10 The Past

The next morning, Sera awoke with a pounding headache. Not only had she ventured into the dark forest in the middle of the night, but she also took her sweet time returning to her village house.

The morning sunrays assaulted her eyes before she could find proper rest.

"Sister, Genghis is here! Open the door!" Emerald's voice echoed through her bedroom door.

"Mm, I feel sick, Em," she croaked in response.

Emerald's footsteps gradually faded away. Sera couldn't resist the temptation to close her eyes once more.

Unintentionally, she drifted off into a deep slumber. The exhaustion from her nighttime excursion finally caught up with her. However, her peaceful sleep was abruptly interrupted yet again.

"Sera, wake up," her dear friend called out.

Kara rapped on the door with urgency, startling Sera. She squinted her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. The sunlight rudely greeted her face.

She sat up in bed, still dizzy from the lack of proper sleep. She was certain her fatigue would be evident on her face. Summoning her strength, she rose to her feet.

Sera's figure was smaller compared to Jane's. Jane possessed the body of a queen—strong and healthy. Jane had broad shoulders, while Sera's were slightly more slender. Nevertheless, her form was still remarkable, whether perceived as fragile or not.

She made her way towards the door and opened it in one swift motion.

"Yes?" she inquired, her voice unchanged but tinged with illness.

Kara hurriedly entered and closed the door behind her. Her expression displayed clear signs of worry, and her body language exuded anxiety.

"You look terrible," were the first words to escape Kara's lips.

Sera nodded quickly, her eyes still struggling to fully open. She took a seat in the nearest chair and clutched her head with her hands.

"Did you not get enough sleep?" Kara asked once more.

"I believe that might be the issue."

"We have bigger problems," Kara whispered, her eyes darting towards the window. Her movements froze as she continued to observe something outside.

Sera leaned forward, aligning her line of sight with Kara's. She saw unfamiliar men engaging in conversation with her father. Their faces beamed with wide smiles, laughter filling the air. Their mouths moved animatedly, displaying rows of gleaming teeth.

"Who are these men? They're not villagers?" Sera inquired.

Grateful for the ceremony held the day before, Sera had taken the opportunity to carefully observe each villager. The men made it easier for her, as they incessantly cast admiring glances in her direction, treating her as if she were a precious diamond.

The elevated expectations stemmed from the fact that Sera was destined to be the savior of the village. Everyone relied on her to uphold the village's reputation.

However, the pressing question remained: who were these men?

"No, they're not. Genghis is here, Sera. You need to be ready as soon as possible. Uh, those are his brothers. Your soon-to-be in-laws. Now, now. Get ready, I have something to tell you afterward," Kara explained, avoiding direct eye contact and scanning the surroundings.

Sera silently nodded in response.

In a blink of an eye, Sera found herself donning a vibrant summer gown. The lace adorned the bodice, accentuating her slender figure.

"Let me style your hair," Kara offered as soon as Sera emerged from her room. Kara wasn't astonished or taken aback by her friend's beauty. Sera had always been the stunning one in their circle of friends, receiving endless compliments about her perfect body and face. Kara admired Sera for qualities that ran deeper than her physical appearance.

Kara understood Sera's sensitivity and vulnerability, which made her believe that Sera would always need her by her side.

"Thanks," Sera murmured as Kara began working her magic on her hair.

Gently, Kara ran a comb through Sera's golden waves. The tresses gracefully fit within her petite hand as she created beautiful patterns with the comb.

"Sera..."

"Hm?"

Sera gazed at Kara through the mirror, noticing tears welling up in her friend's eyes.

"What's wrong?" she immediately inquired. "Why are you crying?"

Kara sniffed and attempted to wipe away her tears.

"I just want you to know that whatever happens today... it will be for the best. Just be mentally prepared. I know how your mother always looked after you the most. Despite having so many children to care for, she always prioritized you as her only child," Kara humbly expressed.

Indeed, Sera had four other siblings apart from Kara. However, Kara had also lived under the same roof as Sera since childhood.

Nonetheless, all of Sera's siblings resided in different parts of the village.

"What is about to happen?" Sera inquired, locking her gaze with Kara's.

Kara possessed knowledge that Sera lacked, and Sera yearned to uncover it. With every step she took outside the room, anything could transpire. In the three days she had spent there, she became engaged, and unexpected events unfolded in rapid succession. Having at least one piece of information could assist her on multiple levels, but what was Kara hiding?

"Tell me, Kara..." Sera sighed deeply. "That could possibly be the only thing you can do for me. I don't know what's about to happen, and my future is uncertain. It feels like every day I wake up and throw darts in the darkness. So, please, just tell me," she pleaded.

Kara shook her head. "Fine, Genghis is here to... take you to his house-"

"What? Why? I thought that happens after the wedding?"

Kara nodded. "Normally, yes. But this is not normal, Sera. He is an old man who has been waiting a long time to get married. Do you even know why you're marrying that old man?" she questioned.

Sera shook her head.

All these questions had been swirling in her mind, but there were more pressing matters she needed to attend to. She had been too preoccupied with thoughts of the future and had forgotten to ask questions or seek reasons.

All she knew was that she was entering into an arranged marriage for the sake of her village. Beyond that, she knew nothing.

"Genghis requested your hand in marriage when you were three years old," Kara explained.

"What? That's sick!"

"Not technically. This happened twenty years ago, Sera. Your mother and father had nothing but their children. They needed to provide for all of you. So, the deal was the village's future in exchange for the land we're living on. The land came with the fields, and thus, life continued. But yes, your mother had forgotten about it until two weeks before she passed away..." Kara paused, sighing before continuing, "Genghis met her."

"Yeah, I can piece together the rest."

Sera sighed.

"Why do I have to go to their house today?" she inquired.

"It's tradition for you to reside near them until two nights before the wedding. The tradition is for you to learn about household matters, to ensure you won't shirk your responsibilities..."

"Hmm," Sera couldn't help but agree. "Does Father agree with it?"

"He doesn't, but he has no choice. However, uh..."

"What?"

"I can come with you."

"Really?" Sera asked.

"Yes, you can request it from Genghis..." Kara said with hopeful eyes. Sera nodded.

She had never envisioned herself in such a situation. But since Damian would be of no help in the future, she had to focus on important matters—such as her marriage to the old man.

And why did Sera have such an unfortunate fate? In the book, it was Lucian—a man who ended up abusing her and making her life a living hell. But now, it was an old man who disgustingly wanted her to bear his children.

"Let's go outside."

-

"Father, she's here," Emerald's small voice rang out as she observed her sister and Kara emerging from the room.

The hall was filled with men and relatives, but noticeably, everyone was old. There was no one Emerald's age to play with or share her favorite belongings.

"Kara, take Em to her room. It's time for her to read," her father instructed, his gaze shifting to Kara.

Emerald's eyes widened, knowing that she was being sent away again. Lately, the adults had been engaged in continuous discussions without her presence.

And most of the time, it had been after Mama was taken by the angels.

What were they talking about?

"Em, let's hurry. I'll bring your favorite book today... The Frogs. Come," Kara said, effortlessly lifting Emerald.

Emerald wrapped her arms around Kara's neck and glanced at Sera, who had kept her gaze fixed on the floor throughout.

"Is Sera in trouble?" she whispered to Kara.