CHAPTER 274: BUILD THE LOVE

Zilia ended up waking up late and hurried for a bath. Once done, she got ready and reached downstairs only to find from a maid that Casaio had already gone to the palace.

"I see."

"Madam, I’ll set breakfast for you," the maid said politely.

"Thank you," Zilia replied and watched her leave. She returned to the bedroom and checked her phone, thinking Casaio might have left a message on it.

However, there was none. Though Idris’ message made her smile. Lowering her hand, she headed to the dining room.

After having her breakfast in quiet, Zilia thanked the maids and went outside toward the pool area. She lowered herself into the chair in a relaxed posture.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when her phone buzzed. It was an unknown number, so she was hesitating a bit to answer it. The past memories, where she used to get such calls, made her shiver. What if her former master was the one making someone call? Cold sweat formed on her nape and forehead.

Finally, Zilia answered the call and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello," she answered in a trembling voice.

"Hi! It’s me, Amelie," came a soft voice from the other side.

"Amelie?" Zilia was surprised to get a call from her.

"Yes. I took your number from Brother Casaio. I wanted to ask about Idris. I heard that he’s admitted to a school," Amelie stated.

"Idris is doing fine. Yes, he’s in the school now. Thank you, Amelie, for not making my brother feel alone. I truly mean it," Zilia expressed her gratitude.

"I wish I could do more for him. But we couldn’t stay long in the palace," Amelie murmured, missing Idris around her. They used to play games, do paintings, or watch TV together.

"Whatever you did was more than enough, Amelie. I’m truly grateful. I’ll send you Idris’s number. You can talk to him whenever you want," Zilia opined.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you."

Then, an awkward silence prevailed over them for a few seconds.

"I hope things are now going well between you and Brother Casaio," said Amelie.

"I don’t know what’s in Casaio’s mind anymore. I betrayed him. He’s heartbroken, and I’ve no idea how to turn everything right between us. I don’t even know if I deserve him. I want to push myself away, but he’s not ready to leave me."

Zilia had no one around her to share things with. Now, Amelie was the only person on whom she could trust even with closed eyes.

"Maybe you should forget what happened in the past," Amelie suggested. "Indeed, what you did was worse. Brother Casaio had a lot of faith in his love. But given your circumstances, I think it must be difficult to choose between a man you love and the brother you had to protect. You’ve got your own struggles to deal with. It was no easy feat."

Zilia keenly listened to her, accepting that Amelie was right.

"Don’t stay in guilt anymore. Make small efforts to win Brother Casaio’s heart once again. Also, build the love that brought you so far. I don’t know much about you, but you’re really strong. It’s not easy to endure something for ten years while knowing the fact that your bond might break someday. Consider this as a second chance from the Moon Goddess."

Zilia’s eyes brimmed with tears. "Thank you, Amelie. Your kind words truly brought peace to my restless heart and mind. I’ve been so confused and scared about everything. What I did was unforgivable. I didn’t know how to even make an effort anymore. But I think I know now," Zilia said, tears trickling down her cheeks.

Amelie hummed. "I wish the best for you. Bye." The call ended, and Zilia pulled the device away.

She wiped the tears from the back of her palms, feeling much more relieved. It felt like a heavy burden of regret, pain, and all the negative emotions was lifted from her shoulders.

~~~~

Amelie lowered the phone when she heard a soft knock on the door, followed by a feminine voice.

"Madam, your sister is here," the servant told her.

Amelie was quick to open the door and went downstairs. She saw that Flora was already seated on the sofa.

"Flora! How did the interview go?" she asked.

Flora promptly rose to her feet. "It was good. I couldn’t answer a few questions, but I think I gave my best."

"That means you’ll be selected," Amelie said.

"But there were better candidates than me. I think I might not be selected," Flora murmured, feeling suddenly low.

"Don’t say that. The results aren’t even out," Amelie stated.

"It’s a big company. Why would they choose someone like me, who couldn’t even answer all the questions properly?" Flora muttered as she walked toward her sister and gently made her sit on the sofa. She sank down beside her, fiddling with her fingers. "You know... I think the interviewer knew who I was."

Amelie’s brows furrowed. "What do you mean?" she asked, turning slightly to face her.

Flora looked down. "He glanced at my surname and... I don’t know. He seemed a bit displeased. Maybe I was just overthinking it. But the truth is, I don’t have a good image. I’ve done horrible things... to you."

"Flora," Amelie said, "I don’t think the interviewer would judge you for the past. And it’s not even certain that he recognized you. Don’t jump to conclusions, okay?"

She turned toward the servant standing nearby and smiled. "Let’s eat something sweet. How about some apple pie?"

"Please bring us two apple pies," Amelie added kindly.

The servant gave a polite nod and left for the kitchen.

A moment later, Flora leaned in and wrapped her arms around Amelie tightly. Her voice trembled slightly. "You’re too kind to me..."

’I can’t even explain it to you... how some candidates recognized me just by hearing my name. I’ve brought all this on myself. Being alive... it’s harder than I ever thought. But I won’t run away. I won’t leave any of you again. I have to prove it, to all of you, but most of all to you, Amelie... that I’m truly using this second chance the way I should.’