Episode 30 – Birthday Party (2)

*

When Dena, the birthday girl, didn’t show up, people were bewildered and buzzed with confusion.

Robin and Jennifer were trying to calm the guests, while the rest of the mansion’s family and servants scattered to search for Dena inside the mansion.

Mela’s son, Edward, was also searching the mansion for Dena.

“I feel like I’ve been everywhere inside the mansion, where could she be? Seriously…”

Edward pondered whether there was anywhere the servants and he hadn’t checked yet.

There was one place he hadn’t been.

With a hopeful heart, Edward knocked on Tess’s door.

“Come in, oppa. It’s very noisy outside.”

Once again, Tess noticed him before he could say anything.

Opening the door and entering, he saw her sitting on the bed, basking in the sunlight.

She smiled gently and opened her mouth.

“Everyone’s looking for Dena, right?”

“Yeah, do you happen to know where she is?”

“I know, she was in my room until a little while ago.”

“Ha,”

Dena, the youngest daughter, was loved by all of Robin’s children.

Especially Daniel, who adored her, left for the academy and only returned a few times a year, and Rose also left for the academy the following year.

Edward also left to study at the Vatican, so Dena naturally spent a lot of time with Tess, her only remaining older sister.

Tess, who spent most of her time in her room due to her poor health, also cherished Dena, who often came to her room to chatter.

I should have come here first as soon as Dena disappeared,

Edward sighed briefly and said.

“I wish you had told Dena that now wasn’t the time for hide-and-seek…”

“…Well, I was going to say that, but I couldn’t bring myself to. Dena was having such a hard time.”

“Dena was?”

At Edward’s question, Tess stopped smiling, made a pitiful expression, and nodded.

Edward briefly wondered whether finding Dena should be the priority or asking why Dena was having a hard time.

After finishing his deliberation, Edward asked Tess.

“Did something happen to Dena?”

“Oppa. There’s been a big thing happening to everyone in this family recently, hasn’t there?”

“…That’s right, Daniel especially adored Dena.”

“Of course, that wasn’t the reason Dena came to my room crying today.”

“Good heavens, Dena was crying? What happened?”

Edward was greatly taken aback by the news that Dena had cried.

Even if they found Dena, if they didn’t soothe her first, she could throw a tantrum and ruin the party’s atmosphere.

Edward sat on the edge of Tess’s bed and waited for Tess to speak.

“Dena, she overheard Father and Jennifer Imo arguing.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Um, how should I put this…”

Tess hesitated to speak and was troubled.

Edward didn’t press her and silently waited while she pondered.

Tess could also sense her oppa’s consideration.

She groped around the bed, found Edward’s hand, and carefully opened her mouth.

“It was such a shocking story that I had a hard time believing it myself, oppa. Dena, who is still young, must have been even more shocked, so you must never scold Dena. Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it.”

*

On this joyous day that should be filled with the blessings of her birthday, Dena was struggling with a truth that was hard to bear.

She heard her mom and dad arguing in front of Robin’s study.

Thinking it was just a simple marital spat, she tried to go in and defuse the situation, but at that moment,

Dena was shocked and froze at the story that her dad, Robin, brought up.

The terrible truth that she was the daughter her mom had with another man.

Moreover, the story that her dad had countless affairs with the maids.

Today was Dena’s 8th birthday, but she was already old enough to know everything she needed to know.

Furthermore, before she could even process the shock, a terrifying cracking sound came from the room.

It was nothing like a marital spat.

The sound of something like a shell exploding and the sound of a person’s body tumbling down.

Perhaps most people would die from that level of shock.

Fortunately, the terrible sounds of violence ended there, and after that, only the sound of her mom and dad talking could be heard.

Dena trembled but still brought her ear to the door to hear the two people’s conversation in more detail.

And at that moment, Robin’s last words, grabbing the doorknob, severed Dena’s last thread of sanity in one fell swoop.

‘If you don’t do it properly, I’ll tear Dena apart and kill her.’

Dena immediately covered her mouth and ran crying to Tess’s room.

As she let out a scream-like sob and hugged Tess, Tess hugged Dena tightly without asking why.

Even as the tears that flowed more fiercely in the warm embrace of her only sister soaked Tess’s clothes and blanket, she didn’t care and silently hugged Dena and patted her head.

Dena poured out the terrible stories she had heard in a tear-filled voice, with jumbled and disorganized words.

Tess gasped and was surprised each time a terrible story came out, but she hugged Dena even tighter.

As Tess, who was weak and had no strength, hugged her with all her might, Dena buried her face in her arms and cried for a long time even after finishing her story.

After calming down a bit, Dena said she wanted to go to Daniel’s grave.

Tess nodded and stroked Dena’s hair.

And now,

Dena was sitting in front of Daniel’s grave, hugging her knees and crying.

Daniel, who didn’t bother his young sister and played with her, somehow died with Rose at the academy and returned.

No one told Dena the detailed cause of death, but according to rumors, both Rose and Daniel seemed to have committed something bad.

Dena didn’t show it, but it was quite a shocking story for the young her.

She didn’t think her big oppa, who cherished her so much, would do that, but even if she asked the truth, Daniel could no longer answer.

Dena missed Daniel very much.

“Daniel oppa. I’m so scared.”

She was only 8 years old and was barely accepting the death of her family and suppressing her sadness inside,

But on her birthday, she found out that she was an illegitimate child born out of wedlock.

On top of that, she even heard her dad threatening her mom with her life.

Dena couldn’t possibly smile and enjoy the party with her parents at the banquet hall right now.

“Oppa, what should I do?”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to.”

At that moment, Dena wiped away her tears and turned around at the voice she heard from behind.

Mela Imo’s son, Edward oppa, was standing there.

“Did Mom and Dad find me and come?”

“…”

“Edward oppa, I’m not going, so just…”

“Don’t go, then.”

Edward sat down next to Dena with a thud.

Dena stared blankly at Edward, who sat next to her.

“Really, I don’t have to go?”

“Yeah, well, the complicated stuff is something your parents will take care of.”

“Why aren’t you mad that I disappeared as I pleased?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“I made things difficult for people.”

Edward stared at Dena without saying a word.

Her eyes were swollen from how much this little child had cried, and the area around her eyes was dyed bright red from how much she had rubbed them.

Edward stroked Dena’s eyes with his fingers.

He regretted not having the divine power of healing.

“It’s okay, Dena.”

“…Really?”

“This is a secret, but there’s a lot of work to do at the Vatican, you know? But when I don’t want to do it, I secretly ditch it too.”

“Heok, Edward oppa does?”

Dena was surprised with wide eyes at the news that Edward oppa, the most diligent of all the siblings in this mansion, also secretly ditched work.

Edward put his index finger to his lips with a playful smile and said.

“This is a secret, don’t tell Mom or Tess. Got it?”

Looking at Edward, Dena unknowingly smiled and nodded.

Edward laughed playfully, *hihi*.

Of course, he had never ditched anything, but seeing that Dena’s mood had improved even a little, the slight disgrace was well worth it.

Dena hugged Edward tightly.

“Oppa, I actually have a secret too.”

“Yeah…”

“…*Heuk*,”

“It’s okay if you don’t have to say it if it’s hard to say.”

“No, I told Tess unni, so I’ll tell oppa too, now we’re the only children left.”

“…Thank you, Dena,”

Edward’s embrace, which was soft unlike Tess who hugged her tightly with all her might, was cozy.

Dena told the story she had told Tess in sentences that were much calmer and more organized than before.

Edward already knew, but he didn’t show it and listened to everything Dena said.

After being hugged for a long time even after finishing the story, Dena stepped away from Edward with a slightly refreshed expression.

“Oppa, let’s go back to the banquet hall.”

“…Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Honestly, I don’t want to, but Father might get angry at oppa and Tess unni later.”

“Aren’t you scared of Father?”

Dena shook her head.

“Eung, oppa will protect me, right?”

“…My younger siblings are all so cool, oppa is so lucky, really.”

“*Hehehe*.”

Dena took Edward’s hand and stood up.

Edward was impressed.

The story he heard from Tess first was also terrible, but hearing it directly from Dena made him feel the atrocity doubled.

It wasn’t something a mere 8-year-old girl could handle alone.

Dena, like Tess, is also a very strong child.

Edward decided to contact the Vatican to explain the situation and take a little more vacation to stay by Dena’s side.

Before leaving Daniel’s grave, Dena turned her head and looked at the grave one more time.

“I’ll come every day from now on, see you tomorrow, Daniel oppa.”

.