A soft smile adorned my face. "Tell me, sis," I said, my tone growing softer, more serious. "What's the whole shenanigan with this marriage?"
She blinked steadily at first, processing my question. Then, as her little brain finally registered what I had asked, her mouth fell slightly open in shock.
She scratched her head, smiling awkwardly. "It was something Isolde did." Her eyes darted away, avoiding mine. "To confirm her suspicions about Lucian's affairs."
I nodded, taking in the information, analyzing it carefully. My gaze locked onto her as I asked my next question. "Since when have you been isekai-ed here exactly?"
She tapped a finger against her lips, deep in thought. "About a few weeks," she finally said.
I furrowed my brows. It took Isolde that long to arrange a marriage? That was unlike her. If she had walked in on Lucian in such a compromising situation, she would have acted almost instantly. I expected more from her. Truthfully, I was disappointed by how slow she had been.
I clicked my tongue, though, in the end, this situation worked in my favor.
With a sharp nod, I locked eyes with Mia, who was twirling a strand of her silky black hair between her fingers. "Alright. Let's annul that stupid marriage."
As I turned my back to her and gestured for her to follow, I heard a small, shocked gasp escape her lips. Within seconds, she had caught up, grabbing my hand in a tight grip.
"Hey!! Hey!! You don't understand! They aren't just normal aristocrats; they are counts, for f*cks sake!" Her voice carried genuine fear. "Show some goddamn respect."
I tilted my head slightly, my lips curling into a mischievous smirk. "So?"
She looked genuinely taken aback by my response. "How are you going to annul my marriage?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "And what about my opinion?"
A slow, deliberate chuckle escaped my mouth before I quickly hid it behind my hand. "Your opinion? I've seen your choices."
I leaned in close, lowering my voice to a whisper, eerie and heavy with intent. "And I know whether you truly want to get married or not."
Turning my head away, I muttered under my breath, "I made the mistake once of not stopping you. But not anymore."
She stood frozen for a moment, her head slowly lowering. Then, a slow sniffle escaped her lips. "I... I... I never wanted to... marry... n-not... t-this guy, nor that bastard Evan."
Her voice cracked, her words dissolving into sobs. Her sentences blurred, her emotions spilling out in a way I hadn't seen in a long time. It wasn't just about this forced marriage—this was everything, her pent-up frustration, the burdens she carried from our previous world, the things she had never voiced out loud.
I stepped closer and pulled her into my embrace. Without hesitation, she clung to me, gripping me as tightly as if she were afraid I'd disappear. Her body shook with the force of her sobs, and I held her, gently caressing her head, running my fingers through her impossibly soft hair.
'Why don't I have hair this silky?' I mused absently.
She stayed like that for a while, pouring out all the emotions she had buried. When her sobs finally subsided, she pulled away slightly, wiping at her puffy red eyes.
Then, in a hoarse voice, she asked, "What happened to Mom and Dad... and Evan?"
Her side glance at the mention of Evan did not go unnoticed.
'If you know I'm angry, then why even ask? Damn it, Mia.'
My brows furrowed, my expression darkening. I clicked my tongue, irritation seeping into my voice as I answered. "I did have a call with Mom right before I died. Just for a few seconds, nothing more."
I looked away, my voice colder than before. "I don't know how they're doing or what's happened to them since then."
Then, unable to contain my bitterness, I added, "Why do you even care about them? They left us alone. They don't care about us."
She chuckled softly, her hands suddenly cupping my cheeks. "And yet, you called her," she whispered.
She then took my hand, pressing it against my chest. "Tell me," she urged. "Does your heart beat faster when you think about their health? When you wonder if they're even alive?"
I closed my eyes and did as she asked. I thought about them—about their well-being, their lives, their deaths. I waited for something, anything, but I felt...
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
She must have noticed the absence of reaction because she quickly released my hand, turning away.
"We should go back," she said, her voice quiet. "They must be waiting."
I shrugged. "Not like I care."
She pouted, then suddenly ran out of the room, kicking open the door with unnecessary force.
I sighed and followed at a pace so slow it could have made a tortoise proud. She had gotten quite far ahead when she turned, noticed how far back I was, and stormed back toward me, her irritation flickering across her face like an impending storm.
"Come down here," she demanded.
I complied, and immediately, she seized my ear, twisting it viciously.
"Ouch!! What the hell, sis?!" I yelped, writhing like a fish out of water.
She, on the other hand, was enjoying this far too much. Her other hand was perched on her waist as she puffed up her chest. "Don't act cocky. They won't tolerate your misbehavior, little brother."
Finally, she let go of my ear, which was now undoubtedly beet red.
I shook my head and rolled my shoulders. Shrugging, I said, "Don't worry, sis. I'm not an illegitimate child but a real, blood-related one."
Then, with a smirk, I added, "I'm Cassius Lancaster now, not Arawn. Keep that in mind."
She pouted. "You're still my little, virgin—" She clicked her tongue, correcting herself with a 'tsk.' "Not a virgin, ugly, stupid, cocky, dependable little brother."
I smiled knowingly. "Of course, I am."