One Step Forward to the Flower Path - Chapter 9

The twins behaved very similarly to each other. The two then laid on their stomachs to where they were sitting, in front of Ivanna.

‘I don’t know why everyone lowers themselves in front of me, including Eve, whom I met yesterday.’ Ivanna glanced at the two while hugging the Meows tightly.

“Do you like them?”  Valerie smiled brightly at the kitten dolls in Ivanna’s arms.

“Lady Hugor made them for us.”

“They’re our favorite.”

‘Your favorite!’ Ivanna was shocked and looked down at the Meows in her arms.

Then, with her lips closed tightly, she put the Meows on the floor and stepped back. The twins opened their eyes wide.

“I-I didn’t steal it. Really!”

The embarrassed twins raised their upper bodies. As their heads came up, Ivanna immediately bowed down on the floor.

“Fo-forgive me. I really didn’t steal it. I’m serious. I’m sorry. Please don’t send me to prison.”

The twins were at loss for words.  In the past, they were often beaten by their mother.  But they had never, even once, been so broken. The more they were beaten, the more they rebelled.

They didn’t realize how much she was hurt. She’s their little sister. She’s the daughter of their father and the great Louise. They were sure that she would be able to stand up again even if she was hurt.

It didn’t take long for them to realize that it was a very complacent idea.

What do we do?

How do we apologize?

Valerie and Luan mouthed words very quickly to each other as they watched Ivanna tremble.

With apples?

We made a mistake.

Yes, it’s our fault.

If our father found out, we will never be able to meet our younger sister again.

Valerie’s face turned pale at Luan’s words.  There are many guards around the room. It will be all over if they say anything to Dante.

No! We can’t be punished by never seeing our cute little sister again!

Valerie nodded vigorously with a very serious face.

“We were wrong!”

“We were wrong!”

They spoke at the same time as they laid down on the floor. Ivanna raised her head in surprise.

“We didn’t mean to make you think that we thought you stole it. We were just glad that our younger sister was holding the Meows that we gave.”

“Are you happy with having the Meows?”

“We were so happy, we thought you’d be. So, we’ll be happier if our sister keeps them.”

Valerie and Luan raised their heads and pushed the Meows closer towards Ivanna. And, in case their younger sister might be scared, they stepped back.

“That’s why we gave them to our sister.”

“Because you’re the sister that we’ve been waiting for so long.”

They waited for a long time.

The two have been saying so since a while ago.

Ivanna glanced at the soft ears of the Meows in front of her.

“Why wait for me?”

“Because you’re someone we love.”

“And you’re someone who we want to be loved by.”

The two pairs of yellow eyes were completely set on Ivanna.  There was only her in their eyes, giving her goosebumps.

‘I thought that the Meow’s eyes were different from the two because they were torn apart, but I realized that I was wrong at this moment.’

Their eyes were exactly the same as the Meows in front of them.

“D-do you love me? Do you really love me?”

“Yes. We’re happy to be with our younger sister. We’re very happy.”

“We hope you’ll be happy when you’re with us.”

“That’s why we gave you our precious Meows.”

“We just wanted our sister to be a little more comfortable.”

‘I’m happy.  Come to think of it, I couldn’t even remember the last time I felt this way. I’ve always had fun with my mom, but I’ve only felt sad since she left.’

In the first life and again in the second life. Pain and suffering always remained as if it was her friend. She never thought she’d be happy again.  Ivanna looked at the Meows in her arms. It was soft and familiar. Meow, whom she thought she would never meet again.

‘When I hold these dolls in my arms I think of the precious memories with my mom. I thought I was happy for the first time in a long time.’

Yes, Ivanna was genuinely happy back then.

“I was happy.”

“Huh?”

“When I met them again, I was happy.”

The twins opened their eyes wide. While looking at them, Ivanna thought their eyes were really like the Meows.

“I never thought I’d see it again.”

Ivanna clasped her two kitten dolls in her arms. The soft dolls wrapped gently in her arms. It was a feeling that she had always missed.

“Thank you.”

Ivanna barely expressed her true feelings by mumbling shyly. The twins opened their mouths at the same time.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Their hearts beat violently as if they were going to pop out of their chest. The two held tightly to their chests as if they were being hammered.

‘My sister is so cute and lovely that I don’t know what to do.’

‘I’m dying to hug my little sister, who’s holding the dolls tightly.’

The twins, however, did not forget that Sullivan told them that they should never touch her.  In the end, they had to pinch each other and crush this lovely impulse.  They knew that someday, there will be a day when they can freely hug her to their heart’s content.

The twins did not leave Ivanna’s side until Sullivan came. Those two, who were lazing around like fat cats, immediately opened their eyes to Sullivan’s voice.

✧────── ೋღ🌺ღೋ ──────✧

“She’s our sister.”

“We are her older sister and older brother.”

“Do you want me to tell your dad?”

The twins stood up in silence. Then, with sad looks on their faces, they waved their hands.

“I’ll be back again, sister.”

“See you again, sister.”

The two left the room without a hint of defiance because they were afraid of being kept away from Ivanna by their dad.

Sullivan, who was wearing a stern expression, burst into laughter after the two went out and the door closed.

“It seems that they really like you.”

When the twins raised their heads saying they’re going to keep on playing with Ivanna, the air of arrogance around the twins that they might’ve inherited from the Duke could be felt.  But they seem just like a cute older sister and brother in front of her.  Who would think those two were Duke Vicente’s children?

“Did you like them?”

She didn’t say she did, but she didn’t deny it either. That is enough for now. It was worth insisting strongly on Dante that it was okay for them to spend time together, despite his concern that it might not still be a good time for Ivanna to meet the twins.

As she was hurt by adults, she was less wary of children.

“Don’t your fingers hurt?”

Ivanna still has bandages around her arms, legs, and hands because of the wounds from the broken glass.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

She had never expressed pain even when she moves her bandaged arms like when she picked up the glass, hugged the dolls tightly, or rolled around the floor.  Even if it’s not to the point of needing to be stitched, the cut would still hurt.

“Then do you want me to see if the wound is all healed?”

“I’ll get better if I leave it. It has always been like that.”

‘Crazy bastards. How many times did you hit her that she was able to say that so naturally?’

Sullivan has treated countless children so far, but she has never heard a five-year-old child say this.

‘What did you do during the two years you were taken away?’

‘What the hell did they do to make her like this during those two years?’

The child’s occasional comments seemed to be of a person who was imprisoned for 10 years, not two years. A sigh of anger burst out of her.

‘I think I have to take off her clothes to look at her whole body’s wounds sometime.  But when will that day ever come?’

“You’ll get better sooner if I see you. I’m a doctor.”

“Is there a reason I need to get better quickly?”

“It’s uncomfortable to wear a bandage for too long.”

It doesn’t seem to be a problem for her if the wound remains for a long time. However, Sullivan can tell that the child was uncomfortable when she saw her put her arms away when asked.

‘Those guys didn’t even treat her wounds. There is one more thing to tell the duke.’

“You should tell me if you’re sick.”

Sullivan unwrapped the bandage carefully. Even though the wound must have been hurting, Ivanna’s expression hasn’t changed a bit.  Even though the wound under the bandage is really bad.

“It doesn’t really hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

A narrow but deep wound covered her entire arm. The finger side was a little bit deeper, and there were also areas where the flesh was carved out.  Seeing these, her previous situations and the abuses done to her could be found out.

It was frustrating.

“It hurts more to be thrown on the altar.”

The power of God could only be extracted from the altar for God. Akin to offering a sacrifice to God, or like praying for a gift from God. To the child who had to swallow the pain of having her powers extracted while trembling in front of the delighted people, the deep wounds on her arms were nothing.

This world is dark.

“That’s not going to happen anymore.”

Sullivan disinfected the wound again. Even a grown-up would feel pain, but Ivanna remained motionless.  This proves that the pain of having your power pulled out is that horrible.

“Neither I, your dad, sister, nor brother will take your power from you. We don’t want it.”

“Other people want it.”

“I don’t want you to give it to me.”

Ivanna opened her eyes wide in surprise. Sullivan looked straight into the eyes hidden behind the messy hair of the child.

“Don’t give it to me. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to give it to anyone. If something’s painful or scares you, reject it. If you don’t like something, then you don’t like it.”

“That’s alright?”

“Yes.  You have a dad.  You have an older sister and an older brother.  You have me and Alaine. Everyone here is now by your side.”

For the first time, the fingers that had been stiff like a branch were flinching. It was as if the heart of the child was starting to beat properly little by little.  Sullivan felt her chest tighten at the sight.

“We will all protect you because we are your family now.”

“Family?”

“Yes, family. Just like how your mother has always protected you.”

“Mom······.”

“No one bothered you when she was around. No one stole power from you, right?”

“······Yes.”

“Now, we’ll do it for you. Your dad, sister, brother, I, and everyone here will protect Eve, just like your mom did. No one can bother Eve.”

Ivanna looked at the Meows she had put down for a while.

‘Mom’s gone now. So I thought no one would protect me. I thought dad would want to take away my power too. I didn’t think they’d protect me.’

“So be more defiant. Speak up when you don’t like something. If you don’t want to, never give it to anyone. That’s your power.”

Sullivan’s hand touched Ivanna’s chest. At that moment, Ivanna felt a violent beat in her heart. She opened her eyes wide at a completely different feeling from when her power was extracted from her.

“It belongs to Eve. So only you can decide what to do with your power.”

‘My own. My own power. The power I have is mine, it’s not theirs.’

It was something I had never thought about. I liked the Holy Spirit, but I never thought it was completely mine. I was told it was the power God gave for the people. I thought that I was just a sacrifice whose only purpose was to have my powers pulled out from me.

“It’s your power.”

‘I have never thought about that.’