Chapter 2

"Brother……? Are you my older brother?”

Curiously, Shelly burst into tears as soon as she saw Duke Andrew Rodriguez's face.

The skill she learned most quickly during her long hours of travelling the streets was none other than false acting.

“Are you Helen?”

Andrew asked with his characteristic slow gaze. Shelly was surprised when she saw the Duke’s face for the first time.

" He could charm a woman at once because he was such a handsome man." was her only thought after seeing him close.

Beautiful purple hair rested on his straight forehead. Beautifully sparkling purple eyes as if embedded in jewels, and transparent skin as if even his veins could be seen.

Finely extended eyebrows and distinct features made people enchanted by him in an instant.

Shelly pretended to wipe her tears by lowering her head to hide her blushing face involuntarily.

Soon there sniffles were heard from all over the place. The Duke's employees who were watching eventually burst into tears.

Shelly's performance was so perfect that it was enough to be seen as a touching reunion for a family separated by an accident as a child.

Andrew, who was sitting in the office chair, strode towards Shelly with his long legs. She didn’t know what kind of perfume he was using, but a subtle scent followed as he approached.

Andrew reached out and clasped Shelly's thin chin before she could feel his scent at the tip of her nose. Then he turned her face back and forth.

Eyes of the same colour met each other. The colour of their eyes was so similar that it was believable that they were of the same bloodline.

“Andrew Br, brother…….”

Shelly's voice calling out to Andrew was pathetic.

Contrary to her act of facing him with a gaze of confidence, her heart was beating loudly. It was because she thought he would notice at once that she was not his real sister.

But she never escaped Andrew's tenacious gaze. After all, all her life, she had been living in the gutter itself. She could no longer back down or escape. There was no other option, except to die or collapse. And finally…….

“You look alike.”

The words she desperately wanted to hear came out of Andrew's mouth. Finally, Shelly smiled brightly.

“I realised it the moment I saw my brother’s face. We really…… do look alike!”

“How have you been living alone?”

Andrew held her tightly in her arms without questioning her much.

Shelly was breathless as she embraced his firm and wide chest because it was her first time being held in the arms of a man.

However, no matter how fake it was, she thought that she should not show shyness as he would become her older brother in the future.

Shelly mustered up the courage to wrap her arms around Andrew's waist. Andrew's waist was very hard as if she was hugging a giant tree.

“…… I made a living doing this and that.”

“You could have become a street prostitute. Wasn’t there a lot of temptation?"

With that said, Andrew's gaze, scanning Shelly's face and body, became instantly explicit. Perhaps because he was born a nobleman, he had the power to immobilize people with just his eyes.

“Of course, there were many temptations, but……. Still, in the corner of my heart, I always had the desire to be honest. Although I suffered from the daily nightmare of poverty and hunger, I persevered. I didn't want to do anything embarrassing to myself, brother."

To her, her false acting to live was like her life’s calling. There was no hesitation on Shelly's face as she was deceiving the noble Duke.

“Why haven’t you come home before?”

“…… After the accident, I couldn't remember anything. It wasn’t until I saw the portrait in the flyer that I realized my existence.”

“What name have you lived by until now?”

“Shelly. There is no last name. I was wandering the streets.”

“My sister’s name was Helen Rodriguez.”

“Helen Rodriguez ……. Ah, I might remember...….”

Shelly gripped her hair and frowned. She tried her best to play Helen, who lost her memory after the carriage accident.

“That’s enough. You don't have to force yourself to find your old name. Whether you're Shelly or Helen, the fact that you're my little sister doesn't change. I’ll call you Shelly until you get used to this place."

"Why. You are so thoughtful, brother.”

“Welcome back. My dear sister, Shelly.”

Andrew smiled brightly and kissed the back of 's hand. The sweet smile shook Shelly's heart again.

It was the moment when she realized that she was very weak to a handsome man.

...............

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