"So… is that envelope for me?"
Isaac asked, his voice flat as his eyes flicked toward Trish.
The crowd around them had started to grate on his nerves, so they'd moved to an empty classroom. Trish still looked flustered as she handed over the envelope, her hand slightly trembling.
"Trader—... I mean Father sent it to you," she said quickly.
Before Isaac could reply, a voice chimed in—loud and dramatic—from behind her.
"Father?! Brother, how long has this been going on?!" Maya gasped.
Isaac turned and glared at her.
"Wall. Now."
Maya flinched, then trudged toward the nearest wall like a guilty soldier. She stood on one leg, both arms raised straight up.
"Lift those arms higher," Isaac added coldly.
She complied, muttering something under her breath. Isaac narrowed his eyes.
"What was that?"
"I-I won't get involved in grown-ups' business again…" Maya mumbled with a pout, trying to keep her balance.
Satisfied—for now—Isaac turned back to Trish. "So this is what I asked for?"
Trish took a second to respond, her eyes still wide from the bizarre sibling interaction.
"Yes… There's more to explain, but—" she glanced at Maya, then added, "Maybe we can talk more during lunch break?"
"Ohhh! A second date!" Maya said from the wall, grinning despite her punishment.
Isaac gave her a look that promised doom, but before he could say anything else, the bell rang.
"I'm gonna be late!" Maya shouted, dashing for the door. "See you later, brother! You too, sister-in-law!"
Isaac sighed heavily, watching her disappear down the hall.
"That brat… I'll take care of her later," he muttered under his breath.
He turned back to Trish—only to find her still standing there, blankly repeating the phrase "sister-in-law" like she was trying to cast a spell.
Then, as if coming to a life-altering conclusion, she nodded once and said with a completely straight face,
"I'm still too young for marriage."
And with that, she turned into a shadow and vanished on the spot, most likely heading to her class.
Isaac blinked, staring at the now-empty space.
"…Why is everyone reacting like that today?"
He looked down at the envelope in his hands, the anger slowly building in his expression.
"Did I say I'd make you pay double next time?" he muttered. "Scratch that. Next time, I'm charging triple."
---
Somewhere, in an unknown location…
The Trader sat alone in his book-filled room, sipping tea with a satisfied smile.
Suddenly, he shivered.
A cold chill ran down his spine.
"Someone must be cursing me…" he murmured, glancing around. Then his eyes landed on the clock.
"My precious VIP should've received the envelope by now... it couldn't be him, right?"