Previously
Sinder Nestian is enraged to discover that the Astrian family has cut off trade routes and supplies to his clan. He receives a letter from the Astrian Lord revealing that Thiel is now under their protection and will be raised by them.
Alvinus took the doll’s little paw, stooping down to Thiel’s eye level as he spoke.
Clutching the doll tightly in both arms, Thiel looked up at Alvinus and asked, “Yes! I love it very much. But… my brothers?”
Come to think of it, besides Thiel, Lena and Cassius had two other children.
Sinder had grumbled every single time he scolded Thiel:
‘I should have brought those two children with me instead of you.’
Rather than useless, foolish Thiel, he had believed it would be far more beneficial for the Nestian clan to raise those two boys.
Because of that, Thiel knew she had two older brothers.
She also knew they were far superior to her. Still…
‘I’d completely forgotten since my head was spinning.’
Since arriving at the Astrian estate, no one had mentioned brothers to Thiel, nor had she seen any other children around the mansion, so the matter had slipped her mind entirely.
As Thiel blinked in confusion, Alvinus turned to Leah.
Alvinus gently stroked Thiel’s little head as he spoke.
Thiel gripped the doll tighter, burying her face into its soft plush.
‘What if they hate me?’
Thankfully, Cassius and Alvinus seemed to care for her.
The servants of the Astrian estate did too, but…
‘Grandfather said Mother died because of me.’
Sinder had always screamed at Thiel, barking, “Lena died because of you!”
Because of those words, Thiel firmly believed that Lena had perished on her account.
And Lena was also the mother of Birdie and Lodian.
In other words, their mother had died because of Thiel. As the thought crossed her mind, the color drained from her face.
Noticing Thiel’s sudden pallor, Alvinus turned toward Leah and asked with concern,
Leah gently scooped Thiel into her arms.
Still clutching the doll tightly, Thiel buried her head against Leah’s chest.
Alvinus’s expression, which had been beaming with pride just moments ago at having drawn a little closer to his granddaughter, clouded over.
He gently touched Thiel’s small hand, speaking softly.
Thiel started to say ‘Lord Alvinus,’ but hesitated, glancing up to gauge his reaction.
She added the word with great caution. It felt as though she were taking her very first step.
In an instant, Alvinus’s face lit up. A broad smile spread across his features, and he nodded warmly.
Once Alvinus finished speaking, Leah excused herself, cradling Thiel carefully in her arms.
As they left the room, Alvinus watched them go in silence.
‘…Grandfather.’
It was a title he heard from Birdie and Lodian all the time, so why did it sound so strikingly different now?
A strange, unfamiliar warmth settled deep in Alvinus’s chest.
The toys Alvinus had given her were far more numerous and beautiful than anything Thiel had ever seen in Rowen’s room.
There were lovely wooden rocking horses, a collection of dolls, sets of building blocks children played with, and so many other treasures.
Thiel’s spacious bedchamber was filled to the brim with the gifts Alvinus had lavished upon her.
And Leah had become Thiel’s dedicated personal maid.
Thanks to the wholesome, nourishing meals she enjoyed every day at the Astrian estate, Thiel’s complexion had turned radiant and rosy.
There truly wasn’t a single problem.
Except for just one thing.
‘Why can’t I control my power freely?’
Rowen had been able to command her power with ease.
They said power was an innate gift, something one should naturally know how to wield from the moment of birth.
Yet…
Thiel looked down at her open palm. A faint glow flickered atop her small hand.
Poof!
Soon, the light expanded slightly and took the shape of a tiny fish, swimming in circles above her palm.
Thiel smiled down at the little creature.
Though she couldn't summon the massive, brilliant light from that day, bit by bit through practice, she had learned to shape this tiny fish.
It still had stubby fins and a somewhat unfinished form, so much so that it felt odd to even call it a fish. Even so, it was definitely a fish!
‘I shouldn't rush. One day, I’ll be able to use my power as freely as I wish, too.’
Besides, Lord Cassius had told her she was a special child with a unique power. So eventually…
She would certainly be able to help the Astrian family and make herself useful to them.
Just then, as if trying to comfort Thiel, the little fish floated upward through the air and settled gently onto the tip of her nose.
Thiel smiled, a soft blush spreading across her tender cheeks.
The little fish fluttered its fins.
Soon, a warm glow enveloped Thiel’s vision.
Knock, knock.
Right at that moment, the sound of tapping came from the door.
Thiel turned her head toward the entrance.
The little fish resting upon her nose vanished in an instant.
Before long, the door swung open, and Leah appeared.
Thiel tilted her head in curiosity.
Until now, Cassius’s considerate care had seen all of Thiel’s meals brought straight to her bedroom, so she had never once set foot in the dining hall.
Thiel gave a quick nod, then stood up from her seat and took Leah’s hand.
The hallway leading to the dining hall was quite long. Even so, because Leah carefully matched her stride to Thiel’s small pace, it wasn’t difficult for the girl at all.
The attendants standing outside the dining hall doors swung them open the moment they saw Thiel approach.
Leah gently released the child’s hand and said,
Thiel nodded and took a tentative step into the dining hall.
The first things that caught her gaze were a magnificent chandelier and an enormous dining table draped in crisp white linen.
It resembled what she had seen at the Nestian estate, but it was far grander and vastly more splendid.
At the head of the expansive table sat Duke Alvinus, with Cassius seated directly beside him. And…
"…?"
Sitting across from Cassius were two boys who looked remarkably alike, each holding their silverware.
Instinctively, Thiel realized the two boys were her older brothers—the sons of Cassius and Lena.
How could she fail to recognize them when their resemblance to Cassius was so striking?
Cassius called out to Thiel in a warm, gentle voice at just the right moment.
Thiel glanced around timidly for a second before pattering over toward Cassius.
Cassius lifted the small child with ease, settling her into the chair beside him.
To ensure that tiny Thiel could dine comfortably at the high table, several plush cushions had been neatly stacked beneath her.
Once Thiel was seated and Cassius resumed eating, she peered across the table at the two boys with curious eyes.
With such identical features, anyone who saw them would know instantly that they were brothers.
Jet-black hair like midnight, large and captivating golden eyes, and sharp, defined noses. Even their neatly sculpted lips were smooth and soft.
Both were strikingly handsome. If there was any difference to be found between the mirror-image twins…
‘Their hair is styled differently…’
The boy sitting closer to Alvinus had his hair tied neatly back, while the boy next to him wore his hair cropped short.
Had it not been for their hairstyles, distinguishing one from the other would have been nearly impossible.
At that moment, the boy with his black hair tied back looked toward Thiel, greeting her with a soft, gentle voice that chased away her lingering unease.
As Birdie offered his greeting, Alvinus carefully set down his utensils as though he had been waiting for this very chance, gesturing toward the two boys.
Thiel added the detail quietly, watching their reactions.
Even so, a trace of fear lingered in her heart. Birdie and Lodian still seemed a little intimidating to her.
The first to speak was Lodian, and the second was Birdie.
Lodian swallowed a mouthful of food, raised an eyebrow, and eyed Thiel with blatant curiosity.