"This is the first time you've done something unusual. Why did you marry Lady Fayrouza?" Vinegario asked as Berryanna and Applegario sat down in the living room.
The room felt larger than it should have, quiet in the way only familiar places could be. Applegario dropped onto the couch without hesitation, already reaching for the neatly wrapped boxes placed beside him. Berryanna sat opposite Vinegario, her posture straight, her hands folded in her lap as if she were holding herself together by force alone.
Applegario was busy unwrapping the presents Vinegario had given him earlier for his birthday. There were three presents, lined up neatly, each wrapped in different paper. The colors were bright, almost childish, and they stood out against the muted tones of the room. Three presents for three years. Years Vinegario had missed. Years Applegario had grown without him.
"You haven't mentioned the reason for coming here, or are you just here to drop off the presents?" Berryanna said coldly.
Her gaze drifted to the first item Applegario revealed, a koala stuffed toy, soft and round, its stitched smile frozen in place. She stared at it longer than necessary, her expression unreadable, before lifting her eyes back to Vinegario. He sat at the other end of the room, relaxed, one arm draped over the chair as if he had never left.
"This is my home too, and I am part of the family," Vinegario said. "Besides, imagine that I'm here on vacation."
Berryanna did not reply. The silence stretched, heavy but controlled.
"Wow, you're staying?" Applegario said suddenly, his voice bright. "That's great. I can't wait to have so many adventures with you!"
His excitement filled the space where tension had been growing. He grinned as he reached for the second box, already tearing through the paper with careless enthusiasm.
"Yes, Apple, I am back for a limited time," Vinegario said. His eyes flicked toward Berryanna. She did not look pleased. Her jaw tightened just slightly, enough for him to notice. Enough for him to smile faintly.
"Since your little sister won't tell me why she married the lady," he continued, "do you have any idea Nephew?"
Applegario shook his head without looking up. "No, she didn't tell me why. She only said she was going to be staying with us. In her bedroom."
The words landed heavier than he intended. Vinegario blinked, then let out a low whistle. "Whoa. She's going to be staying with you in the bedroom? What next, undress you and make love to you?" His tone was exaggerated, dramatic, clearly meant to provoke.
"They already did it," Applegario said easily. "I saw her naked in her bedroom this morning."
"Hey!" Berryanna snapped.
Her voice cut through the room like a blade. Applegario finally looked up, eyes wide.
"Sorry," he said quickly. "I wasn't supposed to say that."
Vinegario laughed softly, leaning back in his seat. "So you slept with the girl and decided to be responsible by marrying her. Touché."
He studied Berryanna with open curiosity. "I never thought you'd be married in your lifetime. But what's more shocking is Lady Fayrouza. The last time I saw her, she was straight as a straight line. So how did she curve? You're smart, not dumb. Everyone who has heard about the Fayrouza twins knows one thing. They are bad apples."
Berryanna did not flinch. "I have everything under control," she said. Her voice was calm, almost bored. "If anything goes wrong, I will personally rip her heart out. So let's stop talking about it. Just like you said, it's my life. I do what I want."
The conversation ended there. Vinegario knew better than to push when she used that tone.
"So," he said instead, "I saw in the newspaper that you beheaded the Lord of Finance. What was his crime?"
"Embezzlement," Berryanna replied.
"Was that all?"
"No," Applegario said, standing up as he picked up the first present. "He was misbehaving with the Lady of House Bart. She was later found dead, alone in an inn run by him. There were also complaints about missing ladies, and he happens to be involved."
He walked over to Berryanna and held out the koala. "I think this one is for you, little sister. Happy birthday to you too."
Berryanna hesitated. Applegario gently took her hand and placed the koala into it. The toy felt soft against her palm, unfamiliar. She stared at it for a long moment, her fingers slowly tightening around the fabric, before placing it beside her on the couch.
"It's not my birthday," she said.
"We share the same birthday," Applegario replied. "Even though it was yesterday."
Berryanna looked away. If not for her brother, she would have forgotten about her birthday entirely. She never made it a big deal. The nation celebrated the king's birthday with festivals and banners and songs, and holding a banquet for the nobles only, but the princess's birthday passed quietly. Unnoticed. She had made sure it stayed that way.
"Wait a minute," Vinegario said. "Before you killed him, did you find out anything about the other missing ladies?"
Silence answered him. Berryanna's fingers stilled. Applegario lowered his gaze.
"So," Vinegario continued, his voice sharper now, "you killed him just because you wanted to kill him, without getting to the bottom of it."
"He wasn't going to say anything," Berryanna said. "He kept apologizing and blaming the devil, like he wasn't the devil himself. I hated it."
Vinegario stood. The movement was slow, deliberate.
"Because you were doing it wrong," he said. "You should have tortured him until he begged you to kill him. That's why I'm here. To finish what we couldn't finish."
"You are not staying in this mansion," Berryanna said.
"What?"
"I am married now," she said. "And I don't want blood spilled in this place. Do your business outside."
Vinegario laughed quietly. "So you want to play saint to the devil?"
Berryanna did not answer. She stood and walked out.
"Let's go," she said.
"Where?" Applegario asked.
"To get my bride."