Chapter 4. Arrest (2)

Translator: Lili

When Shushu woke up to the warm sunlight instead of the cool dawn air, the first thing she did was check the clock. Her unfocused eyes tried to make out the slender hands on the blurred clock face. She had a bad feeling, the kind you get when you realize it’s not the time you thought it was.

‘… Phew, so it’s 10 a.m.’

Shushu, after checking the clock with wide eyes, let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, it seemed she wouldn’t be late for the reunion.

‘I’m sure I set the alarm. Why didn’t I wake up…? Was I that tired yesterday?’

Whether the alarm didn’t go off or she had slept through it so deeply that she hadn’t heard it, she wasn’t sure. Although the situation felt strange, there was no time to dwell on it. Shushu quickly washed up and put on the outfit she had prepared.

However, just as she finished dressing, she realized that the decorative ribbon tied at the back of her dress had come undone. She went to the mirror in the living room to try and tie it herself. Concentrating on the ribbon, she suddenly felt a hand touch her waist, startling her so much that she almost fell backward.

“Ahh!”

Fortunately, the firm hand easily kept her from falling. At the same time, Shushu caught a whiff of a refreshing scent. She immediately knew that the hands tying the ribbon and holding her waist didn’t belong to her mother, Garnelly. Her reclusive, middle-aged mother rarely left her room, and besides, she didn’t have such large hands or height. Shushu already knew exactly who it was.

“Good morning.”

It was Edwin Isadoc.

Edwin finished tying the ribbon, his hand brushing lightly along Shushu’s side before withdrawing nonchalantly. Shushu gave him an awkward smile as she looked at him.

“Uh… When did you get here?”

“Just now. You were sleeping so soundly I couldn’t wake you.”

Edwin’s warm words were accompanied by his brilliant green eyes sparkling in the broad daylight. They were a striking jewel-like color, the same shade as the evergreen trees that adorned the Isadoc family estate. Shushu could never forget the color of those trees—green even as they burned in the flames.

— Remain Evergreen And Eternal!

The Isadoc family motto, passed down through generations, was now carried by its last direct descendant and heir, Edwin Isadoc. Shushu didn’t know much about the Isadoc family’s history, but she was certain that Edwin was a descendant the family could be proud of.

“Sit down. I’ll make you some coffee with chocolate syrup, just the way you like it.”

Edwin’s tall frame, nearly 190 cm, made the spacious kitchen seem cozy as he moved about with practical ease.

Shushu watched him with a conflicted expression, knowing how familiar he was with her home.

“Edwin.”

As he jokingly imitated a butler, saying,

“The aroma will be delightful, madam.”

“Edwin.”

Shushu called out to him again. Her low voice carried a hint of sternness.

“You shouldn’t be coming to someone else’s house like this in the morning.”

“Shushu.”

“You need to stay at your house now.”

Though it pained Shushu to say it, she tried to hide her emotions. Edwin had his own home to return to, complete with a proper butler—an elderly gentleman named Henr, who had served the Isadoc family for generations. If Henr knew that his master was playing at being a butler, the poor man might lose his mustache in shock.

Whenever Edwin suddenly showed up at her house, it wouldn’t be long before Henr would call, almost tearfully pleading for her to send him back. It made Shushu feel like a mistress stealing a husband from his wife, which was an uncomfortable feeling.

“… Don’t say that.”

But when Edwin looked at her with those sorrowful eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a pang in her chest. Seeing her fall silent, Edwin spoke again,

“How could I? Especially with Garnelly still here…”

‘Garnelly.’

Hearing her mother’s name, Shushu snapped out of her thoughts.

***

Garnelly Mailey, Shushu’s only blood relative and mother, was a former chief scientist and a legendary genius in Logwin. Her extraordinary talent had earned the support of the Isadoc family since her youth. However, after the accident that killed Edwin’s family, Garnelly became Edwin’s guardian.

That same accident also claimed the life of Shushu’s father, leaving Garnelly a shell of her former self. She withdrew into her room and rarely emerged, leaving Shushu to manage most things on her own. Though Edwin’s words acknowledged their shared hardships, they ironically helped Shushu strengthen her resolve.

“I’ll take care of my mom.”

“…”

“You should be worrying about yourself now, Edwin.”

“Stop coming over unannounced.”

She added, forcing herself to appear firm as she prepared to leave the house.

‘I have no choice.’

It wasn’t that she disliked Edwin. He was a good person. Shushu cared for him, loved him as family. But deep in her heart, she carried the same shadow she harbored toward her mother, Garnelly.

— Look at that girl, she’s Garnelly’s daughter!

People’s expectant gazes had always been upon Shushu, hoping she would live up to her mother’s legacy. Yet no matter how hard she tried, there were things she couldn’t achieve. When she inevitably fell short, disappointment replaced their expectations.

If not for her father’s unwavering love, Shushu might have fallen apart under the weight of it all. His support had planted the seeds of self-esteem in her, enabling her to live without being completely crushed by her mother’s reputation.

Living among people who shone like stars, Shushu, an ordinary person, couldn’t help but feel inadequate. She didn’t want to burden Edwin or her mother with her shortcomings.

Edwin was no longer the boy who needed a guardian. He was the head of the Isadoc family, a rising leader in Logwin, beloved by all. He was extraordinary—a person more like her mother, Garnelly, than herself.

Though she loved him as family, being near him made her feel guilty. She felt it was her duty to let him go. The mere thought of scandal—perhaps being caught by paparazzi and embroiled in baseless rumors—was enough to make her shudder. For Shushu, who struggled with her mother’s name alone, such a disaster would be unbearable.

“Shushu.”

As she put on her shoes and prepared to leave, Edwin called out to her. She turned to see him smiling gently, his face calm despite her words. But with the sunlight behind him, his eyes were obscured. As Shushu squinted to see him more clearly, Edwin turned away.

“Have fun at the reunion.”

Shushu nodded at his words and left the house.

Three hours and forty minutes later…

She wished she could go back in time and break her own ankle to stop herself from attending the reunion. Not because the boy she had hoped to see didn’t show up due to a broken leg, nor because the body of her classmate Elma Hobb was discovered in the third-floor bathroom.

“Arrest her!”

It was because she had been named the prime suspect in Elma Hobb’s murder.

***