Chapter 1

“I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to leave the Emersons and move overseas to live with you.”

Cecil Miller’s aunt, Dianne Miller, was thrilled to hear this. She then thoughtfully advised Cecil.

“Alright, Cecil, I'll help you with the immigration immediately. It will take about a month, so you should use this time to get together with your friends since it’s not very likely you’ll see them again once you come to Vinland. Make sure you say your goodbyes.

“Don’t forget Cleo, especially. He raised you since you were a kid, so you should thank him for everything he’s done for you.”

Cecil gave Dianne her word.

After hanging up, she left the balcony. As she was heading to the living room, she caught herself sneaking a glance at the picture set on the table.

Inside the picture, the sky as well as the faces of the people were lit auburn from the glow of the sun.

It was a picture of seventeen-year-old Cleo Emerson standing under the frame of a swing. He was smiling and pushing Cecil, who was only seven years old at the time. Her skirt fluttered in the wind and briefly grazed the tulips in the garden.

Even though it was so many years ago, Cecil could still recall how happy she was on the day the picture was taken.

It was such a shame that both she and Cleo could never go back to the way they were in the past anymore.

The thought of it made her feel rather sad. She quickly looked away and banished the memory into the distant past.

The Miller and Emerson families had always been very close across the generations. Cleo was ten years older than Cecil, so Cecil had always addressed him as Uncle Cleo.

When Cecil was seven years old, both of her parents died in a plane accident. It was Cleo who brought her back to his family and raised her.

He must have done it because he felt sorry for her, having tragically lost her parents at such a young age. Since then, he has kept her by his side at all times and taken care of her.

He would tell her bedtime stories at night and make sure to send her to school every day, regardless of the weather.

He would buy her all sorts of interesting toys and just like that, the young man raised the little girl and watched as she grew into a fine young lady.

Cecil had always been very clingy, partially because of Cleo’s gentle and attentive nature.

When she eventually reached her teenage years, she could not help herself from developing a crush on the man she had grown up with.

When she was seventeen years old, as usual, Cleo threw a grand birthday party for her.

He ended up drinking too much at the party, and it was Cecil who led him away to get some rest.

When she looked at the man that she had long had feelings for, she could not resist the urge to lower herself and plant a kiss on his lips.

Within seconds, Cleo had snapped his eyes open and shoved her to the other end of the couch.

Cecil could not understand his reaction. All she thought was that it was the perfect chance for her to confess her feelings for Cleo.

To Cleo, every word that came out of her mouth was scandalous and completely unacceptable.

He was infuriated by what he heard and became very upset.

“Cecil! Don’t you realize that I am your uncle?”

“I know, but we’re not related by blood! You are an Emerson while I am a Miller!”

Cleo frowned at how insistent she was being.

“I am ten years older than you! You are only seventeen, you’re too young to know the difference between familial affection and love! You don’t even know what love is yet!”

Cecil had always listened to him, but she was particularly stubborn concerning the matter.

“Is that why you’re rejecting me? Because you think I am too young for you? It doesn't matter. When I am older, I will prove that I know what love is!”

She could no longer remember how they wrapped up the argument.

Regardless, she started confessing her feelings for him every year on her birthday.

He would always reject her, but that was not enough to get her to stop.

It was going to be her twenty-first birthday next month.

However, she no longer planned to confess to him.

Only a month ago, Cleo came home with his girlfriend, and he introduced her to Cecil.

Although Cecil was distraught, she held back tears and asked through clenched teeth if he was intentionally doing it to rile her up because he wanted her to give up.

Cleo cast her an indifferent look and spoke in a rigid tone.

“Have some self-awareness, it’s normal for me to have a girlfriend at my age.”

Cecil was hurt by the completely still look in his eyes as he said that.

She spent that night crying.

Her mind was completely frantic, and she would not stop thinking about the past.

When morning came, Dianne, who lived overseas, suddenly texted her.

“Cecil, would you like to come live with me in Vinland?

“See, I already thought about raising you here with me when your parents passed. But my career was unstable at the time. And after I gave birth to Reya, I'd dealt with postpartum depression for a long time, so I decided to give up on the idea.

“Now that you’re a grown-up, I don’t think it’s proper for you to stay with the Emersons anymore. Since my situation is much better now, would you like to consider moving here and living together with me?”

Cecil did not reply at the time.

She did not want to leave Cleo and was determined to try again.

However, her resolve wavered over the last month.

Cleo had been bringing his girlfriend, Amelia Wright, all the time as if he was eager to show her off.

They held hands, hugged, and kissed. They had practically done everything a normal couple would do.

Last night, he even let Amelia stay for the night and sleep in his room.

Cecil stayed downstairs until three o’clock. Around that point, she heard suggestive sounds coming from inside Cleo’s room, even though the lights were switched off.

She covered her mouth tightly and let her tears fall, soaking the pillow on the couch.

That was when she finally decided to give up.

She was going to give up on her affection for Cleo.