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chapter 16
“Then I’ll go with Aete.”
There wasn’t any special reason behind it.
She simply met the qualities young ladies aspired to, and he believed that Aete would certainly suit Berzene well.
After finishing his conversation, Leonold gathered the letters and left his office.
It was the letter that Berzene had carefully written.
There wasn’t much content, so he had finished reading it before even reaching his bedroom. Still, he felt the need to double-check to make sure he had properly understood it.
“Would you like a cup of tea before bed, Your Highness?”
The chamberlain, who was helping him dress, asked. His expression hinted that something might be bothering Leonold.
“Raising a child… doesn’t it usually require a lot of resources?”
“Of course, yes…”
His doubt began there. Why was Berzene asking him to pay less attention to her?
Even with three children, none of them had ever made such a request.
Leonold himself had felt uncomfortable with attention in his childhood, but that was something accumulated over time.
‘Miss Berry hasn’t even been here a week yet.’
Wasn’t it too short a time to feel bothered?
Perhaps it meant the opposite. Maybe she was indirectly asking for more care.
Even trying to figure out her intentions alone offered no guarantee of accuracy.
‘It’d probably be best to speak directly.’
Berzene’s prospective adoptive parents, the Count and Countess of Erdion, were scheduled to visit in four days. The day’s schedule was planned with plenty of leeway.
It would be the perfect opportunity for a meeting.
Madam Chloe had sent everyday attire—a cute white dress with ribbons and lace at the waist.
The hem of the skirt softly brushed against the calves as she walked.
“Perfect. I’ll make your hair look absolutely adorable,” Rosalyn said, gathering her brush and hair ties.
Though uncertain whether it was okay to touch her hair, the hesitation was brief.
“Then please style it by the window.”
Berzene stiffened, worried that their hands might touch, but fortunately, no accident occurred.
Rosalyn skillfully combed her hair without pulling, braiding it into two neat pigtails.
With the headband in place, she looked exactly as Rosalyn had promised—adorable.
‘…At least I don’t look shabby.’
That was what pleased her most. She had assumed that a sense of inadequacy would be hard to remove, like dirt ingrained over time.
As she wore new shoes, she heard a noise from outside.
A carriage carrying members of the Erdion family had passed through the mansion gates. Hanging on the terrace railing, she observed the people stepping out of the carriage.
They were far away, barely more than shapes.
‘That must be the father… and that must be the mother…’
The woman’s caramel-colored hair rippled in the wind.
She couldn’t make out their expressions or facial features, but somehow they seemed kind. Of course, she didn’t delude herself into thinking she would immediately live happily with them.
The director had often said:
“Even if luck allows you to enter a new home, don’t assume you’ll be loved the same way. You’re the second. Endure any dislike that comes your way.”
Moreover, they had plans for children, and adoption was likely never part of it.
She would probably be an inconvenient presence appearing unexpectedly.
She worried that perhaps they were only accepting her reluctantly under the pressure of a grand ducal family.
“Shall we go out then?”
Normally, they would have spoken in the reception room, but due to her constitution, the meeting took place in the garden pavilion.
The Erdion couple was already there, laughing together in such harmony that it almost made her feel left out.
She couldn’t shake the sense of being an uninvited guest.
‘Not that I want them as my real family…’
Even while considering the Edendale family as her own, she didn’t crave a cozy home.
She only needed guardians and shields who could handle her.
So, there was no reason to feel intimidated.
“What are you doing here?”
Suddenly, she felt herself lifted into the air.
“Could it be… you were waiting for me?”
The Grand Duke had approached and lifted her up.
Had he noticed her gloomy thoughts? She hurriedly composed her expression.
“Yes, Your Highness. I didn’t expect you to come immediately.”
“Perfect timing.”
Without realizing it, she leaned her head against him. The subtle scent of wood seemed calming.
He didn’t set her down until they reached the pavilion.
She couldn’t meet the eyes of the Count and Countess.
In the end, she kept her head down, staring only at the ground.
“It must have been sudden. I appreciate you coming here.”
“We are just pleased to meet Your Highness.”
“That’s good to hear.”
After exchanging pleasantries, the Grand Duke rested a hand on her shoulder.
“As you may have guessed, young lady who will one day bear the Edendale name, Miss Berry, these are your parents.”
She awkwardly bowed.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Berzene.”
The Count of Erdion leaned forward slightly and smiled warmly.
“I heard. You chose our family.”
Technically, Arthur had drawn lots, but the Count seemed proud, and she nodded in acknowledgment.
“I assure you, it was a wise decision. We will be your best defense, so you won’t regret it.”
It wasn’t mere politeness; she could feel the sincerity in his expression.
Contrary to her expectations, it seemed they didn’t find her bothersome.
…Well, that’s good… right?
“Let’s sit, then.”
Her teacup was filled with red juice.
It was extremely tart, making her frown, yet there was a sweetness that made her sip it continuously.
At first, the adults’ words flowed easily, but eventually, they floated around her mind, and she couldn’t grasp the conversation.
She quietly ate the cakes, lost in thought, when something caught her eye.
“Belze…!”
It was Litema.
From a corner of the hallway, he peeked out and waved.
She had already made eye contact, so she couldn’t ignore him.
After hesitating, she lifted her hand to wave back—but the Grand Duke noticed immediately.
“Go ahead, Miss Berry.”
“Huh? Ah, no, it’s okay…”
“You’ll get bored otherwise. You’ll regret it if you don’t listen to me.”
She looked back at Litema. His innocent face showed no sign of discomfort around her.
Finally, she relaxed.
“Then, I’ll go ahead first.”
“Have fun and return promptly.”
She bowed to the prospective adoptive parents and hurried off.
“I appeared at just the right time, didn’t I?”
Litema lifted the corner of his mouth.
“I always think adults must experience time differently from us.”
Raising one eyebrow and clicking his tongue, he made her laugh. Litema’s relaxed expression revealed the tension he had been holding—just like hers had been.
In truth, it was a bit… strange.
“Your father told you to come back, right? We can’t go too far, but it’s fine. I’ve prepared plenty of things to play with.”
Litema grabbed her hand, then quickly let go with a small gasp.
“Sorry for grabbing it without asking. It was an instinct.”
Having been around kids who playfully touch her, she wasn’t fazed by it.
She hadn’t expected an apology for holding her hand without permission, either.
Flustered, she replied:
“Ah, no. It’s fine.”
“Thanks for forgiving me. Can I hold it again?”
Though she didn’t feel the need to be asked, she placed her hand in his.
Contrary to expectation, Litema’s hand wasn’t soft at all. Even through his gloves, she could feel the slight calluses.
“Let’s go quickly!”
Litema clasped their hands as they walked, as if binding her firmly.
She tried not to flinch awkwardly and followed him.
They arrived at a small cabin where the gamekeeper stayed.
A tiny wooden fence enclosed the entrance, and a dog came wandering out.
“Hi, Rick! Long time no see.”
It was an enormous dog, roughly at eye level with her.
Litema released her hand to pet the dog.
She instinctively clenched her fist at the sudden loss of warmth.
‘I shouldn’t do this.’
She felt foolish for being affected by such small things.
Yet she understood why—it was natural to long for a warmth she had never held.
“Berzene! Come here and touch him too!”
Litema approached, his face bright with joy.
