TMKC 09

Chapter 09

Too Much Karma to Confess

“What? That guy came looking for you?”

A little later, Rose also heard about what had happened with Charles.

“Was everything okay?”
“Yes, nothing happened.”
“Even though that guy came looking for you, I didn’t know anything! You were holed up at home!”

Rose’s face turned bright red as she fumed.

Taking this opportunity, Dorothy told Rose a lot of things:
The engagement and the broken engagement.
Her mother leaving when she was pregnant.
Her mother passing away when Dorothy was still a child.

Hearing this, Rose felt the pain and sorrow as if it were her own.

“Sniff… so you lived a poor life with just your mother?”

Perhaps letting her imagination run wild for a moment, Rose dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief and asked.

Why is she suddenly crying?

Dorothy blinked and explained:

“No? My mother was actually quite capable in business, so we were able to live on our own just the two of us.”
“So you weren’t hurt by your mother? Or had a bad childhood? Maybe… maybe her early death was because of some trauma from back then?”

“Why does it have to be so extreme? My mother was eight years older than my father, so if anyone got hurt, it was him. I’ve heard nothing about my mother being hurt. And I was her one and only precious darling, after all.”

Contrary to what Rose worried, Dorothy had grown up receiving plenty of love and explained her past plainly.

“…Ah.”

Feeling belatedly embarrassed, Rose coughed awkwardly.

“But don’t worry from now on. I’m here. I’ll handle that Charles or whatever so you won’t have to deal with him again.”

“Handle him? We really broke up cleanly.”

Dorothy thought she had resolved the Charles issue properly.
They had come to an agreement, even with money exchanged.
And after their last conversation, hadn’t her relationship with Charles completely ended?

But Rose protested.

“Blood is thicker than water, and more annoying than that is an ex.”

Whether it’s your father, or that man you broke off your engagement with, it’s not something you can just neatly sort out.

“You need to take a firm stance. To protect you!”

Rose said with a determined expression as if making a vow.

Then Brandon’s voice came from behind.

He had said he was going to the capital, but he had already returned.

“How can someone who just stays at home protect Dorothy?”
“……”

“Ha-ha, for reference, I’m asking without malice.”

Brandon approached with his hands behind his back and gave Dorothy a bright smile.

The same smile she had seen a few days ago that seemed to light up everything around him.

“Hello, Dorothy.”

A few days ago, Dorothy had been deeply moved by him.
A wonderful person who fights evil without hesitation or sacrifice.

But even so, that smile was slightly overwhelming for Dorothy.

“Oh… hello… thank you for your hard work.”

It felt like he was smiling every time their eyes met—was it just her imagination?

Greeting him reluctantly, his smile grew even warmer.

Even though there was plenty of space, Brandon deliberately sat next to Dorothy.

“So? How are you going to help Dorothy by staying cooped up at home?”

Then, with a calm expression, he caught Rose off guard.

“That’s none of your business…”
“I brought some cookies from the capital. Would you like to try them, Dorothy?”

Of course, the problem was that he didn’t even seem to want an answer.

“And I also brought some tea leaves that go well with the cookies.”

“No, she just answered.”

“I kind of guessed what she’d say.”

He answered nonchalantly with a bright smile.

“The weather’s gotten pretty cold. Would you like a blanket? How about it?”

Brandon cared for Dorothy attentively.
Refilling her empty teacup.
Or lending her a handkerchief.

Of course, Dorothy was very grateful for his kindness.
But at the same time, she felt like she was sitting on a bed of thorns.

“Why ask if you’re not going to listen to the answer!”

What if Rose got mad?
Had the siblings had an argument without her knowing?

Dorothy couldn’t hide her anxiety.

“Hey, Brandon!”

At that moment, Rose raised her voice.

The worry she had feared had finally erupted.

Dorothy closed her eyes tightly, waiting for Rose’s outburst of anger.

“Why are you suddenly being so nice? Did you eat something bad?”
“No, are you mad because I’m being nice?”

She thought he would get angry without even hearing the answer.
That was a huge misunderstanding.

“What’s wrong with you? Do you want to die? Why are you doing things you normally wouldn’t?”
“Aren’t you mad because I didn’t answer?”
“She never listens to me anyway.”
“…Ah.”

Now that she thought about it, that was true.

When Dorothy briefly stepped away at Mrs. Horton’s call, Rose bristled like a cat and kept her guard up against Brandon.

On the other hand, Brandon slouched on the sofa, looking bored to death.
A completely different face from when Dorothy was around.

“What are you, seriously?”

Rose shot a sharp question at her younger brother.

“What do you mean?”
“Have you ever bought cookies thinking of someone else? What? And give them a blanket?”

Muttering about the shocking scene she had just witnessed, Rose continued:

“As soon as I saw it, I got goosebumps…”

Others might have thought it exaggerated, but not with Brandon Kaishner.
Rose knew very well how extreme her brother’s personality could be.

“If you have any intention with Dorothy, I won’t forgive you. I’ll really be angry. I’ll curse you even after death.”

Normally, she might have shouted, but unexpectedly, Rose’s warning was calm.
She was that serious.

“If you’re just teasing or suspecting unnecessarily, I won’t let it slide. Understand?”

This was the first friend she ever had.
Being with Dorothy made her feel like an ordinary woman in her twenties.
Even sharing snacks and spending trivial moments together was precious.
She wanted to protect this daily life.
She couldn’t lose the luck that had miraculously come into her hands.

“Don’t drag Dorothy into your pointless pranks. If your life is boring, find some other poor victim.”

Brandon was suspicious by nature.
He also had powerful information-gathering skills.
He was capable of reciting a person’s entire life story.
As a result, many were affected, especially those not related.

“If you touch Dorothy as a joke, I won’t forgive you.”

So she thought this case was similar.
She assumed he had unnecessary suspicion about Dorothy.
She didn’t want to ruin a friend over baseless suspicion.

“…A joke?”

But Brandon’s response shattered Rose’s expectation.

“I didn’t really do any joking.”
“…What?”
“I didn’t do anything you should worry about. No unnecessary background checks or anything like that.”

Judging by his expression, he was telling the truth.

Rose blinked.

“Then why are you smiling at him?”
“I’m just naturally smiling.”
“No! That’s not what I meant…”

When Dorothy’s name was mentioned, Brandon’s expression brightened.

“She’s really an interesting person. Someone who looks like me isn’t common, right?”

Brandon was genuinely smiling.
Not a fake, masked smile.
He was smiling genuinely, teeth showing, in a good mood.

“But then she looks at me like it’s overwhelming? How can someone be like that? It’s thrilling…”

Seeing her brother’s beaming face made her stomach churn.

Of course, Brandon knew his appearance was a good weapon.
Pretending, smiling, and charming people with a fake persona was easy for him.

“No, why are you acting like that toward Dorothy!”

She felt the situation was getting worse.
Her brother was making that face thinking of a girl.
And smiling like that?

“Her pink hair is fascinating, and her nose is so cute.”
“Hey… act normal.”
“I am acting normal.”

The problem was he didn’t even seem aware of what he was saying.
Dorothy? My friend?
Him?

“Don’t you feel something’s off? Don’t you know what you’re saying?”
“Why? What’s weird?”

Brandon tilted his head in confusion.
At the same time, Rose felt her heart drop.

Oh no.

“You can’t even feel it yourself… never mind.”

Rose muttered, her face pale.