"Hey, Vern, what do you think?" Edward asked, his hands clasped loosely behind his neck as the two of them walked down the stone path. His voice carried a mix of hesitation and curiosity, the kind that made Vern glance at him despite himself. They were heading toward the courtyard where Charlotte and Salena should already be waiting.
"About what?" Vern tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze sliding sideways to study Edward. His tone was flat, almost dismissive, but there was the faintest quirk in his brow that betrayed mild interest.
Edward's lips pressed into a thin line before he exhaled and looked away, his brows furrowed as if the words themselves were too heavy to say outright. "About Eliza," he finally admitted, frowning as he lowered his hands from behind his neck and shoved them into his pockets. His voice carried a subdued weight, as though he wasn't just asking about her but testing Vern's thoughts against his own.
"Do you think… she likes me?" In the end, Edward managed to spit out the words, his voice low and uncertain, as if saying them aloud made him vulnerable. His shoulders tensed, and he glanced at Vern out of the corner of his eye, waiting for some kind of reaction.
"How would I know?" Vern replied flatly, his expression unchanging. He wasn't the least bit interested in such trivial matters. He had already heard enough of their chatter earlier but chose to ignore it, focusing solely on his meal without sparing them a glance. In his opinion, it didn't matter.
Meanwhile, the idiot walking beside him had spent the entire hour buzzing around Eliza, talking to her about whatever came to his mind, filling the silence with pointless words as if that would make her like him more. Vern found it almost laughable but didn't bother saying it aloud.
Or maybe she likes him. That's why she listened to all kinds of bullshit. Vern thought .
As they walked along the narrow path, their casual steps slowed when two familiar figures came into view. Charlotte and Salena stood at the edge of the courtyard, waiting. Their arms were crossed, faces shadowed by deep frowns that made the air feel heavier with each step closer.
Edward, realizing the danger before Vern even reacted, froze mid-stride. His eyes darted from Charlotte's sharp gaze to Salena's stern expression, then quickly flicked toward Vern as if searching for support. His throat tightened, and he swallowed hard, an audible gulp escaping him.
She's going to kill me… he thought miserably, dread crawling down his spine. If Salena finds out where I went with Vern today, I'm done for.
His legs suddenly felt heavier, yet he forced himself forward, wearing a weak, guilty smile that betrayed his nerves.
"Where have you been to be so late?" Charlotte demanded, her arms folded tightly across her chest. The deep frown on her face made it clear she wasn't just irritated—she was genuinely angry. They had been waiting nearly two hours, and patience had long since left her tone.
Salena, however, didn't raise her voice. Instead, she fixed both Vern and Edward with a piercing stare, her silence heavy and suffocating. Finally, she exhaled a long, slow breath, her expression unreadable as she asked in a calm but sharp voice, "Well? Care to explain?"
"Well… well… we were—" Edward stammered, his words tumbling awkwardly out of his mouth, desperately searching for an excuse that might soften the situation.
But before he could dig his own grave, Vern cut in smoothly, his tone steady and matter-of-fact. Without hesitation, he began explaining in great detail exactly where they had gone and what they had been doing the entire time.
Edward felt the blood drain from his face. His throat bobbed as he swallowed nervously, cold sweat trickling down his back. The more Vern revealed, the more he noticed the faint twitch in Salena's eye—a dangerous warning sign he knew all too well.
Charlotte, thankfully, seemed oblivious to the undertones, nodding along without suspicion. But Salena? Her silence spoke volumes, and Edward could feel her simmering fury building with every passing second.
I'm so dead, he thought, forcing a weak smile that fooled no one.
****
In his room, Edward was kneeling on the wooden floor, his entire body trembling. Sweat poured down his face, dripping from his chin, and cold shivers crawled down his back. He swallowed hard, the sound of his gulp unnaturally loud in the silent room, before daring to lift his eyes.
Before him stood Salena. Her expression was calm, too calm, as she tugged at the cuffs of her pristine white gloves. In her right hand, she lazily swirled a small transparent bottle. The blackish liquid inside sloshed with an ominous glug, bubbles rising and popping in a way that made Edward's stomach sink.
"U-Um… sis… what is that… in your hands?" Edward asked hesitantly, his voice breaking. His eyes locked onto the bubbling concoction, unable to look away. Every pop sounded like a countdown to his doom.
"Oh, this?" Salena tilted her head with a serene smile, her tone deceptively sweet. She paused just long enough for Edward's heartbeat to spike before continuing in the same gentle voice, "It's nothing… just a little pois—" She stopped, her smile widening ever so slightly. "—potion."
Edward's blood froze. "H-Hey…! You just said it's poison!" He stammered, panic flaring in his eyes. Instinctively, he tried to shuffle back on his knees, desperate to put distance between himself and that bottle.
But her gaze—sharp, piercing, almost predatory—froze him in place. His limbs refused to move, as though invisible chains bound him. The weight of her eyes alone was enough to make him remain kneeling, trapped like prey under a hunter's shadow.
"Edward, you are well aware of why I'm doing this, aren't you?" Salena's voice was calm, almost gentle, but her eyes gleamed with dangerous amusement. She let the silence hang for a moment, then smiled sweetly, her gloved fingers tapping against the glass bottle in her hand. "I don't mind you roaming around behind girls—it doesn't matter. Because you are… hm, how should I put it? A bitch?"
Edward's jaw dropped. "S-Sister, you shouldn't say such things… it's bad manners," he muttered, trying to correct her, his voice shaky but faintly indignant.
Slap!
The sharp sound echoed in the room as Salena's palm struck his cheek, leaving a stinging red mark. Edward's head snapped to the side, eyes wide in shock.
"You do not have the right to say anything like that to me," she said firmly, her expression unchanging, almost casual—as though disciplining him was as natural as breathing. "Because I'm older than you. Is that understood?"
Edward blinked rapidly, trying to fight back tears of frustration. "B-But you're just three mon—"
Slap!
The second strike cut him off mid-sentence, harder than the first. The sound cracked through the air, and Edward's words died instantly on his lips.
He stared up at her with trembling lips, unable to speak. His cheeks burned, not just from the pain but from the humiliation of being silenced so mercilessly. Salena adjusted her gloves with a faint smile, as though nothing had happened.
"Oh my, I almost forgot. Where was I?" Salena tilted her head, her smile widening as though she were enjoying a private joke. She tapped the glass bottle with her finger, making the black liquid inside ripple and bubble. "Ah, right. You can roam around like the bitch you are… but how dare you drag Vern with you?"
Her voice, for the first time, sharpened with genuine anger. "I'm already having my fair share of a hard time against Charlotte, and now you're making things even more difficult for me?"
Edward flinched under her glare, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "S-Sis, I didn't mean to—"
"What did you mean, then?" she cut him off mercilessly, her tone like a whip. Without hesitation, she extended the bottle toward him, the bubbling liquid inside reflecting faint light. "Drink it."
Edward's eyes went wide, panic flashing across his face. "B-But sis… I'll die if I drink that!"
"No, you won't." Her voice was flat, absolute, brooking no argument.
Edward hesitated, his hands trembling, when she added almost casually, "If you don't drink it, then I'll just have to tell your Father that you stole alcohol to drink inside the institute."
His blood ran cold. But instead of fear, confusion flickered in his eyes. "W-What…?" he muttered under his breath.
A few days ago, he had secretly slipped into his family's cellar, swiping one of his father's most prized bottles of liquor—an expensive vintage his father cherished—to enjoy later with Vern. No one had been around. He hadn't breathed a word to anyone. Not to Vern. Not to Charlotte. Not to anyone.
So how… how does she know?
A chill deeper than poison crept up his spine, making him forget his fear of the bottle in her hand.
There's nothing I can do now, is there? Edward thought bitterly, despair sinking into his chest. How pitiful I am…
Discarding what little dignity he had left, he pressed his forehead to the floor, his voice breaking as he begged, "Please, sis… please, I won't do this again! Please forgive me! Please, please, I swear I'll never repeat it! If anything, I'll guard him with my life! I'll make sure no girl ever comes close to him—except you!"
Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the floorboards as he slammed his head down again, his body trembling with shame. The sight of him reduced to such a pitiful state would have been laughable to anyone else—but Salena only watched calmly, her expression unreadable.
After a long, suffocating silence, she finally drew back the hand holding the bottle. Her lips curved into a satisfied smile as she said softly, almost sweetly, "This time, I'll forgive you. But if I find you doing anything like that again…" Her tone turned razor-sharp, eyes glinting dangerously. "…I'll make sure you drink this poison."
With that, she spun on her heel and walked out of the room, humming lightly to herself, her cheerful smile completely at odds with the threat she had just delivered.
The door clicked shut behind her.
"…Sigh." Edward finally lifted his head, his face red and swollen, both from crying and the earlier slaps. He slumped back, utterly exhausted.
"I thought I'd drink those lovely things to celebrate my first anniversary with Eliza…" he muttered, his voice hollow. "Now, I think I'll drink them just to forget this humiliation."
He wiped his face with his sleeve, shoulders shaking, his misery filling the empty room.