Several months passed and the snow melted.

Before long, spring arrived with flowers in full bloom.

As the season warmed, the situation in the territory stabilized after struggling with frozen crops.

The death of Earl Boston and the inheritance of his title were announced.

As the funeral had not been held, the succession ceremony was postponed to next year.

I adapted to the changed life by corresponding with Aaron through letters.

I came to the Rowe mansion after hearing that Blanche’s wedding dress was completed.

‘Is it because it has the same design as Ayla’s wedding dress?’

Seeing Blanche trying on the dress made me feel somewhat sad. She would soon grow up and become an adult, with her wedding day not far off.

Eventually, Blanche changed into comfortable clothes saying it was uncomfortable, and went outside to play ball with Jade.

“Elder sister, can you help me with this? It’s too difficult to do alone.”

What Ayla handed over was a seating chart for arranging where the guests attending the wedding would sit.

I composed my surging emotions and helped with the arrangement.

“What about Grand Duke Usith?”

Then I expressed doubt when I didn’t see Grand Duke Usith on the guest list.

“Elder brother said to keep it a secret from the Grand Duke until the wedding is over.”

I felt relieved at the news that Grand Duke Usith would not be coming to the wedding.

‘If he sees Grand Duke Usith who killed his parents, he might stab him with a knife like in the original story. It’s better if he doesn’t come.’

Jade did not give a definite answer that he would not seek revenge.

‘Back then I told him not to do it because I was scared, but…’

Trying to stop him any further might be overstepping.

‘It must be hard to accept that the uncle he trusted actually killed his parents.’

For now, I was satisfied just with them not meeting.

“Elder sister. The Obren earldom should be in the second row on the left, right?”

“Hmm, the Rickenia earldom is sitting right behind them. Obren and Rickenia, the two families haven’t gotten along for a long time, so it’s better to keep them far apart.”

“You’re right. If they sit close, they might get into an argument. I would have been in big trouble without you, elder sister.”

Ayla continued arranging the seats but lay down, seeming tired.

“It’s so tiring to consider everyone’s personal circumstances one by one.”

“It’s better to be careful. Let’s hang in there, we’re almost done.”

While comforting Ayla, I continued scanning the guest list and found some familiar names.

Duke Lowin Belaste, Duchess Anasha Belaste, and Young Duke Uriel Belaste attending. ]

‘Why are these people…?’

Even looking again, there was a phrase stating that people from House Belaste would be attending the wedding.

“Elder sister, what’s wrong?”

“…Ayla. Look at this.”

Ayla saw the same phrase and was surprised, rubbing her eyes.

“Why are these people here?”

“Didn’t you invite them?”

“How could I, knowing you’d be uncomfortable? The butler handled sending out invitations, not me… Wait a moment.”

Ayla also seemed unsure of what had happened.

We called the butler to ask what was going on.

“Since Lady Nier is engaged to Young Duke Uriel, we sent an invitation to House Belaste…”

The butler explained with an apologetic look why they were on the guest list.

‘Uriel is engaged to Lady Nier…?’

If someone invited to the wedding has a fiancé, it was customary to invite their partner as well.

The butler’s action of sending an invitation because of this was not wrong.

We couldn’t blame him further for something that wasn’t his mistake.

‘Of all people, why do they have to come…’

I sent the butler away and held my head, which was starting to ache.

We couldn’t tell them not to come when they had already received invitations and indicated they would attend.

“I should have paid more attention. Elder sister, I’m sorry.”

“No. Ayla, you don’t need to be sorry. Anyway, Blanche will be wearing a mask, and I can change my appearance with the pendant, so it’s fine.”

I reassured the apologetic Ayla and realized there was a solution.

‘Right. Even if we run into them, they won’t recognize Blanche and me.’

The headache ringing in my mind gradually subsided.

“That’s a relief then… Oh, elder sister. Do you know about the situation with House Belaste?”

Ayla brought up the situation with House Belaste.

“Did something happen?”

If Lady Nier and Uriel were engaged, it meant there were no problems.

“I heard the Duke became lame and walks with a cane.”

“…Lame? Why?”

I was surprised to hear that Duke Belaste had become lame.

“I only heard about it so I don’t know the details, but apparently there are burn scars on the Duke’s leg. Could it be related to when you set fire to the annex, elder sister?”

“…Surely not.”

There was no way Duke Belaste would have entered the burning annex. He wasn’t the type to worry about me and come looking.

‘But burn scars on his leg?’

It was strange that the injury was severe enough to make him lame.

House Belaste had handled my death casually, announcing it in less than half a day.

“Elder brother might know. He rushed to the annex right after hearing about you. Why don’t you ask him?”

“…No thanks. The burn scars must be from something else. You know how the Duke treated me.”

I didn’t want to hear about Duke Belaste’s circumstances. He wasn’t someone who would regret anything anyway.

“Oh, look at that, elder sister.”

Ayla smiled and gestured towards the window.

Looking out the window, I saw Jade and Blanche playing ball.

Blanche was picking up the ball Jade had thrown.

I smiled at the amusing situation.

“It’s exactly like playing with the dog we used to have. He must be quite lazy.”

Ayla shook her head and clicked her tongue briefly.

“Blanche seems to be having fun though.”

After repeating it several times, Blanche had progressed to jumping up to catch the ball.

Jade clapped seeing Blanche like that, then threw the ball even further.

“Jade seems to be secretly enjoying it too.”

If he really found it bothersome, he wouldn’t have entertained her at all.

After watching for a while, I made eye contact with Blanche.

Blanche waved at me and ran inside.

“Mother!”

Her cheeks were flushed red from playing excitedly, looking like they were stained with strawberries.

“Blanche, do you want some orange juice? It’s sweet and delicious, made by squeezing freshly picked oranges.”

Ayla handed Blanche the orange juice that was on the table.

“Yes! I want some!”

Blanche took the orange juice and drank it all in one go without even breathing.

“It’s cool and sweet! So delicious!”

There was a round juice stain on Blanche’s mouth.

Soon after, Jade came in with the ball.

“I was wondering where you went, but you were here.”

“Hehe, Your Grace! Do you want some orange juice? It’s super sweet!”

“You, you know I don’t like sweet things, are you offering on purpose?”

“I’ve been caught!”

Blanche giggled while covering her mouth, then pulled on Jade’s hand.

“Now, let’s go out and play!”

“Didn’t we finish playing?”

“What are you saying? The interest on Shu Shu’s playtime has accumulated a lot, so you still need to play more!”

Jade frowned but obediently let Blanche lead him back outside.

“It’s amazing how he can’t resist Blanche at all. Normally he’s the type to just walk past even if a child fell in front of him.”

Ayla shrugged, finding it curious how well Jade accommodated Blanche.

‘The reason he’s good to Blanche…’

At the Ice Festival, Jade had said this.

Blanche resembles me so much that she evokes nostalgia.

“…He says looking at Blanche makes him feel like he’s gone back to the past.”

“Blanche really is exactly like you when you were little, elder sister.”

Ayla nodded in understanding, and I imagined something that wouldn’t happen.

‘I wonder what it would have been like if Blanche had taken after Jade instead of me.’

Suddenly I was curious what a child who took after both Jade and me equally would look like.

Jade had been throwing and catching the ball with Blanche for hours.

Of course, all he had to do was stand still and throw the ball, so he wasn’t moving.

‘I want to stop soon.’

But repeating the same action over and over inevitably becomes tedious.

“Your Grace! I brought the ball here!”

Blanche in front of him had surprisingly good stamina.

‘Larien didn’t particularly have good stamina.’

I wonder who she takes after.

“Why aren’t you throwing it! Shu Shu is waiting!”

“…It’s bothersome.”

With no sign of fatigue and pestering him to hurry and throw the ball, he deliberately threw it far.

“Ah! Your Grace, why did you throw it so far! Shu Shu couldn’t catch it!”

“Go bring it back.”

Jade carelessly threw it and sent Blanche off.

“…What a sunny day.”

The sunlight beating down made it hard to open his eyes.

“Your Grace! Shu Shu is back!”

He tried to open his narrowed eyes to look at Blanche who had already brought the ball back.

‘…Wolf ears?’

There were wolf ears protruding from Blanche’s head.

Thinking he must have seen wrong, he rubbed his eyes and opened them.

Looking at Blanche again, there was nothing on her head.

“Your Grace, what’s wrong?”

“I thought I saw something sticking out on top of your head…”

He had only narrowly opened his eyes at that moment, so even that wasn’t certain.

“Your Grace must have seen wrong! How could there be such a thing!”

“…I see.”

“You must have been outside too long and imagined it. Good Shu Shu will stop playing ball for today. Let’s go inside.”

Jade quietly followed behind Blanche, covering up that he must have seen wrong.

It must have been a momentary hallucination. It was something impossible after all.