Chapter 39
Ariel and Eden were surprisingly alike in some ways.
Not that their personalities were fundamentally the same, but they bore a few striking similarities. Chief among them: both of them liked Elisha. And their ways of expressing that affection were oddly similar.
For instance, they both disliked each other—but never showed it in front of Elisha.
Of course, Ariel was often itching to torment Eden in some petty way, but when the opportunity did present itself, she never acted on it.
There was only one reason why.
Because Elisha clearly wouldn’t like it.
Eden felt the same.
Though there was one difference—Eden didn’t actively dislike Ariel. In truth, he didn’t feel much of anything toward her at all.
To Eden, Ariel was akin to a passing thunderstorm—an ominous dark cloud that might suddenly dump rain on him.
Sure, she was scary at times, but that fear was akin to the instinctive dread one feels when thunder and lightning strike during a storm.
There were moments when Ariel’s piercing gaze made him nervous, but if Elisha wanted them to get along, Eden would give it his best shot.
“You’re pretending to read, aren’t you? You don’t understand a word, do you? You’re just trying to look smart.”
“That’s not true,” Eden mumbled.
Ariel probably shared similar thoughts about him.
But her naturally prickly temperament meant that even a single word came out sharp.
“You kind of look dumb, you know,” she muttered with a flat expression.
The insult hit Eden like a blow to the chest, and his jaw quivered slightly.
Just let it go.
He told himself to stay calm and silently opened the book in front of him.
What is she even saying?
They weren’t sitting far from Elisha, but the two were whispering quietly enough that she couldn’t make out the words.
As if they had planned it.
Well, I did want them to get along…
Still, Elisha couldn’t help but feel a bit left out.
Hiding her face behind a document, she subtly glanced at the two.
Soon enough, her eyes met Ariel’s.
“Unnie? What? You’re done with your work?!”
Ariel looked like she was ready to leap into Elisha’s arms. Her voice was filled with delight, and Eden, who had been pretending to read, quickly turned his body to face Elisha.
His eyes, too, were full of hopeful anticipation.
With both sets of eyes suddenly on her, Elisha couldn’t help the sheepish smile that tugged at her lips.
“No, I’m not finished… It’s just, you two were so quiet.”
Too quiet. That, in itself, was distracting.
“We were trying not to disturb you,” Ariel explained brightly.
She even threw in one of her signature eye-smiles—the kind Elisha couldn’t resist.
Elisha’s stiff expression immediately softened.
“Oh, is that all? You can just relax and talk. I don’t mind.”
Elisha liked to think of herself as level-headed, but she had one fatal weakness.
Our little Ariel is just so thoughtful sometimes…
Whenever Ariel did something even slightly mature, Elisha melted instantly.
She could scold her without hesitation for mischief or manipulation, but when Ariel showed the smallest sign of growth, Elisha was helpless.
She used to cause trouble every day. And now she’s… growing up…
Elisha’s lashes grew damp with emotion.
She was deeply moved by her sister’s growth.
“I-I can be quiet too!” Eden piped up, having noticed the change in Elisha’s expression.
He didn’t want to lose to Ariel.
“You don’t have to force yourselves to be quiet,” Elisha said, lowering the document to her lap and waving her hands in a flustered gesture.
She had no idea the two were locked in an invisible contest, and now worried she’d been too harsh for no reason.
After leaving the annex, Elisha handed a key to Lisbeth, who was waiting by the door.
Lisbeth accepted it without expression and tucked it away inside her coat. She then bowed to Elisha and Ariel.
Snow was falling from the overcast sky.
Elisha looked up at it once, while Ariel silently watched the top of Lisbeth’s bowed head.
Lisbeth sensed Ariel’s gaze but didn’t acknowledge it.
“Ariel. Let’s go.”
A flake landed between Elisha’s brows, and she tilted her chin toward the path.
Only then did Ariel snap out of her trance and bow stiffly toward Lisbeth before trailing after Elisha.
Elisha raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.
“Ariel, when a knight greets you, you only need to nod in return.”
Ariel hated lessons, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been taught etiquette.
Especially because she’d had enough of being looked down on by lower-ranking people, Ariel made sure never to appear weak in front of anyone beneath her.
“I-It’s just… It was my first time greeting a knight, so I messed up…”
A puff of white breath escaped Ariel’s mouth. Her cheeks were tinged pink.
“Really?”
Ariel had taken the entrance exam for the knights. There was no way she hadn’t encountered one before.
The ducal family had its own order of knights.
Elisha narrowed her eyes, trying to read Ariel’s expression.
“It’s true!”
“I didn’t even say anything.”
Her reaction was way too defensive—clearly, there was something behind it.
Elisha let the moment pass with a quiet laugh, watching Ariel flail her arms in protest.
Ariel pouted.
Silence lingered between them until they approached the mansion.
Then, Elisha suddenly spoke.
“Ariel.”
“Yeah?”
Her cheeks were still rosy. Mistaking it for the cold, Elisha stopped beside a tree and gently cupped Ariel’s face in her hands.
“Thanks for not saying anything about Eden.”
So what if she was mischievous, a little unruly? She was still a sweet girl.
Elisha pressed her palms against Ariel’s cheeks, and Ariel’s lips puckered out from the pressure.
“Buh-wha?”
Ariel looked genuinely confused, not understanding what Elisha meant.
“You didn’t say anything about his neck or his ankle.”
Elisha withdrew her hands and gently brushed the snow off Ariel’s head.
It was so cold that the flakes didn’t even melt—they simply fell away.
Ariel widened her eyes.
“Why would I?”
It was obvious he was being kept locked up.
She’d already asked, and Eden hadn’t answered—so Ariel hadn’t bothered again.
And honestly, she wasn’t curious anymore.
Wait! Should I have been curious? Would that have seemed more natural?!
A flash of concern passed through her.
But I’m really not that curious anymore.
To Ariel, Eden had become just a boring boy who liked boring books.
She hoped he’d get out of there soon.
Even knowing it might not be possible, she hoped for it anyway.
“You’re such a sweetheart.”
Elisha smiled, brushing off the last of the snow and stroking Ariel’s head.
“R-Really? I’m sweet?!”
Ariel’s shoulders rose, puffed with pride at the unexpected compliment.
Her mood soared, higher than the snowy rooftops.
“Of course. You’re being so kind to Eden. And you haven’t complained once, even though it must be frustrating staying cooped up in the mansion. That’s not just sweet—that’s admirable.”
“Admirable…”
I’m admirable.
Ariel beamed.
At that moment, she decided she would come again tomorrow—with Elisha—to play with Eden.
The next day, the snow had stopped.
And perhaps because of it, the air felt surprisingly warm.
As she trotted behind Elisha, Ariel watched clumps of snow fall from tree branches and thought it was a perfect day.
Then, Elisha suddenly stopped walking.
“Ariel, could you hold this for a minute?”
She held out a tray. Her side was oddly empty today, but her coat pockets bulged.
Ariel took the tray without question.
“Let’s build a snowman for Eden.”
Elisha rubbed her hands together before bending down to scoop up snow.
“…Unnie, I’ll do it. Your hands will freeze.”
Ariel naturally leaned into physical tasks, and Elisha—ever the older sister—wasn’t fond of that tendency.
But Ariel couldn’t stand the thought of Elisha’s hands freezing for Eden’s sake.
“If we’re going by that logic, your hands would freeze too.”
Even as she rolled the snow, Elisha hummed cheerfully.
Standing behind her, Ariel looked down at Elisha’s reddening hands.
Eden? Why is she going this far for him?
Ariel quietly pondered.
Was it because the Duke of Partine had locked him up?
Because he ordered it?
Or just because Eden seemed pitiful?
Probably all of the above.
Sometimes, Ariel worried about Elisha’s overly tender heart.
If she didn’t care in the first place, there’d be no problem—but once she did, she gave everything.
Ariel didn’t like that her sister was giving even Eden a piece of that affection.
“Let’s go.”
At last, Elisha stood and dusted her hands.
The snowman she made had no eyes, no nose, no mouth.
Just two white snowballs stacked together.
Still, Ariel wanted it.
She didn’t want to give it to Eden.
