Chapter 9

Two days after the tailor came to the mansion.

I met the new foster parents, Lord and Lady Bentley.

The dress I had ordered had not yet arrived, and I only had the clothes I brought from the Aringham Viscount's house, but I was worried if it would be impolite. However, Lord Riley said, "It's better this way," so I decided to go as I was.

The faded beige dress was a bit worn, but it was the best I had.

In the afternoon, I put it on and went to the castle in a carriage.

When we arrived at the castle and told the gatekeeper my name, he directed us to Prince Shawn's palace.

As the carriage moved forward, I saw Lord Riley waiting for me. Even from a distance, I could see his golden hair shining, and the moment I recognized him, I felt so happy that I wanted to lean out of the window and wave.

I managed to hold back as a lady should, but I couldn't help smiling broadly.

Escorted by Lord Riley, I entered the palace and went to the same room I had been to before, where Prince Shawn and Lord and Lady Bentley were already waiting.

"I'm sorry for being late."

I bowed hurriedly, worried that I had arrived late, but the Prince shook his head.

"No, you're not late. I had a few things to discuss, so I asked the Bentleys to come a bit earlier."

Relieved, I performed a curtsy again.

I tried to make it as beautiful and graceful as possible, slowly and carefully spreading the hem of my dress.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Edith. Despite the suddenness of the situation, I am deeply grateful to you for accepting someone like me. I may have some shortcomings, but I hope you will treat me kindly."

I bowed deeply, feeling nervous.

First impressions are crucial, and I wanted to make a good impression on my new foster parents.

Then, a gentle male voice spoke.

"We are equally pleased to meet such a polite young lady. It's a joy to have you as our daughter."

Encouraged by his words, I looked up to see a kind couple looking at me.

The man was in his late forties, and the woman in her early forties. Both were beautiful, as befitting nobles, but more importantly, they exuded a sense of calm.

The woman nodded, looking pleased.

"Yes, truly."

"Since this is a bit of a standing conversation, why don't Riley and Edith sit down?"

Following the Prince's words, we sat on the sofa next to each other.

"I am Eimon Bentley, the head of the Bentley Earl's household. The lady next to me is my wife, Darcy. We couldn't have children, unfortunately, but we have a foster son named Arvin, who is about your age. He couldn't come today, but he is a very honest and intelligent boy."

"But thanks to that, we now have a polite and lovely daughter as well. It's not such a bad thing, is it, dear?"

"You're right. Having two lovely children in our household is a wonderful thing."

As Lord Riley had said, the couple seemed to have a favorable impression of me.

Even from my previous memories, my current life was pitiful, so others would likely feel the same way when they learned my story.

Seeing the couple's smiles, I couldn't help but smile as well.

"Once you sign, the adoption will be complete."

The document presented to me had the signature of the Aringham Viscount, the Bentley Earl's household, and Prince Shawn as a witness. I signed my name in the empty space with the pen provided. This would probably be the last time I would write the Aringham surname.

When I returned the pen and document to the Prince, he nodded in satisfaction.

"From today, you are Edith Bentley, the Earl's daughter."

I was completely separated from the Aringham Viscount's household.

It felt like a strange sense of accomplishment or liberation.

I wouldn't have to spend time alone in that small annex, or suffer from the violence and verbal abuse of my stepmother and half-sister, or be treated coldly by my former fiancé, or be disappointed by my indifferent father.

My heart felt lighter, though not as much as when my memories returned.

As I let out a sigh of relief, Lord Riley gently placed his hand on my back.

Smiling back at him, he smiled warmly, his round eyes slightly narrowed.

"By the way, Edith, your appearance has changed quite a bit. How did you do it? It's not magic, is it? There's no trace of it. ... Can makeup really make such a difference?"

The Prince looked at me curiously, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I did apply a light makeup, but that's all."

"Originally, Edith had a beautiful appearance, but it seemed to have dulled due to the harsh treatment at the Viscount's house. Now that she is living in a manner befitting a young lady in our household, her natural beauty is starting to return," Lord Riley explained.

The Bentleys looked at me with a pained expression.

Being treated so poorly that one couldn't even properly dress oneself was unheard of.

In any household, daughters were usually treated well as tools for political marriages.

"Still, Edith, you look a lot like your mother."

The lady narrowed her eyes fondly, and I asked in return.

"Did you know my mother?"

In my memories, my mother was thin and bedridden due to illness.

The lady nodded and lowered her eyes as if recalling something.

"Yes, she was quite famous in society at the time. She was very beautiful and delicate, but surprisingly strong-willed, which made her hard to approach. But when I talked to her, she was a very pleasant person. You must take after your mother."

"Strong-willed? I've never seen that side of me..."

"Haha, she would bluntly reject persistent suitors, saying, 'You're so persistent, I'm not interested in you.'"

Lord Riley and the Prince chuckled softly.

"Oh, that sounds like my mother."

"Edith, you might say the same thing, too."

They both laughed.

My current memories are stronger than my previous ones, but it felt strange to think that I was like my mother. However, it wasn't a bad feeling.

The Prince handed the adoption certificate to his aide and sighed.

"This will be approved soon. Next is the marriage. When do you plan to get married?"

Lord Riley and I exchanged glances.

Marriage after just a few days of meeting? I wasn't against it, but it felt a bit premature.

"Well, I would like to remain engaged for a while. After marriage, we will become a married couple. I want to deepen our relationship as fiancés for now."

While being a married couple is good, I also wanted to enjoy the atmosphere of being fiancés.

Lord Riley, sitting next to me, said, "S-so, I see," and looked away, blushing.

He looked so cute when he blushed.

I had to be careful not to let my face show the same.

The Prince smiled and said,

"It's good to see that you're building a good relationship. Well, marriage can wait until you both feel ready. Just having a fiancé for a hero is a joy for us. Congratulations on your engagement."

I smiled and took Lord Riley's arm.

"Thank you. I will definitely make Lord Riley happy."

"…I think those are my words," he said with a smile.

The Prince and the Bentleys laughed brightly.

After the meeting, I was about to leave when the Bentleys invited me to visit their home. "Since you're here, why don't you stop by our house for a bit? From now on, this will be your real home, and I want you to meet Arvin."

Of course, I asked Lord Riley for permission, which he granted.

As we left the Prince's palace and got into the carriage, it followed the Bentley family's carriage.

In the rattling carriage, I looked down at my hands and thought.

I hadn't been blessed with the love of my father, stepmother, half-sister, or former fiancé, but that wasn't everything. Now, I had a new fiancé, a foster family arranged by the Second Prince, and the Bentleys seemed very kind.

I knew that even real parents don't love unconditionally.

I had learned that even being half-blooded doesn't guarantee a close relationship.

I had been made aware that even family contracts are not always perfect.

Still, I wanted to believe in Lord Riley, Prince Shawn, and the Bentleys.

Even if there wasn't a sure love, their kindness was enough.

But I was confident that this time, things would work out well.

Well, even if Lord Riley said no, I would still stick with him.

The carriage jolted slightly and stopped.

As I was about to step out, I saw a small figure.

The figure, about a head shorter than me, extended a hand to me. With soft chestnut hair and matching eyes, his face was still a bit youthful but promising, and his cheeks were slightly flushed, perhaps from running. He looked to be around fourteen or fifteen.

"Welcome, sister. I'm Arvin Bentley."

I took his hand and introduced myself.

I had heard that a distant relative had been adopted, but I didn't expect him to be younger than me.

I had never had a younger brother before, so it felt fresh.

"Nice to meet you, Arvin. I'm Edith Bentley."

I curtsied, but he quickly stopped me.

"Please call me Arvin. Father and Mother call me that, and from today, you are my sister. It would be strange for a sister to call her brother 'sir.' And please don't use formal language with me."

"…Alright. Then Arvin, you don't have to use formal language with me either. After all, we're siblings now. I won't be living here, but I hope we can get along well."

"Sure, I hope so too, sister!"

As the lady had said, Arvin seemed to be a very honest boy.

It was touching that he treated me like a sister even though we had just met.

Seeing us get along so well, the couple looked at each other happily.

At their invitation, I visited their mansion and was led to the living room, where we had a family tea time. …No, it was more accurate to say I enjoyed a family tea time.

Everyone was kind, knowing my background, and they told me about the Bentley family, the couple, and Arvin's life since he was adopted, but they didn't ask much about my life at my birth home.

I was grateful for their consideration, as I didn't want to ruin the pleasant time.

When asked, the questions were about my birthday, age, height, favorite foods, and colors, which were easy to answer.

However, they didn't show any sympathy, and Arvin called me "sister" as if we had always been siblings, and even showed me around the garden after tea time.

"Actually, I have two older brothers, but no sisters, so I always admired them. But since I was adopted, I couldn't call my brothers' wives 'sister' anymore, so I had given up. That's why I'm so happy to have a sister now."

Arvin's eyes sparkled as he whispered this to me in the garden.

My half-sister, Felis, was often described as a pure and good girl, but I knew she was just pretending. Arvin, on the other hand, was truly a pure and good boy.

When I called him Arvin, his chestnut eyes narrowed happily.

My new younger brother was very cute.

My fiancé was handsome and cute.

My new parents were kind, calm, and doting.

If there is a God, I wanted to thank him for bringing such wonderful people into my life.

I might even thank my former fiancé and half-sister a little.

After all, their infidelity and breaking the engagement led to this new connection.

After tea time and a walk in the garden, it was time to leave as the sun began to set.

The couple and Arvin looked a bit disappointed, but we made plans to choose dresses and accessories together with the lady and for Arvin to show me around the mansion, so I would visit again soon.

"This is your home, so feel free to come back anytime."

"Next time, let's have a family dinner together."

The couple hugged me, and Arvin, though a bit embarrassed, gave me a light hug.

"Can I write you letters, sister?"

I nodded in response.

"Yes, I look forward to them. It might be a bit strange since it's my first personal letter, but I'll write back. I'll ask Lord Riley to prepare a lot of beautiful stationery for me."

Arvin smiled at my words.

With a lingering feeling, I got into the carriage and waved to the three of them from the window as we left the Bentley mansion.

I kept looking out the window until the mansion was out of sight.

Today, I was still too nervous to call the couple "Father" and "Mother."

I would practice before the next visit and try my best to call them by those names.

The silence in the carriage felt a bit lonely.

But I had a place to return to, and someone I liked would be waiting for me there.

Thinking about it, I was eager to get there.

…Somehow, I felt like seeing Lord Riley.

When Lord Riley comes back, I want to talk to him a lot today.

I'm sure his round eyes will listen to me seriously.