Chapter 269

Chapter 269

“Why did you do it?”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“Why did you do it?”

Aileen, who had been smiling shyly like a young girl, suddenly met Cairn’s gaze.

Their eyes, similar yet different, scrutinized each other. The coldness in Cairn’s eyes made Aileen flinch involuntarily.

“Brother, I, I don’t know what you’re talking about...?”

Aileen feigned ignorance, hiding her fear and speaking sweetly. Cairn patiently waited for her to finish her words and then asked again.

“Why did you do it?”

It was the third time he asked the same question. Aileen took a step back.

“Brother, y...you’re scaring me...”

Her voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing her, Cairn sighed deeply, a sneer forming on his lips.

“Did you really miss me? Me and our older brothers? ...Did you really miss us?”

“Brother.... Are you doubting Aileen’s sincerity...?”

“I see. That’s what your answer is until the end.”

Cairn standing before her was different from the person in her memory. Aileen realized for the first time that even the simple-minded Cairn could make such an expression.

“Brother Cairn...?”

“You could have come to see us at least once.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“If you really missed your family and wanted to see us, you would have come. You could have said it was a misunderstanding, that you missed us.”

“It was a misunderstanding, Brother!”

“Right, it was like this.”

His sneer turned into a bitter smile. Cairn looked much thinner than the last time she saw him, yet he let out a small laugh looking at his beloved younger sister.

She had always presented herself the way others wanted, refrained from actions that would annoy people, and strived to live in a way that others envied.

Aileen had lived as a good and kind child. She had made someone else the bad person to maintain her own image as a good child, but she didn’t think it was a big deal.

So why did she have to hear such words?

‘...Violet.’

Ultimately, the object of Aileen’s anger was Violet.

If only you had remained the bad person, I could have continued being the good child and received everyone’s love—

.

.

.

Leaving Aileen behind, Cairn paused in the hallway and sighed deeply, looking troubled.

She didn’t stop him. She didn’t further say it was just a misunderstanding. She didn’t ask questions. She didn’t smile gently while speaking.

“Not once did she ask how I’ve been.”

Cairn felt like a sinner in front of Violet, but that was his burden alone. He suddenly thought that Aileen’s side might be different.

In fact, Cairn had come here to hear Aileen’s side.

Though he doubted any meaningful conversation could come from such a meeting, he still harbored a sliver of hope...

But in the end, he could only laugh bitterly at the reality before him.

No, Aileen had always been like this. He just hadn’t realized it until now.

The cousin he faced without his rose-colored glasses was more of an open book than he had thought.

His inability to see this earlier was his own foolishness.

Ultimately, the line between virtue and hypocrisy is paper-thin.

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