TCDH 08

Chapter : 08

But while looking at the absurd postcards, a sudden realization hit me.

‘These are being circulated? Is this what he meant by repaying with his body?’

If the Senniel depicted in these drawings was real, then the claim about repaying a debt with his body actually made sense.

My suspicion deepened, and I scrutinized the postcards, eyes wide open and veins bulging.

As his older sister, I couldn’t bear the thought of letting other people buy these. But I didn’t have enough money to buy them all.

If I had known, I would’ve robbed a bank to get the money.

After serious deliberation, I picked the postcards where Senniel was the most exposed and handed them over.

“These, please.”

The merchant looked up and gave me a sideways glance.

“Miss, are these your tastes? Then you should take this too.”

Wearing a generous expression, he handed me a few rolled-up papers he had hidden behind him.

“What is this?”

In response, the merchant winked with one eye and beckoned me to come closer.

When I leaned my ear in, he whispered softly, just enough so no one else could hear.

“You won’t regret this. Trust me and take it.”

Before I knew it, I had paid three times more than the postcards and bought the rolled-up paper.

“Ugh, what did I just buy?”

I was sitting back on a bench, trying to calm my unsettled heart, when a noble lady slowly approached me.

She covered her face with a fancy fan, sat cautiously beside me, and immediately made an offer.

“Won’t you sell that to me? I’ll pay you five times what you paid.”

“Five times?”

“Yes. I waited in line, but they were all sold out. I waited a really long time.”

As I blinked at the offer, another lady appeared behind me and said she’d pay ten times more.

“Please sell it to me. I’ll pay whatever price you want!”

“Hey! Isn’t it rude to interrupt someone else’s conversation?”

The two of them began arguing, each trying to strike a deal with me.

I didn’t plan to sell it anyway, so I decided to escape and ran off, leaving them behind.

While briskly walking away, I glanced back and saw one of the young ladies crying because she couldn’t buy the postcard.

“What is going on here?”

I suddenly remembered a line from one of the reports about Senniel: “P.S. Extremely popular.”

Also the word “fan” that Orbis had used. I never imagined this was what it meant.

Just thinking that Senniel might be working as a model for these postcards again in the capital made my blood boil.

“Calm down and start with a conversation.”

If it’s something like this, he’d never want to tell me himself. I need to create a situation where he has no choice but to talk.

I went to the market and bought fresh vegetables and ingredients for dinner.

I planned to cook for him and coax the truth out gently.

For dinner, I prepared a tomato stew simmered with lots of vegetables, a vegetable salad, and grilled chicken coated in sauce.

Right as the stew was bubbling nicely and the meal was about ready, Senniel and Orbis returned home.

“Sis, we’re back.”

“Sniff sniff, what’s that smell? Wait—Rosia, you… cooked?!”

As I was tasting the stew with a ladle, I glanced at them and greeted them.

“Yeah. I put in some effort.”

“Oh no… we should’ve come back earlier.”

“Right? Maybe we should just go out to eat—”

“Close the door, Orbis.”

“Yes, sis. Closed it.”

Orbis, who was about to turn around and leave again, received my icy glare and obediently came inside.

There was a reason they were so skeptical about my cooking.

I had always lacked talent for cooking—no matter how closely I followed a recipe, I always ended up with some unidentifiable dish.

So I’d avoided the kitchen all my life. But I recently decided I wanted to feed Senniel a homemade meal and gave it a try a few days ago.

The problem? Senniel and Orbis had stomachaches all day after eating my food.

Since then, I wasn’t even allowed near the kitchen. Orbis had taken over dinner duties, so their reactions were understandable.

“Rosia, didn’t you say you wouldn’t cook again?”

“This time is different. Doesn’t it look way more decent than last time?”

I pointed to the stew with a serious face, and Senniel, his eyes wavering, asked in a trembling voice:

“But sis… what do you put in a stew to make it purple?”

“Was it cabbage…? Just try it. I tasted it, and it was decent.”

I cleared my throat and pretended not to hear as I held out the ladle.

But Senniel hesitated by the coat hanger, and Orbis hovered next to him.

“Senniel, how could I eat before you, our dear sister’s food? You try it first.”

“What are you saying, Orbis? You’re standing closer than I am.”

Hearing their back-and-forth, I finally shoved the ladle forward and coldly said:

“My arm’s getting tired. One of you eat it.”

“I’ll eat it, sis. If it’s made by you, I’d eat it even if it’s poisoned.”

“Isn’t that a bit dramatic?”

Senniel came forward, shut his eyes tight, and tasted the stew.

After a moment of silence, he silently gestured to Orbis.

In the tense atmosphere, Orbis too stepped up to taste it.

“How is it?”

“Sis, please don’t ever cook again. You’ll hurt your pretty hands.”

“Yeah, sis. If you’re too perfect, what will the rest of us live off of? It’s okay not to be good at everything.”

Realizing the roundabout meaning, I sighed and lifted the stew pot.

“So it’s that bad, huh? I’ll throw it out. Don’t want you two getting sick again.”

“Why throw away something you worked hard on? Even if it tastes bad, I’ll eat it. You put your heart into it.”

“Right, sis. I can endure anything if it’s from you.”

They were kind, but brutally honest.

“Is it really that bad?”

Even after tasting again, I couldn’t tell.

Tilting my head, I still set the meal on the table.

Amid occasional screams and a strangely warm atmosphere, the dinner proceeded slower than usual.

Once Senniel and Orbis put down their spoons, I casually brought up the real topic.

“I went to the square today and bought these.”

I picked up the stack of postcards I had prepared and laid them one by one on the table.

Senniel flinched and froze like a statue, visibly shocked.

“Sis… how did you get those?”

“It was by chance. I was so surprised to see you in them.”

As I calmly spoke, Senniel seemed to regain a bit of composure.

Though with Orbis laughing like his ribs would break, that composure wasn’t going to last long.

“Pffft—hahaha! I’ve only heard of these but never saw them in person. They’re incredible. Can I have one?”

“Absolutely not! I’m going to burn them all!”

With his ears bright red, Senniel reached out and pulled all the postcards toward himself.

Watching his reaction, I cautiously opened my mouth.

“Senniel, whatever you’re doing, I’m on your side. So please trust me and tell me everything. We’re family.”

At the word family, Senniel’s pupils trembled.

“Thank you, sis. But I don’t really have anything to confess…”

Was the postcards not enough?

“Would this make it easier to talk?”

Instead of explaining further, I laid out the rolled-up paper the merchant had given me.

There was a reason it had been rolled up.

Unlike the postcards, it was much larger—and most importantly, Senniel was completely nude in it.

“…Oh my god.”

Upon seeing the picture, Senniel was struck speechless and squeezed his eyes shut in denial.

“Pfft—pu-puhuhuhaha!”

Orbis, laughing like he had gone mad, leaned back and ran his hand over the drawing of Senniel’s body.

“They messed up the proportions. This part should be thicker, and this should be much bigger—”

“Shut up! Sis, where did you get this?! I’m not letting this gooo!”

Grinding his teeth, Senniel tried to rush out to find the merchant, but I sat him down and asked seriously:

“Did you go do this again today?”

His face now pale, Senniel tilted his head in confusion.

“Do this again?”

“I mean modeling. Are you doing this to pay off some debt?”

“What debt? I don’t owe anything.”

“…?”

We stared at each other, both realizing something wasn’t clicking.

“That guy who came to the villa said you owed him and that you were repaying him with your body. Didn’t you know?”