6. A Bloody Prelude
Klein, Benson, and Melissa stepped out of the carriage. She cast a begrudging look at her brother Klein as he paid the driver. In her eyes, carriages were still an unnecessary expense.
Klein shook his head with a small smile, watching his frugal sister. Meanwhile, Benson chuckled at the usual dynamic. It helped lighten the mood.
"Let's go," he said.
Melissa turned around and saw the restaurant. It wasn't the most extravagant in the city, but it was undoubtedly among the top. A place she'd never even dared to approach before. Even though their family's situation had improved thanks to Klein's income, such establishments were reserved for special occasions.
(If Klein could hear her thoughts, he'd definitely retort: You'd object even on the most special occasion.)
Escorted by her two brothers, she entered the restaurant. Even at the entrance, a servant politely opened the door for them. Thankfully, she had listened to Klein and worn a new dress instead of one of her usual simple outfits.
Chandeliers sparkled from the ceiling, and wide spaces between tables gave an impression of elegance rather than practicality. There were only a handful of customers, all adorned with luxurious accessories.
Soon after, a servant approached and bowed respectfully.
"Welcome, Mr. and Ms. Do you have an appointment?"
"We're here to meet Mr. Diffodil," Klein answered, taking the lead.
"I see. May I have your name, please?"
"Moretti."
"Understood. We've been informed of your arrival. Please follow me."
The servant led them through the main hall to a private room.
As Klein entered, he couldn't help but lampoon inwardly. Some people might forget their customers… but who am I? I'm a Beyonder, a Seer. I couldn't forget it even if I tried. He immediately recognized Mr. Diffodil's face—it was the same silhouette from his previous divination of Chris's love life.
(So it was his parents… I might've misunderstood that vision, Klein thought.)
"My~," Peytra gasped upon seeing the guests.
"Welcome, please come in and have a seat," Grandar said warmly. "This is my wife, Peytra, and my son, Chris," he introduced briefly.
"Thank you, Mr. Diffodil," Melissa said, bowing politely with a touch of grace. "These are my brothers."
"Benson Moretti, thank you for inviting us," said Benson.
"Klein Moretti, thank you for having us," Klein added.
Before Mother could accidentally say something she shouldn't—
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Klein and Mr. Benson," I cut in quickly, hoping she'd take the hint. "We meet again, Ms. Melissa. You look even more gorgeous today," I added politely.
"Thank you," Melissa said with a modest smile. Klein and Benson also exchanged greetings with my mother, keeping things natural.
Thankfully, Mother caught on quickly and played along as if it were her first time meeting them. She must have assumed I was keeping it from Father because it involved something he disliked—but that's fine. You owe me one, Klein!
After a few minutes, everyone settled at the table. Light conversation floated around current news, and soon, elegant dishes were served. It wasn't until later that the real topic began.
"I assume you've heard about the sponsorship program from your sister. What are your thoughts?" Grandar asked, sipping his tea.
The Moretti brothers nodded. "We'll support whatever Melissa decides," Benson said, giving the floor to her.
"Mr. Diffodil, is there any way for me to stay in Tingen City?" Melissa hesitated, aware of how shameless her request might seem, but she had to at least try.
Grandar shook his head. "Unfortunately, not for now. Perhaps in the future, but for this to work, you'll need to study in Backlund and work at my workshop during your time there. We understand that being away from family is difficult. To be honest, this is my first time trying a program like this. There may be many unforeseen issues. It's a risky choice… so we'll respect whatever decision you make."
"Thank you, Mr. Diffodil. I'll take this opportunity," Melissa answered firmly.
I didn't choose the wrong person, Grandar thought as he looked into her determined eyes.
"We're happy to welcome you," he said, standing up and offering his hand. Melissa shook it without hesitation.
"You'll move to Backlund after finishing your current studies. We'll finalize the details later."
"Actually," Melissa glanced at Benson, "about that…"
"I'm planning to take the civil exam," Benson continued. "Would it be possible for me to live with Melissa?"
Grandar paused in silence, understanding immediately that this was one of the reasons she had accepted the offer.
"Yes, that's possible."
The three Moretti siblings exchanged bright smiles.
"But," Grandar added, "originally, we planned to offer Melissa free accommodations. If you live with her, we'll need to charge rent—but at a discounted rate, of course."
"We understand, and that's completely fine," Benson said cheerfully.
After our meeting with the Moretti family, Father remained in high spirits for a while. To him, it was pure luck that he had met Melissa in this city. But for me, I couldn't quite decide whether this was a good thing or not.
And now, our departure from Tingen City is drawing near.
On a calm afternoon, as the sun began to set, I was doing my usual set of exercises on the lawn. I had to move my routine to the evening again—Mother had dragged me around since morning. There was no helping it, so I had to adjust.
"Thankfully, nothing happened," I muttered to myself, thinking about the future.
As if cursing my own words, I suddenly noticed something strange in the air.
It wasn't the smell of fresh air, nor the usual industrial smoke.
It was something metallic… fishy… iron.
I looked around to locate the source, and it wasn't hard to find.
It was coming from the neighbor's house.
From the gap beneath the doorway, blood was slowly leaking out—like a quiet, dreadful spillway.
"…My life," I sighed heavily.