After finishing breakfast, Ayla waved her hand towards the carriage carrying Larien and Blanche.

“Elder sister, then go carefully and see you tomorrow!”

She was overjoyed as everything was going smoothly.

‘Everything is going according to plan.’

Just now, she said while seeing off Larien and Blanche who were about to return.

‘Since we need to practice the flower girl role, you have to keep coming with Blanche tomorrow and the day after too.’

‘C-Continue?’

‘There’s no time since the wedding is only a month away.’

She got a promise from Larien that she would come every day with Blanche to practice the flower girl role.

‘Actually, the flower girl role only needs to be practiced once or twice to get the order right, so there’s no need to come many times, but…’

If not, wouldn’t she be unable to see Larien often?

‘If we get married, we’ll have to go live in the territory for a while, so I won’t be able to meet elder sister for a long time.’

She wanted to stay close to Larien and spend more time together.

In fact, it still felt like a dream that Larien had returned.

‘I’m so glad elder sister didn’t really die.’

How difficult must those years have been, fleeing because of Blanche and completely giving up her own life to focus solely on raising a child.

‘I wonder who the child’s father is. It’s a bit awkward to ask elder sister directly.’

There were quite a few men who approached Larien when she had just come of age.

‘Elder sister was really pretty then. It was the first time elder brother openly showed jealousy. Clueless elder sister probably didn’t notice.’

Jade kept an eye on the men who fell for Larien and threatened them behind the scenes if they looked like they might propose.

With underhanded methods like stopping investments, not concluding business deals, or finding and exposing weaknesses.

It was better than grabbing the collar of someone who confessed to Larien, so I couldn’t stop him.

‘Anyway, elder sister probably didn’t have a chance to meet men because of elder brother, and judging by naming her Blanche, it’s clear that elder sister likes elder brother.’

The feelings Larien harbored for Jade were clearly evident in that name.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to give her daughter the name ‘Blanche’.

Blanche was a child who clearly showed she was loved, just looking at her made one feel good.

She had some resemblance to Jade, which made her even more endearing.

‘Why does Blanche seem so much like elder brother’s daughter? I should ask him.’

Ayla went up to his room and flung open the door.

“Elder brother! Why are you in your room and not coming out?”

Jade, who had been sleeping, frowned and raised his upper body.

“…Ayla. I’m sure I told you to knock before entering.”

An expression full of sleepiness.

“I really didn’t think you’d be sleeping…”

Ayla felt awkward as it was the first time she’d seen Jade sleeping at this hour.

“I thought elder sister was mistaken.”

As Ayla was apologizing, Jade’s robe touched her foot.

“This, why…”

“Hand me the robe.”

She slowly raised her head and confirmed that Jade was not wearing anything.

“Why are you naked! Put it on quickly!”

She immediately grabbed the robe and threw it at Jade while squeezing her eyes shut.

“This is my room. The one who entered without permission is you, Ayla.”

“How should I know! It’s disgusting!”

She felt nauseous and it was difficult to be in the same space.

“Where’s Larien?”

Jade asked about Larien’s whereabouts while putting on the robe and tying the knot.

“Elder sister left a while ago.”

“You should have woken me up.”

Jade exhaled with irritation.

‘Who do you think I told to come every day for?’

The reason she suggested the flower girl role to Blanche and told them to come every day was because of Jade.

‘I put in some effort so you could see elder sister often, and this is what I get.’

Ayla was dumbfounded by Jade scolding her and put her hands into opposite sleeves.

“Elder brother. I asked elder sister to have Blanche be the flower girl. Elder sister accepted, and she’ll keep coming from tomorrow until the wedding.”

“…What?”

“What should you do for me now, elder brother?”

Jade slightly moved his eyes and mouth, smiling brightly as he pulled out a document from under the bedside table and held it out.

“What’s this?”

“Open it. My little sister.”

“Have you finally gone mad…”

Ayla felt goosebumps all over at that kind form of address she was hearing for the first time.

[ Jade Rowe transfers Salome Castle to Ayla Rowe. ]

She narrowed her eyes as she scanned the document and paused.

[ Effective immediately, ownership of Salome Castle is transferred to Ayla Rowe… ]

Ayla rubbed her eyes, unable to believe the content that followed.

“E-Elder brother! T-This is…!”

Salome Castle was beautiful, surrounded by sturdy walls.

“Why are you suddenly giving this…”

“I was preparing it as a wedding gift, but just take it from now on.”

She had wanted Salome Castle for a long time, singing about it into his ear, but he absolutely refused to give it.

“I love you, elder brother.”

“It’s disgusting, so get out.”

“I still love you.”

At this moment, even if she was told it was disgusting in return, Ayla felt like she could fly with happiness.

It was worth asking Blanche to be the flower girl and deceiving Larien into coming every day.

“Ah. Right. Elder brother, why didn’t you take your medicine?”

“I ran out.”

“Elder sister knows you have sleepwalking, what should we do? Did something happen?”

Jade silently raised an eyebrow.

Having endured his scolding for 20 years now.

‘It clearly means something happened.’

It was a reaction that was sufficiently interpretable.

Come to think of it, Blanche was alone in the room this morning.

Crying that Larien was gone from when she woke up.

‘Did they talk all night or something? Well, I should keep quiet anyway.’

She kept her mouth shut, not wanting to lose ownership of Salome Castle.

“Elder brother. Didn’t you notice anything strange about Blanche?”

“Strange?”

“She’s cute, lovely, and kind like elder sister, you know? She speaks so prettily that I want to bite her.”

It was strange that Jade came to mind every time she saw Blanche.

“Is it strange that she’s cute, lovely, kind, and speaks prettily?”

“No! That’s not it, she resembles you too!”

Larien’s expression became stern when Blanche hid the carrots in her potage.

She scolded her, saying it was a bad habit to be picky with food.

Blanche, who was making excuses, retorted that she was just tucking the carrots in, eventually making Larien smile.

She neither ate the carrots as desired nor got scolded further.

The way she induced things to flow that way was similar to Jade.

If it was just a resemblance, he wouldn’t have overlapped in her mind.

No matter how she looked at it, there were more than one or two suspicious things.

‘It’s strange that she insists on calling me aunt instead of great-aunt…’

When she said Blanche reminded her of Jade, Larien was very surprised and stuttered, while Blanche liked being told she resembled him.

“Isn’t there something suspicious? Elder sister seemed like she’d been caught hiding something. And that 4-year-old who knew what a verbal contract was, that was about Blanche too, right?”

“Yes.”

“This is like a woman’s intuition, but Blanche seems like your daughter, elder brother.”

“So you’re saying Blanche is my daughter?”

“If that’s not the case, there’s no reason I’d think of you when I see Blanche, or for elder sister to be flustered, right? And when I look at Blanche, my heart feels tender. Like I’ve found a lost family member…”

Jade’s eyes, which were listening seriously at first, gradually lost their vitality.

“Ayla. You and I, what species are we?”

“…Wolf shapeshifters?”

Ayla pouted her lips and answered as Jade pointed at each other with his index finger.

“What about Larien?”

“A sparrow…”

Listening to it, it was an impossible combination.

A baby couldn’t be born between a wolf, a mammal, and a sparrow, a bird.

“You know well. How can Blanche be my daughter when our species are different?”

“B-But my intuition is saying she’s your daughter!”

She felt wronged.

Blanche was the first child to remind her of Jade.

Of course, Jade’s rebuttal that how could she be his daughter when their species were different was reasonable, but intuition was more important.

“Your intuition has always been wrong. All the businesses you proceeded with because you liked them without proper consideration ended up in losses.”

“…Why are you bringing that up now? That’s unfair.”

She was annoyed at Jade for ignoring that intuition.

“I’m saying your intuition is wrong. You should say things that make sense. Just focus on preparing for the wedding. Don’t waste energy on useless things.”

Despite Jade’s response that she was being ridiculous, Ayla didn’t give up.

“I’ll prove that my intuition is right!”

She ran to the library, hoping there would be records of babies being born even between different species.

[This is the timeline separator]

When they returned to the mansion, Earl Boston was waiting.

“Larien. When you didn’t return yesterday, I was worried something had happened.”

“There was a sudden heavy snowfall, so I stayed at the Rowe Marquis’ residence. I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you in advance.”

“It’s fine as long as nothing happened.”

“Grandfather! Good morning! You know what, Shu Shu sprinkles flowers for auntie! And gives a ring too!”

Earl Boston was puzzled, unable to understand Blanche’s expression.

“Hm? Blanche, what do you mean?”

“Blanche agreed to be the flower girl at the Rowe Marquis’ daughter’s wedding.”

When she informed him that Blanche would be the flower girl at Ayla’s wedding, he showed a troubled expression.

“I’m worried something might happen at the wedding.”

“It’ll be fine since she’ll enter wearing a mask. I’ll also wear the pendant uncle gave me.”

“That’s a bit reassuring, but… You’re just like Rachel, unable to refuse. Until we return to Lecah, be careful… *cough*!”

Earl Boston laughed as if he couldn’t help it, then coughed deeply.