That morning, visitors arrived early. It was Livian and Merlin. Lil was worried something had happened due to their unusually early visit.

Livian smiled and patted Lil’s head, assuring her everything was fine. He had some business with Ian today, so Lil decided to play with Merlin and the others.

“So, what brings you here so early, brother?”

Livian let out a deep sigh, his expression dark.

“I have taken the Saint into custody.”

Ian nearly dropped his cup. The Saint was Lil’s twin sister. His eyes widened in shock as he urged Livian to continue.

“She’s incredibly strong-willed. She tried to fake her own suicide to escape. Can you believe that? If I hadn’t assigned someone with the ‘Clairvoyance’ skill to watch over her, I wouldn’t have been able to secure her.”

Ian was just as stunned.

“She’s beyond intelligent—she’s calm, objective, and grounded. Talking to her felt like negotiating with a politician. It was almost too easy to get straight to the point.”

Ian found himself at a loss for words. Just what kind of person could make his brilliant brother speak this way?

“But… when I mentioned Lil, she cried. She was overjoyed to hear Lil was alive, but she said she couldn’t face her. She asked me to keep her whereabouts a secret. I think she still needs time.”

“I see… I’ll ask Lil about her sister again, just in case.”

Livian nodded, taking a sip of his tea. His expression remained somber.

“Is something wrong, brother?”

Ian was concerned by Livian’s unusually troubled demeanor.

“Ah… The Saint—I named her Ria—but I’m struggling with how to approach her. She’s nothing like a normal child. When I offered her toys, she politely declined, saying she’d rather have books.”

Livian sighed even deeper.

“And when I bought her a cute dress, she refused to wear it. She seems to have taken a liking to the boy’s outfit she wore when she escaped and refuses to wear skirts. She even tried to convince me that disguising her gender would reduce the risk of being discovered.”

Ian was astonished—his brother rarely seemed this troubled.

“Maybe she just needs time? Even Lil took a while to act more like a child.”

“You think so? I thought it would be nice if she and Lil could have the dynamic of a responsible older sister and an innocent younger one… but she keeps rejecting that idea. Sigh, raising children never goes as smoothly as you hope.”

Ian thought of his brother’s children. Indeed, they were all quite a handful.

“Well, do your best for Lil’s sake.”

“You say that like it’s not your problem…”

Livian downed the rest of his tea and stood up. “I’ll be heading back now,” he said before leaving.

It seemed he had only come to report on Ria.

That night, Ian asked Lil,

“Lil, do you want to meet your sister?”

Lil thought for a moment.

“If I could, I’d like to! But… she might hate me…”

Seeing Lil’s downcast expression, Marron spoke up.

‘Lil, Mireille didn’t even know she had a younger sister. There’s no way she could hate you.’

Lil turned to Marron in surprise.

“Really!?”

She had always believed her entire family despised her. But that wasn’t the case.

“Then I’d love to meet her. I’ve always wanted to see my big sister.”

‘Mireille is a good person. She gave me cookies once. The maids at the mansion always chase me with brooms, but she didn’t.’

“She must be kind. Do you think we’ll get along if we meet?”

‘I’m sure you will!’

Lil smiled brightly.

Ian cut the conversation there.

Would Ria want to meet Lil after hearing this?

Even if it took time, Ian hoped the two could rebuild their bond as sisters.