Once upon a time, in a land filled with magic, two human vessels were created from dust by the hands of God. They were crafted based on God's image: to be the most gifted, extraordinary, and divine on the surface of the earth. Furthermore, they wielded the ability to communicate with God and every life on earth, be it a tree or animal.

Most important of all, they were loved by nature.

As God breathed a breath of life into their colourless bodies, the two were stirred awake, their eyes blinking slowly as His light shone upon them.

'Katrina.' God offered his hand to his child with a loving smile, calling out her name. The fragile being lifted her upper body upon her father's call, her cold hands reaching out to his large warm ones. Her skin as white as porcelain paired with her short dark hair was a combination never seen before, especially with her bright crimson eyes peeking through her seemingly long fringes that reached the bridge of her nose.

'Tiara.' God reached his other hand out for his other child. She was also of the same gender as Katrina but had a different identity. Her soft and shimmering golden locks fell to her waist as Tiara perfected her posture. The child's sky blue eyes—reflecting her purity and innocence—trailed to God's blinding but materialised hand before she placed her hand on her father's.

'Live, my children.' Though it saddened him, as soon as God delivered his message to his children, he had to leave the surface of the earth, never to bother them again.

From that moment on, Katrina and Tiara were to live as 'humans'.

Growing up on an island filled with magic wasn't hard for the two, as nature would provide shelter, food, and clothing for them. As there were only two human-like manifestations of magic in the forest, they spent their time playing and chatting with the animals living there. It was peaceful for hundreds of years until humans—filled with greed—approached the sacred land.

The animals followed their instincts and went into hiding immediately as they heard the ominous rustling of leaves throughout the whole forest. Nature warned Katrina and Tiara to stay away from the intruders. The Wind Spirit blew the two girls away from getting near the humans.

"What's happening, Don?" Katrina asked a tree she and Tiara named Don. Don shook vigorously.

"Humans?" Tiara questioned. "What are they?"

"They look just like us but have no magic?" Katrina raised her eyebrow as Don answered them.

'Katrina. Tiara.'

The girls held their breaths when God's voice echoed in their minds the very next second.

'Evil flooded the minds of the humans and informed them of the fruit that holds mana. If eaten, the humans will gain mana as well. That would bring chaos to the outside world. You must stop this from occurring.'

"Outside world?" Katrina questioned. "The world is even more vast than this island?"

'Yes, my child.' God answered. 'However, we must focus on the matter at hand. You, my children, must protect the fruit and this land from the Evil in their minds.'

"We are to defeat them?" Tiara asked.

'Yes. Protect the fruit that grows on the World Tree.' God said alarmingly and left them once again.

"Wind Spirit?" Katrina shouted after receiving instructions from their creator. "Will you bring us to the World Tree?"

A gust of wind blew towards them.

"No?" Tiara shouted. "Why?" The wind blew against them to stop them from going any further, not telling Katrina and Tiara the reason for their actions. It also shocked them that the other elemental spirits agreed with the Wind Spirit's decision.

Katrina shouted in frustration against nature's resistance. "Enough!" Her red eyes glowed as she put her foot down with immense pressure. An invisible barrier started spreading throughout the whole forest to stop the wind-like shockwave. Even the humans noticed it and took a defensive stance in the darkness of the night. After the shockwave disappeared, Katrina and Tiara could hear the wind whispering in the air.

"Sorry, Wind Spirit," Tiara and Katrina held hands, "but we just talked to our father, and he instructed us to protect the fruit of the World Tree. That was the purpose of our creation."

Katrina and Tiara left with eyes filled with determination to protect the fruits without knowing what the future held for them.

However, at the end of Katrina and Tiara's first duty, the entire world heard a sorrowful scream, and the island where the World Tree was located instantly disappeared from the surface of the world.

Ever since then, the lost land was called Envear Island.

In the darkness of the hallway, a beautiful, unconscious girl occupied a room within the Royal Castle. Laying on the king-sized bed, she hasn't lifted a finger for days, yet her dishevelled appearance couldn't hide her captivating looks. Her smooth skin was pale, her rosy lips were dry, and it seemed as if she was starved for years for the days she was paralysed.

That lady's identity was Elaine Louise Gustova, the only and youngest daughter of Duke Gustova, Leonard Depracio Gustova. Mother of three, Duke Gustova's wife is the younger sister of the current Duke of Lanford, Stephanie Vulient Lanford-Gustova.

Rumours have it that Elaine Louise Gustova was spoiled by her parents ever since she was a child, resulting in her rude behaviour towards people. The commoners and nobles widely knew her 'reputation'. Many do not dare to anger the young Lady of the Gustova Dukedom as she was said to have a short temper. However, since High Society highly respected the Gustova Duchy, people tried to approach Elaine and her two older brothers, men or women.

On a designated date, news of the engagement between the Royal Family and the Gustova Dukedom spread across the Kingdom. It would only take a few weeks for the whole continent to hear of this news. The friendship between Duke Gustova and the King of Athelis made the engagement between Elaine Louise Gustova and Prince Lucas Rovét Ascania possible.

'Obtaining whatever she wants every single time, Lady Elaine became too greedy and wanted to capture the heart of one of the Princes of Athelis, Prince Lucas Rovét Ascania.' People whispered with ill intent after this piece of information was released.

In reality, however, it was just an innocent girl's first love. But, unfortunately, the Prince caught wind of the rumours spreading about Lady Elaine, leaving his first impression of her unfavourable.

Rumours say that Prince Lucas never held any feelings of affection for his fiancé. On the contrary, he cares so much for another lady friend who was even called childhood sweethearts. That lady was Sophia Tiara Rosdell, the daughter of Count Rosdell.

'Lady Elaine was blinded by jealousy and ended up in a life-threatening accident. She was having a horse-riding competition with Lady Sophia to see who was better between the two. Truly, a petty action with no meaning.' Students of the academy talked behind the victim's back.

Lady Elaine did fall off her horse accidentally. She hit her head on a massive rock by the side of the path she was taking, leaving her unconscious for days and now, she is in a deep sleep in a bed-chamber of the Royal Palace. Luckily, her neck didn't break.

An investigation was never held as they shrugged it off as an unfortunate accident. However, they did kill the innocent horse that caused it.

The door to where Lady Elaine slept creaked open, and two maids with a candle entered silently and approached her bed, checking her condition as well.

"She's been like this for two weeks." One of the maids whispered.

"She hasn't eaten anything for fourteen days. It wouldn't be shocking if she took her last breath now." The other maid said.

They placed the candle on Lady Elaine's nightstand and did their tasks. Every night, the higher-ups told them to wipe her body and change her clothes. After cleaning her up swiftly, they took the candle and went out of the room.

Minutes after the two maids left, Lady Elaine's bright blue eyes fluttered open. At that moment, all she could see was darkness. She felt numb from head to toe, but her left index finger twitched a few moments later. After that, the young lady's eyes adjusted to the dark, and finally, she could freely move her body. The first thing the patient did was sit up straight, her blonde hair—tangled and messy.

'Where am I?' She thought. 'What happened?'

Elaine brought her legs to the side of the bed and let her feet touch the cold floor slowly. She tried to stand up, but her legs gave out due to her lying on the bed for too long. Lady Elaine tilted her head in confusion and tried standing up again, her legs shaking at the same time. Finally, her strength returned, and she took tiny steps towards whatever attracted her eyes.

The window.

Lady Elaine uncovered the white curtains and gasped at the beautiful sight beyond the glass. The gardeners decorated the green trees, bushes and colourful flowers with fairy lights activated by magic. In the centre of it, all was a fountain that sprouted clear blue water. Although it was a typical fountain, it was what attracted the lady's interest even more.

The young lady opened the window as silently as she could, and whenever the window creaked, she would flinch and hold her breath. Finally, after the gap was big enough for her to exit, she lifted her right leg first and let it cross over to the other side. Then, she lowered her head and let the rest of her body cross over. When her bare feet touched the fresh grass, she flinched at the unfamiliar, prickly sensation. However, soon, she felt comfortable and accessible. Without closing the window, the noble lady walked towards the fountain and sat by it.

"...." She stared blankly at her reflection on the water, then placed her hand in and let it get soaked, causing a ripple to occur. Lady Elaine sighed and smiled at her thoughts sadly. Then, without a word, she stood and left the fountain silently, walking to wherever her feet would take her.

----

"The Second Prince would like to have a private audience with Your Majesty." The King's aide entered the King of Athelis' office.

"At this hour?" The King raised his wrinkled eyebrow. "Let him in."

"Greetings, Father." Prince Lucas lowered his head as he entered his father's office.

"Good evening to you too, Lucas." His Majesty relaxed against his seat as his son walked towards him.

"What is the matter?"

"..." The Prince stayed silent and sat across from his father. "Regarding my and Lady Elaine's issue, is this not the perfect timing to sever my ties with her?"

The King's golden eyes stared into his son's. "Are you not able to bring yourself to, at the very least, befriend the daughter of the Gustova Duchy since your engagement two years ago?"

"...Lady Elaine is an arrogant, rude and immature person." The Prince stated, hesitating before he answered his father. "I can never see a person like that as a potential partner. Forgive me, Father, but I believe she is not fit to be a candidate for the Queen position."

"And who would be the perfect Queen candidate?" The King scoffed at his son's opinion, brushing his greying hair through his fingers.

"..." The Prince stayed silent at his remark.

However, the door to the King's office swung open with a loud bang, disturbing their serious conversation. The King's aide breathed heavily as he entered the office unannounced.

"Forgive me for my rudeness, Your Majesty," The King's aide apologised for the disturbance, "but Lady Elaine has gone missing."

The King and the Prince widened their eyes and immediately ordered for a search party in panic. If anything were to happen to the young lady, it would be the Royal Family's responsibility as they insisted on taking her under their wing. While the Royal Palace and the Gustova Household flustered over her disappearance, Lady Elaine was peacefully walking in the Royal Palace's garden maze.

After making turns and reaching dead ends multiple times, the sickly lady felt excited when she saw a wooden door in the maze. Due to her curiosity, Lady Elaine opened the door, entering a space covered by a wall of bushes.

'A pure and innocent human....'

'Only pure and innocent...'

'Human girl....'

Elaine could hear whispers after taking a step in the private space. Upon entering, the wooden door slammed by itself, shutting her in. The young girl looked at the door blankly. Then, suddenly, a tree revealed itself out of thin air, its leaves glittering gold. Her eyes sparkled at the dazzling sight. It was like nothing anyone had ever seen before, and, like a magnet attracting iron, she approached it at her own will.

The lady touched the trunk of the tree and felt shivers running through her spine. Then, without her noticing, a single drop of tear unconsciously spilled from her left eye. Shocked and confused, Lady Elaine wiped the tear and stared at her hand. "...Why?" She looked up at the glowing leaves, a hint of confusion still in her eyes. The golden tree hummed.

Although she dropped a tear, the young lady felt comfortable when she was in contact with it and decided to spend some more time with the tree, even in silence. She sat by the tree and relaxed against it, her hands touching the ground. The tree hummed again from her tiny movements, and its glowing light became dimmer as if saying it was also comfortable to be with the human girl.

'She's the one.'

'She's the one.'

'The one.'

'...Place your hand on the roots.' Lady Elaine heard a soothing voice in her head. She didn't question the voice's instructions and followed its command, placing her left hand on the tree's roots. Then, strings of gold seeping out from the tree's roots started getting absorbed by her fingers. She lifted her left hand curiously, the golden lines still connected and intact.

"Beautiful..." The human girl murmured. After two minutes or so, the golden strings were entirely absorbed by her fingers, causing her eyes to glint golden for a second. At that moment, the leaves on the trees began to fall off their branches and disappeared without a trace when they touched the ground. The tree vanished from sight, ceasing to exist any longer.

"..." The lady's upper body dropped as soon as the tree was gone, and she was now laying on the ground, her face looking so innocent. The warm and tingly sensation coursing throughout her entire body brought a tiny smile to her pale face.

"Search the maze!" A voice filled with authority boomed from afar. Surprised at the sudden rustling noise nearing, she sat up and looked around, alarmed.

Bang. The wooden door slammed open, revealing a man who was breathing heavily.

Lady Elaine's eyes looked puzzled as she stared at the stranger. A man whose eyes were shining gold pierced fiercely through her bright blue ones. His tall and well-built figure shadowed over her tiny body, and his dark-coloured hair became a mess after running his hand through it multiple times.

"You never seem to stop causing trouble for everyone." The man spits out, making her flinch. Just the sight of his cold eyes made the girl uncomfortable.

"Running away with only a sleeping gown." The man continued in a harsh tone, attempting to grab her wrist. "When will you stop being shameless?"

When the man's skin touched hers, it felt as if lightning struck, causing Lady Elaine to drop unconscious. However, before his fiancée would fall to the ground, he caught her in his arms immediately.

"What--?" His eyes were filled with confusion as he scanned her.

At that exact moment, someone in another part of the world sensed the presence of the familiar mana. "—Finally, you have revived."

Footsteps echoed through the dark hallway as a family of four hurried towards the patient's room. They were panicking as they arrived at the Royal Palace, anxious to see the well-being of their last family member. However, they stopped right before entering the room as two Royal Family members waited for their arrival.

"Blessings and Glory to the King and Prince of Athelis." The Royal Family's guests greeted in unison as they bowed and curtsied respectfully to the rulers of their kingdom.

"Please be at ease." His Majesty, King Kelvion Vargaux Ascania, smiled. "Royal Physician Garrison is currently inside, examining Lady Elaine's condition."

"Are we to wait outside to hear his diagnosis, Your Majesty?" Duchess Gustova asked with worry.

"It is not a requirement, but I wished not to disturb his concentration." King Kelvion answered, then added a statement. "Of course, we are all allowed inside the room."

"Then, if it is not a bother...." Duke Gustova hinted that his whole family wished to enter the room immediately. The Prince nodded at the Duke's wishes and ordered the maids waiting outside the room to open the door. As they were told, the maids did as they were told, waiting for all of Lady Elaine's guests to enter the room before closing the door again.

The Royal Physician stood up when he heard the door's creaking, bowing his head immediately to greet the Royals and nobles who just entered his patient's room. "Greetings, Duke and Duchess, young master and young lord of the Gustova Dukedom." He skipped the King and Prince as he greeted them before treating the lady.

"Has she woken up from her slumber?" The King walked towards the Royal Physician.

"We had no such luck, Your Majesty." Garrison shook his head, his green eyes reflecting his disappointment as well. "Lady Elaine has not been digesting any food ever since her accident. Due to her loss of strength, she would become unconscious after opening her eyes. Furthermore, she's been sleeping in a bed for two weeks, so her leg muscles must be weak. Therefore, Lady Elaine has to be careful when taking walks as she could fall at any moment."

"The lady's head injury should also not be causing her any trouble. We've been applying ointment to reduce the pain, but I am not sure whether it will leave a scar." Garrison added.

"Is that all?" Prince Lucas questioned.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness." Garrison tucked his patient in her blanket once more. "I will give a prescription to the maids for Lady Elaine to regain her energy after waking up. As for her legs, the lady should take walks often with someone by her side so that her muscles will strengthen and to ensure she doesn't fall."

"You may leave, Garrison." King Kelvion said, satisfied with his explanation. The King also gestured for all the servants present in the room to leave at once.

"Blessings and Glory to the Kingdom of Athelis." Garrison packed his things and bowed. "I will excuse myself, Duke and Duchess." He also said his goodbyes to the young masters of the Gustova Dukedom.

There was only silence in the room as soon as the King told the necessary people to leave. "Don't be so stiff. You have come to check on your daughter and sister, have you not?" His Majesty chuckled.

"Then, excuse us, Your Majesty." The Gustova Family rushed towards Elaine's bedside. The Duchess wiped her daughter's sweat with a handkerchief, her hands trembling. The gesture ignited a reaction from Lady Elaine, causing her to frown slightly as her sleep was disturbed. She grunted silently at the unwelcomed interruption before her eyes opened groggily.

The Gustova Family was speechless at the dumbfounded expression of Lady Elaine. The patient repeatedly blinked as she saw four people shadowing her body. It was personally overwhelming her--especially when she didn't know the identity of those faces.

"E-Elaine." The only woman that hovered above her of the four people teared up. She suddenly yanked the girl up from her bed and embraced her into a tight hug. The men present in the room were smiling at the touching reunion of mother and daughter.

However, the silence of the daughter brought confusion to them all. With her brows twitching slightly, Duchess Gustova let go of her tense daughter to see her face. Her heart was racing, and she could feel her stomach churning—in the wrong way.

"Elaine?" Duke Gustova stepped closer with a frown. It was odd that none of them was receiving any reaction from the patient. Moreover, her clear blue eyes were showing emotions that were neither relief nor affection. Instead, it only showed a sense of confusion and even fear.

"Mother." The oldest son of the Gustova Dukedom held onto his mother's shoulders. "Our little sister must be tired and is still half-asleep. Perhaps Mother should rest and greet her again tomorrow where she feels refreshed?"

"Mother must also be cold in such thin clothing." The second eldest took his blazer off and draped it over his mother's shoulders. "Please warm yourself up, Mother."

"...Yes." Duchess Gustova nodded slowly, answering after a long pause. "You're right, my sons." But, unfortunately, she did not understand and currently had no intentions of accepting the situation.

Elaine Louise Gustova remained silent, only staring in wonder and curiosity at the people surrounding her.

"I shall accompany my wife, Your Majesty." Duke Gustova held his staggering wife in his arms as they exited the room while worriedly glancing back at his daughter. "Blessings and Glory to the Kingdom of Athelis."

The King and Prince were shocked and couldn't respond appropriately except for nodding at the married couple's farewell.

"Um..." Her hoarse voice surprised the remaining men in the room. The lady clenched onto her blanket as she lowered her head. "Am I whom you call 'Elaine'?"

"Impossible." King Kelvion muttered in disbelief, his wrinkled golden eyes widening at Lady Elaine's words. He walked towards Elaine cautiously and sat down beside her, causing the teenage girl to flinch. Her immediate reaction was to slide further from the stranger and cover her face purposely by allowing her long blonde hair to hide her face. She could tell that the ageing man held the highest authority over everyone. The frail girl took side glances at the people present in the room, blinking in confusion as her guests quietly observed her.

Lady Elaine answered the men's ridiculous assumptions the moment she uttered those words. Their lips parted at the reality of the situation.

"It is." A younger version of the man with the highest authority answered, his golden pupils staring at his fiancée directly. "Elaine Louise Gustova. That is your name." He was the first one to accept reality calmly.

The young lady let out a relieved smile as she discovered her own identity. Then, realising that she had put her guard down, she tensed up. She pulled her knees towards herself—a defensive mechanism she believed would protect her from any unexpected reactions.

'Brother.' Elaine identified in her head when she saw a tall man with platinum blonde hair and gentle green eyes. She moved on to the man beside him and also identified him as her 'brother'. Her second brother was a brunette and had eyes the same shade of blue as her, though he was slightly shorter than her first brother.

'King.' Her eyes travelled to the stunning man sitting a few inches away from her, and when her eyes reached the last man standing in the room, she identified him as a 'prince'.

"Do not fear us." The King tried to reassure Lady Elaine that they would not harm her. He tried to act rationally, though it was difficult as it was his first time going through this challenging situation. His eyes showed sadness—even a child could identify that. "We are family, Elaine."

Elaine blinked, and the tension left her body as someone finally confirmed it for her. "...Family." She murmured.

The King sighed and decided to introduce himself formally. "I am Kelvion Vargaux Ascania, the King of the Athelis Kingdom. He is my son, Lucas Rovét Ascania, as well as the Second Prince of this Kingdom." Prince Lucas stepped forward and lowered his head slightly as a greeting.

"Your Majesty and Your Highness." The amnesiac lady immediately placed her right hand on her left shoulder and bowed her upper body. Her gestures caused the men to look at her in bewilderment.

"...They are your older brothers." His Majesty observed the lady as he told Duke Gustova's sons to step closer. "Noah Hugh Gustova is the eldest, while Gerard Eugene Gustova is your second brother."

Elaine's guesses were correct, which brought her delight. She bowed her head down in respect once again as she greeted her siblings. "Elder brothers." Her brothers, however, couldn't greet her as they grieved over their little sister's memory loss.

The King glanced at the brothers with sympathy. He couldn't blame them for not being able to look at her in the eye. "Try to accept her situation and help her adjust to her old life." He whispered to them as he stood up from the bed. His Majesty's shoulders suddenly felt heavy as he intended to inform the Duke and Duchess of their daughter's confirmed diagnosis. He could already imagine the tears that would roll down their faces as the mother would wail in pain.

"I have some business to attend to, Elaine." The King smiled and kneeled for the first time in a while for the child. It was so that she would not be afraid. "Forgive me for leaving your side so early."

"Your Majesty, please stand up as I am but a lowly subject of yours." Elaine Louise Gustova was disturbed as the King lowered himself in her presence. She reached her hand out to His Majesty and urged for him to stand before her. Although she had no memories, she understood that what was happening before her was wrong.

"It's quite all right." His Majesty overpowered her weak strength. "Will you have breakfast with me tomorrow morning, Elaine?"

"Of course," Elaine answered, though the King's actions still rattled her. As the King left the room, the Gustova siblings and the Prince paid their respects for His Majesty.

Silence engulfed the atmosphere, making Elaine shift on her bed uncomfortably. So many thoughts swirled through her mind as a result.

'How am I supposed to greet my brothers now that His Majesty isn't here to break the tension?'

'Are they hurt that their sister couldn't remember them?'

'...How about my parents?'

Lady Elaine started to tremble at her wild imaginations. Although they were connected by blood, as of now, she could feel nothing towards them. That was why memories are significant. If memories of your loved ones are lost, their identities will disappear in an instant as well.

"—As the Prince stated, I have brought trouble for everyone." Elaine decided to break the silence with a depressing sentence. "It was my fault. Forgive me." The young lady bowed her head slightly while the Prince flinched at her misunderstanding.

"I did not mean those words, Lady Elaine." Prince Lucas clarified as one of her elder brothers daringly glared at him. "The matter of your memory loss is an unexpected one and could not be controlled by anyone."

"Is that so...?" She wondered but still felt dejected in the end. Prince Lucas' attitude towards her changed drastically from before. She was curious about the reason, as it seemed he despised her very presence in the beginning. However, after she was diagnosed with amnesia, he was neutral, as if all his hatred for her vanished.

"Little sister." Gerard stood by her bedside and kneeled, just like the King. "Do you not recognise us?" The eldest touched his little brother's shoulders—a sign not to pry so profoundly.

Elaine felt guilty as well as pressured by the simple question. She forced herself to shake her head sideways while biting her lip in nervousness. "I apologise, Brother."

"It is not your fault, Little Sister." Noah Hugh Gustova kneeled beside her as well. He hesitantly reached for her hand, afraid that it would make her uncomfortable. Elaine noticed the tiny movements coming from him. She boldly held her eldest brother's hand, squeezing it slightly to comfort him.

"It is curious, however." Prince Lucas squinted his eyes at his fiancée. "Lady Elaine still remembers her etiquette?"

Gerard took the Prince's unnecessary words personally, wanting to punch his face no matter the consequence. But, in his sister's presence, he held back.

"My body seems to remember it, Your Highness." Lady Elaine answered swiftly, even though his words held a more profound meaning—an accusation that she might have faked her memory loss. "We may test the theory after I have regained my health, perhaps."

Prince Lucas' face stiffened at her answer. He clenched his teeth at her clever refute. "That is not necessary, Lady Elaine. After all, His Majesty has personally diagnosed your illness, and his words are nothing but the truth."

"Of course, Your Highness." Elaine nodded, not wanting to prolong the interrogation any longer.

"I will give you siblings privacy." Prince Lucas decided as he felt like an outsider. "Don't bother paying your respects." He left for the door immediately.

Gerard felt like he could finally breathe as the Royal left the room willingly. "That bastard." He muttered under his breath.

"He is still a Royal Family member, Gerard," Noah warned his little brother. "Do not openly disrespect him."

Elaine felt awkward as her brothers conversed between themselves. Finally, however, she mustered up her courage to speak to them. "May I speak freely, my Brothers? I may not be able to act as I did in the past, but I will try my best to be your family once more."

"You have always been family, no matter the circumstance." Noah smiled at his little sister sadly. "We have no further expectations of how you should act. There is only one—we wish you would not act so distant towards us."

Elaine lowered her head due to her fear that they would be disappointed. "It is a difficult request. After all, the current me do not know any of you."

Gerard balled his hand into a fist. His little sister lacked an emotional attachment towards their family or anyone for that matter. Unless her memories were to return miraculously, there would always be a hole in the Gustova family's heart as Elaine's childhood memories have been robbed from them. "We will wait."

Lady Elaine flinched at her second brother's words. It touched her heart, truthfully.

"We are strangers to you now." Gerard managed to choke out the reality. "Our only wish is that you would not fear us. Approach us slowly and get to know us at your own pace."

"I will, Brother." Warmth filled Elaine's smile; her cheeks started to blush slightly.

Noah patted Gerard's head at his heart-warming words, proud that his immature little brother has finally grown up. "It will be hard on Mother and Father, but do embrace them when they come to meet you. You do not have to feel burdened nor guilty for what happened. Remember that, okay?"

"Of course, Brother." Elaine nodded, understanding his intentions.

Gerard smile at his little sister, jovial that she was able to smile despite her grave situation. "Our little sister has not lost her wittiness! Your response towards Prince Lucas' insult was praiseworthy."

Noah jabbed Gerard with his elbow, causing Gerard to grunt in pain. "I apologise for speaking ill of the Prince again."

Lady Elaine paused at her brother's words. She did not want to question the Royal Family's intentions, but His Majesty's special treatment towards her was odd. "Brother, what is our relationship with the Royal Family?"

Noah and Gerard stopped their argument and faced their little sister. "Well...Prince Lucas is your fiancé, Elaine."

Lady Elaine was not entirely surprised by her eldest brother's reply. Of course, it was a possibility, but that fact in itself was peculiar. "...It was an arranged marriage, I presume."

"Our little sister is bright, but that is not always good," Gerard mumbled.

"Why do you think so, Little Sister?" Noah raised his eyebrow, though it is true.

"Prince Lucas was the one who found me, yet his eyes were 'disgusted' by my presence alone," Elaine said nonchalantly. "His speech towards me was also unkind from the beginning. It was quite obvious."

"It was an arranged marriage." Gerard seethed. "Our little sister learned to fall for His Highness, but the Prince returned it with nothing but a cold shoulder."

"I see." Elaine did not feel bitter, but it was a depressing thought for her 'past' self.

"It is getting late, Little Sister," Noah mentioned. "You should rest."

Elaine nodded and pursed her lips. She had an idea but did not know whether they welcomed it. Finally, their little sister decided to be shameless and proposed it to them with her eyes shut. "Do you want to sleep together for tonight, my Brothers?" It was an attempt to get closer to them.

Noah smiled warmly at his little sister. "If you are comfortable with it, we would be glad to."