Chapter 5

Even Yulias flinched slightly when their eyes met, but after a moment of hesitation, he spoke.

“If you’re staying here, I’ll have the servants prepare another meal for you… and arrange treatment for your injuries as well.”

Without saying a word, Sheyla bowed her head.

As she headed toward her room, she kept turning back repeatedly.

She was checking whether Elysia was still standing there.

Once her bedroom door closed, Elysia finally stood up.

“…I’ve caused quite a bit of trouble. My apologies.”

Despite her clothes being completely stained with food, Elysia acted as though it didn’t bother her at all.

Something about that troubled Yulias, so he stopped her as she walked past.

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

“You’re planning to go home looking like that? Go change your clothes first.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I can wash them when I get home—”

Elysia was hurriedly trying to decline politely when—

“Noonaaa!”

A familiar, loud voice echoed from the first-floor lobby.

Elysia immediately turned her head.

The sudden unfamiliar voice made Yulias frown.

As they looked toward the central staircase, they saw Joshua standing beside Hylmaiton in the lobby.

“Noona!”

He was like a baby bird that had spotted its mother.

The louder Joshua got, the more the servants glanced over and whispered among themselves.

“Who is that child?”

“He’s my younger brother. I’m very sorry, Your Grace.”

Elysia apologized quickly and rushed away before even waiting for a response.

The calm demeanor she had maintained disappeared.

Almost leaping down the stairs, she reached Joshua in no time.

Without hesitation, she knelt down to meet his eyes.

“Joshua. How did you get here?”

“On foot!! People showed me the way! They said if I kept going straight, I’d find the Grand Duke’s house!”

Elysia glanced up at Hylmaiton.

It was obvious he had allowed Joshua inside after the boy stubbornly insisted on entering through the front gate.

Hylmaiton simply smiled knowingly.

I really can’t afford to make a worse impression here…

Elysia sighed inwardly.

Meanwhile, Joshua’s excitement only grew.

“It’s huge! It’s like a castle! It looks like a prince and princess would live here!!”

Joshua laughed and bounced around excitedly.

The servants stepped back nervously at the sight of the energetic child.

Meanwhile, from the second-floor landing, Yulias noticed someone else.

Sheyla had followed the noise and come out to see what was happening.

The siblings’ eyes met briefly.

Then both immediately looked away.

“Joshua. Joshua?”

Elysia gently placed her hands on his shoulders.

Still unable to contain his excitement, Joshua continued:

“Noona! Are we going to live here now?! Then we’ll get to see the Grand Duke! And we’ll get to eat lots of delicious food too!”

“Joshua.”

Smiling softly, Elysia placed her index finger against her lips.

Joshua immediately understood.

Realizing how loudly he had been speaking, he snapped his mouth shut.

Then he even covered it with both hands.

“You know why we’re here, right? Noona came because she wants to work here.”

Joshua nodded.

“And this isn’t our home. You know that, don’t you?”

Again, he nodded.

“Good. Since this isn’t our home, and you were being very loud, you should apologize, shouldn’t you?”

Elysia spoke slowly and clearly, exaggerating her lip movements.

Joshua watched her mouth carefully before nodding again.

“Alright. Then let’s properly greet the owner of this mansion and apologize.”

“Okay.”

This time his voice was much calmer.

After patting his shoulder, Elysia looked around before turning toward Yulias on the second floor.

Joshua followed her gaze.

Then he bowed deeply.

“My name is Joshua. It’s an honor to meet you, Grand Duke.”

The wild, noisy child from moments ago was gone.

Instead, a polite young boy stood there, speaking clearly and respectfully, his eyes shining brightly.

Watching him, Yulias merely mouthed a brief, “Good,” and gave a small nod.

Elysia looked between the two before lightly tapping Joshua’s shoulder.

“Now you should apologize. Let’s do it together.”

“Okay.”

Again, Joshua answered calmly.

“I’m sorry for causing a disturbance.”

“We apologize, Your Grace.”

Elysia and Joshua bowed deeply.

Sheyla, who had not yet left, stared fixedly at Elysia.

Seeing that, something resembling interest appeared in Yulias’s eyes.

Joshua noticed Sheyla as well.

His calm eyes suddenly sparkled.

“Oh! A friend! It’s a girl!”

Joshua pointed directly at Sheyla and shouted.

The servants gasped.

“Did he just point at Her Ladyship?”

“Right at her? As expected from an uneducated household…”

Hearing the whispers, Elysia showed no reaction.

Instead, she bowed politely toward Sheyla.

“Joshua, that’s the young lady of the house.”

“Then she’s not my friend?!”

“Since it’s your first meeting, why don’t you introduce yourself first? Like you did a moment ago. After that, maybe you can become friends.”

Elysia patiently reasoned with him.

Joshua listened carefully and nodded.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Young Lady. My name is Joshua.”

He bowed politely once more.

Startled, Sheyla took a step backward.

Yulias watched her reaction from the corner of his eye before looking back at the siblings in the lobby.

The four people stood in different places, separated not only by distance but by status.

Elysia was still covered in spilled food.

Joshua looked messy from his long journey.

“Was your name Elysia?”

The moment Yulias spoke, everyone except Joshua held their breath.

“I’ll have fresh clothes prepared. Wash up and receive treatment first.”

“Y-Your Grace… does that mean…?”

“There are some things I want to ask you. You’ll have to spare me more of your time.”

After speaking, Yulias started to turn away but suddenly stopped.

“The same goes for your brother. He appears to be injured.”

“What?”

Alarmed, Elysia immediately looked Joshua over.

The skin on his knees had been scraped raw, and dried blood covered the wounds.

“It doesn’t hurt at all!! Really!”

Joshua forced a cheerful smile.

Suppressing her worry, Elysia nodded.

Watching from a distance, Sheyla turned toward her room.

“Sheyla.”

“…”

“While I speak with Elysia, you’ll stay with her younger brother.”

Sheyla’s mouth fell open.

It felt as though she had been struck by lightning.

Stay alone with a boy she had just met?

And such an unpredictable one at that?

She shook her head immediately.

Yulias frowned.

“If you don’t want to, then say so directly.”

“…”

“If you won’t say it out loud, I’ll take that as agreement.”

At those words, Sheyla tightly shut her mouth.

Her expression darkened instantly.

In the end, she had no choice but to nod.

Yulias let out a long sigh at her reaction.

“Hylmaiton. As I said, prepare fresh clothes, a room where they can wash up, and supplies for treatment.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

After bowing respectfully, Hylmaiton led Elysia and Joshua away.

Still confused, the siblings followed him.

Watching them disappear, Sheyla glanced at Yulias with conflicted eyes.

His attention remained fixed on Elysia, who was still visibly overwhelmed by the situation.

Perhaps… she could be a great help after all.

This had not been part of his original plan.

But after seeing everything that had happened, he had begun to reconsider.

Unaware of Yulias’s thoughts, Sheyla fidgeted nervously with her fingers.

Being left alone with a stranger already made her uncomfortable.

But being told to simply say what she wanted if she disliked something…

That was…

“You’re just a lucky idiot who was born to the right parents.”

“Hypocrite!”

“You’re the daughter of a Grand Duke, and you can’t even speak for yourself?”

The mocking voices echoed through her mind.

The cruel laughter that accompanied them drowned out everything else.

Unable to bear it any longer, Sheyla turned around and ran back to her room.