IBYSRHML | Chapter 13

#.13

“Unniiiiiiiiiieee!”

“Big Unniiiieee!”

The younger and middle unnies sitting across the dining table shouted simultaneously.

Startled, I covered my ears with both hands as I was sharing grapes with Big Unni.

“Why are you yelling so early in the morning?”

“What’s this article about? Marriage? And with the Emperor of the Empire?”

The youngest unnie shoved the newspaper right in front of Big Unnie’s face, but she didn’t even glance at it. Instead, she calmly popped another grape into my mouth.

Frustrated by her indifference, the youngest unnie tapped the newspaper angrily with her hand, exhaling sharply.

The middle unnie gently patted her shoulder as if to calm her down.

“This must be fake news, right? We should go request a correction from the newspaper. Marriage out of nowhere, and to someone who doesn’t even have a boyfriend? That’s absurd.”

“Exactly. These newspapers these days are just strange. Turning baseless rumors into gossip? Can the media really behave like this? Emilia, hurry and go request a correction.”

“That article is true.”

When Big Unnie replied curtly, both the middle and youngest unnies turned their heads sharply toward her.

Unable to follow their conversation, I hesitantly read the newspaper that the youngest unnie had thrown in front of Big Unni.

“‘Alice Berchio, set to marry Emperor Marius.’”

Marius is getting married? And to our Unnie?

Not Leopold, but Marius?

For a moment, my mind went blank, unable to comprehend the situation.

That useless Emperor is getting married?

And to my competent, intelligent, and undeniably amazing Big Unnie?

“Big Unnie, are you getting married?”

“Do you remember Mr. Marius, who you met before? I’m planning to marry him.”

“Huh, w-what…?”

Flustered, I accidentally spat out the grape that Alice Unnie had just popped into my mouth.

The grape rolled off the table and fell to the floor.

The grape wasn’t the issue here. The point was, why was Alice Unnie suddenly getting married?

And not even to Leopold, but to Marius!

“Why? Why are you getting married? Why to Mr. Marius?”

“Liliana, do you dislike Mr. Marius?”

“Nooo! I don’t want this!”

“Unnie, even the youngest one is against it. He’s an Emperor, for goodness’ sake. How can you suddenly decide to get married without even discussing it with us? And it doesn’t even seem like a love marriage.”

The middle unnie’s observation was correct.

From my keen perspective, there was absolutely nothing between Big Unnie and Marius.

There wasn’t even a hint of romantic tension—it was more like a cunning spear clashing against a reflective shield.

If anything, the subtle tension existed between the middle unnie and Leopold.

There was definitely something going on there.

“It’s been decided. We’ll skip the engagement ceremony and simply exchange rings. Also, when he returns to the Empire, I’ll go with him. After spending some time there, we’ll hold the wedding.”

“What are you even saying? Explain yourself instead of just notifying us! Why are you getting married all of a sudden, and why is it with the Emperor?”

“Emilia, this is a matter between him and me. It’s not for you to interfere in.”

“Unnie!”

When the youngest unnie shouted in frustration, I nervously glanced between my sisters.

I wanted to throw a tantrum and say I didn’t want Big Unnie to get married, but the atmosphere didn’t allow for that.

The situation was so tense that it felt like a fistfight could break out at any moment, so I held my breath.

Big Unnie looked at me and gave an order.

“Liliana, go to your room.”

“……”

“Now.”

“O-okay.”

Big Unnie’s face was so stern and intimidating that I quietly got up and went to my room.

“Cookie, what’s gotten into Big Unnie all of a sudden?”

Hugging Cookie tightly, I heard the loud argument outside.

The youngest unnie was firing rapid questions, the middle unnie chimed in, and Big Unnie answered calmly, almost icily.

“So what you’re saying is—!”

“I can’t hear them clearly…”

Since my room was the farthest from the dining room, I couldn’t make out the conversation properly.

But from the few words I caught, it was clear that Big Unnie had made up her mind.

I wish I could hear more clearly.

Driven by curiosity, I cautiously turned the doorknob.

The soft creak of the door went unnoticed, as everyone was too caught up in their emotions.

Through the small gap, I could hear much better. Big Unnie’s voice soon followed.

“I’ll take care of Lilliana.”

Thud. Cookie fell soundlessly onto the soft carpet.

The thunderous shock left me frozen, forgetting how to breathe.

This wasn’t the time to be pairing Leopold with Big Unnie.

Now was the time to launch a project to separate Marius and Big Unni.

Big Unnie saying she’d take care of me meant that I’d have to move to the Empire with her.

In other words, I’d be separated from my twin unnies for good.

The thought of our family being torn apart had left me not just sad but utterly anxious all day.

“No way. This isn’t right. Right, Cookie? Don’t you think so?”

First, my brother abandoned us for his rural retreat, and now my sisters were breaking apart too…

When families fall apart, society decays.

When society decays, nations crumble.

When nations crumble, it leads to the end of the world.

For the sake of world peace, I had to stop my sisters from living separately.

“Cookie, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to convince Marius.”

I couldn’t let that useless guy snatch away my precious sister, who grew up like gold and jade!

I quickly packed biscuits and my coin purse into my hamster-shaped bag. Finally, I made sure not to forget my beloved stuffed animal, Cookie, whose soft fur I adored, before slinging the bag over my shoulder.

The biscuits were in case I got hungry when I met Marius, and the coin purse was to pay for the carriage fare to the hotel where Marius was staying.

Quietly leaving my room, I tiptoed carefully, lifting my heels to avoid making noise. If my sisters caught me, they’d undoubtedly try to stop me.

Fortunately, the argument had ended some time ago, and my sisters had retreated to their rooms.

At last, I succeeded in sneaking out of the house without a sound, all the way to the front door.

“Phew… I did it.”

I let out a sigh of relief as I safely stepped outside without being discovered by my sisters. Fearing they might follow me, I hurried toward the carriage stop.

This time, I made sure to check both ways before crossing the street to avoid being hit by a carriage. Just in case, I even raised my right arm for added caution.

When I reached the carriage station, I grabbed hold of a man sipping a drink on a bench and shouted, “Mister! Please take me to the Rizolo Hotel!”

According to the newspaper, Marius was staying at the Rizolo Hotel.

“Kid, stop playing around, or you’ll get in trouble.”

“I’m serious! I really need to go to the Rizolo Hotel. I even have money!”

“If you want to go to a hotel, bring your mom along.”

The coachman waved me off dismissively, causing me to pout and press my lips together.

“But I don’t have a mom… or a dad…”

The coachman’s attitude made my heart ache even more.

It was already hard enough not having parents, but now there was a chance I’d be separated from my sisters too.

Not just scattered across the country, but sent overseas to another nation.

“I’m going to the Rizolo Hotel to see my brother. My brother and sister had a fight, so he can’t come home. That’s why I have to go meet him… I want to see my brother…”

As I brought up my brother, I started thinking about Andrea, who had gone to the countryside in the south, and my eyes filled with tears.

Andrea had decided to move to the countryside suddenly, without any warning. He left home in a rush, ignoring my sisters’ attempts to stop him.

He even left behind his clothes and books, taking only money with him. I remembered what he said back then:

— I’ve done my best for you all and given as much as I could. Now, it’s time for you to live well on your own.

Andrea was 24 years older than me. Even with Big unnie, the eldest, there was a six-year gap. After our parents passed away, Andrea managed the household all on his own and raised me, who had just been born.

Perhaps he left the capital, where he’d lived his whole life, because he was exhausted from raising a baby sister almost young enough to be his daughter. That’s probably why he said he’d done all he could.

It must’ve been because he was sick of me.

‘I must be a burden to my brother and sisters.’

That thought made the tears I was holding back start to flow.

When I began crying with hiccups, the coachman panicked and yelled, “Alright, alright! Let’s go! If you’re meeting your brother, I’ll take you there. Family should see each other, after all!”

He lifted me into the carriage and quickly set off for the hotel.

The alternating sounds of horses’ hooves and the carriage wheels helped calm me down.

I wondered how my brother was doing. It had been a while since he left for the countryside, but we hadn’t received even a single letter.

Maybe he was enjoying his newfound freedom too much after struggling under the weight of our family.

Or perhaps he was so happy there that he’d completely forgotten about me.

I wiped my teary eyes and checked the torn newspaper clipping I had in my pocket.

“I hope we don’t miss each other…”

When I met Marius, should I lie on the floor and throw a tantrum? Or should I try convincing him by saying he’s the most handsome man in the world and begging him not to marry my unnie?

“Ugh. This is too hard.”

Lying down on the carriage seat, I stared at the blue sky outside the window. Watching the clouds drift by, I didn’t realize how much time had passed until the carriage came to a stop.

I sat up abruptly and looked out the window to see the hotel entrance.

Taking out the money I had prepared in my coin purse, I handed it to the coachman before heading toward the hotel confidently—or so I tried.

“Hey, miss.”

“Huh?”

The coachman suddenly grabbed my bag and tugged it toward him.

But wasn’t he calling me “kid” earlier?

“You’re short on money.”

“Huhhh?”

My sisters always gave five coins for carriage fares, so I handed over five coins too.

However, I had overlooked one thing!

My sisters had been paying with silver coins, while I had given copper coins.