Chapter 14: The Hope She Couldn’t Say Aloud

Lumi stared at the dress laid across her bed.

It was probably the prettiest piece of clothing she had ever been given. The fabric was soft, the design was elegant, and even the small details were carefully made. This was the first time she could wear something this beautiful.

And yet, she would be wearing it on an occasion where she was not even allowed to be herself.

The week had not passed quickly for her.

She had been locked inside her own room the entire time, with no phone, no news, and barely enough food to get through each day. There was no way for her to know what had happened outside, whether Evan had returned to the Pei residence, or whether the Fated Bonding Ceremony was still going to happen.

Although, judging from the way her family had treated her, she already knew the answer.

It was happening.

Lumi reached out and slowly touched the fabric of the dress. She still remembered her mother’s words when she tossed it onto the bed without even looking at her.

"Get ready... and make sure to cover the black spot under your eye."

That was her mother’s exact words when she tossed the dress onto her bed. She didn’t even want to call it a "beauty mark." To her, it was nothing more than a black spot that needed to be covered so Celestine could look exactly like Lumi.

Lumi eventually changed into the dress and fixed her hair as she had been instructed. Once everything was ready, she slowly opened the door and walked out of her room.

She made her way down the stairs, her fingers lightly gathering the fabric of her dress. But the moment she reached the bottom, her eyes immediately landed on Celestine.

Lumi stopped.

Celestine was standing near the dining room, already dressed for the ceremony.

And she looked... beautiful.

Her dress was elegant, the fabric clearly far more expensive than anything Lumi usually wore, and every detail had been carefully designed to suit her perfectly.

Lumi blinked.

Wasn’t Celestine supposed to be pretending to be her today?

Then why was she wearing a dress like that?

If she was really going to act as Lumi, shouldn’t she be wearing the same kind of plain and outdated clothes Lumi had always been given?

Lumi’s gaze slowly moved upward as her heart sank.

Celestine’s hair had been straightened, just like hers. And beneath her right eye was the small beauty mark that was supposed to belong only to Lumi.

Lumi unconsciously touched the area beneath her own eye, which she had already covered with concealer.

They had copied everything they could from her appearance, yet somehow, they couldn’t bring themselves to let Celestine wear something Lumi usually wore.

She pressed her lips together, forcing a smile as she walked toward them, when Celestine suddenly looked at her in anger.

"Mother!" she shouted, calling for Esther’s attention. "She cut her hair!"

Esther and Felix turned at the same time, their expressions immediately changing.

"Why did you cut your hair?!" Esther rushed forward and lunged toward Lumi, grabbing a handful of her short hair.

Lumi winced as her head was pulled backward.

"Are you being rebellious now?!" Esther snapped. "What an ungrateful child!"

"Mother..." Lumi bit her lip, trying to hold back both her sadness and anger. "I’ve already cut my hair for a week... Did you only notice it now?"

Esther’s hand paused for a moment.

Lumi lowered her gaze, her voice becoming even quieter.

"You didn’t say anything when you locked me in my room... You didn’t say anything when you brought me food..." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "So why is it suddenly a problem today?"

Esther’s expression twisted with anger. "You still dare to talk back to me?!"

Her hand suddenly rose, aiming straight for Lumi’s face.

Lumi instinctively flinched and closed her eyes, her body tensing as she waited for the slap.

But before Esther’s hand could reach her, Felix quickly caught her wrist. "Enough."

Esther turned toward him furiously. "Let go of me! She did this on purpose! How are we supposed to make Celestine look like her when she suddenly cuts her hair short?!"

Felix’s grip tightened around her wrist as he lowered her hand. "If you leave any mark on her face, it will be suspicious."

Esther froze.

Felix glanced toward Lumi, his expression cold as his eyes briefly examined her face.

"Today is the Fated Bonding Ceremony. Do you think Evan won’t notice if the girl who is supposed to be acting as Celestine suddenly has a slap mark on her face?"

Esther’s expression remained unpleasant, but she finally pulled her hand away and glared at Lumi.

"Then she should have thought about that before cutting her hair!"

"Mother..." Celestine spoke softly, her eyes still fixed on Lumi’s short hair. "What are we going to do now?"

Felix frowned.

He had already expected some differences between the twins, but Lumi’s short hair was something they had overlooked. Evan had already noticed the difference in their styles before, and now that he was determined to make Lumi his Fated Guide, even the smallest detail could become a problem.

"Just let it be..." Felix finally said, his expression darkening. "We can simply say Celestine cut her hair because she wanted a change of mood or something."

His sharp gaze shifted toward Lumi.

Lumi’s body trembled slightly under his stare, and she immediately lowered her head.

"Y-yes..." she whispered.

Felix continued staring at her for another moment before turning toward Celestine, "Just make sure everything else is perfect. The way you talk, act, your hair, the beauty mark... Everything has to look exactly like hers."

Celestine nodded obediently. "I understand, Father."

Lumi remained silent beside them, her fingers tightly gripping the fabric of her dress.

"And you..." Felix suddenly pointed at her, making Lumi flinch. "If you act out of line... you know what will happen later..."

Lumi looked at Felix and gulped before nodding weakly. "Yes, Father..."

If Esther always showed her hatred through harsh words and a raised hand, Felix was different.

He rarely shouted at her. He rarely needed to. A single look from him was enough to make Lumi remember what would happen whenever she disobeyed him.

His punishments were always quiet, deliberate, and carried out behind closed doors where no one else could see.

She gazed down at the floor, praying for her only hope of getting out of this miserable life, Evan Caesar.