Icarian was passionate.

He ceaselessly produced magical fairy tales to invite the little chick to the Marquisate.

“Here you are again, Eve!”

“If I don’t see the fairy tale book for a day, a pebble forms in my liver!”

And Evelia frequently visited the Cassis Marquisate as if it was her own home to read fairy tales with Rellian.

In other words, she perfectly met Icarian’s expectations.

Strictly speaking, it would have been proper for a lowerranked Marquis’ child to visit the Duke, but neither Hugo, Elysia, nor Evelia were the types to nitpick such trivial matters.

Today was no different.

“This fairy tale is very fun.”

“If you’ve finished reading that, then take a look at this. I’ll be back in a bit while you’re reading!”

“Okay. Come back quickly!”

Everything was no different from usual.

Rellian temporarily leaving to receive treatment from the physician while they were reading a fairy tale together.

Almost April, butterflies were flying outside the window.

The frequent sneezing due to pollen coming in through the open window on a nice day.

Except for someone entering the room when Rellian left.

In the room filled with the sound of flipping through the fairy tale, the sound of a little girl’s footsteps overlapped.

She thought Rellian had returned from his treatment, but it was a girl she was seeing for the first time.

“…?”

As if asking who you are, the girl opened her mouth towards Evelia, who opened her eyes wide.

“Are you the Princess of Artina?”

A girl about the same age as Rellian, she had a hair color that was more vague than Rellian’s, but she strangely resembled him somewhere.

As the girl smiled faintly, Evelia nodded her head without any guard.

“Yup. Who are you?”

“I apologize. I should have introduced myself first. I am Nepher, the eldest daughter of the Cassis Marquisate. I really wanted to meet the princess.”

The girl introduced herself and gently held the end of her dress and bowed.

Perhaps because of her light hair color, the girl herself looked as pure as watercolor.

However, Evelia, whose standards for beauty had become considerably high as her family and friends were all beauties, did not marvel at such appearance.

She only tilted her small head.

“…?”

Strange?

The Cassis Marquis’ child is Rellian, and the younger brother is a friend of our brother?

Did Rellian have a sister?

“Rellian, sister?”

“Yes, I am his sister. Although we have different mothers, my father is the Marquis. I was born before Rellian.”

Evelia couldn’t connect the fact that they have different mothers with ‘illegitimate child’.

‘How can Rellian’s sister’s mother not be the wife of the Marquis?’

She blinked her large, clear, seacolored eyes a few times and just tilted her head again.

At that time, when she was confused by the twisted genealogy of the Cassis Marquisate,

“Eve!”

Just then, Rellian finished his treatment and returned with a big cookie basket.

It was the cookie of Evelia’s favorite flavor, which they made together, pestering the chef of the Marquisate since this morning.

“Eve, have some cookie…!”

Rellian, who had come running fast, expecting her only friend to be happy and smiling brightly, as soon as she discovered Nepher, who was wearing a characteristic sad smile, she hastily stopped her playful steps.

“Ah……”

A swallowed sound that she couldn’t hide slipped out.

In front of the Marquis’ child, the one who should be embarrassed, and the one who should hesitate, was all Nepher.

However, Nepher was confident, and Rellian was shrinking.

“Rellian, my little brother. It’s been a while! Why such an expensive face that you don’t even show. You make your sister sad.”

Her tone seemed sincerely regrettable, but her gaze was no different from a predator that has prey in front of it.

“…”

“Princess, can I play with you? I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with the princess!”

Completely opposite to the troubled Rellian, Nepher’s expression was as innocent and bright as it could be.

The fierce gaze towards Rellian changed into a gentle cat when it was turned towards Evelia.

“Sure!”

Evelia, who failed to notice that subtle air, answered readily when she said she was Rellian’s sister.

“Here. This one.”

She even recommended one of the fairy tale books she was reading last time.

Flip.

In the brief time Evelia was flipping through the last few pages of the fairy tale book, Rellian was just staring at the floor.

‘As expected. Rellian, you never change.’

Nephir wore a satisfied smile.

Suddenly breaking the quiet atmosphere, the loud sound of closing the book resonated.

“There’s no next volume. I’ll go get it!”

Having read all the fairy tales she brought, Evelia promptly stood up and headed towards Ecrian’s library.

By the time Evelia left the room and her footsteps faded.

As if she had been waiting, Nephir opened her mouth.

“Rellian. Look at this. Father gave it as a birthday gift this year.”

“……”

The item Nephir proudly held in her hand was the necklace she had worn around her neck.