Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 62
She cannot let her dessert be stolen… No, rather, she cannot let such a poorly behaved younger brother go unchecked.
Cecilia began to lecture, raising her index finger high.
“Do you dislike it when others steal yours but find it okay to steal mine?”
“Huh… tha’s…”
“Right?”
“Huh, so, um…”
Nathan blinked his large calf-like eyes. It seemed he was about to cry any moment. However, instead of bursting into tears, he put on a bright face, put his finger to his lips, and tilted his head.
“Um, Nathan dun undowstand what you say? Ceciwia, youw wods awe hawd!” (Um, Nathan doesnât understand what youâre saying? Cecilia, your words are hard!)
“…”
Indeed, sharp for a three-year-old. To think he’d use his age as a weapon.
‘Could he be a genius?’
There was no sign of that in her previous life. After all, due to high fever damaging his brain, there was never a chance to properly gauge his intellectual level.
Of course, whether he’s a genius or not is not her concern. She wouldnât give it to him anyway.
Cecilia deliberately looked up to avoid Nathan’s gleaming gaze.
“Uh…”
And then she noticed a woman on the Coffret Manor’s second-floor balcony.
‘Caroline?’
Standing at the edge of the balcony, hesitating, seemed unusually unstable for Caroline.
“…”
A chill ran down her spine.
Though she didn’t know what was about to happen, it felt like an annoying situation was brewing…
She tried to avert her gaze quickly, but their eyes met.
‘I can’t pretend I didn’t see her.’
She should pretend not to know.
She awkwardly smiled and waved her hand.
‘I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’ll just eat my dessert, so you go back to whatever you were doing.’
But Caroline’s expression was unusual. She hesitated after raising her hand, looking desperately at Cecilia while her lips twitched in staccato.
‘I, don’t, want, to, live.’
Having understood such a grim dialogue, it was impossible for Cecilia to feign ignorance and turn away.
Caroline’s pleading gaze, gestures, and expressions. Cecilia couldnât help but pick up on the message.
‘I’m about to jump, so hurry and stop me.’
What’s there to stop? Just fall if you’re going to.
This was what Cecilia truly felt.
‘If you’re going to fall, then fall. It would be even better if you unfortunately break your neck.’
But Caroline wouldn’t throw herself off the railing until Cecilia came to stop her. If she refused to respond now, Caroline would surely find a petty reason to nag later.
“……”
With a sour taste in her mouth, Cecilia reluctantly put down the half-eaten crÚme brûlée.
Just before entering the mansion, she pointed at Nathan and warned,
“Don’t eat that. It’s mine.”
***
“Sister.”
“C-Cecilia!”
As she opened the door, Caroline turned around as if waiting and changed her expression.
“How did you…!”
Well, you called for me, didnât you?
Suppressing the emotions welling up inside, Cecilia decided to play along. After all, Caroline’s broken engagement was ultimately caused by her, whether the outcome was good or bad.
“Sister, don’t do this.”
Cecilia spoke in a flat tone.
“Don’t come any closer! I can’t live… Not without Ulysses!”
Caroline exclaimed emotionally.
“Come inside, don’t do this.”
Cecilia responded dryly as she approached her.
“Don’t stop me, Ceci!”
Caroline waved her hands as if to keep her away.
“Sister. Um… please?”
As Cecilia grabbed and pulled her arm…
“Ah! I told you not to touch me!”
Caroline forcefully shook off her hand.
One was excessively indifferent, and the other overly passionate.
Was it because of this?
Cecilia, who reached the balcony to stop Caroline, lost her balance due to the unexpectedly fierce resistance.
“Uh…”
“Really, don’t do this… No! Ceci…!”
She felt her body go airborne. Caroline’s face, covering her mouth and screaming with wide eyes, flickered before Ceciliaâs eyes.
‘She’s really good at acting.’
And so, Cecilia fell.
“Ah.”
Fortunately, her dress caught on a branch of the plane tree, but soon after, it tore with a ripping sound, and she fell againâthis time, straight to the ground.
“Cecilia!”
“Miss!”
“Are you alright!”
“What in the world…”
Voices calling for her made her ears ring. Every muscle in her body screamed in agony. Her head throbbed, and her back felt numb.
Amid her spinning vision, she saw a small boy.
Nathan Lasphilla, too shocked to even wipe the custard cream on his mouth, stood there.
“You… I told you not to eat that…”
Grinding her teeth, Cecilia uttered her last words before losing consciousness.
