~Chapter 19~

Lovelace stood in front of the drawing room and swallowed hard. The thought of meeting her younger brother made her heart twist in many ways.

Once she opened that door and met him, she could no longer deny being the daughter of Count Harmelda. Without realizing it, she pressed her lips tightly together.

“Relax. You’re not going to meet a murderer. You’re just going to meet your brother.”

Larvihan gently massaged her stiff shoulders. Lovelace looked up at his face.

His calm, firm gaze—so unshakable—gradually soothed her racing emotions.

“I’ll go in.”

She nodded as if making a great decision.

The door opened. A small boy, only reaching her waist, ran straight toward her.

“Sister!”

His voice was full of relief and joy. Lovelace bent down instinctively and caught him in her arms. The boy rubbed his soft, fine hair against her shoulder.

“Sister… hic… Sister, you’re alive… I’m sorry, Sister. I was too scared… I couldn’t come to save you…”

The boy’s tears soaked her shoulder as he kept whispering apologies. Lovelace’s nose stung.

A child only seven years old—how could he even think about saving anyone?

She hugged him tightly. She had thought he would feel like a stranger, but maybe because of blood ties, he didn’t feel unfamiliar at all. On the contrary, he felt warm and close.

“Sister, from now on, I’ll protect you.”

His small arms wrapped around her back and squeezed tightly. Her chest ached.

“…That’s what I should say to you.”

In that moment, Lovelace instinctively knew she could never turn away from this small life—this boy who reminded her so much of her brother back in Korea.

“Let’s save the rest of the stories for later. For now, shall we sit?”

When Paolo finally calmed down, Lovelace led him to the table. On top of it were plates filled with sweet desserts.

Paolo gulped, trying hard to look away from the cocoa and chocolate cake placed before him. Lovelace pulled a plate toward him.

“Go ahead and eat. Don’t you like these?”

Of course he did!

Paolo loved sweets so much that Count Harmelda and Lovelace once gave him the nickname Sugar Ghost. But now he couldn’t eat—because across from him sat a man staring at him like a predator.

His father had always told him: If I die, you must protect your mother and sister.

Lovelace used to laugh whenever she heard that, but Paolo had always taken it seriously.

“Don’t you remember anything, Sister?”

During their short reunion, he learned she had lost her memory and suffered in the slums—until Larvihan rescued her.

But he doesn’t look like a kind person at all…

Though only seven, Paolo had grown up meeting many people at Count Harmelda’s side, because his father had doted on him as a late-born son. Thanks to that, Paolo was wise beyond his years and had a sharp sense about people.

And my sense says… he’s dangerous.

He squeezed his sister’s hand tightly.

“Are you still worried I’ll leave? I won’t go anywhere.”

Lovelace asked kindly. It wasn’t exactly that, but Paolo just smiled brightly and nodded.

So cute!

Lovelace immediately liked this little brother who suddenly appeared in her life. The fact that he was the same age as the brother she left behind in Korea made it even better.

And more than anything—

He looks exactly like my favorite celebrity back home!

Of course, softer and rounder, but still a perfect copy.

He’s going to grow up and drive people crazy.

It would be fun just to watch him grow.

“Rey.”

While Lovelace was focused only on Paolo, Larvihan called her. She turned her head. He floated a flower-shaped marshmallow in cocoa and offered it to her. Paolo flinched as Larvihan held her hand.

“Rey, you like cocoa, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t!”

Lovelace snapped, sneaking a glance at Paolo. Somehow it hurt her pride to admit she liked cocoa when even a seven-year-old denied liking it.

“It’s alright, Rey. Cocoa suits you well. Go on, drink.”

Larvihan tempted her. The warm cocoa scent drifted to her nose.

“What do you mean it suits me? How can someone suit cocoa?”

“It means you’re cute.”

Lovelace was used to Larvihan’s sudden remarks, but Paolo was not.

“Duke! It’s rude to call a grown lady cute! And to say that when you’re not even courting her—how improper!”

Paolo jumped down from his chair, maybe to make himself look taller. But whether standing or sitting, his height was the same, which only made it funnier.

Larvihan fought back a laugh. He wanted to flick this cheeky boy on the forehead, but he didn’t want to make the child cry—especially after he had just reunited with his sister.

But even with Larvihan’s patience, Paolo ended up crying anyway—because of what Larvihan said next.

“Not courting… we’re going to get married.”

“Don’t you think that was too much for a little kid?”

After finally calming Paolo down and watching him fall asleep, Lovelace opened the door to Larvihan’s office.

“Hmm? Me?”

Larvihan shrugged, looking as if he didn’t understand at all.

“He just reunited with the sister he thought was dead. And then that sister suddenly says she’s about to marry someone—of course he’d be shocked!”

“Why is that shocking? His sister’s fiancé isn’t a monster. I’m a Duke of the Empire, a magician, rich, talented, and handsome.”

Lovelace shook her head. Larvihan walked around his desk, took her hand, and sat her down on the purple sofa.

She was still annoyed that he had made her adorable little brother—who looked like her favorite celebrity—cry. Then Larvihan leaned his face close to hers.

“Am I wrong? Which part isn’t true? The wealth? The talent? Or the looks?”

As his lips curved into a smile, Lovelace’s heart gave a hard thump. His black eyes shone like obsidian, as if they could see right into her heart.

She couldn’t answer. She couldn’t even think. She just stared blankly at his face—at those deep eyes that felt like they could swallow her whole, at the slightly messy black hair, the crescent-shaped eyes, and those lips that could only be described as sinful.

It was impossible to argue. Living with him had already proved it—Larvihan was rich, powerful, and handsome.

“Rey, instead of just staring at me like you want to devour me, why not actually do it? Eating is what you’re best at, isn’t it?”

Lovelace snapped back to her senses.

Wow… I almost got seduced by his face.

Her colorful, swelling emotions shrank in an instant.

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because…”

“Are you worried I won’t taste good? I promise that’s not true.”

Lovelace stared at him, mouth half open.

Did he really twist the sacred act of eating like that?

Her lips moved like a gasping fish.

“Stop it. I found my brother, and now I know who I am. So tell me—what am I supposed to do next?”

Larvihan couldn’t hide his disappointment as he leaned back. He rang a bell and ordered cocoa and sweets to be brought in.

Lovelace protested that she didn’t like cocoa, but he only replied that even if she didn’t love it, she could still drink it. He refused to take the order back.

The refreshments arrived quickly. Larvihan placed a warm cup of cocoa in her hands.

“It’s simple. You’ll become the next Count Harmelda. Your brother will be protected as the Count’s younger sibling.”

She sipped the sweet cocoa, then set the cup down and picked up her fork. The apple pie covered in fruit looked delicious.

“Is inheriting a title that easy?”

“There’s nothing difficult. I’ll handle it. In fact, I’ve already started the process for you to succeed the title.”

Her fork slipped, scraping the plate with a sharp sound. Larvihan cut a piece of apple pie himself and placed it in her mouth.

She chewed unconsciously, and his gaze lingered on her moving lips.

“What do you mean by that?”

After swallowing, her thoughts finally started working again.

“Exactly what I said. You’ll become Count Harmelda and gain your family’s estate.”

“…If I don’t want it, can I refuse?”

“Why would you? What do you dislike so much?”

“Well… a lot of things.”

Her eyes rolled evasively. Larvihan assumed she was only refusing because it was all too sudden.

But he couldn’t afford to wait. If Lovelace inherited the title, the marriage would become much simpler. He wouldn’t need to ask Arwen to guarantee her status, since noble families normally allowed marriages between equals without issue.

“Rey, doesn’t the past year make you angry? You lost everything you should have had.”

“What I should have had? Hmm…”

In truth, she couldn’t remember ever having anything in this world. From the moment she opened her eyes here, she had been a nameless orphan in the slums.

“I don’t really…”

“No, Rey. Think carefully. You starved like a beggar, begged for scraps, got beaten by that man Bangs, and slept on cold stone floors. All of that was because of them. And it seems Paolo’s life wasn’t easy either.”

Larvihan had already realized Paolo would become her weakness.

As soon as Bangs and Paolo were mentioned, Lovelace’s anger flared. Bangs had truly made her life miserable, always harsher with her than with other children.

Could it be Paolo had also suffered bullying from someone?

“If I inherit the title, can I take revenge on Bangs? And can I raise Paolo so he’ll never lack anything?”

The thought of Paolo—who looked just like her favorite star—suffering was unbearable. Even aside from that, seeing him made her heart ache with affection. Lovelace asked seriously.