By Zephyria 
Bliss flung the door open with excitement, words pouring out of him, but there stood an unexpected figure with a bright smile. Bliss froze, his eyes widening in surprise.
“La—”
“Bliss, I missed you!”
The woman, a head taller than Bliss, hugged him tightly and rubbed her nose against his head before he could even ask a question. Bliss, who had been about to say her name, found himself speechless and hugged her back, dazed by the sudden situation.
“Larien! How did you get here? So suddenly?”
At his disjointed question, Larien smirked and answered nonchalantly.
“I heard from Grayson. You said you needed help? Don’t worry, I’m an expert when it comes to romance!”
She spoke with great confidence, but Bliss, the party actually involved, recoiled in horror and shook his head.
“What? Romance? What are you talking about? No!”
“What do you mean, no?”
Larien looked up, puzzled. Bliss looked up at his sibling and spoke urgently.
“It’s not some romance consultation. It’s a much more important and serious matter. Ugh, what on earth was Grayson thinking?”
As he spoke, Bliss realized why Grayson had sent Larien. Suddenly, he felt a surge of indignation.
“Grayson, really! He doesn’t even know the full story!”
Grayson had clearly thought Bliss’s troubles were nothing special. Larien spoke to her younger brother, who was stomping his feet in frustration.
“Alright, Bliss. Calm down, just calm down.”
Larien comforted Bliss gently and asked with a smile.
“Then what is it? Tell me what’s bothering you. I might be able to solve it for you.”
Bliss hesitated for a moment and then nodded. The only reason he had chosen Grayson was simply because the latter was unemployed and had plenty of time on his hands. If Larien was offering to help, there was no reason to refuse. In the first place, it didn’t matter which of his siblings it was.
“Actually, a long time ago…”
After taking a deep breath, Bliss began his explanation. He spoke quickly and concisely about what happened ten years ago, how despicable Cassian Strickland was, and why he had decided to seek revenge. As he spoke, his emotions gradually surged, and his words became harsher.
“That jerk! He called Grayson a crazy idiot and Stacy a pervert. He called Chase a mad dog and said Larien wasn’t even worth mentioning. And do you know what he said to me? He called me a stupid, snot-nosed Yankee brat! To think he pretended to be the kindest person in the world in front of everyone. He even went bird-watching with me! Do you know? Birds! Those things with wings that go flap-flap! I can’t forgive him; I’m going to get revenge!”
“I see…”
Unlike the jumping Bliss, Larien’s reaction was lukewarm. She thought he wasn’t exactly wrong, but an excited Bliss was always cute. Deciding to play along, she asked the panting Bliss another question.
“But why are you only deciding to pay him back now? It’s already been ten years.”
At this fundamental question, Bliss flinched, lowered his head, and mumbled.
“I forgot.”
Unlike his previous state of uncontrollable rage, his attitude deflated as he continued with an excuse.
“Well, I had a lot to do after returning to America. I had to go to school, I had a lot of gatherings with friends, and I had to catch up on all the dramas I missed, so I was just too busy.”
After rambling through his excuses, he quickly changed his tone to press Larien.
“Anyway! Now that I’ve remembered, I have to show that bastard a lesson. But as you know, I’m not very bright, so I can’t think of a good way. I’ve been thinking about it for days, and really, if it were you or Grayson, you would have come up with a brilliant idea by now. Why am I the only one like this? This stupid brain, this brain!”
Bliss began hitting his head, saying, “Ugh, ugh!” At the dull thudding sound, Larien hurriedly grabbed Bliss’s arm and gently reasoned with him.
“Stop it. If you hit yourself like that, your brain will get even worse.”
“Ah, right.”
Bliss quickly agreed and stopped.
“What should I do? You’re smart, doesn’t anything come to mind?”
As he asked, rubbing the spot that had grown numb from the hitting, Larien stroked Bliss’s hair and spoke.
“First, why don’t we go inside and talk?”
“Ah.”
Only then did Bliss remember that they were still standing in the entryway. When he belatedly stepped aside, Larien confidently walked across the living room as if it were her own home. Bliss hurriedly followed her, asking rapidly.
“Well? Did you think of a good way? What is it? What should I do? What do I start with?”
At that, Larien said as she walked leisurely.
“First, how about we talk over something to drink? Bring me some lemonade with plenty of ice. If you have dried figs, those would be good too.”
Having placed her order nonchalantly, she hummed a tune and walked ahead. Bliss blinked, staring at her back, and then rushed toward the mini-bar.
When Bliss returned with the lemonade and snacks, Larien was lying on his bed as if it were the most natural thing in the world, her face buried in a pillow. She looked happier than ever with her eyes closed in contentment, but now was not the time for Bliss to be indulgent. Placing the tray on the tea table, he shouted urgently at his sibling lounging on the bed.
“Enough of that, come here! This is urgent!”
“Mmm.”
“Hurry!”
“…Alright.”
At the repeated urging, Larien sighed as if annoyed and got up. When Bliss saw the pillow she had brought along in her arms as she sat across from him at the tea table, he ruthlessly snatched it away and threw it back onto the bed. To Larien, who froze as if she had lost everything in the world, Bliss immediately pushed the lemonade she had ordered toward her.
“Now, tell me. What do I do?”
Larien looked down at her suddenly empty arms with a hollow gaze, but soon let out a short sigh of resignation. After taking a sip of lemonade and popping a dried fig into her mouth, she finally rested her chin on one hand and stared at Bliss.
“In short, you want an apology from that guy for badmouthing our family, right? Is that it?”
“Right.”
Bliss nodded emphatically, then frowned.
“But a simple apology isn’t enough. He has to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. Plus, he must regret trampling on my sincerity.”
Otherwise, he could never forgive him. He had to wail and suffer, just like in the dramas. Seeing Bliss’s determined face, Larien readily provided an answer.
“Then you’ll have to find a weakness.”
“I think so too! What should I do?”
Finally! As Bliss looked at her, his heart pounding with anticipation, Larien wore a meaningful smile. It was the moment Bliss felt a vague sense of foreboding.
“Seduce him.”
“What?”
As Bliss’s eyes widened at the unexpected words, Larien smirked.
“Make him fall head over heels for you. And then, dump him. Then he’ll definitely apologize and say he was wrong. He might even cling to you while crying.”
“Wh-what?”
Bliss stammered in confusion. But Larien didn’t stop there.
“Imagine it. The moment that arrogant bastard confesses his love to you, you reveal your identity.”
Huh?
Bliss blinked at the unexpected suggestion. As he began to visualize it in his head, Larien continued to shout in a theatrical tone.
“’You didn’t recognize me, did you, you stupid man? I am Bliss Miller, you bastard! The youngest of the Miller family you insulted! I’ve come back here for revenge!’”
“That’s it!”
Bliss immediately clenched his fists and jumped up.
“Get on your knees! Get on your knees! Apologize!”
“Exactly! Apologize!”
Larien snapped her fingers with a click and concluded with a haughty tilt of her chin.
“And then, you leave.”