Ilay and Richard approached the scene calmly. Richard stood next to Christoph, hand on his shoulder, while Ilay stood behind Scarlet.
"Ah, I see. I guess the madman gene was passed down to this little girl. The resemblance is uncanny."
"Oi," Scarlet spoke with an unnerving calmness in that situation. "My name is Scarlet. Not 'little girl.'"
The man glared at her, a vein bulging from his temple. He clenched his fists tightly but then looked at Richard and took a deep breath. He unclenched his hands and gave a curt nod, quickly eyeing the other men before he turned around. "Well then, see you–"
"You heard her. It's better if you say her name. Make sure you don't forget it."
Ilay looked bored, his gloved hands in his pockets and his shoulders relaxed, but his eyes were sharp.
The man glared, his body trembling in anger, and after a long silence, he uttered her name between clenched teeth. The man walked away without looking back, and Taeui sighed deeply at the mess that almost unfolded. Indeed, having Richard around was a good idea.
"But really, are you sure she is not your daughter?" said Richard, his eyes jumping from Scarlet to Ilay.
Scarlet put her foot down, and then the hard face she made melted away. The tears she bravely held fell as she began sobbing.
Ilay clicked his tongue as she turned around and clung to him, crying. Amber looked down, biting her lip, close to crying like her sister, but when Taeui crouched next to her, she looked away.
Taeui beckoned Ilay closer, giving him a small smile. He approached her while carrying Scarlet and crouched next to her. His voice was cold but gentle as he called her name. She turned to him, and when he straightened his arm, she clung to him, hugging her sister in the process.
Richard and Christoph were stunned watching the scene in front of them. Even Richard, who was rarely speechless, couldn't think of anything to say. Then, as if coordinated, they both looked at Taeui, expecting an explanation. Taeui chuckled and scratched his head.
"They love their uncle."
Suspicion filled their eyes, and they looked again at Ilay carrying his nieces with an annoyed but gentle expression, and then back at Taeui. When Taeui didn't comment, they shrugged and walked away together, still unsure if what they saw was real.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only incident with the girls.
When the rest of the family noticed that Ilay favoured them, they were more hostile towards them to antagonise him. Not enough to physically hurt the girls, since Christoph was always alert and prevented any accidents, but mentally. Even so, Scarlet and Amber were Riegrow, and that showed in how they began dealing with such people.
Amber wore a poker face all the time and gave her blatantly fake smile to anyone who spoke to her. And if anyone insulted her or her family, she stared at them condescendingly before turning away without wasting her breath. She learned it from Christoph, who looked at everyone as if they were a waste of time.
On the other hand, Scarlet became more sassy with her replies and actions, going as far as giving the middle finger and swearing, something she also picked up from Christoph.
The horrible comments also extended to Taeui, and he found himself losing his patience in record time while Ilay acted like always, his bored and slightly annoyed expression fixed on his face, and hands clad in dark gloves every day.
And even though Taeui preferred that they had kept their relationship a secret because he didn't want to hear anyone badmouth Ilay more than he already had, Ilay found it entertaining to add oil to the fire of slurs directed at them and acted chummy with Taeui like always. In fact, he seemed deliberately more affectionate in public than normal. Taeui couldn't care less about what they said about their relationship, however, he still wanted to break a bone or two on anyone who spat hurtful words.
"Why does that bother you?" asked Ilay, coming out of the shower, listening to Taeui's complaints.
"I hate it when they talk badly about you."
Ilay chuckled, seeing Taeui angry. "Even though it's nothing new?"
Taeui glared at Ilay. "Let's see them talk with a broken jaw."
Ilay laughed again and sat next to Taeui, caressing his nape and bringing him close to kiss him. He kissed his eyes and cheeks, and his ears and nose, before he reached his lips, where he stayed the longest. Taeui's frustration slowly melted beneath the plethora of kisses. Ilay pulled back, his hand caressing Taeui's cheek.
"Since when are you the first to lose your patience?"
Taeui's glare was weaker, but he continued in a foul mood. Ilay grabbed his waist and pushed him down on the bed, kissing him again, while fondling his chest.
"I'll give them to you after all of this so you can have your revenge."
A small smile showed on Taeui's lips, and Ilay chuckled again, kissing him and tasting his smile.
"It's just until they are here. If any of us messes up, that will give them the upper hand and not even having Richard here will help us."
"I know."
Ilay removed Taeui's shirt and continued planting small kisses down to his chest. Then he fondled his chest, and his brow lifted as he eyed Taeui's chest.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Your nipples feel bigger."
"It's your fault. You keep playing with them."
Taeui felt Ilay's smile on his chest and watched him pull his nipple between his lips. Taeui groaned and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the pain that quickly turned into pleasure. Taeui didn't fight it, he needed an outlet for his pent-up anger.
As the deadline for the three brothers to reach a compromise got closer, the rest of the family became more desperate to break them apart to ensure that Amber, Scarlet or any future child from their side wouldn't be considered a candidate.
They were able to reach an agreement on everything except for one thing. Ilay's father wanted a time limit of five years. Five years for more children to be born and be eligible for the candidacy. His brothers wanted one year or less. Their meetings became longer as they argued their opinions, but there wasn't any actual progress, and they continued delaying the decision.
During one afternoon, the dining room was filled with refreshments and snacks for everyone to enjoy. Taeui, Christoph and the girls entered the room, and every pair of eyes in the room turned to them. They were unbothered as they walked through the small crowd, so the girls could look for something to eat.
Taeui and Christoph stood near a window, watching the girls and talking, when all of a sudden, an older kid pushed Amber hard enough that she fell. He glared at her, his hands and chin trembling the slightest. Amber looked at him, her brow quirked as if unsure what was happening, and just as she was about to stand up, Scarlet pushed the boy back.
The kid mimicked Amber's expression as he looked down at Scarlet, but then a shiver ran through his spine, and he looked back. He saw his father glaring at him, and it shook him to the bone. His hand trembled harder, and he swallowed.
"Karl."
It was an order and a threat, the way the man said his son's name. Karl's lips trembled, and he had to bite them down to stop the small whimper in his throat.
"Karl." The man pressed.
His name was said in such a vicious tone that Amber's knees felt weak watching the scene. Karl swallowed again and clenched his small fists, tears threatening to fall as he swung his fist at Scarlet's face.
Amber didn't gasp like the rest of the room, she couldn't. She was frozen in place, watching the events as if she weren't really there, and Karl and Scarlet were simply actors she didn't know. Not even when blood fell from her sister's nose did she react.
Taeui and Christoph approached them quickly, but Scarlet was quicker. With blood running from her nose and gut-wrenching yell, she got up and launched at Karl, pushing him down with all her weight. She sat on his chest and her tiny fists thundered down on him. She screamed in rage and pain, tears mixed with her bloody nose, but she didn't stop. Karl couldn't stop her either.
Amber was underwater, and a second felt like an eternity. She felt someone's hand on her back, and the sounds that previously were slow and low turned into a constant high pitch. She saw Taeui looking back at her, his mouth moving, but it was the sound of her heart beating rapidly that filled her ears next. His eyes seemed to ask if she was okay, but when she opened her mouth to speak, she noticed how hard it was to draw breath.
She watched Christoph pull Scarlet away from the bloodied boy and put her next to Taeui, who hugged her, patting her back as she sobbed. The thought of handing her sister a handkerchief to stop her nosebleed passed through her mind, but it was too fast for her to hold on to it. Instead, she saw Taeui grab a napkin and do it. He looked at her again. His mouth moving again. But her heartbeat and the high pitch didn't let her hear him.
At that moment, for a second, no one moved or even breathed, as everyone in the room turned their eyes to the door. The air in the room dropped, and everyone struggled to breathe. The air pocket in Amber's throat grew, making her lightheaded from the lack of air.