My hands were shaking and my legs were about to lose their strength, but I put all my strength on my body.
I have Leo in my arms, and my two younger brothers were across the hallway in my room.
Now that my parents are not here, I am the guardian of my younger siblings, so I tried to act rationally as much as possible.
âThatâs⊠hmm. What are you talking about?â
My voice trembled. I tried to pretend to be fine, but it was already after tears came down on my face.
I sniffed and asked back as calmly as possible.
âThey went to the hospital in the capital. They couldnât have passed away.â
âAround tomorrow, a transport containing the body sent from the hospital will come. Iâm going to prepare for the funeral.â
âDonât say weird things!â
âAhh.â
Surprised by the nervous cry, Leo burst into tears. However, I didnât feel like I had to soothe Leo.
It was too much just to grasp the situation now.
They said they would buy as many delicious things as they could on their way back, saying that I only needed to take good care of my younger siblings.
I canât believe they died. It really doesnât make any sense.
âThis is a death certificate.â
I checked the documents handed over by the man. I was so nervous that I couldnât breathe.
âHahâŠâ
A sigh came out one after another. Karl Herrington and his wife, Grace Herrington⊠This must be a lie. Or a nightmare.
ââŠGo.â
âCalm down.â
âGet out!â
âElizabe-â
âI told you to get out! Get out! Get out of my house!â
Edward and Daniel opened the door after hearing my voice. Even though my younger siblings saw me, I couldnât control my behavior.
âSister?â
âSister, whatâs going on?â
âGet out! Get out!â
I put Leo down and pushed the man with all my might.
I didnât want to see such a vicious liar scammer.
âGet out! If you donât go out, Iâll report you!â
âSister is crying.â
Leo cried and I screamed like crazy.
I rushed into the man and punched him, and Edward grabbed me and tried to calm me down.
In the meantime, Daniel stood absent-minded after checking the documents I threw on the floor.
It was literally a mess.
~*~
âElizabeth, you have to be alert.â
One of the guests who attended the funeral advised me.
I have to pull myself together. How can I come to my senses and how can I live in the future?
Iâm only 14 years old. The youngest is only 8 years old. Four of us living without parents?
âI canât. Iâm scared.â
A sister canât be a mother or father. Iâm just an older sister.
Edward and Daniel are children who need care too. And thereâs also Leonardo.
In addition, I wasnât as smart as my younger siblings. My school grades were always average, and my parents gave up on me early and told me to just grow up healthy.
âSniff.â
Leoâs crying took me back to reality.
Edward next to him was looking at the tombstone without any expression on his face, and Daniel collapsed in shock and is in the hospital.
Poor Daniel. Heâs still only 10 years old, but he lost his parents. And my brother, Leo. This poor fellow is now eight years old. He has only lived eight years with his parents.
âSister, we canât see mom and dad anymore? We really canât?â
âItâs okay. Itâs okay.â
I patted Leo and continued to lie. Itâll be okay.
But Iâm scared⊠I donât know what to do at all.
How much would I know if I knew the world? I only grew up as a golden jade leaf in the Herrington family.
âEdward. Take Leo and go ahead. Iâll take Daniel back from the hospital.â
Edward grabbed Leoâs hand and nodded silently.
Edward remained silent on what he thought after hearing the news of fatherâs motherâs death.
I was worried about that, but I couldnât comfort him because I couldnât keep up with his physical strength and spirit.
âActually, Iâm the one who needs comfort.â
With a sigh, I opened the door to the hospital room. Daniel got up and crouched down in bed.
âDanielâŠâ
âSister. Tell me itâs a lie.â
An overly precocious sentence came from a child who was only 10 years old.
Not smarter than my younger brother, I couldnât find a suitable answer, so I just hugged Daniel tightly.
Then Daniel burst into tears. It was in complete contrast to the fact that he fell in love with books and boasted all kinds of knowledge.
Daniel knew he looked smart like a person who was much older than me, but looking at it like this, he was still only a child.
âWhat should I do?â
I felt so sorry for my brother. I bit my lips with all my might not to cry.
Nevertheless, tears burst in my eyes and I sniffled on my own.
I tried hard to hold back my emotions, but in the end, after hugging each other and crying, I got on the wagon to go home with Daniel.
âDaniel⊠Donât worry. Trust me.â
Still, as an elder, I had to reassure my brother.
My shoulders were burdened by what I said to myself. The heavy shoulders seemed to hurt my heart.
Scary⊠Scary⊠Itâs scary again.
Nevertheless, I wanted to protect my younger brothers at my own expense.
This is because Edward and Daniel, who are usually at odds, were precious.
A big deal arose, along with a strong affection for protecting them like a parent.
âLetâs cheer up.â
I arrived home determined like that, but my resolution was broken in just 30 minutes.
I should have realized the meaning of saying that I should get my head straight.
âSisterâŠâ
Edward was crouching down in front of the front door with a white face. Leo was crying looking for me. Leo found me and ran hurriedly.
âAhhhhhh!â
âWhat? Whatâs going on?â
âThatâsâŠâ
Edward had no time to answer the question. The door opened, and a group of workers moved furniture in the house.
âThatâs my dadâs desk! Donât touch it! What are you doing?â
While handing Leo to Daniel, I quickly ran into the house. The inside of the mansion was a complete mess.
People were taking things, ranging from portraits on the wall to artworks to even my motherâs party dress.
âStop! What are you doing? This is my house!â
People couldnât have listened to a 14-year-old girl.
I shouted out loud and waved my fist at the old men moving the furniture, but it was a cold curse to return.
âGo away! If you donât have cash to pay off your debt, you have to give me something!â
âDebt?â
âYour fatherâs debt is 2 billion Berk!â
âTwo billionâŠ!â
It was then.
âElizabeth Herrington?â
Pls read only at pink muffin tl.
The place where I heard the voice was the railing on the second floor. There was a man in a suit and silver glasses watching.
I was discouraged without realizing it because of the cold and hard voice. I stretched my neck to answer as confidently as possible.
âYes, Iâm Elizabeth Herrington.â
âItâs Kevin Reed, Cooperâs legal representative. Hereâs the provisional attachment document. With the bankruptcy of the Herrington Hotel, all of Herringtonâs propertyâŠâ
The words of the adults sounded distant. I checked the younger brothers behind me reflexively.
âWhat do you mean, bankruptcy?â
Edward bit his lips, and Daniel was mesmerized. I saw Leo running to me, terrified, letting go of Danielâs hand.
It was as if time had stopped. I couldnât breathe because I felt distant for a second and was worried about the shock my younger brothers would have received.
I am only 14 years old, Edward is 13, Daniel is 10, and Leo is eight.
âYes. Bankruptcy.â
Iâm afraid that weâre the only ones left in the world. Weâll be broke without a single legacy left behind?
Thatâs absurd.
âOh, why was it bankrupt? Herrington Hotel was running wellâŠâ
âYour father embezzled the Herrington Hotelâs public funds, which led to bankruptcy because he couldnât pay back the Coopers.â
âBut⊠Iâm sure we have a lawyer too. And⊠And⊠Itâs ridiculous that such a big hotel goes bankrupt overnight.â
âYour lawyer gave up his defense and ran away. Anyway, this house was sold to the Tracy family, so youâll have to vacate it within a week. Hereâs the relevant document.â
Kevin Reed forced a briefcase into my hand.
I opened the envelope with trembling hands and checked the documents.
I could hardly understand it because it was difficult and full of unknown terms, but I could tell that something big had happened.
âWell, hold on! Then what will happen to us?â
My father and mother were only children from their families, so we didnât have a single relative to go to.
As soon as the funeral was over, I didnât know the four of us would have a problem of where and how to live in the future.
I felt distant in front of me, and my hand held Leo tight. I felt suffocated by anxiety and fear.
âAccording to the policy of the authorities, you will enter the childcare center.â
âChildcare centerâŠâ
Edward muttered softly.
âNo way.â
Sensitive Edward, delicate Daniel, and fearful Leo cannot adapt to the nursery.
No, Iâm not confident in the first place. I have lived as a daughter of a rich family all my life.
Iâve only seen, used, and dealt with the best, most expensive, and precious things in the world, and I canât believe Iâm going to a nursery.
âWhat do we eat to live?â
I will be an adult in four years. Even if I enter a nursery, I will have to find a job again in four years, but what do I do to eat?
Even if women in the upper class marry the same upper class or live a comfortable life in society, they even do business through enormous capital.
âIâve never learned how to survive bankruptcy.â
I felt at a loss in front of me and wanted to cry. My lower jaw trembled with tears. Then Mr. Reed said to me.
âCoopers has long wanted a daughter.â
âWhat?â
âThey kept trying to give birth to a daughter, but now they have four sons.â
ââŠâ
âCoopers want to propose to you as their adoptive daughter. MoreoverâŠâ
âWhatâŠâ
âAt least it would be better than a nursery. You donât have to worry about making a living.â
âWhat about my younger brothers?â
âThe house has enough sons, so they donât need any more boys.â
Mr. Reed tapped me on the shoulder and passed by me. The younger brothersâ eyes were on me. My heart beated wildly.