Chapter 3

I was leaving tomorrow. My bags had been packed for a while, and I'd planned to go as soon as the sun came up.

But that evening, Julian came by.

He'd brought two bottles of blood wine, one for me and one for Seraphina.

Seraphina's eyes lit up. She opened hers right away and poured herself a glass. A trace of deep red lingered at the corner of her lips.

"This is amazing. Cabernet Sanguignon, my favorite."

I stared at the bottle in front of me and didn't move.

I'd first met Julian years ago, in a corner of the garden. He'd been standing beside a cluster of white roses, and he'd smiled and told me we were the same kind of people.

He was the youngest son of the Moretti family. His parents only had eyes for his older brothers, so he was always the one left behind, too.

After that, we were inseparable.

Then one day, he came looking for me and ran into Seraphina instead.

From then on, there were three of us in our games.

Even so, I still wanted to be around him. He always brought two identical bouquets and prepared two birthday presents.

But somewhere along the way, everything changed.

Both birthday presents became things Seraphina liked. Jewel-encrusted gowns. Expensive jewelry.

Just like the two bottles of blood wine in front of me tonight.

Julian frowned. "What's wrong? I made this myself. I planned this gift ahead of time, and you won't even taste it?"

I waited until Seraphina finished her bottle. Then I pushed mine across to her.

"I can't have alcohol. I can't drink any kind of blood wine. You know that."

Seraphina had always been the one who loved blood wine.

Julian paused and cleared his throat. "I remember you drinking it before. You're not still upset about the pet, are you? The shop only had one cat left. Of course it went to Seraphina. Besides, you're not taking over any of the business, so you're in no position to be picky about gifts. I really don't get what you're so mad about."

I listened without any expression at all.

Was that shop the only place in the world that sold cats?

The only reason I'd ever drunk blood wine was that I hadn't wanted to turn down his kindness. But I'd told him more than once that alcohol made me break out in red rashes. I couldn't drink it.

None of them had ever taken that to heart, except Julian.

He'd remembered because Seraphina once pranked me by passing off blood wine as deer blood. My face stayed swollen for an entire day. Julian had a huge fight with her over it and even came to blows with Adrian.

But he'd long since forgotten. All he remembered now was that Seraphina loved blood wine.

I wasn't upset about the raven, or because he'd forgotten I couldn't drink.

I was just tired.

I didn't want to keep playing the extra nobody needed in their little drama.

That night, my parents held a farewell banquet in the family's great hall. The chandeliers were dazzling.

Officially, the banquet was meant to formally introduce us sisters to the family. In reality, it was only there to announce which businesses Seraphina would be taking over.

I waited outside the estate gates for three whole hours. The car that was supposed to pick me up never showed.

So I went back to my room and went through my luggage one more time.

Most importantly, I made sure I hadn't forgotten the coming-of-age present Grandma had prepared for me before she died.

She was the only one in this family who had ever truly remembered me.

I didn't open the box. I just tucked it into the very bottom of my suitcase.

Not long after, my phone rang.

The moment I answered, Mom tore into me. "Where are you? Do you have any idea what time it is? How did this family raise someone so inconsiderate?"

"The car never came," I said calmly.

The line went quiet.

A few seconds later, her tone softened a little. "Oh, I forgot. The driver went to pick up Seraphina's gown. Find your own way over."

The line went dead before I could say anything.

I looked down at my old gown, already bracing for my parents to criticize me over it.

Sure enough, when I reached the great hall, Mom and Dad were leading Seraphina from guest to guest, telling everyone which businesses she'd be taking over.

The moment they noticed my old gown, their faces darkened.

No one called me over. No one so much as said hello.

Since nobody planned to introduce me, I found a seat in a corner.

After a while, Seraphina turned and looked my way.

She was smiling, her eyes curving slightly. She was impossible to miss.

Even harder to miss was the brooch on her chest, with a vivid, blood-red diamond set at its center.

I shot to my feet.

That was the coming-of-age present Grandma had left me!