Tracy had been fuming with rage, convinced that no matter what John said, she wouldn't believe a single word. But when she heard that, her fury faltered. Her breath hitched, her expression stiffened.
That Australian man... John killed him?
She had suspected this before. The thought had crossed her mind more than once, but she'd always pushed it away, too afraid to face it head-on.
For someone as simple and kind-hearted as Tracy, the idea of taking a life was horrifying. Murder was a line she never imagined anyone close to her would cross—least of all her own little brother.
She stood there dazed for a moment, then spoke in a shaky voice.
"You… Are you telling the truth?"
John nodded solemnly.
Tracy's shoulders tensed. She took a long, trembling breath. Then, all of a sudden, her sorrow twisted into forced laughter. She slapped John lightly on the chest and chuckled hollowly.
"John, you're just bluffing, aren't you? That Australian guy already went back to Australia."
"Tracy…"
"Shut up!"
Her sudden outburst startled him. Her voice was low but firm, laced with urgency—an order, not a request.
It was only then that John realized: Tracy was trying to cover for him. She knew, deep down, but she couldn't bear to accept it—so she buried it.
He smiled gently, catching on to her intent.
"You're too smart, Tracy. I can't fool you. You're right… That guy has gone back to Australia."
He wasn't about to let her down. Not now.
Tracy gave a weak smile and rubbed her forehead as if to brush away the headache blooming behind her eyes. She murmured with subtle concern, "Well, just don't mention that man again, okay? And don't joke about something like that."
"Got it."
John beamed, a rare happiness softening his features.
At least Tracy had reconciled with him.
The whole day, John was in high spirits.
Tracy, on the other hand, remained distracted—absent-minded and uneasy.
She knew John hadn't been lying. She knew the truth.
And she didn't know how much longer she could keep pretending she didn't.
Her thoughts weighed her down all day. The tension, the guilt, the fear—it all swirled around inside her like a storm. By evening, she had come to a decision.
If something ever came of this—if the authorities began investigating—she would take the fall.
She would confess.
John had done it for her. To protect her. It was her fault, her consequence.
No matter what happened…
She wouldn't let anything happen to John.
That night, they returned to Greenland Villa.
After pacing her room in silence, steeling her nerves, Tracy finally stepped into Queenie's room. She shut the door behind her and told her everything.
When she finished, Queenie's stunning features remained calm. There wasn't even a hint of surprise.
She had already figured it out—back when Tracy came to her in tears and fury the first day.
John's personality?
Overbearing. Fierce. Protective to a fault.
If anyone ever dared to hurt someone he cared about, they'd face his wrath without mercy.
That was John.
Queenie knew her little brother well. And in her heart, that knowledge warmed her.
She had no regrets. None at all, for having such a brother.
After Tracy finished, Queenie simply asked, "What will you do if the higher-ups start an official investigation?"
Without hesitation, Tracy answered, "He killed that man to protect me. So I'll take the blame. I'll say I poisoned him and that I'm the one who killed him."
Her voice trembled slightly, but her eyes were firm.
She had spent the whole day coming to this conclusion. Her decision was made.
Queenie's eyes curved into crescent moons as she grinned teasingly.
"You're really devoted to John. He's been saying he wants to marry you every day. Maybe once all this blows over, you should just marry him."
"Queenie!" Tracy glared, cheeks flushed. "I'm being serious. How can you joke about something like this?!"
"Alright, alright. No more jokes."
The smile faded from Queenie's face. Her voice turned serious.
"If you really want to take the blame for John, I think it'd be better if you turned yourself in voluntarily, rather than waiting for the top brass to come knocking."
Tracy frowned, caught off guard.
Then, after a moment's thought, she pulled out her phone with a determined look.
"You're right. I should. I'm going to call the police now and explain everything."
Bang!
Before she could dial, Queenie snatched the phone from her hand and gave her a sharp glare.
"Tracy, are you actually this dumb? Can't you tell I was joking?!"
Tracy blinked, confused.
"What do you mean?"
Queenie let out a deep sigh and spoke in a strange, complicated tone.
"Have you ever heard of the name… King of Horizon?"
"King of Horizon?" Tracy's face went pale.
Of course she had. Who hadn't?
In the United States—and even around the world—anyone with ears had heard of that name. A myth. A legend. A ghost.
But to most people, King of Horizon was something far too distant, too sacred. A belief they held in secret, something never spoken aloud unless necessary.
Queenie nodded.
"The King of Horizon is a hero—our nation's greatest. His merit alone is enough to erase ten thousand sins. And he would never kill without reason. Every person he takes down is vile, despicable—beyond redemption."
"Queenie, I understand. The King of Horizon is the embodiment of justice. But what does that have to do with John?" Tracy asked, completely lost.
Queenie gave her an odd look—then glanced down pointedly at Tracy's generous chest.
Maybe the rumors are true. Big breasts do affect intelligence.
Luckily, she herself had no such problem.
She leaned in, lowering her voice.
"Didn't you catch what I was implying? Our little brother… John is the King of Horizon. In this country—hell, in the world—who has the power to punish him?"
If John had been in the room, he would've howled with laughter. Queenie, their big sister, actually believed the identity he had thrown around half-seriously.
She really believed he was the King of Horizon.
And in a way… that made her even more loveable.
What puzzled John, though, was this: his identity had already been exposed so clearly. It was practically out in the open. And yet, none of his beautiful elder sisters seemed to connect the dots or confront him directly.
He had no idea what they were thinking.
If Tracy had realized his identity earlier, she wouldn't have spent all this time worrying over that dead Australian. She wouldn't have gotten angry over such a trivial thing.
Because to the King of Horizon, eliminating an evil man was nothing.
It wasn't murder.
It was justice.