The moment their eyes met, Yulias flinched ever so slightly. After a brief hesitation, he spoke.

“If you stay in your room, I'll have the servants prepare another meal for you. ...And arrange for treatment as well.”

Without a word, Sheila gave a small bow. Even as she headed back to her room, she kept glancing over her shoulder.

She was checking to see whether Elysia was still there.

Only after the door clicked shut did Elysia rise from her seat.

“...I apologize for all the trouble I've caused.”

Despite the state of her clothes—ruined and stained with food—she seemed utterly unconcerned.

Something about that bothered Yulias. As she walked past him, he stopped her.

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

“Are you planning to go home like that? Change into something else.”

“Oh, no. It's fine. I can wash it when I get home—”

She was scrambling for a polite way to refuse when a loud, familiar voice echoed up from the first-floor lobby.

“Noona!”

Elysia whipped around.

At the sudden outburst from an unfamiliar voice, Yulias frowned.

As they turned toward the grand staircase in the center of the second floor, they saw Joshua standing beside Hilmighton in the lobby below.

“Noona!”

He was like a baby bird that had spotted its mother, chirping excitedly at the top of his lungs. The louder he got, the more the servants whispered among themselves, stealing curious glances.

“Who is that child?”

“My younger brother. I sincerely apologize, Your Grace.”

Elysia apologized quickly and hurried away before Yulias could even respond.

Her calm composure vanished in an instant. She practically leaped down the stairs and reached Joshua in moments.

Without hesitation, she crouched to meet his eyes.

“Joshua, how did you get here?”

“I walked!”

He threw his arms wide as he answered.

“People told me the way! They said if I kept going straight, I'd find the Grand Duke's estate!”

Elysia glanced up at Hilmighton.

It had to have been him who took pity on the child demanding to be let inside at the front gate.

As if reading her thoughts, he merely smiled.

This was hardly the time to make a bad impression.

Elysia sighed inwardly, but Joshua, too excited to notice, only raised his voice further.

“This place is huge! It's like a castle! It looks like a prince and princess would live here!”

Laughing merrily, he bounced around the lobby.

The servants instinctively stepped back from the energetic child.

From the second-floor landing, Yulias noticed Sheila approaching, drawn by the commotion.

For a brief moment, their eyes met.

Both looked away almost immediately.

“Joshua? Joshua.”

Gently, Elysia placed her hands on his shoulders.

Still unable to contain his excitement, he blurted out,

“Noona! Are we going to live here now? Then we'll get to see the Grand Duke all the time! And we'll have lots of delicious food too!”

“Joshua.”

Smiling softly, Elysia pressed a finger to her lips.

Understanding at once, Joshua realized how loudly he had been speaking.

“Oh!”

He clamped his mouth shut and covered it tightly with both hands.

“Noona came here because she wants to work here. And this isn't our home. You know that, right?”

Instead of answering, Joshua nodded.

“That's right. And since we raised our voices in someone else's home, we should apologize, shouldn't we?”

As she carefully mouthed each word, Joshua watched her lips intently before nodding again.

“Good. Then let's properly greet the owner of this estate and apologize.”

“Okay.”

His voice was much calmer now.

After patting his shoulder, Elysia looked around before lifting her gaze to Yulias on the second-floor landing.

Joshua turned with her and bowed deeply.

“My name is Joshua. It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace.”

The unruly boy who had been shouting moments ago was gone.

In his place stood a child speaking clearly and politely, his eyes shining brightly.

Yulias watched him for a moment before giving a slight nod.

“Good.”

Elysia looked between the two of them, then gently tapped Joshua's shoulder.

“Now you should apologize. Let's do it together.”

“Okay.”

Once again, Joshua answered quietly.

“I'm sorry for causing a disturbance.”

“My apologies, Your Grace.”

Elysia and Joshua bowed respectfully.

Sheila, who had yet to leave, stared at Elysia without blinking.

Noticing this, a flicker of interest crossed Yulias's eyes.

Joshua seemed to notice her too.

His eyes lit up.

“Oh! A friend! It's a girl!”

Pointing directly at Sheila, he shouted excitedly.

The servants gasped.

“Did he just point at the young lady?”

“Right at her face? As expected from a family with no proper upbringing...”

Hearing their whispers, Elysia showed no reaction.

Instead, she bowed slightly toward Sheila.

“Joshua, that's the young lady of the ducal house.”

“Then she can't be my friend?”

“It's your first time meeting her. Why don't you say hello first? Just like you did earlier. After that, maybe you can become friends.”

Elysia spoke gently, persuading him in her soft voice.

Listening carefully, Joshua nodded.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady. My name is Joshua.”

He greeted her politely once more.

Startled, Sheila took a step back.

Yulias studied her reaction from the corner of his eye before looking back at the pair in the lobby.

The four of them stood in different places, separated by far more than distance.

Even their clothes told different stories.

Elysia was still covered in spilled food, while Joshua looked equally disheveled, as though his journey there had been a difficult one.

“Elysia, was it?”

The moment Yulias spoke, everyone except Joshua held their breath.

“I'll have fresh clothes prepared for you. Wash up and receive treatment, then come see me.”

“I... Your Grace, does that mean...?”

“There are some things I'd like to ask you. You'll need to spare me a little more of your time.”

As he turned to leave, Yulias paused.

“The same goes for your brother. He appears to be injured.”

“What?”

Alarmed, Elysia immediately examined Joshua.

His knees were scraped raw, dried blood crusted over the wounds.

“It doesn't hurt at all! Really!”

Joshua forced a bright smile.

Suppressing the ache in her heart, Elysia nodded.

Watching from a distance, Sheila turned to leave for her room.

“Sheila.”

“...”

“While I speak with Elysia, you will stay with her brother.”

At Yulias's words, Sheila froze.

It felt as though lightning had struck her.

Stay alone with a boy she'd just met?

Especially one as unpredictable as him?

She shook her head silently.

Yulias frowned.

“If you don't want to, then say so.”

“...”

“If you refuse to speak, I'll take your silence as agreement.”

Sheila pressed her lips together.

Her expression darkened, and in the end, she could only nod.

Seeing her reaction, Yulias let out a heavy sigh.

“Hilmighton. As I instructed, prepare fresh clothes, a room where they can wash up, and everything needed to treat their injuries.”

“At once, Your Grace.”

After bowing respectfully, Hilmighton led Elysia and Joshua away.

Though still bewildered, they followed after him.

Watching them disappear down the corridor, Sheila glanced uneasily at Yulias.

His gaze remained fixed on Elysia, who still looked too overwhelmed to hide her confusion.

Perhaps... she could be of great help.

It hadn't been part of his original plans.

But seeing the situation unfold before him had changed his mind.

Unaware of the thoughts running through his head, Sheila fidgeted with her hands.

Being left alone with a stranger already made her uncomfortable.

And now he was telling her to speak up if she disliked something...

As if it were that easy.

—

"You're just a fool who got lucky because of your parents."

"Hypocrite!"

"You're the Grand Duke's daughter, and you can't even speak for yourself?"

The cruel voices that had once mocked her filled her mind, their laughter echoing mercilessly.

Unable to bear it any longer, Sheila turned and ran back to her room.