They returned to the corner pillar where they had been earlier, their footsteps much faster than when they had left. Arven walked ahead, leading the way, while Sia followed behind him with her thoughts in complete disarray.
Sia's heart was still pounding relentlessly inside her chest. The scene she had just witnessed near the gift table kept replaying in her mind like a broken recording forced to play over and over again. Garin and Liam. Standing side by side, smiling, and being photographed together as a couple. The more she thought about it, the harder it became for Sia to accept that reality.
When they arrived back where Lira was waiting, the ice-cold girl immediately lifted her gaze from the drink she was holding. Her eyes shifted from Arven before settling directly on Sia. In just a second, Lira was able to read the situation. The pale, shocked expression on Sia's face explained everything without the need for words.
Without realizing it and without thinking clearly, Sia quickly approached Lira and firmly grabbed both of the girl's shoulders. "Lira!" her voice squeaked, slightly higher and more trembling than usual. "What exactly is going on? Why are they-"
Lira did not move even the slightest bit. Her expression remained blank, but her eyes suddenly became sharper and more piercing. "Let go," Lira interrupted in a low voice.
The voice was neither loud nor threatening, yet its cold intensity was enough to snap Sia's awareness back to reality. Sia's eyes widened slightly, as though she had only just realized the impulsive thing she had done to Lira.
"A-Ah..." Sia immediately withdrew her hands nervously. "Sorry..." She stepped back, her breathing still uneven.
Lira calmly adjusted the shoulder area of her dress, which had become slightly wrinkled from Sia's grip. "I understand that you're shocked," she said in a controlled tone. "But grabbing people is not a polite way to ask for an explanation."
"Sorry," Sia lowered her head regretfully.
Arven let out a quiet sigh, trying to ease the tension between the two girls. "It's better if we leave this room. It's too crowded here." The boy glanced around the hall, which was still filled with lively conversations and music. "If we're going to discuss something serious, we'd better find a place that isn't packed with a hundred people who love eavesdropping."
"That's a good idea," Lira agreed.
The three of them began walking, intending to head toward the hall's exit that led outside. However, after only a few steps, a very familiar voice called out from behind them.
"Huh? What's this? Why are you guys leaving?"
The three of them turned around at the same time. There was Garin, jogging lightly toward them. The cheerful smile that had never left her beautiful face throughout the party was still there as usual.
However, Garin's steps gradually slowed when she noticed the strange expression on Sia's face. The broad smile on Garin's lips slowly faded. "Huh...?" Garin blinked in confusion.
The look in Sia's eyes, filled with disbelief and deep concern, suddenly made Garin feel uncomfortable. She felt as though Sia had just discovered a dark secret that was supposed to remain hidden.
"What's wrong with you guys? Why do your faces look so serious?" Garin asked softly, trying to lighten the mood. None of them answered.
*
"Are you... really engaged to Liam?"
Sia's trembling voice finally broke the silence of the night. They were now standing on a spacious balcony directly connected to the main hall. The night breeze blew gently, making the garden lights below sparkle beautifully.
Yet none of the four teenagers had any interest in enjoying the view. Sia's entire focus remained locked on Garin.
Garin remained silent for a few moments, staring at the balcony railing before finally nodding slowly. "Yeah," she answered briefly. That answer felt tons heavier than it should have.
Sia shook her head, looking at Garin with wounded eyes. "...Why, Garin?"
Garin laughed softly. However, it was the kind of hollow laugh that did not sound happy to anyone who heard it. "If I knew how to answer that simply, maybe my life would be a lot easier right now."
She leaned her back against the balcony railing, her gaze drifting blankly toward the garden below. "It's an arranged marriage for business."
Sia fell silent instantly, her tongue suddenly unable to form words.
"I've already tried to cancel it," Garin continued, a bitter smile appearing on her lips. "Seriously, I really tried everything. But... I failed."
Lira crossed her arms over her chest, staring straight ahead with an unreadable expression, as though she had heard this complaint and story of failure countless times from Garin before.
"They know exactly what Liam is really like," Garin continued, the corners of her lips lowering slightly. "My father knows, my mother knows too. But apparently, politics and business relationships are far more important to them than their own daughter's future happiness."
The silence of the night settled over the balcony once again. No one knew what to say to comfort Garin, not even Arven. Usually, he could always find a joke or the right words to lighten the mood, but this time he simply remained silent, his eyes dark with something mysterious.
Sia slowly lowered her gaze. Her mind was suddenly dragged back to the horrifying memory of that warehouse several days ago. The pain of having her hair pulled, the sting of Liam's slap across her cheek, and the disgusting feeling of those hands sliding across her jacket in the suffocating darkness. Every flash of that trauma made her entire body shudder.
Sia's hands resting on the balcony railing slowly clenched into fists until her knuckles turned white. How was it possible? How could someone as kind-hearted and cheerful as Garin be forced to spend the rest of her life tied to a cruel monster like Liam? It made no sense. It was unfair. Completely unfair to Garin.
"...Is there really no way to change it anymore?" Sia asked in a soft voice filled with despair.
Garin did not answer immediately. Several seconds passed beneath the night breeze before she finally nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's final."
Only three words, yet their impact was enough to destroy the last bit of hope Sia had been holding onto in her heart. Heavy silence once again engulfed the four of them. No one spoke, and no one moved from where they stood.
Until finally, Garin let out a long, heavy sigh. She suddenly raised both hands and slapped her own cheeks quite hard. "Alright, enough!" she exclaimed, forcing a bright smile back onto her increasingly fragile face. "Tonight is my birthday party, okay? I don't want the mood to stay all gloomy and depressing like this."
Garin turned toward Sia, quickly changing the subject before her composure could crumble. "By the way..." Garin pointed at Sia with her index finger. "How was the driver I sent to pick you up earlier? He was nice, right? He didn't speed on the road or make you carsick, did he?"
Sia immediately realized what was happening. Garin was desperately changing the topic. She was trying so hard to bring their friendship back to normal, forcing herself to smile even though her own heart might be shattered into pieces inside.
And because she respected that brave facade... Sia chose to let it go. She decided not to expose her friend's small effort.
Sia stared at Garin's face for a few moments before forcing a faint smile onto her lips. "No," Sia answered softly, carefully controlling her voice. "There weren't any problems at all."
Garin visibly let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good. If you got sick or injured because of the driver I sent, your mom could morally sue me."
Arven raised an eyebrow, trying to help restore their relaxed atmosphere. "Legally too, probably."
"Wow, that would be even worse," Garin replied dramatically with a groan.
Meanwhile, Lira simply rolled her eyes lazily as she watched the ridiculous exchange in front of her.
Just as the heavy atmosphere on the balcony finally began to lighten a little, a voice interrupted them.
"Garin."
The voice of a woman, gentle yet filled with authority, drifted from the balcony entrance. The four teenagers turned simultaneously.
A middle-aged woman was approaching them with incredibly graceful steps. The elegant evening gown she wore swayed softly with her movements, while a warm smile adorned her beautiful face that looked strikingly familiar, or rather, very similar to Garin's.
"Mom," Garin greeted, immediately stepping away from the balcony railing.
The woman named Alena smiled warmly when she finally reached them. "So this is where you've all been hiding." Her eyes immediately shifted toward Arven and Lira, making her smile widen. "Arven, Lira."
"Good evening, Aunt Alena," Arven greeted politely, bowing slightly. Meanwhile, Lira simply gave a small nod as she replied, "Good evening, Aunt."
"I'm very happy to see both of you here tonight," Alena replied sincerely. Her attention then shifted toward her daughter. She stepped forward and gently patted Garin's arm. "The event is about to begin, Garin. All the guests have already started gathering in the main hall."
Garin immediately winced guiltily. "Oops... yeah, I completely lost track of time."
"You always do."
"It's called a natural talent, Mom."
"And that's absolutely not something you should be proud of," Alena replied, causing Arven to chuckle softly. Even Lira seemed to turn her face slightly away to hide the faint twitch at the corner of her lips.
While the warm conversation continued, Sia simply stood quietly in her place. Her eyes carefully observed the middle-aged woman before her. So... this is Garin's mother?
In an instant, Sia's memory was thrown back to the scene near the gift table several minutes ago. Two middle-aged women standing behind the photographer, watching Liam and Garin's photo session with obvious satisfaction. One of them had been this dignified woman.
Then... the other woman... was she Liam's mother?
The thought appeared so suddenly that it made Sia's chest tighten with discomfort once again. However, she did not have time to dwell on that speculation because Aunt Alena suddenly shifted her gaze directly toward her.
"Hm?" The woman seemed to think for a moment, looking Sia up and down with a faint frown. Then she turned toward Garin. "As for this beautiful young lady..." Her eyes returned to Sia with a friendly sparkle. "I don't think I've ever seen her around the neighborhood before. A new friend of yours, Garin?"
"Oh!" Garin immediately looked excited. "Yes, Mom!"
Without any warning, Garin stepped beside Sia and placed both hands on the girl's shoulders, giving them an affectionate squeeze. Sia's body instantly stiffened from the sudden physical contact.
"This is Sia!" Garin introduced her friend with obvious pride. "She's my schoolmate, and she's also a very, very good friend of mine!"
Sia nearly choked on her own saliva after hearing such overwhelming praise. "G-Garin, don't exaggerate..." she whispered awkwardly.
But Garin completely ignored the protest. "Sia, this is my mother."
Alena remained silent for a few moments, carefully observing Sia. Being examined so intensely by a high-class woman suddenly filled Sia with overwhelming nervousness. Her fingers intertwined anxiously behind the folds of her dress.
This was the first time Sia had stood this close to someone from a world that felt so foreign and distant from her own dark reality.
Several seconds passed in silence that felt painfully tense for Sia. Then, Aunt Alena smiled far more brightly than before.
"So you're Sia," Alena said warmly. "Garin talks about you all the time at home."
Sia's eyes widened in surprise. "...Huh? Really?"
"Even though most of this child's stories never seem to have a clear beginning or ending," Alena continued while giving her daughter a lazy glance as Garin visibly grew embarrassed. "At the very least, I know she's truly happy that she finally found a new friend like you."
Garin immediately covered her face with both hands and groaned in embarrassment. "Mom... why would you reveal classified information right in front of the person herself?"
"Because honesty is a virtue." Alena replied casually.
"Don't drag virtue into this!"
Alena simply laughed softly and ignored her daughter's dramatic complaint. She returned her attention to Sia. "Thank you, Sia, for taking the time to come to Garin's birthday party tonight."
Hearing such sincere gratitude, Sia immediately shook her head in panic, feeling uncomfortable. "N-No, Auntie... I should be the one thanking you for inviting me to a place this luxurious..."
"Good," Alena nodded in satisfaction, gently cutting off Sia's self-deprecating response. "Then don't feel awkward or out of place here anymore, alright? Just think of it as spending time and having fun with your friends as usual."
She gently rubbed Garin's shoulder before looking back at Sia. "If anything happens or if something makes you uncomfortable, go find Garin immediately." Then she added with a friendly wink, "Or you can come find Auntie directly."
Sia blinked several times, suddenly feeling emotional. Throughout her life filled with rejection and bullying, she had never grown accustomed to receiving such sincere kindness from an adult she had only just met. "…Yes, Auntie," Sia answered softly, her voice small but genuine. "Thank you very much."
Aunt Alena nodded approvingly. "That's better." She then glanced at the four teenagers one by one with a warning look. "Now, let's all head back inside the hall. The event will begin in a matter of minutes. If you stay out here on the balcony for too long, people inside might think Garin has run away from her own birthday party."
"I was actually considering it," Garin muttered under her breath.
"And because I know exactly what you're like, I will not be giving you a second chance to escape tonight, Garin," Alena replied sharply yet playfully.
Garin let out an overly dramatic sigh toward her friends. "See? My life in this house is full of oppression."
"What a tragic fate," Arven replied with heavy sarcasm.
"Right? Finally, someone sympathizes with me!"
"No, I was joking," Arven quickly correction.
"That's so mean!"
Arven burst out laughing, while Lira could only shake her head at their ridiculous behavior. Alena herself chuckled softly before finally turning around and walking ahead of them. "Come on, get inside."
"Yes, Boss Mom," Garin replied obediently.
The five of them then walked together, returning to the grandeur of the party, which now felt just a little warmer for Sia.