The Wallace House

The only time that I ever fall in love was that time in another timeline, that time when I was in love with Angela. It was not good experiences. I disregard my own family, my own sister for that love. I lose a very important person for that love. In the end, only to find that the person I was in love with is not worth it.

That was my biggest regret. It makes me reluctant to experience it again. That's why... Somehow I kind of understand Mother feeling. It's still not right to pour all her hate to Kii, though. Especially when she herself is not innocence. She is not the victim either.

"You hate Kii because she looks like our mother, and you hate our mother because she agreed to marry Father. Mother, you are a noble. You know very well that she, our mother had no choice. The peace between the kingdoms was at stakes, of course, she agreed to marry a married man. Besides, being a second wife or even a third wife is common in this world. You are aware of that more than I do." I tell her.

We are sitting in our meeting room. The family was explaining to me that this whole time, Mother was lying to Father. She told Father that Kii is a shy person and doesn't like to be together with us. Kii doesn't like to go to a party with us, Kii also doesn't like to eat with us or joining any of our activity. Mother told Father that every time our family has a family activity, she always invites Kii to join, but Kii refuses. She makes Father believe that by leaving her alone, we show her that we care about her. What the heck?

After that time, when I told Father that Kii has been known that she wasn't Mother's daughter since she was young, Father finally confronts Mother. Father was really angry and even decide to divorce Mother.

When I was away from the house to save Kii, Mother had a tantrum. She makes Father angrier. She told them that why we even bother to find Kii, Kii is worthless and even if we manage to get her back, she won't have any value left on her anymore. 

Kii has been missing for days. Who knows what had happened to her. To her body. She might be has turned into prostitutes and no one will want her anymore. Our family should just disown her. Besides, Kii was nothing compared to Midori-Nee, our family will be okay as long as Midori-Nee here. We should take this as a chance to make Midori-Nee become Arzen's fiancee instead of Kii.

After that, she was jabbering about sending Kii away if she is found.

My Ether... A mother heart shouldn't be this cold. Even if Kii isn't her daughter, Kii never did anything bad to her. She has no reason to hate Kii.

I was livid when I heard that from Nii-sama, who looks very complicated. She is his mother, but I know that now he loves Kii too. When your mother did the wrong thing, she is still your mother. When your mother hurt the one you vow to protect... It must be really hard for Nii-sama.

It would be hard for me too if this happened in the past. Now though, I've lost Kii once and have decided that I will protect her at all cost. It is easier for me to decide where I stand on this matter.

Besides, I'm aware that Mother never loves me. She just wanted to make Kii feel alone, that's why she has been included me in her game of family. I was also a son of the woman she hates, after all. Like it or not, it was the truth. 

They told me about Midori-Nee who is actually Mother's daughter from her lover. The lover that has killed my mother.

Father has finally found the truth about the cause of my mother's death. It was not an accident. She was not attacked by monsters or bandits. It was this woman's lover that killed her.

The lover once comes to our house as a worker in disguise to be able to see Midori-Nee and Mother. He saw my mother and fall in love with her beauty. He tried to seduces her but she was not interested. He even tried to force himself on her but also unsuccessful.

The man then thinks that he would kidnap my mother and make her his, but my mother fought him. In the struggles, he accidentally killed her.

He told Mother everything when he asked for Mother help to escaped the kingdom. Mother was enraged and feel betrayed. She refused to help him, but the man threatened to hurt Midori-Nee if Mother didn't help him. So, Mother helped him escape.

Mother, who has been in love with him since a young age, feel deeply hurt by his betrayal. Mother feels as if all her man was taken by my mother, so her hatred is grown more. My mother was dead, she couldn't make her suffer anymore. So, she turned her hate toward Kii, who looks just like our mother.

What a joke! 

"You're young Aoi-san. You won't understand a deep hurt feeling of betrayal" Mother told me.

"Hah! Don't joke around!" I shout. "You, the one that had betrayed your own husband have no right talking about being hurt by betrayal! Don't blame my mother when it was your own fault that makes you lose your husband love. You left him to my mother. You left your husband alone with another woman, then you found yourself a lover, that's why he fell in love with my mother and lose his love for you. If you stay. That time, if you stay with him, he might not fall in love with my mother that fast." I yell.

"Aoi!" Father shouts.

"No! You always keep quiet all this time. Don't start to care now!" I shout back at him.

"Aoi..."

"Aoi-san"

Nii-sama and Nee-sama also tried to placate me, but I was too angry at the revelation. It's not fair. It's not fair for Kii.

"It because of that woman comes between us that I lose my happiness!" she shouts back.

"Don't blame her. It was you that decided to leave. If you don't want to lose your happiness, you should hold it dearly in your hand, not letting it go. What did you expect Father to do? You left him, then you betrayed him. You expect him to stay in love with you, while another woman had decided to dedicated her life to him? Only idiots will disregard a dedicated woman for a cheater!" I hissed.

SLAP. Mother slaps me as soon as the word comes out my mouth. 

"Mother!" Nee-sama scream.

Everyone tried to separate us as Mother tried to hit me again.

"The truth is always hurt," I told her before I tried to leave.

"Aoi..." Nii-sama calls.

"Aoi, sit down!" Father said sternly. I look at him defiantly. "Sit down! We haven't finished talking" he said.

I sit down reluctantly. "It's for Kii. It's not because of you" I told them.

"Sakura, you need to calm down too. All of you sit down!" Father said.

"What do want to do now? Are you also going to humiliate me as Aoi-san does, Papa-san?" Mother asked as everyone seated back.

"Do you know why I wanted to divorce you that time? Or why I agreed to take you back when you refused my suggestion of divorce?" Father asked.

Mother shakes her head.

"Rosella! the reason is Rosella. I asked her to come with me to visit you, there I found that you had a lover and were pregnant. I was devasted. I wanted to show Rosella just how much we love each other and asked for her understanding of why I wasn't able to fulfil my duty as her husband. I was never sleeping with her since you left. I started to touch her because I feel betrayed by you. The one that had been a victim was her." Father said.

"No... Lie" Mothers whispers.

"I used her as your substitutes. Because I was lonely, betrayed, mocked by the one I love most. Rosella stood by me at that time. She cared for me even though she knew I only used her. More importantly, she cared for my son. She loved Akai like he was her own son. Rosella was always so earnest and cheerful. She was honest and full of love. All her attention to me and Akai was her honest feeling. That was why I fell in love with her" Father explained.

I don't care about their past. I don't know why I have to listen to this either, but it is important. I understand that we need to know where that man escape. For that, we need to make Mother understand. We don't want to take her to the court. We are still trying to protect our family. Why? For the other, it because they want this family to stay complete. For me? Because Kii will be devasted and blame herself if something happens to Mother. Kii is like that. Even when it's clear that she is not at fault, her soft heart still will feel guilty.

"When I mentioned that I wanted to divorce you, Rosella asked me, what would happen to the baby inside you if I did that? Would you marry the father or what? That's why I waited for two years after the baby was born before I talked to you. You were ready to divorce, but then you changed your mind and refused after you found out that Rosella was pregnant. I agreed to take you back for the shake of baby Midori and because Rosella convinced me that she was sure that both of you can be a good friend after you both know each other." Father continued. "She was wrong, wasn't she?" Father sneers.

Holy! Father never sneers. He must be really angry.

"I tried to listen to Rosella wish even after she died. I tried to trust you again. But you betrayed me again. I loved and accepted your daughter. Yet you hurt my daughter. Even worse, you hid the one that had murdered my wife! Explain to me, why can't I be mad at you!" Father shouts.

"I just don't want to lose Midori. Midori is frail from birth. I don't want that man to take her..." Mother trails as Father shout at her again.

"That doesn't mean you have to hide the murdered, Sakura! Unless you are still in love with him, you should be able to tell us where he is now. Midori is my daughter, both in society and law. No one can take her from our family. She is a daughter of Wallace House, that won't change even if the truth of your betrayal comes out. Unlike you who isn't able to love my daughter, I love your daughter. I love her the same as I love Kii, Aoi and Akai. Midori is my child, whoever her biological father is!" Father said with conviction.

"Father..." Midori-Nee whispers tearfully.

"Papa-san?" Mother inquiries.

"Son, do hate your Nee-sama after you found out that his father is the one that killed your mother?" Father asked me.

I look at Nee-sama. Face blank. "I hate her father. But Nee-sama is Nee-sama. Nee-sama hasn't done anything that worthy of being hated" I told them.

"Do you think Kii-chan will hate me?" Nee-sama asked with a vulnerable voice.

I smile at her as Nii-sama rubs her head for comfort. "She won't" I answer.

"Midori-chan, why do you even..." Mother tried to ask.

"Care about Kii-chan feeling?" Midori-Nee asks back. "Because Mother, Kii-chan is my precious sister. If not for her, I might have been a bad girl. I won't be this happy." She said.

"What do you mean?" Mother asked. "Kii knew that you're my daughter from the beginning. She must really hate you. I always make sure that she knows that you're more precious than her. She..." Mother was cut yet again.

"She isn't. She didn't hate me. I was in love with Nii-sama. I had a dream to marry Nii-sama in the future. Then, I got my heart broken when Nii-sama fall in love with another girl. I tried my best to separate them, I even bullied the girl..." Midori-Nee said.

"You wouldn't..." Mother denied.

"I would. I did. When I was lost between what is right and wrong, it was Kii-chan who saved me. She lets me cried on her. She lets me poured all my heart, my fear, my sins. She accepted it all. Because Kii-chan was there with me, I was able to love Nii-sama purely as my Nii-sama again. I was able to stop my heart from breaking again when I found out that I was his half-sister. I even found my beloved. My happiness. I found the man that I want to spent my life with. I was able to be this happy because Kii-chan reached out to me. So, please Mother. Please stop hating my precious Kii-chan. Stop hating my saviour. Stop hiding my criminal father just because of your hatred to Kii-chan. Let's end this. Let's we all become a family." Nee-sama sobs.

"Midori-chan..." Mother whispers again.

"Mother, I was a coward. Midori is right. Please tell us where is the man." Nii-sama adds.

"Even you Akai-san?" Mother asked.

"I also never give Kii chance to be loved. I did the same mistakes. Mother, if you just try to get to know her without trying to justify her, you will find out that Kii is a lovable person. Mother Ro had been gone for years. Isn't it the time for you to let go of your hatred to her? Even if you can't, Kii is innocent. Stop being unfair to her" Nii-san said.

"My own children... Even my own children are against me... Very well. You win Papa-san. The man escaped to The Holy Kingdom. I never keep in touch with him anymore but the last time I heard of him, it was said that he becomes a cleric." Mother said.

"I appreciate it," Father said with a bow.

"What is going to happen to me?" Mother asked as Father starts to leave.

Father looks at me. I sigh. "Nothing. Kii will be sad if she found out Mother is not in the house anymore" I shrugged.

"Are you sure she will be sad, Aoi-san? Shouldn't she be happy that I'm gone?" Mother asked me.

"You are not our mother. You are not even much a mother to Kii. But... We never meet our mother. We sure she would be an amazing mother. We don't get to know how she was, though. You're the only Mother that we know. So, even if you hate her and I don't like you that much now, you're still are our mother. I will protect Kii from you and from anyone who wants to hurt her. I don't trust you, but you're still Mother." I told her.

Mother looks at Father. "You have your answer. You will lose your authority in the house, but other than that, nothing change. The reason? It's for Kii. I accept you back in this house because of Rosella, now I want you to stay for Kii," Father said before he leaves.

I saw Mother sobs at his reply while Nee-sama and Nii-sama comfort her. I smile at Akai-Nii and Nee-sama when they turn to me, then I leave to give them privacy.

The Wallace House is a mess. At least now everyone understands that this mess house called Wallace is also Kii's home.

Kii is also The Daughter of The Wallace House.