In addition to holding the sword, her thin fingers tightly gripped Drea’s collar.

Due to harsh hardships, calluses formed in various places, and her fingertips were split.

Drea stared at Ena’s hand holding her, then slowly raised her head.

The gazes of Ena and Drea met.

Exotic black eyes looked at Drea and blinked.

Drea mumbled blankly.

“Elder sister? Who? Me…?”

“Ah, s-senior.”

It wasn’t that she asked to be called senior, but she didn’t feel like revealing that information, so she simply closed her mouth.

As Ena stared at her as if questioning why, her pale face turned red.

‘She blushes quickly.’

Drea thought so without much emotion as she looked at Ena.

‘…Is she pretty?’

Upon closer inspection, her face wasn’t exceptionally beautiful.

Her neat and clean appearance could give a favorable impression, but she was more ordinary than expected.

Yes, really ordinary. That’s what she was.

‘…She resembles Shaik’s first love?’

Moreover, it couldn’t be said that she had a familiar impression as if seen somewhere before.

It must be because Drea had seen her somewhere if she felt that way.

Considering that they spent 300 out of 365 days together, how could Shaik meet someone else without Drea knowing?

‘She must be someone from the surroundings…’

Drea’s gaze narrowed as she looked at Ena.

Ena shrunk back under Drea’s gaze.

With a pale face, Ena tightly bit her lips. Then, as if gathering courage, she took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

“I-I’m sorry!”

‘What, what’s with the sudden apology?’

Drea was surprised by the loud voice.

“Why, why suddenly apologize? What’s going on?”

“I… I keep causing trouble for senior Shaik. You two, the engagement… I heard about the engagement relationship… I’m truly sorry.”

Oh?

Drea looked at Ena with a surprised expression.

So, does that mean she won’t bother Shaik anymore? Drea quietly stared at her, and Ena blurted out the opposite.

“But, actually, I’m so happy about this favor… I’m so, so… excited and happy, I don’t want to miss it.”

“…What?”

“Senior… You have so much. So, even if it’s not senior Shaik, you have a lot… So, can’t I… like senior Shaik?”

In an instant, Drea was at a loss for words.

Ena’s face was bright red as if it would burst at any moment.

Even her moist eyes showed red blood vessels.

Her trembling eyes seemed devoid of pretense or calculation.

Such mischievous words came out of that innocent face.

“Senior Shaik said so. You two have been together since birth. Like family, like siblings…”

When Drea frowned, Ena’s voice became faster.

“But you can’t date family or siblings…! If you’ve been together since birth, it could really be just familial love…!”

“Huh?”

Drea’s face twisted as if she were laughing.It was so absurd that her words were stuck in her throat.

Moreover, to say such cruel words so casually with tears streaming down her innocent face made it even more maddening.

“For me, this is almost like a last chance.”

A last chance… It was clearly not something a teenage girl would say.

And a chance? What chance?

“A chance, what kind of chance?”

“A chance to be loved…”

As she said that, Ena blushed around her cheekbones.

“Is the love you are talking about the Shaik’s love?”

Ena nodded as if stating the obvious.

In fact, until now, what bothered Drea the most and made her angry was Shaik’s behavior itself.

Ena was somewhat bothersome, but Drea didn’t have strong emotions toward this child.

But now, she seemed to be developing some emotions. Negative emotions?

“Senior, you have everything. So, can’t I… like senior Shaik? No, can’t you just acknowledge that I like him? I’m not daring to ask you to give up senior Shaik for me… Just, please accept that I like him…”

“No, you can’t.”

“What?”

“No, you can’t. Don’t like him. The only person who can like Shaik is me. So, no.”

“…Ah.”

Ena blinked her eyes as if she were shocked by Drea’s firm words.

The embarrassment and confusion deepened the color around Ena’s blushing eyes, which were initially shy.

Looking at her with a cold gaze, Drea spoke again.

“Who are you? Who are you to suddenly appear and say such things? I have everything? So, if I have everything, do I have to give it up? If I have everything, do I have to generously give up even the feeling of liking someone?”

“Well, no, it’s not like that… I just like him.”

“If it were you, if someone suddenly appeared next to the person you like and asked you to acknowledge that she likes him, would you say yes?”

Ena pursed her lips at Drea’s sharp words.

Soon, a stubborn gaze gleamed fiercely.

“…Yes. If I were you, if I had everything like you, I think I could do that.”

Her words didn’t get through.

Drea sighed, brushing her tied hair back with her hand.

“Oh, okay… But what can I do? You’re not me. And I’m not you. So, I can’t.”

“…Hu, huk.”

Tears, like droppings, slowly rolled down Ena’s face.

Drea took a step closer, annoyed, and spoke again.

“Fine. I don’t care who you like. I don’t care about it. Do whatever you want. But why did you come to me and talk about it? Is this some kind of declaration? Or because you told me, are you boldly claiming Shaik for yourself?”

“Oh, no, it’s not like that…”

Ena burst into tears, with even her nose turning red.

If someone saw her, it would seem like Drea was the absolute worst person.

No, she first grabbed my clothes and started talking, so why is she crying…

“Don’t cry. What’s there to cry about? Snap out of it!”

“H-hic!”

As Drea sternly spoke, Ena’s wide eyes stopped tearing up.

In a voice that restrained her emotions as much as possible, Drea quietly warned her.

“Don’t play such feeble tricks. Why are you trying to do something you can’t handle? This kind of method is very unlucky. Got it?”

“…”

“Answer!”

“Hic. Y-yes!”

Drea stared fiercely at Ena before swiftly turning her head.

“…Uh.”

But in front of her, Shaik was watching the whole scene intently.

It was truly an unexpected turn of events.‘…Ah, I messed up.’

Drea, who had tightly closed her eyes, glared at Shaik, who was staring at her intently.

“Drea.”

Shaik took a step closer.

Drea glared at him and swiftly turned away, leaving the spot.

With her eyes tightly closed, she ran forward while deep in thought.

…Chase after me. Hurry.

* * *

However, Shaik didn’t follow Drea until she arrived at the palace.

Why? Why isn’t he following?

Why…

If they’re at least like family, like siblings, shouldn’t he chase after her?

…Does that mean she doesn’t even evoke such feelings in you?

“…Huuh!”

Finally, her burst of tears echoed loudly throughout the palace.

Kalia, who was working, rushed over upon hearing the sound.

* * *

Sniff.

After barely swallowing her runny nose, Drea leaned her swollen and reddened eyes on Kalia’s shoulder, seeking comfort.

Patting her gently without saying a word, the touch was so affectionate.

Others would say it’s pitiful that Drea doesn’t have a mother, but that was an ignorant statement.

“Did you cry?”

Drea had Kalia, who was more precious than a mother, the coolest and most affectionate person in the world.

She even had three fathers.

Yes, despite what Ena said, she doesn’t know if she has everything.

She had never starved, never been disregarded for being weak.

…But that doesn’t mean she has to let go of what she has.

“Mama…”

Drea tightly embraced Kalia’s strong waist and mischievously acted like a child.

She forcibly suppressed her instinct to open the closed door and glanced around to see if anyone would come in.

Patting Drea’s back, Kalia, who had been brushing her fingers down Drea’s back, also opened her mouth in that moment.

“Drea.”

“Yes.”

“Drea, you know that I love you just as much as Shaik, right?”

Why would she suddenly say something like this?

Drea lifted her swollen face and looked at Kalia.

Kalia’s gentle green eyes softened affectionately.

Her rough fingertips, full of scars, wiped away the tears from Drea’s delicate eyes.

The tears were wiped away.

“Sometimes, you can be even more lovable than Shaik. This is… a secret from Shaik.”

Shh.

Drea smiled faintly and nodded at Kalia, who jokingly pressed a finger against her lips.

While caressing Drea’s head, Kalia spoke.

“So, if there’s someone who makes you cry, even if it’s my own son Shaik, I would hate him.”

“Mama…”

“I won’t tell you not to cry. If you want to cry, you can cry as much as you want, Drea. But… as your mother, what I want to say to you is…”

Kalia paused and then continued to speak.

“If there’s someone who makes you cry, gather your courage and kick them.”

Drea looked up in surprise and stared at Kalia.

With a serene smile, Kalia spoke again.

“Drea, kick Shaik.”