Third Person’s POV
Vincent walked into his brother's condo and immediately noticed the musty, sour smell lingering in the air. Fumbling in the darkness, he finally found the light switch and illuminated the room. His gaze shifted from the empty wine bottles to his intoxicated brother sprawled on the couch.
With a sense of resignation, Vincent thought to himself, 'I saw this coming.'
As he made his way to his room, Vincent half-heartedly considered Lanceil's advice to act aloof if questioned about the situation. Suddenly, Lanceil's voice broke the silence, sounding harsh and ominous.
"Agatha is coming tomorrow."
Vincent stopped in his tracks, observing his brother's defeated posture. He could have simply acknowledged the news and left, but he lingered, hoping to glean some valuable information. Despite knowing more than Lanceil, Vincent understood that knowledge alone wouldn't give him the upper hand.
Lanceil kept talking, "She's going to gather her belongings and leave once and for all. I won't be around tomorrow to lend a hand..."
“So you are already aware that Agatha approached you in purpose?” Vincent cut Lanceil’s words by dropping these.
Vincent glanced at his older brother, Lanceil, who seemed utterly shocked by the revelation. Lanceil's face was flushed, and tears welled up in his eyes, indicating how deeply he had been affected by the news. After a brief pause, Lanceil finally managed to speak.
"Y-You... You already knew about this?" Lanceil inquired, his voice trembling.
Lanceil was bewildered. Vincent had fallen for the woman Lanceil loved, and he had kept it a secret all this time?
'How long has this been going on?'
Feeling a sense of betrayal, Lanceil stared at Vincent, silently questioning why it had to be him of all people.
Still, Lanceil clung to the faint hope that he might have misheard Vincent. So he decided to ask again. “Do you know about this?”
"Yeah," Vincent replied confidently. "I noticed it right from the start," he added.
Since they were children, people have always claimed that Lanceil is superior to Vincent - that he is smarter and more responsible. Vincent agrees with this assessment. When it comes to academic abilities, Lanceil excels. However, Lanceil struggles to understand the intentions of those around him, which makes Vincent appear more adept in that aspect.
"That's why I kept opposing this, brother," Vincent explained. He clenched his fingers tightly, digging his nails into his palms. He didn't want to come across as someone who betrayed his brother, but... he felt guilty for covering up for Agatha just for the sake of having some fun.
Vincent initially believed that Agatha was just a clumsy girl trying to take advantage of a widower to get rich. He decided to help her hide the truth while enjoying her futile attempts.
However, things took a turn for the worse due to two reasons: Vincent fell in love with Agatha and discovered who was really pulling the strings behind her actions.
When Vincent fell silent all of a sudden, Lanceil got up. He laughed bitterly, feeling betrayed by the person he trusted the most.
"Why didn't you tell me anything? Were you just having a good time, Vincent? Did you think I was foolish while I was happily oblivious?" Lanceil questioned.
Approaching Lanceil, Vincent spoke in a hollow tone, "Brother."
Lanceil clenched his lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood.
Facing Lanceil, Vincent carefully asked, "Have you met her yet? Did you push her away without asking why she did all of this?”
Lanceil’s mouth snapped shut, forming a straight line, as if he had nothing to say. His pupils trembled, and his hands clenched into tight fists. When Vincent turned his gaze back to his older brother's face, he noticed him biting his already injured lips while furrowing his brows.
"Before closing the curtains," Vincent murmured solemnly, "you should know all of her reasons and circumstances."
"It's probably all about the money," Lanceil whispered. "It's clear that she only approached me for that damn money!" he shouted, his neck turning red as veins bulged.
Vincent agreed that money played a part in it, indeed. If Agatha were the one facing his angry, intoxicated brother, she would also nod her head in agreement.
Vincent couldn't help but feel sorry for Agatha in this situation. He understood that she couldn't really blame him for being the son of someone who wanted to harm her, especially when she used her own feelings as an excuse.
"You know," Vincent winced, "If you truly love her, you shouldn't be acting like this."
Lanceil glared at his younger brother and warned, "Just shut up."
Vincent stood his ground and firmly suggested, "You should talk to her about it."
"I said shut up!" Lanceil snapped. In an instant, Vincent felt the sharp pain on his cheek from Lanceil's punch.
As Vincent regained his balance after stumbling for a moment, he looked back at Lanceil while holding his throbbing cheek. Lanceil had never hit him before, but Vincent didn't have any complaints. He believed that this was what he deserved.
"I did!" Lanceil exclaimed once more, struggling to catch his breath.
"I asked her why! I'm ready to swallow my pride and forgive her, but she didn't offer any explanation whatsoever." He took a deep breath, nodding in agreement with himself. "Sorry," he chuckled, sounding slightly unhinged. "All she could muster was a simple 'sorry'. Now, what do you expect me to do? Chase after her? Beg her to stay? What the hell! Why should I? Why should I go after someone who treated me like a fool?!"
"Do you want to know why she couldn't say anything? Why she had to leave?" Vincent whispered.
Lanceil narrowed his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't fathom why Vincent would even consider her the victim in this situation. Even if his younger brother had feelings for Agatha, Lanceil believed it made no sense.
Vincent closed his eyes and stayed silent for a moment. All of a sudden, the guilt he felt for my deceased sister-in-law resurfaced within him. His hands shook and my chest felt constricted. Hoping to find some solace, Vincent opened his eyes and gazed at his brother's face once more, only to be disappointed.
In a quivering voice, he whispered, "Our father attempted to kill her."