“I’ve already told you, siblings. If you want me to heal you… you have to answer my question, right?”
“…”
“I’ll ask again. Really don’t know?”
The siblings swallowed their saliva. One of them opened his mouth.
“I-It’s Luvenia’s plan! We… We didn’t do anything!”
Once one spoke, all simultaneously pointed at Prince Luvenia, confessing their sins.
“Prince Luvenia said we had to kill Sir Karayan!”
“That’s right! He said he would kill Karayan and take his place…!”
“We have nothing to do with the succession to the throne!!”
Watching silently, I murmured in a clear voice.
“It seems my siblings haven’t learned anything.”
“W-What?”
Ignoring the siblings’ frozen bodies, I sharply glared at the king standing behind them.
The king’s face contorted when our eyes met.
“You’re clearly aware of what’s going on, yet you’re letting it happen while pretending not to know; that’s also aiding and abetting.”
“W-We…”
“You all killed me like that.”
No one could speak. They couldn’t even deny it.
“Not only did you kill me, but this time, you killed my only family, Karayan.”
“…”
“Yet, I have to save my siblings and father? Why should I? You, who killed my only family this time, why should I save you?”
With cold, chilling eyes, I looked at my brothers again. The king, who had been sitting quietly, stood up. Slowly, he walked towards me.
“…Why.”
The elderly king uttered a questioning moan, as if twisting in pain.
“…Why didn’t you tell me you were a saint from the beginning?”
“…”
“All your brothers have proven their usefulness. Karayan becoming the heir to the throne is because he’s the most useful among your brothers.”
“That’s right.”
“If you had revealed that you were a saint, your unfortunate childhood would have changed. You would have spent a more prosperous youth than anyone else, and your brothers could never have deceived you.”
“So, what the king is saying now… is that my unlucky childhood, my brothers tormenting me, all of it is my fault? Is that what you want to say?”
“…”
“Do you want to blame me like that?”
Although Revanpell, Jaelim, and Elijah tried to intervene, I stopped them with a gesture.
“Yes, father.”
At the word ‘father,’ the king’s body shook violently.
“If I had said I was a saint, I would have been treated differently. I wouldn’t have slept on a rotten mat, and mice wouldn’t have nibbled on my hair in the middle of the night. …That’s why I didn’t say it.”
“What?”
“This palace is disgusting. Even if I’m recognized by you by doing that, it’s not a family.”
“…”
“What I needed was a family. A family that embraces me, tells me I’m the best, even if I have nothing and I’m not great. Not a puppet doll that fills your satisfaction.”
The king’s eye area trembled.
“Pathetic.”
He wiped his face with his wrinkled hand.
“You’re saying the same thing as your mother.”
“What?”
“What did she say? Something like raising and nurturing doesn’t create family bonds over time. It’s about raising with your own hands to create affection and become parent and child.”
“…”
“Such an idiotic pursuit.”
With eyes that couldn’t comprehend, the king stared at me for a while, then turned away. And without saying a word, the king left the dining table.
Family.
It’s not a relationship bound by someone’s will. It’s not like children can choose their parents, or parents can choose the abilities of their children.
But still.
We became bound by the name of family and became a family.
This was like rolling a large fragile glass bead, endlessly striving not to break. The moment one person deviated, the balance would be lost, and it would shatter.
So, we had to combine our strength and roll it together until the large glass bead named ‘family’ became solid.
“That’s right! It’s your fault, Teriella, just like Father said! If you had revealed that you were a saint, we wouldn’t have tormented you!”
“So let’s forget the past, Teriella! No, Teri! We are family!”
“Yeah! Let’s start anew!”
I looked at my brothers carefully and murmured, “No. We can’t become a family. We are already broken.”
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
