That night, a fierce rainstorm suddenly raged, even though there had been no signs of it all afternoon.

The outside was noisy, and my mind was filled with thoughts, so I couldn’t fall asleep even while lying in bed.

In such a situation, wouldn’t it be better to do something to clear my head?

Just as I was sitting up in bed, someone knocked on the bedroom door at the right moment.

“Miss, are you awake? Miss Eciel is here to see you.”

“… come in.”

She was not afraid of thunder and lightning. Why did she come?

Despite my curiosity, I responded, and the maid opened the door to let Eciel in, holding a lantern.

Eciel quickly climbed onto the bed and announced.

“I’m sleeping here tonight.”

“Okay.”

I nodded casually. The maid, smiling slightly, closed the door and left.

“Let’s have lunch together tomorrow.”

“Got it.”

“The day after, let’s write letters together.”

“I’ll make time.”

“After that, let’s take a walk in the garden before the roses wilt.”

“When should I come to get you?”

Even though I agreed with everything, my sister kept staring at me.

Her expression wasn’t happy or full of anticipation; it was subdued. It was a look I had never expected to see from Eciel.

“… why do you look like that?”

“Today, while you were gone, I talked to her.”

Ah, with Lady Sisana.

At that moment, I started to understand why my sister had been openly hostile towards her.

She probably had a rather unpleasant conversation with Lady Sisana.

“What did she say to make you so upset?”

“She said Claire is weird.”

“I must have seemed weird to her.”

“… you’re not weird. She is.”

Her words, forcibly suppressed, left a hollow mark, showing Eciel’s frustration and resentment.

I reached out a little late.

Holding my sister’s hand, I carefully picked out the purest and most transparent words from the countless ones that poured out.

“That’s enough. My twin isn’t Lady Sisana; it’s you. I’ll be with you tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that.”

The thick curtains swallowed the sound of the rain beating against the window, leaving only the faint breaths and small voices.

My sister stubbornly kept looking at me.

“She said it would be better for both of us if you gradually drifted apart. Because we’ll live different lives.”

I asked neither too quickly nor too slowly.

“You don’t believe that; do you?”

“No. I know you better than she does.”

But Eciel still seemed unconsoled.

Her green eyes gleamed eerily through the thick darkness, sending a chill down my spine.

“Why does she treat you like that?”

Many reasons came to mind… I answered succinctly.

“Because I’m very different from her. It’s hard for her to understand that right now.”

My sister’s expression grew more twisted.

Knowing harsh words were about to come out, I lightly shook my head and tapped my lips with my finger.

Then, calmly, I whispered.

“Go to sleep, Eciel. If you want to have lunch together tomorrow, you need to get enough sleep now.”

It was a doubtful time for Eciel, who was known for sleeping in, to wake up properly. I needed to get her to sleep quickly to have a manageable day.

Of course, Eciel knew it was too late, so she pouted but laid down right away.

“She’s the one without a twin, so why is she making a fuss about you and me?”

“Eciel.”

“I get it, I’ll sleep. I just need to sleep, right?”

My sister finally fell asleep only after I held her hand tightly.

As the thunder and lightning fulfilled their roles and withdrew, and the raindrops gradually subsided, I finally smiled wryly.

Knowing why she came to make promises about tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that, even though she didn’t believe Lady Sisana’s words.

‘… she’s too scared to even ask about Artair.’

Eciel must have been more afraid of him than the thunder that rang in her ears or the heir to a great noble family she met for the first time.

Fearing the unknown more than knowing well what it was… that was reasonable.

I gently touched her forehead with the hand that wasn’t holding hers and whispered.

“May God bless you.”

May her dreams be generous so that everything Eciel feared faded away, and her world was filled with what she wished for.

That was all I hoped for.

 

* * *

 

Sometime later, letters arrived from the Crown Prince and Lady Sisana.

It was already customary for attendees to exchange letters after the first meeting. We had already sent a letter to Callen.

So, Callen must have replied…

“Why did she send a letter?”

Eciel seemed ready to tear apart Lady Sisana’s letter with her eyes.

Neither Louis nor I knew the reason, so we had nothing to say.

“… first, why don’t you read His Highness the Crown Prince’s letter, Miss Eciel?”

While Louis calmed Eciel down, I quickly snatched the letter opener out of her sight. It was a successful division of roles.

Eciel, curious about Callen’s letter since she had no particular grudge against him, opened the envelope and shifted her attention there.

However, it was a routine letter from start to finish.

A simple letter about how it was nice to meet, he liked the gift we chose, and he hoped to see us at the next gathering.

There was one peculiar part.

“He mentioned that if there’s no follow-up from Lady Sisana on what was discussed, we shouldn’t hesitate to speak up anytime. He’ll listen carefully.”

Hearing my sister read it aloud, an interesting expression crossed Louis’ face.

“Do you have any idea what His Highness the Crown Prince might have told Lady Sisana?”

He must have told her to apologize because she was wrong. The veiled hint turned into clear words in my head.

But it didn’t inspire confidence.

Lady Sisana’s social skills were, to put it nicely, at rock bottom. Callen was gentle and affectionate, being the youngest.

And how sincere could an apology be if it was coerced?

I answered without much enthusiasm.

“I can guess, but it’s best not to expect much. Lady Sisana is a very typical Astariol.”

Louis, who had experienced <typical> Astariol up close, understood the context from that little hint.

As he nodded, Eciel quickly grabbed the letter opener.

“I’ll do it this time.”

“… don’t tear it. Be careful.”

“I won’t tear it.”

My sister gave me a haughty look and carefully slid the elaborately patterned blade under the seal.

Although her skills were objectively clumsy, both the seal and the envelope were of such high quality that the emblem came off safely even in the hands of an inexperienced child.

And as for the letter…

‘Why did she write so much?’

I expected a simple card, but out came two pressed hydrangea flowers made of silver and a densely filled letter.

A neat apology, a clear statement of what she did wrong, and a determination to improve in the future.

The letter, containing all the necessary elements, was almost bewildering.

While I stared blankly, Eciel, reading along with me, asked.

“What about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“How did you feel when Mom and I made you do this and that, made you speak up even if you didn’t want to, and made you apologize?”

I briefly looked up at my sister.

Laws, rules, unspoken codes, and consideration for living with others.

Laws must be obeyed, and rules could be distinguished, but unspoken codes were vague, and consideration was difficult.

Pretending not to see what was clearly visible, acting as if I hadn’t heard what was clearly audible, sometimes guessing a step ahead in the situation’s context.

… but wasn’t that how everyone lived?

“I’ll always do it willingly if you and Mom want it.”

“That’s because you liked Mom and me enough to do it.”

“…”

“Does she like His Highness the Crown Prince that much?”

No.

She might recognize him as her cousin and someone she had to always kneel and serve at all times.

Callen must have done many things for her.

But Callen didn’t mean to her what my family meant to me.

Callen wouldn’t have poured such complete and absolute love into her.

Louis, sensing my inability to find the right answer, intervened smoothly.

“His Highness the Crown Prince desired it, so Lady Sisana would have gladly complied, Miss.”

“Do you do everything our father asks, Louis?”

“Of course. His words are always right.”

My sister’s green eyes blinked once. Louis seized the moment to change the subject.

“Now it’s time to write a reply, Miss.”

In the fleeting moment when Eciel’s attention shifted to the new challenge, I sent a grateful look to Louis.

Louis playfully raised an eyebrow but then calmed his expression and silently mouthed.

“Nothing has come from Levantas yet. Shall I take action?”

I slightly shook my head.

In small gatherings of children, it was customary to send small hydrangeas made of silver to apologize for one’s mistakes.

Lady Sisana sent silver hydrangeas for that reason.

However, crafting four small hydrangeas out of pure silver would be quite costly.

Marquis Levantas didn’t seem like the type to willingly bear such an expense.

It would be difficult to receive flowers from Artair.

‘He probably didn’t even write a letter.’

He would likely be fighting, refusing to write a letter because his father wouldn’t give him the flowers.