The Unavoidable Reason of Accidental Engagement - Chapter 2
‘What kind… what kind of stupid things did you want to invent…’
Looking at the desk that had lost its owner, Syamila came up with a deep feeling again. Even though she cried so much already, it seemed there were still tears left. Syamila reached out her hand and picked up a piece of paper on the desk. Complicated formulas and weird drawings were scattered everywhere.
Syamila, who was as smart as her father, could understand them all. However, there was only one thing she could hardly wrap her mind around.
‘Did he make the contract to make this?…’
The paper she was holding was a design of an object called sunglasses.
‘I will make glasses that allow you to go around without frowning on days when the sunlight is strong.’
‘Where did he get such a stupid idea?’
He even used an ancient word to name it. It was called Taeyang Angyeong which means sunglasses.
Isn’t it only an object with a cool name and useless value for anyone? Not only that but on his desk, similarly, there were a lot of magical tools that seemed unnecessary.
‘Such a fool.’
Her father, who spent money to invent something like this, and herself, who didn’t know about it and couldn’t stop it. If her father had more time, he could focus on caring more about his health…
‘What was he doing to be so hung up on his stupid research?’
The research results were insignificant, even though he clung to it.
Tuduk
Eventually, her tears fell on the paper.
“Ugh, I don’t want to cry again.”
Syamila put the paper back down on the desk and wiped her tears. After that, she breathed deeply for a long time and tried to collect her mind…
Bang-! Bang-! Bang-!
Someone knocked hard on the door as if they wanted to break it in. Surprised, Syamila headed out to the door.
‘Who is it? Is Bryce back?’
The moment she put her hand on the doorknob…
“Syamila Belkear!”
She could hear the loud voice from the other side of the door.
Her body was immediately racked with shivers. Even if she didn’t open the door, she knew who it was.
Debt collectors.
‘How can there be no peaceful day for me?!’
She contemplated hard for a moment if it’s better to hide without opening the door or not, but she couldn’t do that because of the person’s next words.
“Come out before we break in! Syamila Belkear!”
Nothing good would come from just standing still there. Syamila opened the door.
“Did you really not hear us even after we shouted like that?”
In front of her were men with heads twice as big as hers.
“What is this all of a sudden?”
”We have come here to collect Rikura Belkear’s debt. You are that man’s daughter, right? Repay us in his place.”
“Sigh… I have no money. If I have it, I will pay it immediately.”
No, if they had that much money, her father wouldn’t have borrowed in the first place.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Does my face look like someone who is joking around?”
As she faced the vicious looking men, Syamila could feel the sweat in her palms. However, she still tried to respond as calmly as possible.
“Then you have to pay it back another way.”
After the person said that, they rushed into the house.
“What, what! What are you doing all of a sudden?! This is trespassing!”
“What does that matter? It will be ours anyway.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“At the time of the last debt agreements, Rikura Belkear put this house up as collateral. If you can’t pay back, isn’t it natural for your house to go to auction?”
“Wha- what? Auction? This house?”
Syamila’s face was full of surprise. What did he say? This was the house where she lived all of her life. From the time she made her first babbles to when she had her first drink as an adult. A place that reminds her of her father, her childhood, and her adolescent memories. How can such a place go to auction!
“No!”
“It’s useless if you try to stop it. That’s what collateral is.”
Her father handed over this house as collateral? Why? When there was a problem with the house, he would lovingly repair anything. He cherished this house very much. How much money did he desperately want to have to put the house up as-….! The memories, the love they shared, the aroma. Everything.
“Take everything inside to the auction.”
“Stop..!”
“All the big pieces of furniture are loaded, sir.”
They were so prepared that she could see a wagon outside.
“No, no, no!”
Syamila grabbed the stuff they began to carry and move. The table where she usually ate and had fun conversations with her father. The table where she used to play puzzles or any other games. The sofa where they read books together.
“Stop!”
She tried to stop them with all of her strength, but everything left the house in no time. Their hands coldly carried away those memories. She still hadn’t gotten out of the sadness from the loss. She hadn’t even finished crying from the faint aroma that still lingered. Why couldn’t they give her time to let her father go completely? Why couldn’t they even give her a chance to get immersed in memories!
“Stop! Everyone!”
She begged.
“Let it go! This girl!”
“Ah!”
They were really loan sharks. Those who have no blood or tears. He coldly threw Syamila out and moved all the last leftovers. After quickly emptying the house, they disappeared to the auction house. And Syamila was left alone in that place. The warmth and traces of memories she reminisced about disappeared as well.
“Hah… Please don’t…”
This house, please don’t do that to this house.
The only thing that answered her were the repeated echoes. It happened so quickly that she couldn’t even shed a single tear. Syamila slowly stared at the cold house with vacant eyes.
“Sigh…!”
What should be the name of this rising emotion she felt? Anger? Sadness? Syamila touched her greasy forehead. At that moment, something touched her hand that wasn’t her forehead.
Sruk
It was a paper. A paper that she had been holding onto for a long time. That absurd one-line will.
‘Go to Rotevita in the North.’
Syamila’s eyes widened instantly.
‘So Father… He knew that all of this was going to happen.’
Maybe it was like that. Her father, who could sometimes randomly look into the future, likely predicted this situation well enough.
‘That means… Perhaps, he did this on purpose….?’
‘He wanted to send me to Rotevita?’
Perhaps he was the one who gave her no other choice but to go to Rotevita. If it was her father, he’s capable of doing so.
‘What kind of thing exists in Rotevita? Does he want me to go there that badly?’
That was something she didn’t know for sure. This was a situation where nobody could tell her the answer. So, there’s only one way to figure it out.
‘Alright, I’ll go to Rotevita.’
Nothing was left anyway. Even the house, her only possession, has been taken away.
‘Sometimes a rough road is a path to a fresh start.’
For Syamila, a fresh start was the only option.