“If you keep standing, your legs will hurt. Come and have a seat.”
“Yes.”
Rosalyn approached the sofa.
On the table, cookies and a drink suitable for a child were prepared.
“Do you like cookies?”
“…Yes, I do.”
“That’s good. They’re all yours, so eat as much as you’d like.”
“Thank you.”
Rosalyn immediately expressed her thanks, but her eyes simply rolled around nervously.
She was afraid of making a mistake while eating cookies in front of the Young Duke of Arcas.
“You’re not eating. Do you actually not like cookies?”
“No! I do like them.”
In truth, she liked them very much.
Snacks were a rare treat at the orphanage.
Emma, who always struggled with funding, strictly controlled the children’s snacks.
“Then… I’ll enjoy it.”
Rosalyn cautiously picked up a well-packaged cookie.
One side was chocolate, the other a biscuit.
Crunch, crunch.
As her small mouth bit into the cookie, a munching sound echoed in the drawing room.
Sipping his tea, Deon thought:
‘She’s just like a rodent.’
Her cheeks were puffed out, and her lips moved busily, just like one.
“Was the ride here difficult?”
“It was very comfortable, thanks to the carriage you sent, Young Duke.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Berta didn’t bother you, did he?”
When Deon asked with a slightly mischievous expression, Rosalyn took a deep breath.
She knew he was joking…
But she wasn’t used to such jokes.
She simply gripped the cookie she was holding tightly in fluster.
Deon let out a small laugh.
“I overheard your conversation in front of the drawing room. You two seemed to have gotten along quite well.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“And yet, you seem to have trouble getting close to me, the one you should be closest to. How do you think we could become friends?”
“……”
“From now on, we’re the only family each other has in the world. If you act so stiff around me, who’s going to believe you’re my daughter?”
Family.
That word made something ache in Rosalyn’s chest.
Whatever reason Deon Arcas had for adopting her, she knew one thing—there was no affection behind it.
Rosalyn could at least sense that much.
The day she first met Deon, she realized it clearly.
“I’ll take this one.”
Eyes like he was evaluating merchandise.
There was that unique chilliness to him.
Yet, oddly enough, now—his use of the word “family” pierced deep into her heart.
Even though she knew better than to fall for it, the word had a magical pull that made her hope.
“Right?”
When Deon smiled and asked for agreement, Rosalyn nodded without realizing it.
“Yes.”
“You’ll be living in House Arcas from now on. Isn’t there anything you’re curious about?”
Something she was curious about…
Rosalyn lowered her gaze to the cookie in her hands.
There were many things.
But there was one she especially wanted to ask.
Still, was it okay to ask such a thing?
Seeing her hesitation, Deon’s eyes narrowed.
“I guess you do. You can ask freely.”
“…I…”
By then, the chocolate had melted and was staining Rosalyn’s hands.
The stickiness made her fidget.
But Deon didn’t seem to notice what was bothering her.
That was how little he cared or paid attention to Rosalyn.
So Rosalyn decided to swallow her question.
How long will I be allowed to stay here?
She was afraid of how Deon’s face might change if she asked that.
But there was one thing she now understood.
The Young Duke wants us to appear close, like family.
So Rosalyn simply had to act the way he wanted.
Then she could become the kind of daughter Deon approved of, and stay in this house without being cast aside.
Even if it was only a pretend family.
“I want to be family with you, Young Duke. …So I want to make you happy.”
Deon, who had been quietly watching Rosalyn, smiled warmly.
“That’s a lovely thing to say, Rosalyn. I hope that day will come too.”
***
After Rosalyn left the drawing room—
Berta was now seated in her place.
“Hm, as expected. The cookies in this house are the best. Though they are a bit messy on the hands.”
As he spoke, Berta suddenly winced.
“Oh dear. Did Lady Rosalyn have one of these cookies too?”
“She did.”
“Then her hands must be covered in chocolate.”
Berta pulled out a tissue and wiped his hands.
Deon recalled Rosalyn from earlier.
He couldn’t even remember what posture she had while eating the cookie.
If Berta hadn’t mentioned it, he probably never would’ve noticed.
“Is she the type not to say when something bothers her?”
“Pardon? Oh, you mean Lady Rosalyn. Hmm, well, even adults are intimidated by you, Young Duke. Surely it’s the same for a young girl like her.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
That wasn’t the case with Rosalyn.
It wasn’t just about being intimidated…
She’s overly perceptive.
How many times had she been returned from an adoption?
Perhaps because of that, Rosalyn seemed quick to sense what others disliked.
It wasn’t that she refused to speak up when uncomfortable—she simply knew that acting like a child would annoy Deon.
From that brief conversation alone—
Interesting.
Deon’s lips curved upward.
That part of Rosalyn was quite to his liking.
Surely, she would continue to act that way going forward.
“What will you do now?”
“About what?”
“You’ve brought the young lady into the household, but if the Duke objects… it’ll all be for nothing.”
Knowing Kaimon Arcas’s temperament, he would never let it slide.
“When is the Duke scheduled to return?”
“According to the itinerary, he’ll be back in a week.”
At present, Kaimon was away visiting the Arcas territory.
All other family matters had been left to Deon, except territorial inspections—which he never handed over.
“Then I’d better grow closer to Rosalyn before he gets back.”
Deon looked out the window and leisurely sipped his tea.
Berta couldn’t hide his worried expression.
If things went wrong, not only would Deon lose his title, but Rosalyn would be cast out mercilessly.
Because Deon would no longer need her.
“Did you know, Berta?”
Deon spoke cheerfully.
“The Duke has always had a soft spot for the weak.”
Surely, Rosalyn would soon pick up on that weakness too.
She was more desperate than anyone.
***
“Greetings, Lady Rosalyn. My name is Rona.”
The moment she stepped out of the drawing room, Rosalyn was greeted by a waiting maid.
The maid introduced herself as ‘Rona.’
Her red hair was neatly braided into a single plait, and her posture was immaculate.
Even the maids in the Duke’s mansion are elegant…
As they walked down the hall, Rona’s footsteps made no sound at all.
Rosalyn even found herself stepping lightly to match her.
At some point, Rona noticed Rosalyn walking on tiptoe and smiled softly.
“Lady Rosalyn, you can walk comfortably.”
“But…”
Rosalyn glanced around.
No matter how she looked at it, she was the only one making any sound.
“We were trained for a very long time to avoid making any noise. But you don’t need to worry about that. You’re a member of this household.”
“…Oh.”
“Our training is meant to ensure the comfort of those we serve.”
Even footfalls must be silent.
Just in case they disturbed the moods of the ‘Arcas.’
Rosalyn immediately understood what she meant and nodded.
She lowered her feet from tiptoe and began to walk normally. Rona smiled brightly.
“Lady Rosalyn’s room is in the center of the right hallway on the third floor. The doors all look the same, so it might be confusing at first.”
Rosalyn walked alongside Rona, focusing intently so she wouldn’t miss any of the explanation.
“As you can see, there aren’t many people on the third floor, are there?”
“No.”
Rosalyn nodded.
Compared to the lower floors, the third floor was much quieter.
“The third floor of the main estate is reserved for direct descendants of House Arcas. Only those with permission can come up at designated times.”
“Then… does that mean the Young Duke and the Duke stay here too?”
“Yes, of course.”
Rona nodded in confirmation.
Upon entering the third floor, she turned right exactly as she had described earlier.
“The Duke usually stays on the fourth floor, and the Young Duke resides on the third. Honestly, the two of them don’t get along very well.”
Rona let out a heavy sigh.
Rosalyn wasn’t sure how to respond, so her eyes just darted around anxiously.
Was it really okay to speak so openly about their poor relationship?
