"Is John the King of Horizon?" Tracy's eyes widened in disbelief. "Queenie, are you sure you're not just messing with me?"
Queenie raised her hand dramatically, three fingers held up, and swore with a grin, "I swear to the light bulb, if I'm lying, I'll live a life of widowhood and be forever accompanied by cucumbers and eggplants!"
Tracy blinked, still shocked. She couldn't help but feel that Queenie was playing around, but part of her almost believed it. Since John's return, everything had changed. No matter how difficult things seemed, once John intervened, everything was solved effortlessly.
Even Doctor Davis, the renowned Master of Traditional Medicine, came to learn from him. Not to mention John's incredible set of acupuncture skills and his mysterious, almost magical methods.
All of these signs pointed to one undeniable fact: John was no ordinary person. Could it be true?
John was the King of Horizon.
Tracy had asked Queenie several times, not because she doubted her, but because she couldn't quite wrap her head around it. It was too much to believe all at once.
After a long pause, Tracy finally came back to her senses, her shock evident as she asked, "So, have you and the other sisters known about this all along? Am I the only one who didn't know?"
"Maybe," Queenie answered, raising an eyebrow playfully.
"You knew and didn't tell me? You've really gone too far!" Tracy's voice was laced with mock resentment.
No wonder the other sisters had all seemed so calm when talking about the disappearance of that Australian man. They had clearly known what happened all along and were unbothered, while Tracy had been left in the dark, worrying and confused.
Tracy's eyes glinted mischievously, a plan forming in her mind. She smiled slyly and said, "Queenie, I think your proposal sounds pretty good."
Queenie furrowed her brow. "What proposal?"
Tracy leaned in with a wicked grin. "Didn't you say that after all of this is over, I should marry John? I'm starting to think about it. After all, I'm not getting any younger, and marrying the King of Horizon must be a dream come true for countless girls, right?"
Queenie immediately shook her head. "No way!"
"Why not?"
"You're brother and sister."
"But not by blood."
Queenie scowled. "I'm your eldest sister, and I'm still not married. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Tracy raised an eyebrow. "Who says the eldest sister has to get married first? If you stay single your whole life, do the rest of us have to become old maids too?"
"Bah! You're the one acting like an old woman! I said no!" Queenie huffed.
"If you want to keep John all to yourself, just say it!" Tracy teased, grinning.
"Tracy, do you believe I'll scratch your chest?" Queenie shot back with a fiery look.
The two sisters suddenly found themselves in the middle of a heated verbal sparring match.
Outside the Room…
In the living room, Alice looked up at the door to the bedroom, puzzled.
"I don't know what they're doing in there. They even locked the door," she muttered, clearly irritated.
"What else can they do? They're funny idiots, that's all," John replied with a grin.
"What?" Alice asked, confused.
Kate leaned in, whispering to Alice, "I'm familiar with this. It's called 'tit for tat.' The two of them… well, you know…"
Alice raised an eyebrow, her cheeks flushing as Kate finished her sentence.
She squinted at John, her voice laced with a playful reprimand. "How dare you, John? You're bold to say Queenie and Tracy are funny idiots."
John grinned, unbothered. "So do you. You're even more funny. You've slept with Queenie the longest."
Alice's eyes narrowed. "You little bastard!" She raised her fist, aiming it at John. "All the attention Queenie gives you is because of you! You always try to seduce me whenever you can."
"I seduce you?" John widened his eyes in mock disbelief. "Look at you, Alice. You've got a charming face and a seductive body. I bet you're the reincarnation of a seductress."
"A seductress? Me? Say it again, if you dare!" Alice snapped, her voice sharp with indignation.
"Well, okay. You're not a seductress," John conceded, smirking. "You're more like a conch. Beautiful on the outside, but when you put it to your ear, all you hear is the sound of the sea."
Kate, never one to let a joke slip, added fuel to the fire, "Alice, John means you're dissipated, like the waves of the sea."
"You bastard!" Alice shrieked, fury rising in her.
Kate couldn't help but laugh, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Back in the Bedroom…
The two battles continued simultaneously—one verbal, the other physical. It lasted for a good ten minutes before the bedroom door creaked open.
Queenie walked out, her hair a wild mess and her chest heaving from the exertion. She looked anything but defeated.
Tracy, however, was still curled up in the room, having been pinned down by Queenie.
As Queenie stepped out, disheveled but victorious, the three in the living room immediately fell silent. Their gazes turned to her, strange expressions on their faces.
Alice, too, reluctantly released her hold on John.
They all eyed Queenie, their looks now filled with something between surprise and curiosity.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Queenie demanded, still catching her breath. "Tracy was challenging me. What's wrong with me teaching her a lesson?"
John quickly averted his eyes, his awkward smile faltering. "Uh, of course, it's all right. You did well."
Kate, looking a bit disappointed, shrugged. "I thought you were real funny idiots, but it looks like my expectations were too high."
"What?" Queenie asked, still confused.
Alice suddenly dashed over to Queenie, whispering something into her ear with a devilish grin.