Darlene ereen,the merchant's wife

The night was bright and silent except for the occasional clink of glasses and the soft music from the banquet hall. Teri felt a chill run down his spine as he heard the name he haven't heard in a long time.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice trembling.

She smirked, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Which part didn't you understand?" she asked.

"Which Darlene Ereen do you speak of?" Teri asked, hoping against hope that it was not his sister who had abandoned him and Elley.

His heart beat fast in fear, waiting for her reply.

"Have you heard of the late great General Ereen of Delmos Kingdom?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Teri almost fell from his chair, but Mizak caught him. Mizak didn't know what to say. He only thought that the merchant's wife and Teri looked alike. He didn't know that she was his sister whom he had said had abandoned him and Elley.

"I heard his siblings are here. I can't wait to meet the shameless Ereens," she said, her voice full of contempt.

"Shut it!" Teri yelled, unable to contain his anger.

The performance stopped as people turned their heads towards Teri.

"What do you know about the Ereens? What do you even know?" Teri yelled, his eyes blazing.

The merchant's wife looked at where the yell was coming from. Her eyes widened when she saw the silver-haired boy with a blindfold and glanced at her husband in fear.

"Is she talking about our second elder sister, Darlene Ereen? Is she the woman who danced?" Elley asked Teri, confused and curious.

The bad-tempered lady stood up and scoffed. "So you two are the siblings."

She bent and brought out her whip from under the table as she gritted her teeth. "Let's fight now! You have a lot of scores to settle, blind boy!" she yelled as she was about to swing the whip towards Teri.

Mizak, Prince Ivive and Elley stood up and blocked her from Teri.

"Melovine! Act like a lady!" The merchant yelled, trying to calm her down.

She glanced at her father, then back at Teri. "We have a lot of scores to settle," she said as she sat down, still holding the whip.

"The performance shall go on," the merchant said, signaling the musicians to resume playing.

People murmured among themselves and the instruments were played again. The ladies started dancing, but the merchant's wife couldn't stop glancing at Teri with fear as she danced.

She never expected Teri to be there or even to be alive.

Teri clenched his fist while it was on his lap as he clenched his jaw, panting and trying to calm himself down.

The merchant's wife tripped while she danced and stood up quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment. She tripped over and over again. She was a good dancer, but her mind was not clear so she wasn't focused.

"You can go back to your quarters and rest. You must have been exhausted," the merchant said to his wife, noticing her poor performance.

She walked away with her serving girls as she glanced at Teri one last time.

When the banquet was over, Teri, Mizak, Prince Ivive and Elley had to meet the merchant, Lord Hoself in one of the halls of his mansion.

They stood in front of the merchant as he glanced at them.

"Do I still need to prove that we are Elley and Teri Ereen, the children of the late great General Ereen?" Elley asked, confident and proud of their lineage.

Lord Hoself looked at Teri. He held his hand and checked his pulse as he closed his eyes.

"There it is. That unique unstable pulse," he said with a smile.

He walked to Mizak and looked at him. "You look familiar."

He walked to Elley. "You look more like your father. You're a confident and tough one."

He walked to Prince Ivive and glanced at him.

"You can stay in the mansion. A room will be provided for you all," the merchant said as he looked at them kindly.

************************************

The merchant offered them separate chambers for the night. Teri sat on his bed, restless and uneasy. Mizak helped him unpack his belongings, noticing his troubled expression.

He joined Teri on the bed and spoke in a low voice. "Do you want to find out if she's really your sister?"

"Yes," Teri said sharply, surprised by his own words. He wanted to lie to Mizak and say he didn't care.

Mizak was about to wrap his arms around Teri's shoulder when a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Come in," Mizak said, pulling back his arm.

A serving girl entered. "The mistress would like to see you. Please follow me."

Teri clenched his fist tightly. He felt a surge of rage, sorrow, curiosity, and fear. He wondered if this Darlene was really his sister.

He was not ready for the answer, whatever it may be. He could still remember the words she said to him when she left. He felt suffocated as he held back his tears.

"Teri, Teri!" Mizak had been calling his name, but he didn't hear him.

"Are you alright?" Mizak asked.

"No," Teri said. Once again, he was surprised he told Mizak the truth. He wanted to lie and act brave, but that was not what happened.

Teri got up from the bed. "Let's go see the mistress."

Mizak helped Teri as they followed the serving girl to the mistress's quarters.

They entered her bedchamber where she was sitting on a chair.

She rose from her chair and gazed at him. She forced a weak smile as she approached him.

She stood in front of him and raised her hand to touch his cheek, but he flinched and moved away from her touch.

Mizak glanced at the lady, then at Teri, as he kept his hands behind his back.

"Teri, it's me, your second elder sister, Darlene. I know you're still blind, but can't you recognize my voice?" she said softly.

Teri did not reply.

"You don't believe me?

I still remember the hard life we lived.

In one day, we went from being one of the greatest noble families to being fugitives.

It was just mother, me, you and Elley then. May our parents' souls rest in peace.

Begging in the streets, always hungry for food. The food that was never scarce in our household. We didn't deserve that life, did we?

But look at us now. We're all well," she said, smiling faintly.

"I wanted to talk to Elley, but she was fast asleep. She grew up beautifully, except that she has short hair and dresses like a boy.

She's a woman after all. She'll have to get married someday.

A beautiful lady deserves to marry a rich man and live a comfortable life," she said as she walked around the room.

"I have some wealthy suitors who would love her. It's better to marry young and have children, of course," she said as she walked back to Teri.

Teri felt disgusted and angry by her words. "What are you talking about?" he asked calmly, suppressing his emotions.

"Elley's marriage. It's obvious she's not well taken care of. Otherwise she would look like a normal girl," she said.

"What do you mean by normal? What's wrong with you?" Teri yelled, losing his patience.

"Little brother," she said softly, blinking her eyes rapidly.

"Don't call me that! Don't call me or Elley your siblings! Or have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten what you said to me when you left?

Or are you not Darlene Ereen?" Teri yelled.

"Teri, please stop yelling," she said softly.

"Why should I stop? Let me remind you then! You said I should have died the day I was born! And you also said...you also said...," Teri's voice broke as he spoke.

"You said I should kill myself and my little sister to end our suffering," Teri said quietly, with pain in his voice as he clutched his chest.

"The people you called your little brother and little sister are dead," Teri said.

"You may have forgotten those words, but I never did. Every time I hear your name or think of you, I'm reminded of them," Teri said.

He chuckled,"For the first time in my life am glad I am blind,so I won't have to hypocrite face",he smirked.