Lilienne had, essentially, seen her future and experienced adulthood, but she was also still only a twelve-year-old girl. The life she lived now was not just a world in a fairytale story. It was her reality. It felt like she was basically getting a chance to live her life over again, and this time around, Lilienne did not want to be at odds with her one and only brother. However...

“Er... This is all...”

She was at a loss for words at the piles of gifts that had been heaped up in her room.

“The Marquis sends his regards, my lady.”

It seemed as though her brother felt the same way, but he had taken it to the extreme. There were piles and piles of colorful, beribboned boxes, some stacked so high that they threatened to burst out of the room. All were wrapped in expensive silk and velvet.

Gifts were piled on top of her table, her coffee table, the sofa, her couch, and even on the edges of her window sills. It was harder to find a spot that wasn’t covered by them. Realizing their mistress was overwhelmed at the sight, one of the maids took action and proffered a large box that had been sitting near them.

“I’ll open this one first for you, my lady.”

“Hold on—” said Lilienne, but before she could finish speaking, the maid had already untied the wrapping and opened it. Out sprang a massive teddy bear. It was big enough that it could envelop Lilienne in its fluffy arms.

Oh my... It’s enormous!

The bear’s round glass eyes and soft, curly brown fur were all quite adorable, despite its excessive size. The half of Lilienne that was still a twelve-year-old girl was entranced by the bear.

“Wouldn’t you like to touch it, my lady?” asked the maid encouragingly.

“Um, sure...”

Before she knew it, her hands were tentatively stroking the soft fur of her brand-new toy.

Wow!

Distracted by the cuddly teddy bear, she came back to her senses too late—the maid was already opening another box.

“Let’s open this one next, my lady.” The maids sat Lilienne inside the cozy arms of her new bear and began methodically opening each of the gifts.

An astonishing array of luxurious, precious items began spilling out one by one. There were bejeweled ivory hair brushes, fluffy slippers, and gowns trimmed with pearls and fox fur. There were wide-brimmed bonnets wrapped in delicate lace, a wooden easel more ornate than most grand mirrors, a rainbow of coloring pencils, and picture books with illustrations that were inlaid with gold powder and small, twinkling gems.

There were even a variety of cosmetics that weren’t quite suitable for her age yet, plus a necklace heavy with shimmering, icy-clear diamonds. There was no end to the number of items coming out of the gift boxes. The other, more adult, side of Lilienne, who’d experienced all the luxury available to her previously, had a good eye for grand gifts like this and could figure out how he had sent her this particular array.

He probably just asked them to buy every possible thing that an aristocratic young girl could ever want. But why did he do it? Lilienne carefully pondered her brother’s motive. I guess it’s probably his way of rewarding me for going along with the betrothal.

It must have been a huge source of stress for him when she refused. But even still, his reward was... excessive. She had another theory that was possible, as unlikely as it could be. Perhaps this was his way of making up with his one and only sister, whom he’d belatedly realized he should have a familial relationship with. As she thought about this possibility, one particular gift caught her eye.

“Wait, is that...”

It was a teapot, more suitable for the kitchens than her room. However, she recognized the high-quality ceramic material and the exotic designs and knew that it was a rare find in their empire. The maids noticed what she was interested in, and quickly displayed it in front of her, making sure to bring out the several other items wrapped in the gift box.

A teapot, its saucer, and a set of dainty dishes... All of the items were perfectly sized for Lilienne’s small hands.

“In the East, the custom of brewing tea to share, along with good conversation, is said to be very popular. Ladies especially enjoy this practice.”

Even as she read the merchant’s explanation on the card, the maid looked skeptical. In this empire, drinking tea wasn’t a customary practice yet and the maids didn’t even know how to properly brew tea. For a noblewoman to brew tea, and then to also serve it to guests herself—well, it was still a fairly shocking expectation.

Lilienne, however, knew that tea drinking would soon become a highly popular activity, and she’d had a particular affinity for it herself.

For a tea aficionado, the practice of making it was practically scientific. Tea leaves tasted different depending on where they’d been grown, their time of harvest, and how long they had ripened. However, Lilienne wasn’t particularly interested in that level of detail. What she enjoyed was the warmth that spread through her body as she sipped a well-brewed tea.

Winters in the empire were long and hard, and although they were furnished with every type of luxury imaginable, a castle was still a huge, drafty pile of stone. The ceilings were so high that they perpetually froze every winter, despite being heated regularly. She’d particularly loved how relaxing the tea was, making her feel warm and calm during the long winter months...

Wait a minute.

Relaxing?

Thoughtfully stroking the smooth body of the teapot, the face of a man in the castle who desperately needed relaxation filled Lilienne’s mind.

* * *

“Do you need something?”

Sedrick Islar sat in front of her, his desk piled high with important documents. The Turine region had always needed to be tightly defended, but since Sedrick had become the new lord, it was now virtually impregnable.

The suspicious accident involving his father and stepmother had made him determined to fortify the boundaries of his land and manage it in a more systematic, orderly way. The people of Turine were known throughout the empire as being particularly proud and loyal to their ruling family, and so they had besieged their new lord with pleas after the accident, distraught by the shocking death of the prince.

“Avenge the late lord, your father!”

“Let no one think of Turine as weak. Not even the imperial family!”

Sedrick was stuck at the center of all the roiling turmoil, but from a young age, he had been distinguished for his pragmatic decision-making and icy perfectionism. His natural leadership qualities had been further honed by the rigorous teachings and demands of his father.

Therefore, although he was now just twenty-one years of age, Sedrick was an exacting master and a man hard to please. Lilienne stared into her brother’s light blue eyes, noting how cool and carefully controlled he was.

I wonder how deep that goes. His people praised him for embodying all that was required of a strong leader of Turine, but the heavy burden of that expectation was enough to make almost anyone crumble. In the face of his cold stare, the old Lilienne would have tiptoed out of the room or would have started crying on the spot.

But not now.

Now, she knew. She knew the fear and exhaustion that lay behind his perfect mask. It wasn’t that he struggled with the duties themselves. Sedrick was truly the rightful successor and a born leader, and his people gave him their loyalty because he deserved it, not simply because he was the next Islar in line.

The only thing he lacked was experience due to his young age, but in every other way, he was the perfect prince. The fear that kept him awake every night was not from being overwhelmed by his duties, but from his deep worry that he couldn’t fill the shoes of his father.

Lilienne had figured out something she could do to help him. As everyone knew, her brother was in dire need of rest and relaxation, but if she asked him to rest outright, nothing would come of it. She knew her brother had only listened to her that first time because it was a special request.

It’s not likely he’ll listen to me again.

Responding to her brother, Lilienne simply said, “No, I just came to see you.”

She said it plainly, offering no further explanation, and Sedrick felt briefly stymied by the smiling child in front of him.

“Just to... see me?” he said, his mouth hanging open slightly in surprise.

Sedrick, who’d been born an heir and was now the lord, had never had anyone speak to him like this. Ever.

“I’m your one and only sister, so is it really that odd that I want to come and see you, even for no particular reason?”

She stared at him with round eyes, daring him to contradict her. Although they shared the same eyes, his were icy and unapproachable while hers were sparkling and sweet, looking as if they could fill up with tears at the slightest provocation. He didn’t know what to do.

When her brother abruptly shut his mouth, Lilienne smiled sweetly and continued. “I also wanted to thank you for the many gifts.”

Alan, who’d been quietly observing off to the side, couldn’t help but think, My lord has lost this round.

Or perhaps not lost—maybe overridden or convinced was more accurate. As Alan considered this surprising interaction, Sedrick put down his pen, indicating that he was ready to have a real conversation with his sister.

“If there’s something you disliked, you have full permission to dispose of it as you wish.”

“No, everything was lovely!” she replied swiftly. “All the gifts were so beautiful. Each of them was new and unique, and I was actually a little surprised by how much it all was.”

The scale of his generosity had been surprising, but Lilienne was genuinely grateful to be receiving her brother’s love instead of hate and suspicion. Although, he probably did just send the items as a token of appreciation, not because he actually cares for me.

“I liked everything very much,” she said again, wanting to sound sincere. She truly had liked it all, which was why she’d wanted to express her gratitude in person. Lilienne lifted the hem of her silk dress to allow a pair of furry rabbit slippers to peek out. Though this did cause her rather shabby slip underneath to show, the slippers were now visible to her brother.

“See, I’ve already been wearing these around the castle. Thank you, brother.”

“I’m glad to see that you like them,” said Sedrick, now lost in a different train of thought.

I should call a seamstress and have some new clothes made for her. For better or worse, Lilienne was completely unaware that her brother was already scheming to spend another huge sum of money on her. She was currently too distracted to notice his gaze on her worn-down slip because she was nervously focused on her next move.

“And...” she began hesitantly, “I wanted to thank you properly for your gifts so...”

“Oh?”

“So I... learned how to brew tea. Could I possibly... serve you some?”