Deep down, Melly had already known.
She had known from the very first moment she met Lord Rathsture. From the way Lord Aiden gently brushed her hair and called her a clever child every time she answered a question correctly.
She knew from every gesture, every kindness, from the warm clothes given without being asked, and from the hopeful look in their eyes whenever they invited her to dine with them.
That family wanted to adopt her.
And she… she was supposed to be happy. But…
She did not know what to say.
She did not want to leave Riven. Her brother. The only family she had left, the only home she had known in a world that had once been cruel beyond words.
So Melly stayed quiet. She stored everything deep inside her small chest, pretending not to notice, pretending she did not understand.
But Riven…
Riven chose to speak today.
After a long and gentle explanation, after the weight of his serious gaze pressed against her heart, Melly still did not answer. She simply sat in silence, her lips trembling, her eyes vacant. But before she could gather the words she needed, Riven spoke again.
His voice was calmer now, yet filled with a resolve that could not be denied.
"Melly… if you live with them, you can eat good meals every day. You won't have to worry about where we'll sleep at night. You won't have to rub your stomach because we don't have enough coins to buy bread. There will be no more cold nights with torn blankets…"
Riven looked directly into her eyes, and his next words sounded more like a prayer than a statement.
"I don't want you to live like that anymore. I won't let you suffer… just for the sake of a single piece of metal."
That was the breaking point.
Melly lowered her head.
Her small hands clenched. Her lips trembled. But no words came. None could explain what she felt.
Her tears fell without permission.
Soft at first. Then flowing harder.
She cried.
Silently.
The tears came because she did not know whether to refuse or accept. She did not know whether it was selfish to want to stay with her brother, or foolish to turn away from such a chance.
Riven held her. Strong. Warm.
He did not ask for an answer. He did not force one.
Melly wept into his embrace, her small body light but weighed down by emotions that had no language. Her arms clung to his back tightly, as if letting go even for a second would make everything truly fall apart.
"I don't want to be separated from you…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, caught in the trembling of her chest.
Riven closed his eyes and drew a slow breath, steadying the storm inside him. Her embrace reminded him of the first time he held her, when she was only a tiny baby in his frightened, trembling arms.
"Riven…"
Once spoken through the cries of an infant, now spoken by a girl who had grown bright and strong. Yet to Riven, she was still the same child. Still the little Melly who once hid behind him when she was scared, who clung to his clothes when the night was too dark, who smiled simply from having half a loaf of bread and a cup of clean water.
And now, she was crying again.
Not from hunger. Not from fear.
But from the terror of losing him.
Riven bowed his head, his voice quiet but steady. "I know, Melly… I don't want to be separated either."
He took a breath, trying to remain firm even as his heart wavered.
"But I also know I have nothing to give you. I cannot promise a proper home. Or warm meals. Or a future…"
"But I don't care!" Melly burst out between sobs. "I don't need any of that if it means being far from you!"
Riven fell silent.
He knew… she meant every word.
He knew Melly would truly choose hardship with him over comfort without him.
And that was what made it hurt more.
He stroked her hair gently. "Opportunities like this do not come twice, Melly…"
Melly bit her lip, torn between two equally painful paths. She did not want to leave, but she also knew… what her brother said was true.
"What should I do…?" she whispered. "Should I go? Do you want me to leave you?"
Riven lifted her face gently. He looked into her tear-filled eyes, the eyes he always wanted to keep safe, to keep bright.
"This is your life, Melly. I can't decide everything for you anymore. You are old enough to choose what you want. If you want to stay with me… I'll accept it. But if you want to take this chance and go with the Rathsture family…"
He paused. Pain tightened in his chest.
"…I will let you. Because I know one day, you will go into the world and build your own life. And I have to learn… how to let go."
Riven squeezed her hands, gently but firmly.
"And honestly, Melly… that is not an easy thing. Not for me."
Inside, his heart screamed.
'One day, I will have to part from her.'
'Not because I want to… but because she must grow.'
'Because she deserves more than the scraps of my life.'
Melly looked up at her brother's face, seeing a fragile smile that could not hide the tears forming at his lashes.
"…So… you really want me to leave now…?"
Her voice cracked, each word dragging pain. Her arms tightened again, as though if she held him tightly enough, he would stay.
Riven did not answer immediately. He closed his eyes and let silence settle between them, calming the turbulence inside him.
Then, softly, he whispered near her ear:
"No… I don't want you to go. I will never want that."
His embrace trembled slightly. "If I could… I would keep you here. By my side. Always. Just like when it was only the two of us."
Melly cried again, her fists clenching in his clothes.
"But…"
Riven drew another breath, steadying himself.
"…In the end, you will have your own life. You will grow. You will choose your own path. And when that day comes, I cannot stop you."
He lowered his head, his voice almost breaking.
"Because I love you. And I want you to be happy. Even if that means you must walk far from me."
Melly fell quiet. Her breathing trembled. His words were too sincere. Too painful.
After a long moment, she pulled back slightly, looking up with trembling eyes.
"…Then," she whispered softly, "…let me not answer today."
Her voice was small, but her meaning was clear. She was not running away. She needed time to think. Because whatever she chose… everything would change.
Riven met her gaze, then nodded slowly. His smile was thin and bittersweet, but true.
"Alright. That is enough."
He gently stroked her head again, letting her rest against him.
And in the quiet of that afternoon, the two siblings sat together, still holding one another, not ready to say goodbye, yet no longer pretending the world was not changing.
For today, they remained together.
And that was enough.