My Sisters are Strange

Before worrying about others, I should have anticipated how Grandmother would react when she heard the news of the breakup.

 

As soon as she entered, the cheek that she hit started to throb with heat.

 

Standing dazed by the tingling pain, I held up my cheek, and she raised her other hand.

 

I closed my eyes tightly at the hand that was about to strike my left cheek without hesitation.

 

“What are you doing?!”

 

Instead of feeling the pain on the other cheek, a loud cry echoed through the lobby.

 

When I opened my eyes to the harsh voice, Viola was grabbing Grandmother’s wrist with a furious expression.

 

“Let go of me!”

 

“If Grandmother stops the violence, I will let go.”

 

“How can you call this violence! I’m going to discipline a stupid girl who didn’t do her job! I can’t leave her be!”

 

“Then I definitely won’t let you go!”

 

Grandmother struggled with all her strength, but it was impossible to beat Viola.

 

She soon glared at Viola with an exhausted look.

 

“This lowly girl broke the engagement, and now you’re telling me to stay still?”

 

“Violence is not right.”

 

“Liliana and you too, this girl has been insulting me!”

 

Viola’s tough attitude ignited Grandmother’s anger.

 

“Ronald said you don’t look like a woman! He said you have no affection and forcibly avoid him and even humiliate him!”

 

Feeling unfair at Grandmother’s words, I hurriedly shook my head.

 

‘Did he tell Grandmother differently?’

 

At the words that were different from the situation I experienced, I spoke, trembling with feelings of unfairness.

 

“His Highness Ronald said he had no intention of proceeding with the engagement. He… He said that and insulted me while kissing my friend!”

 

“So you should have behaved well! You can’t even catch a man’s heart, but you raise your voice for what you did well!”

 

But Grandmother didn’t listen to me.

 

No, I didn’t think she’d listen to me at all.

 

“This useless thing! It’s a shame that the blood of Liviatan flows through you!”

 

My mood which had improved thanks to Giovanna plummeted to the ground again.

 

“What can you do? Do you feel overwhelmed just by breathing? Then how are you different from the trash on the street?”

 

I naturally dropped my head at Grandmother’s abusive words.

 

“How am I going to accept you, who is stupid and foolish and doesn’t even try, as a member of my family!”

 

“I-I…”

 

It wasn’t because I didn’t want to say anything, but even if I wanted to say something, her words weren’t over.

 

“I am not taking the child of the woman who lured my son to death! Even though you can’t even seduce Ronald like that woman, why are you making excuses for failing?”

 

“Grandmother! Your words are too much!”

 

Grandmother glared at Liliana, who was standing in the lobby before I knew it, and said.

 

“You talk a lot for someone who leaves things you couldn’t do to your younger sister!”

 

At the cry that had lost any sense of reason to the point of losing its usual dignity, no one at the scene could recklessly step forward.

 

Grandmother said, staring at me with a red face that looked as though it would explode at any moment.

 

“Something like you should never have been born!”

 

“Mother!”

 

Mother who was recuperating in her room interrupted Grandmother’s angry words.

 

She was holding onto the railing of the stairs with a pale face.

 

It seemed she ran out as soon as she heard the noise in the room.

 

She hurried down the stairs and blocked her way.

 

“Stop it!”

 

“It’s because you raised that child that she grew up like this! Get out of the way, I’ll fix that kid from head to toe!”

 

“Daisy grew up very well!”

 

“Which part!? Which part are you talking about!? That child who can’t do anything, which part of her that’s prettier than your own kids!”

 

Despite what Grandmother said, Mother didn’t lose.

 

She spoke with an unshakable face.

 

“She has been struggling to endure the boundary between death and life since she was young. She’s a wonderful child who fulfilled our wish to grow up safely and healthily.”

 

“Ha.”

 

Even with Grandmother’s snort, Mother did not budge.

 

“She grew up healthy, and she was always considerate with her kind and friendly personality. Didn’t she grow up well?”

 

“Since when did you become such an emotional person? If you have to bear the name of a noble lineage, you should know how to take responsibility accordingly!”

 

Mother shook her head at Grandmother’s cold words.

 

“She’s my child before she’s a noble child! Don’t impose any more responsibility on a child who has grown up well as we wish!”

 

Mother hurriedly wrapped her arms around my shoulder and said.

 

“Forget all your Grandmother’s words.”

 

“Mother….”

 

My mother’s kind words touched my heart.

 

“In Mother’s eyes, my child insulted Mother and the Imperial family, but I think differently.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The Prince insulted my daughter and the Liviatan family. How could he refuse an engagement in such a dirty way? Don’t even tell me to get over this shameless behavior easily.”

 

When Grandmother tried to speak with a displeased face, a reassuring voice came from behind.

 

“That’s right.”

 

As my father came home from work, he said to Grandmother with a cold face.

 

“Even if he’s the prince, he behaves so immaturely towards the duchy. I am not shocked.”

 

Father stood in front of me and Mother and said to Grandmother.

 

“I will make it clear that I am very offended by the actions the Prince has committed, so you can tell him.”

 

“Jade!”

 

Grandmother called Father, but he ignored her words and took care of me and Mother.

 

“Let’s go up and rest.”

 

At Father’s words, Mother led me.

 

Viola blocked the path of Grandmother, who looked menacing as if she was about to run at me, and Father also had a cold expression on his face to warn her.

 

‘…Ronald was wrong.’

 

I didn’t know what the future would be like, but now my family had chosen me, not the Imperial family.

 

That fact alone comforted me, and now I felt like my emotions were overflowing.

 

“Oh, dear, don’t cry.”

 

Maybe because I had tears around my eyes before I knew it, Mother hugged me and patted me.

 

“Why am I so useless? I want to become an outstanding person like my sisters.”

 

“Daisy.”

 

My body trembled the whole time I spoke, probably because Mother’s voice had relieved my tension.

 

“I just wanted to help the family.”

 

My mother said with a kind smile.

 

“You don’t know how happy we are to have you by our side in good health.”

 

I shed a tear at Mother’s warm consolation.

 

“Even though I don’t know how to do anything?”

 

“Of course. Me and your father are so happy to have you. You are a gift from heaven to us.”

 

I was afraid that Mother’s kind words would reveal my selfish heart.

 

“But I’m scared because I think you might throw me away when I eventually become useless.”

 

My selfish choices had undermined the family’s reputation.

 

It was pathetic of me to worry about what words would be said in the social world.

 

✲ ✲ ✲

 

After that, there was an ice-cold atmosphere in the house.

 

Grandmother gave me a scornful look, and I naturally avoided her, so I didn’t even go out to dinner.

 

During the uncomfortable days, the day to meet Iris had finally come.

 

The meeting place was the cafe terrace on the busy street where we used to go often.

 

Iris quickly proceeded with her engagement to the First Prince after that day.

 

She would be very busy with the upcoming engagement, but for some reason, she didn’t refuse my request for a meeting.

 

Maybe it was because she was my first friend.

 

‘I don’t want to hate her.’

 

Apart from my anger against the First Prince, I still wanted to believe her.

 

If her family forced her to make a choice.

 

I figured that if she had avoided my gaze that day because she didn’t have the courage to tell me directly, I could at least try to understand her.

 

“Long time no see, Daisy.”

 

Iris greeted me with a more relaxed and dignified appearance than before.

 

The teacup in front of her, which arrived first, was already empty.

 

I sat in front of her as I watched her order additional tea, perhaps because she was thirsty.

 

Not knowing what to say, I quietly waited for her to open her mouth.

 

“Why did you ask me to see you?”

 

At Iris’ words, I stared at her.

 

‘It feels weird.’

 

At least if she thought of me as a friend, was this what she should have said first?

 

“As Daisy knows, I’m very busy.”

 

“Even if you say that, you came here early.”

 

I pointed at the empty teacup and she shuddered at my words.

 

“If you want to say something, say it properly. Don’t beat around the bush.”

 

Her confident attitude left me speechless.

 

The emotion in Iris’s eyes was neither regret nor guilt.

 

Was it because I had been receiving negative emotions since I was born?

 

Vigilance, doubts towards me.

 

I burst out laughing at the emotions that were so easy to read.

 

“You’re shameless.”

 

Inevitably my inner thoughts popped out in an instant before I could have a conversation.