Thick white steam rose from the surface of the hot water, creating a misty curtain that separated the outside world from the silence inside the luxurious private bath. The soothing sound of trickling water clashed with the soft glow of crystal lights on the ceiling, creating an atmosphere that should have been peaceful. However, inside the pool, that tranquility was merely a thin veil covering a storm of emotions ready to explode.
The water rippled gently as Virena moved. Unlike her usual self, where she would keep her distance or simply sit back, this time the eldest sister did something that made Kazien—who was sitting on the other side of the pool—stunned for a moment.
Virena spun around in the water, then casually climbed onto Kazien's lap. She sat straddling him, face-to-face with her younger brother. Without hesitation, Virena leaned forward, resting her chest right against Kazien's broad chest, wrapping her arms around his neck as if she were a koala clinging to a eucalyptus tree. Their wet skin touched, transferring body warmth that mixed with the heat of the bathwater.
"Wow!" Virena exclaimed, her voice muffled in the crook of Kazien's neck before she lifted her face slightly to stare at him from point-blank range. "Your lap really makes me feel comfortable. Broad, sturdy, and warm. No wonder Alvin feels so at home sitting on your lap in this position!"
Virena glanced mischievously at Alvin, then looked back into Kazien's calm eyes. "He must really enjoy this view, right? Being able to look at your handsome face this close, counting every single eyelash without anything in the way."
Kazien just sighed deeply, letting his sister spoil herself. His hands automatically held his sister's waist under the water to keep her balanced so she wouldn't slip. "You're exaggerating, Sis," he muttered flatly.
"Not exaggerating at all," Virena argued, resting her chin back on Kazien's shoulder, enjoying the sensation of her brother's steady heartbeat. "After we get married later, I'll do the same thing to Victor. I'll sit on his lap, rest my chest like this, and stare at his handsome face up close every day until he gets sick of it."
"Do whatever you want, Sis. As long as Victor doesn't mind having a broken waist because you keep sitting on him," Kazien replied sarcastically.
Virena chuckled softly, but the laughter didn't last long. Slowly, she straightened her back slightly, creating a few inches of distance so she could look Kazien in the eye seriously. The atmosphere, which had been warm and playful, suddenly turned cold.
"But..." Virena started her sentence with a much lower tone. "There is one thing I want to ask you, Kazien."
Kazien felt the change in his sister's aura. A bad feeling began to creep up his neck. "What do you want to ask me?"
Virena stared at him intently, a sharp gaze of a sister that seemed capable of stripping her brother's mind bare. "Did you fall for Davin?"
The question came out just like that, without any preamble. The distance between their faces was so close that Kazien couldn't hide the micro-changes in his expression. He was trapped.
"Answer me honestly!" Virena pressed, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Do you like him? Do you have romantic feelings for Davin?"
Silence fell over the bath. Only the sound of water dripping from the bamboo faucet in the corner could be heard. Kazien swallowed hard. He looked into his sister's eyes, looking for a way to lie, but he knew it was useless. At this distance, even the smallest lie would be detected.
Finally, slowly, Kazien nodded. A small nod that was a confession of his greatest sin.
Virena's reaction was instant and terrifying.
The nod made Virena's eyes widen, and then her gaze turned into fury. Her breathing became ragged, her chest—pressed against Kazien's—rising and falling rapidly with exploding emotion. She glared at her own brother with a look filled with rage, as if ready to explode and destroy everything.
Kazien, usually calm and calculating, felt fear creep down his spine. They were too close; he could feel Virena's body heat rising with anger.
"You..." Virena's voice trembled. "You two are biological siblings, you idiot! A relationship by blood is absolutely forbidden! It's taboo!"
Virena gripped Kazien's shoulders tightly, her nails digging in. "Listen to me closely. Even if you threaten suicide, all of us—Mom, Dad, and all your siblings—will never approve of your relationship! It's disgusting and wrong!"
Kazien frowned. The pain in his shoulder was nothing compared to the pain in his heart hearing that absolute rejection. "But..." Kazien tried to defend himself, his voice raising slightly. "When I was in a same-sex relationship with Alvin, you guys didn't react this harshly. You still approved of our relationship, right?"
Kazien glanced briefly at Alvin, then looked back at his sister. "Why is it different with big Brother Davin?"
Virena snorted roughly right in front of Kazien's face. The steam of her breath hit her brother's face. "Of course it's different! That's because you and Alvin aren't blood-related! Gender and race aren't issues for our family, but blood is everything! As long as it isn't marrying your own sibling, we will always support your happiness!"
That explanation slapped Kazien into awareness. Finally, he truly understood the thick wall blocking him. The reason Davin rejected him wasn't a lack of love, but the fear of the same taboo.
However, Kazien's cunning brain never stopped working. His eyes blinked, spawning a crazy idea that had just crossed his mind.
"But," Kazien said softly, staring straight into his sister's fiery eyes. "If one day Brother Davin dies... and then he is reborn into this world—reincarnated—but he bears the Altavis family name or another family's, can I have him then?"
Virena fell silent. She processed the question. Her brother's logic was truly twisted, but technically...
"I guess... that wouldn't be a problem," Virena answered slowly, her tone slightly hesitant. "Because in that condition, he wouldn't be your biological brother physically anymore, but just a distant descendant or a stranger who has his soul."