His outstretched arm wrapped around the back of her knees immediately, clearly just waiting for her permission.

“Hup!”

Sedrick stood up with Lilienne perched on his locked arms, pressed sturdily against his chest.

“Aren’t I a bit heavy?” she asked, worried.

She was as light as a feather, so Sedrick just smiled and shook his head. “Actually, I’m concerned that you’re not eating enough.”

“I eat plenty,” she said, pouting slightly.

She was so tiny that he felt as if her back was only one handspan wide. Being reminded of how young and small she was, he felt a slight bit of relief.

It’s not too late to make amends, he thought. Sedrick strode over to the window, balancing his sister carefully on his arm. “See, Lilienne—the Forest of Pacisa.”

She saw a sheer cliff that dropped off to reveal a dense forest spread out below, thick enough to look like rolling green waves. In the middle of the forest was a blue lake, which seemed to glitter in the sun like it was covered with shimmering, golden scales.

“It’s beautiful...” murmured Lilienne.

“All of this was created by our great-grandfather,” said Sedrick. “They say the land was practically barren before.”

“I want to visit the lake someday...” she said, her eyes shining as she gazed longingly at the sparkling body of water in the distance.

“I’ll take you sometime soon,” he responded, without hesitation.

Startled, Lilienne turned to look at her brother with round eyes. “But you’re so busy,” she protested.

Ah, I misunderstood… It seemed like she hadn’t actually wanted him to take her. The more Sedrick got to know his little sister, the more he realized how little she depended on him. He felt his gut clench in disappointment. He wanted to spoil her immensely, to give her so much that she’d come to expect, nay, demand everything, as should be her due. He wanted to make sure that she never wanted for anything in the world and wouldn’t hesitate to ask for it. He was proud of her serene maturity, but he also wanted to see her have the opportunity to be a child.

“That’s true, I am usually busy,” he murmured, resting his cheek on top of her head. He’d never done this before, but it felt quite natural to him.

Lilienne looked surprised. All she could do was bite her lip and stare up at her brother, blue eyes wide.

“But... let’s make some time,” he’d said softly.

It had now been several days since that promise, and it hadn’t yet been fulfilled. Lost in thoughts about that interaction, Lilienne finished getting dressed and ate a simple lunch, then realized that it was already two in the afternoon.

It was time to go meet her brother. Lilienne got ready and stepped out of her room, holding a ceramic platter of sweets. A maid brought along the teapot and cups for her, plus other accoutrements, but Lilienne wanted to bring at least one thing herself. However, it wasn’t because she wanted to help those serving her.

It’s embarrassing to walk around with so many people behind me. She felt more comfortable with just one maid following her. Lilienne was briskly walking through the halls when she heard someone call her name.

“Pardon me, my lady.”

“Ah, Sir Alan?” she said, spotting his familiar face down the hall, his styled brown hair the same color as his eyes. It was Viscount Alan Hayworth, Sedrick’s personal aide, butler, and overseer of all of Turine.

“You do not need to call me ‘sir’, my lady,” he responded, bowing respectfully. “Please, just call me Alan.”

“Erm... Yes, all right.”

She’d seen more of him lately as she was often in and out of her brother’s office, but she still felt awkward around him. Alan’s mother, Madam Hayworth, was the current head maid of the estate and had been Sedrick’s wet nurse as a child, making him and Alan bosom brothers.

Next to my brother, he suffered the most at the hands of my mother, Lilienne thought.

Alan had not seen her in a favorable light due to her mother’s actions toward him previously. To be honest, it was more likely that he hated the very sight of her. Back when her mother had been alive, Lilienne had caught Alan’s cold, dismissive gaze on her several times.

He has seemed to act differently toward me these days, but… He was a difficult person to read.

“Are you on your way to visit Lord Sedrick?”

Lilienne nodded hesitantly, then saw Alan’s gaze move to the platter in her hands. It suddenly felt very heavy.

“I apologize for my failure,” Alan said suddenly.

“Huh? What failure?” she asked, flummoxed.

“I did not realize there was a shortage of hands in Turine Castle. The staffing is my responsibility as the head butler, so please accept my sincerest apologies.”

Although he bowed low before her in a show of deference, Lilienne could tell that he wasn’t actually apologizing. She felt like he was testing her. He was indirectly chastising the maid who’d been following behind her, demanding to know why the lady carried a platter herself without the help of a maid.

Or... Perhaps he was chastising Lilienne herself for acting like a servant instead of a lady.

I suppose it could also be both.

Alan interrupted her thoughts, saying, “I take full responsibility for this.”

“Oh, no, Sir Hayworth, it’s not—”

“Please, just Alan.”

Lilienne knew it was less of a request than a polite order, so she closed her mouth, not wanting to make another mistake. Alan stretched out his hands, seeing she was at a loss for words.

“Please, allow me to carry the platter for you, my lady.”

It took this moment for Lilienne to finally realize how much importance the loyal, proud servants of Turine placed upon themselves in carrying out their duties. By insisting that she do their work herself, she was insulting them.

“Right... Of course. Thank you.”

She handed over the platter, quietly acknowledging her mistake, but not apologizing—she was the lady of the house, and that was how she would be expected to act. If she broke down and apologized to a subordinate, it would reflect badly on her and perhaps lower her in the eyes of the servants.

A respectable noblewoman must appear collected and composed, with no sign of emotions running the show.

Alan smiled at Lilienne’s response. She’d done well.

* * *

“Brother, I’m here,” Lilienne said as she walked in.

“Mm.”

Sedrick briefly glanced up from his papers and then put them down in surprise because he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Alan Hayworth...?

As befitting of an important member of the Turine estate, Alan’s level of pride practically rivaled Sedrick’s own. Yet here he was, obediently following behind Lilienne’s tiny form. What’s more, he held a delicate ceramic platter in his hand piled with sweets.

It looked as though he’d decided to acknowledge Lilienne as the Lady of Turine after all. Before Sedrick could say anything, however, Alan hastily put down the platter and exited the room. Lilienne’s bemused expression told him that it was not the time to ask what had happened, so he simply nodded at her.

“Sit,” he said.

“Thank you.”

Her brother’s words were curt, certainly, but Lilienne knew that with Sedrick’s recent gift-giving obsession, she’d rather be welcomed this way than with the fanfare he might have done previously.

Sedrick put down his pen after a moment and came over to the sitting area.

“The kitchen prepared a lemon pie for us today,” said Lilienne, smiling happily.

“Ah, that’s nice.”

The accompanying treats were what made a tea session truly outstanding, and consuming sugar was the fastest way to recharge her brother’s flagging energy. Lucky for her, Sedrick was always kind enough to accept anything she prepared for him. It seemed like he was a lot less picky than she had assumed he was.

However, she was actually only partially correct. Sedrick wasn’t especially demanding, but he’d always needed extra time to adjust to new things or experiences, and that wasn’t just for food—he responded that way to just about everything. His father had always taken pains to correct what he perceived as a flaw in his son.

“There are only two choices, Sedrick. Either you change your narrow-mindedness or you pretend to change it. You must act so perfectly that no one can tell how you really feel. Not even myself.”

Sedrick had obediently complied with his father’s wishes, making himself either honestly more agreeable to certain things, or just appear like he was agreeable. The only thing that he hadn’t been able to completely change was his eating habits. He much preferred to eat the foods he was familiar with and didn’t want to bother with new ones.

His father had conceded to him this point, admitting, “There’s only so much stress one can take.”

The domineering lord of the castle had extremely high expectations of his son, and the only thing he’d relented on a little was Sedrick’s diet. Therefore, it was a testament to how highly Sedrick regarded his sister that he drank this newfangled tea without complaint, and even ate the sickeningly sweet items that accompanied it.

He inwardly grimaced at the sweet and sour pie and at the tea, tasteless and bitter as usual. Only once he’d consumed what he judged to be an acceptable amount was he finally able to relax.