"W-Who told you this?" Elly asked in surprise.

Upon hearing that, Slyvia could tell it was the truth. "Your uncle told us about it," she said.

Elly sighed. "After all these years of keeping it a secret, my brother had to find out like this. It's no wonder he reacted this way after learning he's not our parents' biological child."

Slyvia nodded and asked, "Why didn't you tell Eric earlier? If you had informed him beforehand, today's incident might have been avoided."

Elly shook her head. "Years ago, when our parents worked in Salt City, they found my brother abandoned by the roadside. He was nearly frozen to death. They brought him home out of kindness.

"Our mother suffered miscarriages, so they chose to raise Eric as their own. When my father returned to our hometown with Eric, he made sure the villagers kept this secret. They didn't want Eric to know the truth. I can't believe my uncle…"

"Your uncle is truly wicked," Slyvia said. "Not only did he disclose the truth to Eric, but