Neris and Dianne had finished their chocolate when the riverside party hit its peak, so Betty sent the children to the playroom.

Slowly, the time approached for the dinner intended for uninvited adults.

Thanks to the open floor plan of the mansion’s main building on the second floor, the chatter of busy adults going back and forth on the first floor was fully visible. Alone, Neris leaned her face against the railing designed to prevent falls, looking down at the first floor, when someone spoke to her in a cheerful voice.

“Curious about what’s going on downstairs?”

Neris only turned her head without moving her body to look in the direction of the voice. Nualan, handsomely dressed in brown, was looking down at her with a slight smile.

He let out an awkward laugh when she didn’t respond and continued to gaze at him blankly.

“Upset you can’t go to the dinner?”

“Not really.”

Finally, a reply came from her small, red lips. At her indifferent retort, Nualan’s eyes sparkled.

“Feel free to speak your mind. When Muriel was your age, she cried every time because she wanted to go to dinner and the evening dance.”

“And what would honesty get me?”

“Can’t see well over the railing? I can lift you.”

The second-floor railing of the McKinnon mansion was highly ornate, twisted with patterns and fitted with colored glass in a gold fence. Although beautiful in itself, it obstructed the view considerably, and given Neris’s short stature, she had difficulty freely looking downstairs.

Nualan’s offer had considered this.

Neris looked at Nualan again. He let out a cynical laugh.

“Don’t like it?”

“You’re kind.”

“Thanks. I have a much younger sister, so I naturally want to be good to kids.”

“Is that why you’re good to Dianne too?”

“Dianne? She’s not only young but also family. Besides, Dianne is…”

He stopped speaking just before making a point that would be clearly understood by those listening. His eyes shifted towards Neris’s skirt, implying the appendages hidden underneath.

Neris gave a small smile. It was the first time she had smiled since meeting Nualan at this venue.

“Having a slight disability in her legs doesn’t make Dianne foolish or naive. You don’t have to underscore that point to be kind to her.”

“Of course, Dianne is smart. Compared to Muriel at that age, Dianne is practically a genius.”

Though he spoke casually, Neris noticed a fleeting change in Nualan’s eyes. After finishing his words, he smiled warmly at her.

“Of course, not as smart as you, little miss. Dianne seems really happy that you’ve been kind to her. Muriel is feeling left out because Dianne won’t play with her anymore.”

“Muriel prefers playing with Heder. Why would she play with kids like us?”

“Muriel teases Dianne because she finds her cute; there’s no malice. Neris, you’re smart, you understand adult situations, right? The Railing family is an important guest to the McKinnon house, and if Dianne behaves as she is now… well, it’s a bit awkward.”

As he finished speaking, Nualan sent her a truly apologetic and trusting look. That would have been convincing if Neris hadn’t already been tragically betrayed by someone similar in nature.

She knew exactly why she hadn’t liked Nualan from the beginning. On the surface, he acted kindly and considerately, but in reality, he only spoke words that benefited him.

However, there was no need to openly show her distrust. Neris asked in a quiet voice.

“The adults are in business together, right? That’s why they’re important guests?”

“Yes, exactly. You even know that.”

“I’m twelve. I know what business is. What does Heder’s father do?”
It was always adorable when a child spoke with the logic of an adult. Nualan looked at Neris with a loving gaze, as if he were looking at his own sister, and kindly explained.

“Father Hederne sells medicine. You know what I mean when I say he sells medicine, right?”

“Of course. You mean the medicine you take when you’re sick?”

“Right.”

Neris’s eyes sparkled calmly. She understood one thing, no, two things.

First, Angelo Railing and Sibna McKinnon worked together.

Second, despite his frequent mentions of Muriel, Nualan clearly had little interest in his sister’s growing-up years.

If he had even the slightest interest in his sister, he would’ve known that the vocabulary of a twelve-year-old girl could be quite rich.

Neris knew everything she wanted to know. She decided to confirm one more thing.

“Are you still looking for a doctor who can’t fix Diane’s leg? Maybe Father Hederne has some good medicine?”

“We certainly hope so, but—”

Nualan wore a bitter smile.

“She got that way after an illness when she was young. My uncle and aunt invited all the top doctors in the empire, but they all said they couldn’t cure her. However…”

His words trailed off ominously. Neris looked at him with a face full of sympathy.

“Why?”

“Well, it’s a bit inappropriate to discuss this with a child. Sorry. Forget it.”

Nualan scanned Neris’s eager face. Neris narrowed her eyes impatiently and pursed her lips.

“I’m not that young. I’m old enough to understand whatever you’re saying.”