"So, you’re telling me... you bought all of this for me?" Lola stopped in front of a rack of clothes and shot Slater a dead look. "Slater, have you seen my wardrobe?"
"I have, and that’s exactly why I bought all of these." Seated on the couch, Slater leaned back, arms spread along the backrest. "It’s okay. You’re very welcome."
Her face contorted. What was more ridiculous—his confidence? This... abomination? Or the fact that he had just insulted her clothes without even trying?
"You know what? In a way, you are like your brother!" she intoned, looking around at the clothes. "Goodness. I feel like I’m going to develop a phobia."
Lola jumped onto the couch where he was seated, eyes fixed on him. "Is there even a phobia of clothes? This is overwhelming. Really, you didn’t have to. I mean, I appreciate your generosity, but... isn’t this a little overkill?"
"It is overkill," he admitted without a second hesitation. "But then, it’s not as fun."
"You’re having fun wasting money?"
"Sis! I don’t waste my money like my Second Brother!" he gasped, placing a hand over his chest as if utterly insulted. "This... I call it... hmm... a strategy."
Lola blinked, more confused than ever—but also intrigued by how he would justify this excessive shopping.
"A strategy?" She repeated, and he nodded. "Strategy for what exactly?"
"Sis, you underestimate me," he smirked, stretching before leaning closer. He raised a finger and wagged it. "It’s a strategy to bully the bully without bullying her too directly."
"Is that a new tongue twister?"
"Tsk." He frowned. "Sis, I bought all of this because I heard a certain witch has been bullying you. I’m teaching her a lesson."
Confusion replaced Lola’s dead expression. "A certain witch?"
"Yes, the witch who is going to marry the prince of Novera before her love potion expires," he nodded. "That witch."
"Melissa?"
"Yep."
"Melissa Young?" she clarified. "My father’s daughter?"
"Exactly," he smirked proudly, expecting praise now that she understood. "Sis, you’re kind of a little slow, you know?"
"Slater, I was this close to feeling very touched," she pinched the air, showing less than an inch between her thumb and forefinger. "And you just had to say that."
He froze and pondered. "Can you forget what I said?"
"..." she scoffed and withdrew her hand, looking around the suffocating racks of clothes. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say the entire area looked like a thrift store—except each piece cost a few thousand.
Lola cast him a side-eye. "How did you know I’m not getting along well with my half-sister?"
"My brother," he grinned. "He really dislikes them from the bottom of his heart." He hummed. "Knowing how vengeful he is, they should worry once he exacts that pettiness and revenge. Because the longer the wait, the scarier it is."
"Goodness." A weak laugh escaped her. "You guys... I appreciate that you want to help me, but it’s fine. You don’t have to bother. My battle with them is a battle I should face alone."
And she meant it. For her, Melissa and the Young family were insignificant, not worth bothering Atlas or Slater.
Yet, Slater stared at her as if she had said something alien.
"What?" she asked. "It’s not that I’m angry. I’m just saying you don’t need to get involved. They’re not worth your time."
"They’re worth yours, so they’re worth mine—even for entertainment purposes." He leaned back, giving her a knowing look. "Sis, have you told my brother that?"
"Told him what?"
"That your battle is only yours to fight."
"Not yet, why?"
"Because it’ll be interesting to see his reaction if he hears that." He shrugged, his charming face radiating clarity and honesty. "In our family, there is no ’I.’ One person’s problem is everyone’s problem. That’s the only way we justify being in everyone’s business."
"That sounds bad... but not really," she mused, confused.
"All I’m saying is, if you have enemies, they’re my enemies too!" He jumped, sitting up and facing her squarely. He raised his hand in a salute. "I’m your soldier. Use me at your disposal, ma’am!"
Lola’s face went through ten different expressions in a short span. In the end, she could only chuckle, leaning back against the sofa.
"Your family surely gets along really well," she teased. "I’m a little envious."
"Want to join the club?" he proposed, leaning toward her while fluttering his eyelashes beautifully. "Pretty please?"
"No."
"You know, just in case you haven’t heard, aside from a good-looking, rich, and smart husband—plus two adorable genius kids—you’ll have me! I am already perfect, but there’s more!" He switched to his merchant tone, selling his entire family this time.
"You’ll have a father-in-law and mother-in-law who will take care of you just for marrying their son, two sister-in-laws—my sisters—and a fake sister-in-law. Then, their husbands will be like brothers too!" He continued, making Lola quietly chuckle.
The more she listened, the more she wondered which parts Slater was exaggerating.
"Fine, fine!" he huffed after minutes of pitching his family. "If you’re still undecided, there’s plenty of time. Anyway, onto something more fascinating."
He jumped from his seat and grabbed a rack of dresses. Slater pulled out two identical dresses and showed them to her.
"Sis, want to hear about my wicked, evil plan?"
"Slater, I don’t feel comfortable hearing ’evil’ in the same sentence as ’plan,’" she hummed. "But... what is it?"
He grinned, plopping down beside her and whispering in her ear. Her brows shot up, eyes widening.
Slowly, she drew back her head. Slater wiggled his brows.
"What do you think?"
"Wicked," she commented. "But... I like it?"
He smirked, raising a hand, which she slapped for a high five. As soon as their palms touched, they suddenly heard voices.
"Are we in the right house?" Chacha’s voice echoed. "This is a maze!"
"Mommy, you there?!" Second shouted. "Did you build a maze with Uncle Best?!"
Lola stretched her neck, but with the rack of clothes literally everywhere, she couldn’t see them. Fortunately, Atlas soon emerged from the entryway with a flat expression.
The second he caught Lola and Slater on the couch, he squinted his eyes. "I sense evil."
And very slowly, Lola and Slater smiled at him while denying, "Evil? We’re as good as Cupids!"