So… I really am not welcome here.
"I know, Father," the little boy said softly, his voice steady despite his age. "But Mother told me to call her that. I will fulfill her last request!…the one she entrusted to me."
The room fell silent.
The Duke hesitated.
"…If it was her final wish," he said at last, his voice restrained, "then I suppose it is acceptable."
Without another glance, he turned away.
I was gently transferred back into Lilian's arms, her movements careful as she carried me toward the crib. The Duke left the room without looking back, his presence fading as quickly as it had arrived.
As Lilian laid me down, adjusting the blankets around me—
"I would like to see my sister, Lilian," the boy said.
"As you wish, Young Master," Lilian replied kindly. "But please do not get too close. The Young Lady may become frightened and cry."
He stepped closer anyway.
He looked straight into my eyes.
"You look like Mother," he said after a moment, his voice thoughtful. "But you have Father's hair…"
He hesitated, clearly struggling with his own feelings.
"I don't really like you," he admitted honestly. "Because… you're the reason Mother died."
My chest felt tight.
"But," he continued, fidgeting slightly, "Mother liked you. So I will take care of you." He tilted his head. "And… you are cute. So maybe I kind of like you? I don't really know."
Lilian smiled gently.
"It is all right, Young Master," she said. "I am quite sure the Duchess would have wanted you to love the Young Lady with all your heart—just as she loved you."
The boy fell quiet.
"…I guess you're right," he said slowly. "Mother did give her life for Ariya." He looked at me again, this time without resentment. "And… it's not like it was her fault."
For someone so young, he understood far more than he should have had to.
More than the Duke.
As his small hand rested near the edge of the crib, something inside me softened.
I see now.
Responsibility isn't about age.
Understanding isn't about power.
A child could grasp what an adult refused to face.
Maybe… just maybe…
I've already found two people in this world
who can be trusted.
Lilian.
And my brother.