Chapter 134 - 42 (2/2)

”. . .”

Alvaro continued to look at her, which prompt Rozarria to made a sidelong glance at him.

”What?” she asked.

”I'm waiting for you to tell me more.”

Rozarria didn't answer. Instead, she played with her cup before she faced the man with unwavering eyes. ”If I tell you, I have to start from the beginning.”

Alvaro tilted his head, a charming smile on his face. ”The night is still young.”

”. . .”

”My family, as you probably know, is very strict, especially my grandfather. All of it changed when Eric was born.” Rubbing her fingers on her cup, she continued, ”Mike was the oldest, followed by me then Dimitri and finally Eric. Our gaps weren't the normal one to four years. Mike is older than me by five, and I'm also older than Dimitri by five, and Dimitri was older than Eric by seven years.”

Rozarria paused and flicked her eyes on Alvaro, who remained looking at her with a serious face. She smiled and said, ”You probably guess my age by now, so I won't tell you the exact numbers.”

When Alvaro didn't answer, just remained looking at her still, she broke eye contact and continued, ”Mom was already in her forties when she had Eric. No one expected it. And even with the danger, my mother wanted to give birth to Eric. And thus, Eric was born at the cost of our mother's life.”

”Is that why you're cold towards Eric?” Alvaro asked.

��Cold?”

Rozarria shook her head and laugh a bit with no humor. ”No. The exact opposite actually. When Eric was born, we already have a m.a.t.u.r.e understanding of things due to our upbringing. Mike and I were already away, working for our quotas while it was the time for Dimitri to be sent away to an orphanage to start his trial.”

Gazing up, Rozarria looked at Alvaro with vacant eyes but smiling lips.

Alvaro only felt sadness from her expression even though her face was smiling.

”Though our family was strict, my mother was a very loving person. She gave us her love, her wisdom, her patience . . . We grew up with a mother's love . . . But Eric didn't have any of that. And maybe because of that reason, all of us doted on him the most.”

”And for me . . .” Rozarria eyes softened as if remembering something. ”For me . . . it was different. When mother died, grandfather soon followed, and father became somewhat lenient. To facilitate Eric's growth, he needed a mother figure, and I was given that task. I was asked to return to Frizkiel to take care of him, but it wasn't an excuse for me not to reach my quota in the time given. I still had to work for the family in a pretense of being an orphaned, taking care of some rich family's child. I have to juggle work, my studies, and taking care of Eric at the same time. It was not easy, but everything was worth it when I came home and saw Eric's innocent smile. It purifies my heart, and every exhausted cell in my body disappeared.”

Alvaro didn't say anything. He just sat there, looking at Rozarria's expression that continued to soften every time Eric's name came up. Then it reverted, more freezing than before as she stared at him, undeniable threat in her frigid voice as she spoke.

”I have watched Eric grew from a baby up to where he was to be orphaned. I was his mother, his sister, his best friend . . . and I will not allow anything nor anyone to harm him.”

”. . .”

Of course, Alvaro precisely knew what she was getting at. He chuckled and raised his arm in playful surrender. ”Harming my future brother in law is out of the question. So you can rest easy on that.”

”It's best we made it clear. Even if Evangeline Heart is your cousin, I won't spare her if she hurt Eric.”

Alvaro's eyes dimmed a little while the smile on his lips rose in a dangerous smirk. ”Of course . . . But let's be clear, even if Eric is your little brother, I won't spare him if he hurt Evangeline.”

”. . .”

”. . .”

The atmosphere turned silent and tense. There was even a static sound battling between the two as they kept looking at each other. Their faces were calm, yet their eyes were full of threat and warning.

After a moment of the suffocating standstill, Alvaro was the one who spoke first. He beamed, the warning and danger in his eyes gone. ”What happened next? I'm sure it's not because you're in love with Eric, that��s why you kept sleeping with men because you can never have him, right?”