Till this day, Mireyna still didn't understand why things were this way. In Italy, they said she looked too Japanese. In Japan, they said her face was too European. It felt like she belonged nowhere—always too much of one thing, and never enough of the other.
Mireyna couldn't understand why, every time she returned to the Lyssander estate, she was always treated so coldly. It wasn't outright cruelty, but there was this underlying tension. No one truly acknowledged one another; instead, it felt like everyone was constantly competing—each person lost in their own world, vying for something, anything, but never connecting. She felt more like an outsider, a mere bystander in a game of power and status that everyone else seemed to be playing without her.
In the Lyssander family, Alessandro, the son of Zio Marco, was known for his intelligence. He was currently studying at university and would only return home during the semester breaks. Zio Marco would always organize family gatherings based on Alessandro's university schedule, ensuring that they coincided with his breaks. Zio Marco wanted his son to always be present at family events, not just for bonding, but to showcase Alessandro's status and achievements in front of the family. It was about appearances—ensuring Alessandro's success and intelligence were always on display in the family, reinforcing the high expectations and competition within the household.
Viviana, Evander, Matteo, Adrien, and Julian, all 18 years old, were referred to as the "miracle" children. This was because of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding their births. Ferdinand, the earliest to marry at the age of 18 within the family, had twin sons Adrien and Julian. At the same time, Rochelle, his third sister, was expecting Viviana. Meanwhile, Lucas also had twin sons Evander and Matteo. This rare convergence made them all the same age.
However, Anne, Mireyna's mother, faced struggles with infertility, which made it difficult for her to conceive despite all the advantages she had. Zio Marco was particularly upset with her, as he felt she wasted so much money and medical efforts to have a child, only to end up with a mixed heritage child from a Japanese man. This strain on Anne and her inability to provide a child for the family made Mireyna one of the youngest in the Lyssander family, even though Anne was the second child in her own family.
To avoid Mireyna being treated unfairly due to her Japanese appearance, Anne decided to send her daughter to school in Tokyo. This would help Mireyna stay away from the bias and pressure she might face in the Lyssander household.
Meanwhile Evander, Matteo, and Julian attended Valenté Academy, an elite school for those with noble titles. Meanwhile, Viviana and Adrien were homeschooled, with a focus on sports training such as swimming and archery on horseback.
flashback
Zio Marco's voice was sharp, cutting through the tension in the room. "Anne… sorella… how unlucky you are," he scoffed, his words dripping with scorn. "You've spent all this money, just to have a child who inherit Japanese features?"
Anne flinched, but Marco wasn't finished. His laugh was bitter, mocking. "Why don't you try again? I know a way for your second child to inherit the Lyssander legacy… a child who's worthy of it."
Anne stood still, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She sighed, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Fratello…the thing is.. the doctor said I'm infertile... and.. I can only have one child because of my womb issues."
Marco froze, his face twisting in disappointment. His shoulders slumped as though the news had hit him hard.
"Oh Anne…" he muttered, his voice filled with frustration. "You really are unlucky, you know? God gave you beauty, intelligence, and the perfect Lyssander bloodline, but then… He took it all away with this infertility."
Marco let out a bitter laugh, running his hand through his hair in disbelief. "Perfect! Absolutely perfect!" He shook his head, his voice filled with frustration. "I don't even know what to say anymore, Anne. I really don't."
Flashback ended
Mireyna knew that Zio Marco cared deeply for her mother, Anne. Her mother had told her many times that, when they were younger, it was Zio Marco who was closest to her, more than any of her other siblings. But now, her mother often spoke of how much she had disappointed her brother over the years.
The long daydream was interrupted when Zio Marco, sitting in the living room with the rest of the family and her cousins, called out to Anne. "Sorella, come stai?" (How are you, sister?)
Mireyna snapped back to reality, realizing she had been lost in thought for a while.
Anne responded, "Sto bene, fratello," (I'm good, brother), and immediately, all eyes in the room turned to Mireyna and Anne. Zio Marco looked at Mireyna with his usual expression, but there was an unmistakable layer of cynicism and mockery behind his smile. Alessandro, Zio Marco's son, shot a quick, dismissive glance at Mireyna while sipping his tea, his legs casually crossed.
Meanwhile, Zia Rochelle cast a sharp, judgmental glare at Anne and Mireyna, her eyes narrowing with contempt. Viviana, too, gave them a look filled with arrogance and disdain, while Celestina's smile was a deceitful one—sweet on the surface, yet venomous beneath. Her eyes glinted like those of a snake, and the beauty mark just below her left eye seemed to mock those around her.
Zio Lucas observed the exchange between Anne and Mireyna with a polite smile, but Evander and Matteo barely acknowledged their presence. They glanced over for a moment before returning to their books. In the family, nothing seemed to hold their interest more than the pages they were buried in.
Zio Ferdinand smiled warmly at Mireyna, but his eldest son, Evander, looked as though he was perpetually angry. He shot glances of irritation toward Mireyna before looking away. He was usually locked in a silent battle of glares with Viviana. On the other hand, Julian, Evander's younger brother, gave Mireyna a smile that sent a chill down her spine. It was the kind of smile a wolf gives its prey. Mireyna caught his gaze, and quickly, she turned her head to avoid his unsettling stare.
Alessia, Ferdinand's youngest child, slept soundly in her father's arms, completely unaware of the tensions in the room.
Just then, from the side, Isabella came skipping in cheerfully and threw her arms around Mireyna with a bright, joyous laugh.
"Little Nana! You're back!" she squealed, hugging her tightly. "I missed you so, so much! I thought you weren't ever coming back!"
Isabella grabbed both of Mireyna's hands, her eyes locking onto hers with sincere affection. She was the only one in the Lyssander family who had always been kind to Mireyna—genuinely kind. Unlike Celestina, who wore her smiles like masks, Isabella had no double face. She was pure, warm, and real.
As she leaned close, Mireyna caught the soft fragrance that clung to Isabella's hair and clothes—a gentle, floral perfume, sweet like spring blossoms. It was the kind of scent that stayed in the air long after she had passed, light but unforgettable.
Zio Marco, watching from across the room, didn't react outwardly as his daughter clung to Mireyna so lovingly. But Mireyna knew. She could feel it—he didn't like it. He didn't like his daughter being this close to her.
She studied Isabella's face—up close, it was almost ethereal. Her eyes were the clearest shade of blue, framed by long lashes that fluttered like they belonged in a painting. Her hair shimmered like spun gold. She was beautiful. Almost too beautiful.
That was why she was often called the princess of the family—a gem among the Lyssanders, second only to her older brother in brilliance. But it wasn't just her beauty that made her shine. She was intelligent, too. Exceptionally so.
Zio Marco once said that Isabella was the perfect recreation of her—the woman who had given birth to Mireyna.