to get out of the awkward situation, I tried to get past him.

 

But before I took three steps, I suddenly felt a pull from behind.

 

I didn’t fall.

 

A solid arm wrapped around me, and a distinctive refreshing body scent came from behind me.

 

It wasn’t until a moment later that I realized I was in Adelio’s arms.

 

“Don’t do it.”

 

“Yes?”

 

There was a voice right next to me that sounded so anxious that it was hard to find the usual ease.

 

Suddenly, I heard a rough heartbeat.

 

It wasn’t the sound of my heart, so it must be…

 

“Don’t get engaged to the Prince.”

 

It was the sound of Adelio’s heart.