Chapter 2

As we entered the mansion, the butler led me to a huge door.

"Before you introduce yourself to your brothers, I suggest you change into your pretty clothes, hmm?" he smiled as he signaled for a woman to approach us. "This is Adela. She will be your nanny from now on. She has been the 4th young master's nanny. She will take care of you from now."

"Hello, milady. It is a pleasure to serve you from now on," she smiled. The aura in her chest was glowing yellow. I smiled, she was nice.

"Hello, I will be in your care from now," I smiled as I bowed to her.

"Well then, milady. Shall we doll you up?" she smiled as she held my hands. Her hands were really warm and comforting. My mother's hands were always cold and rough.

After getting inside the room, a lot of dresses were lined up. My eyes glowed. I've never seen such beautiful dresses all my life. I was only given rags to wear.

"Wow! That's a lot of dresses," I beamed. I've only seen mother wear dresses like this whenever she is working.

"They are all yours, milady. Your father and brothers selected every single one of them for you," she smiled. "Shall we start? Your brothers are anxious to meet you, milady."

She selected a black and gold dress. She did my hair and made me wear pretty glass shoes.

"Wow! You look really pretty milady!" she praised. "You certainly look like Lord Arkanoth! Even the young masters don't look a lot like the Lord."

"Thank you, Miss Adela," I said as I flashed a smile at her.

"You should call me Adela, milady. You don't need to be so formal with me. After all, you are an Arkanoth," she said. I only nodded in response. "Let us go, Butler Ben is waiting for you outside. He'll take you to your brothers."

As I got out of the room, Butler Ben was really waiting outside the door. He was holding another pretty cloak.

"Shall we go, Lady Penelope?" he asked as he draped the cloak over my shoulders.

"Thank you, Ben," I said. And after I said that, the aura in his chest glowed so much.

"I am glad you are acting like the true Arkanoth that you are, milady," he said as he led me towards the garden. He pointed to 5 young men in the pavilion who was dressed in the best suits that only my mother's clients that would usually wear.

"They are your brothers, milady. Let's go," he said.

I suddenly felt nervous so I held on his coat and hid behind his back as we slowly walked towards my brothers. As we got nearer, the auras in their chests were all yellow, a glowing yellow. They radiated the same glow and warmth as Adela's. But I was still nervous to meet them.

Ben cleared his throat first to catch their attention while I hid behind him.

"Ben, where is she?" the man who was holding a sword. I clutched Ben's coat mindlessly. I was quite afraid of swords.

Ben stepped aside to show me. I wonder how he managed to remove my hand in a second when I clutched his coat tightly. I quickly curtsied in front of them which made them laugh. I was really about to cry. That was really embarrassing as I prepared myself to run away but an older brother stood up and approached me to pat my head.

"Welcome to the family, baby sister," he smiled. His smile was the prettiest I've ever seen. No one has ever smiled to me like that and without thinking, I smiled back at him. "I'm your eldest brother, Mychaell. Don't worry about anything, your big brother will be here to protect you from now on."

"Lady Penelope, I shall leave you in their care," Ben said as he left me with them.

"May I carry you?" brother Mychaell asked to which I nodded in response. He swiftly carried me but carefully and very gently. "Have you been eating? You're so thin."

I couldn't tell them that my mother seldomly feeds me, it would be embarrassing.

"I heard your mother starves you. If father didn't tell me not to do stupid things, I would've slit that bitch's neck," a brother said.

"Daniel, Penelope is listening. Don't mind him," big brother Mychaell said. "He is Daniel, your 3rd brother. He's my assistant."

"Three of us are already in Ironbane Knights while the 2 youngest are still in training," Daniel said.

My eyes widened. My brothers are knights? I've heard of the Ironbane knights. My mother usually mentions it and speaks of it like some godlike warriors and she's very afraid of them.

"Yep, Valentyne here is my vice-captain and your 2nd brother. Samuel and Timothy are the youngest and are in training to become knights like us," Daniel said.

"Don't worry about anything, little sister. We'll protect you no matter what," Valentyne smiled.

"Mhmm, thank you, big brothers," she smiled with tears in her eyes. This surprised the boys.

"Wait! Did we do something to make you cry?" they asked.

I hugged Mychaell absentmindedly. No one has ever wanted to protect me like this before.

"No," I cried.

They all seemed to realize that I was crying out of happiness as they smiled at me warmly. I knew right there that I found a warm family.

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