278 Reques (2/2)

”Undeclared,” I answered her. ”What was your major in college?”

”Mine?” she glanced over at me and then shifted her gaze back to the cup of coffee that she was still mixing with the spoon. ”Business.”

”Business?” I looked at her with a confused expression.

”You know my family background,” she said softly. ”Muria and I have no other siblings, so...we will have to inherit the company. The two of us...we're bound by it. Business...that's the major Muria put on her college application as well.”

”Then why did you become a teacher?”

”Because of Muria... Our father was busy before he got remarried, but after he remarried, we had even less time with him. In addition, Muria does not seem to get along well with our stepmother. She was also...rather reluctant to accept that she will have to inherit the company. That is why I became a teacher: so that I can convince them that Muria can live with me while she goes to school.”

”That's...admirable,” I nodded.

”But...that will all end soon,” Mura sighed. ”They want us to go back and live with them. They want us to move back by the end of this month...”

”Does Muria know?”

”Not yet,” Mura shook her head. ”Although she might not look like it, she's rather sensitive about things like that. If she knew, I'm afraid she will just keep it all within herself. Why can't she just cry and let it all out like she used to do when she's a child?”

”She doesn't want you to be worried for her,” I commented.

”But that behavior of her's is what's making me worry for her,” Mura sighed once again. She paused and took a drink from her coffee. ”That's...bitter,” she muttered as she slipped another sugar cube into the coffee. ”She needs someone to vent herself to...I used to be that person, but...I feel like I'm slowly slipping out of that niche.”

”...” I remained silent as I listened on.

”She is trying in her own way to not rely on me, but...this method won't work. She needs to reconcile with our stepmother, really try and get to know her. Our stepmother isn't a bad person. She tried to make it all work with us when she first married our father, but...I suppose Muria was simply too attached to our mother to be willing to accept this woman. Oh,” Mura shook her head in defeat. ”We were going to talk about your problems first but you just pulled everything out of me...”

I glanced up at her.

”Since we're at it now,” she placed the spoon on the saucer. ”Alevian, can you...talk to Muria about accepting her stepmother?”

She had a begging look on her face. It was an expression that I suppose is only possible because the subject of the topic is her dear younger sister that she loves. Seeing her like this...it really made it difficult to reject, but it is not as if I was going to reject in the first place.

”I'll do what I can,” I said, taking a sip of my coffee.

”Thank you, Alevian,” Mura released a sigh of relief. ”Once this year is over...I will have to quit my job as a teacher and return to the company, learn how it is all ran in detail so that one day I can inherit it from my father. If...if you're still unsure about what to do after college, I can find a job for you in the Edel Group.”

”Thanks,” I nodded. ”But...I'll see that as a secondary plan.”

”I'm sorry, Alevian,” her countenance softened as it was replaced with what appeared to be a sense of guilt. ”For having you do things that should be figured out by me...”

”Don't be,” I responded. ”I suppose if I find out about the situation some other way, say someone else told me about it, I would still help.”

”You're awfully kind,” Mura said with a dazzling smile, one that is capable of attracting the hearts of any man in the world.