Chapter 466: Dismissal

Seraphina's POV

I knew this was my only chance at getting an explanation from Yura, even though she had already denied knowing me, and even though she had told me to leave if I did not want to create problems for myself. I had no intention of leaving until I got an explanation on how Yuna was alive and why she was looking at me like I was a complete stranger. Clearly, she had some sort of amnesia, but my instincts kept telling me there was more to it than that, and I was determined to find out exactly what was going on.

My heart was beating so loudly inside my chest that I could practically hear it over the noise of the crowded market around us. The smell of spices, roasted meat, flowers, and smoke filled the air while people walked past us laughing and bargaining loudly, but all of it felt distant to me now. The only thing I could focus on was Yura standing in front of me with that cold look in her eyes and Yuna standing beside her looking completely lost.

I could not stop staring at Yuna. Even after everything that had happened, even after finding out about her fall from that rooftop and believing for days that she was dead, seeing her standing here alive still felt unreal. Part of me wanted to cry from relief while another part of me wanted to shake Yura until she finally explained what was going on. Yuna was alive. That was the only thought repeating itself over and over again inside my head. Alive, breathing, and standing right in front of me.

Yet the way she looked at me made my chest ache painfully because there was no recognition in those familiar eyes. Nothing at all.

Trying to calm myself down, I took a slow breath before finally speaking up. "No matter how hard you try to deny knowing me, I'm not just going to walk away without you telling me what I want to know," I said firmly while staring directly at Yura. My voice came out steadier than I expected even though inside I felt nervous enough to collapse. "I know Yuna died. I know what I saw in those videos of when she was found, so explain to me how she's standing here right now acting like she doesn't even know who I am."

Yura immediately rolled her eyes in annoyance, and the expression on her face made it clear she was already losing patience. "Are you itching to be thrown in jail or something?" she asked sharply. "I already made it very clear that I don't know who you are, so how about you just get lost already?"

Her tone was so harsh that even I was slightly taken aback despite already expecting hostility from her.

Beside Yura, Yuna immediately started looking nervous as she glanced between the two of us. "What's going on?" she asked quietly while tugging slightly at Yura's sleeve. "Who is this person? Why do you sound so upset?"

The sound of her voice almost made me emotional all over again. It sounded exactly the same as before, soft and slightly uncertain, and hearing it after believing she was dead made me feel strangely overwhelmed. Before Yura could answer, I spoke up without even properly thinking first.

"Yuna," I called softly while taking a small step forward. "Do you really not recognize me?"

The moment the words left my mouth, Yura's expression darkened instantly. She turned toward me so fast that it almost startled me.

"Do not speak to my sister," she hissed angrily, her voice low but filled with warning.

I froze slightly at the pure anger in her eyes. For a second, I genuinely thought she might hit me right there in the middle of the market again just like she had grabbed my hair back at the mansion. The guards around us visibly stiffened too like they were waiting for instructions.

Yura turned toward the guards beside Yuna almost immediately. "Take her away," she ordered coldly. "And keep an eye on her, and make sure she doesn't wander off."

The guards immediately bowed their heads in understanding before finally releasing my arms. The sudden freedom almost surprised me because I had nearly forgotten they were still holding onto me. My wrists hurt slightly from how tightly they had grabbed me earlier, but I barely paid attention to it. All my attention remained fixed on Yuna.

Yuna looked confused and visibly reluctant as the guards approached her. "But…" she started uncertainly while looking back at Yura again.

"I'll be back soon," Yura told her firmly, though her voice softened slightly compared to the way she had been speaking to me. "Just go with them."

Yuna hesitated for another moment before finally nodding slowly. "Okay," she murmured quietly.

Then her eyes shifted toward me again.

The displeased glare she threw at me caught me completely off guard. It was not just confusion in her expression anymore. She genuinely looked irritated by my presence, almost like I was some strange woman causing trouble for her sister in public. That hurt more than I expected it to. After everything that had happened between us at Elysium, seeing that look on her face now made me feel strangely hollow inside.

For a brief second, I almost opened my mouth again. I wanted to ask her questions. I wanted to force her to remember. I wanted to ask if she truly remembered nothing at all about Elysium, about Iris, about the rooftop, about me, but the look on Yura's face stopped me completely. I genuinely did not trust Yura not to slap me across the face or drag me somewhere if I pushed any further while Yuna was still standing there.

So instead, I stayed quiet.

I simply stood there watching as the guards carefully escorted Yuna away through the crowded market. She kept glancing around curiously at the different stalls and decorations as they walked, almost distracted despite the tense atmosphere from moments ago. It only made me feel even more certain that something was terribly wrong. This was not normal behavior from someone who had supposedly survived something as traumatic as falling from a rooftop. Yuna looked too calm, too unaware, and too detached from everything that had happened before.

Once she disappeared farther into the market with the guards, the atmosphere between Yura and me immediately changed. The noise of the market still surrounded us loudly, but it suddenly felt strangely tense now that we were finally alone. Yura slowly turned back toward me, and the expression on her face looked even colder than before.

I swallowed nervously but forced myself not to look away.

For a few long seconds, neither of us spoke. Yura simply stared at me with obvious anger while I tried to prepare myself for whatever was about to happen next. I already knew she hated me being here. That much was obvious already, but the level of hostility in her eyes now almost shocked me.

Then finally, she spoke. "Haven't you done enough already, Seraphina?!"