Chapter 18. Beginning Now

At first, El spoke so quietly that her words were barely audible when she saw the people in the reception room and felt overwhelmed.

But feeling this wouldn’t do, she tightly closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and spoke once more with force.

“I want to live here. I want to have that qualification.”

Though not extremely loud, her resolute voice resonated through the elegantly decorated reception room.

The voice echoing through the reception room sounded desperate and intense, yet also seemed tinged with a faint fear.

“I……”

“That’s enough.”

A warm sensation settled on El’s shoulder.

“What?”

El questioned as she slowly lifted her tightly closed eyelids.

Somehow Rapellian, Michaela, Briel, and Riello were now standing in front of El.

El found the meaning of “That’s enough” ambiguous.

Wondering if she had said something she shouldn’t have, tension filled her large eyes.

Rapellian lightly tapped the tip of El’s nose.

“We should give you a proper name first.”

With his gesture and brief words, El’s tension melted away.

She also realized that the touch of others and their responses would no longer cause her pain.

And as her tension eased, she became shy.

The spot where his hand had touched somehow felt warm.

“My current name is nice too…… But yes, I’d like to have that as well.”

Having shouted so boldly earlier, this time she responded calmly, almost timidly.

“I’ll have to look through a name dictionary. What about adoption?”

Rapellian asked while being conscious of Michaela.

Though Rapellian had backed down in his conversation with Michaela, he hadn’t completely given up.

The biggest issue in this matter lay with El.

He secretly hoped that El had completely changed her mind.

However, his hope crumbled very quickly.

El, who had been lost in thought for a moment, bit her lips several times with her teeth and then raised her head.

“Ah, I don’t think that’s right.”

Her opinion, expressed after much deliberation, was quite firm.

“Why?!”

“Why?!”

Briel and Riello shouted simultaneously.

Their faces were full of questions, unable to understand.

Rapellian felt the same way. He asked while placing his hand on El’s shoulder.

“Why? Being officially registered in our family wouldn’t be bad for you. Your position would be clear both internally and externally, making it easier for you to move around.”

Briel and Riello nodded their heads vigorously in agreement with his question.

Amidst all this, only Michaela held a subtle, indecipherable smile on her lips.

“If I’m not registered, does that mean I can’t live with you?”

El looked up at Rapellian and spoke hesitantly.

Her nape seemed to have turned slightly red.

“That’s not the case.”

“Then I would like the adoption to be forgotten.”

El looked at Rapellian again, then turned her gaze to look at the others as she continued.

“I know it’s a good offer. But if this becomes known, bad things will happen.”

Though her tone was cautious with a slight mumble, El’s thoughts were clear.

“Bad things?”

“I’ve experienced this kind of thing several times. Back then, it only happened to me, but this time it will be different. This might be used as an excuse to bring danger to all of you as well. I’m grateful, but I decline the adoption.”

El shook her head again as she finished speaking.

No matter how she thought about it, adoption was out of the question.

From her accumulated experiences, she instinctively knew this couldn’t simply be a good thing. Especially since this matter involved the direct line of the Mosteros family, there was a risk that the young masters, who were still children, could be harmed if something went wrong.

El wanted to prevent that at all costs. She didn’t want to bring calamity to this family by joining them.

And above all, setting aside these facts, her instinctive sense seemed to be constantly warning her that adoption was absolutely forbidden.

‘I shouldn’t ignore such signals.’

Warnings from instinct should not be carelessly disregarded.

Though El anxiously picked at her fingertips out of habit, wondering if her statement was presumptuous, she didn’t change her mind.

While she tended to hesitate due to her cautious nature, the faint smile that had lingered on Michaela’s lips deepened at El’s clear expression of intent.

‘With proper guidance, she would grow into an excellent talent.’

Michaela looked at Rapellian with an even deeper smile.

At her gaze, Rapellian let out a small sigh and lowered his eyes.

It was Michaela’s complete victory.

“If that’s your wish, I understand. I won’t force you any further.”

Rapellian withdrew gracefully without pushing too hard.

He felt that El, who was always cautious and busy reading the room, had already shown tremendous courage just by deciding to live with them, so he decided not to mention this matter any further.

Though slightly disappointing, he would simply have to protect El more thoroughly in this household and by himself.

El exhaled a sigh of relief, thinking it was fortunate.

“Huh? Then what about us?”

As the adoption matter seemed to be concluding, Riello stepped forward.

Michaela stroked the back of Riello’s head and asked.

“Is there a problem?”

“We already decided to be brothers and sister. El said she would call me orabeoni. And Briel is oppa.”

“Ah. When did you…… How quick you are.”

Michaela, learning that they had already sorted out their terms of address, was slightly taken aback and wiped her forehead.

She took a small deep breath and approached El.

“First, El.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for making up your mind. I intend to treat you as our family’s benefactor. Everyone associated with Mosteros will respect and protect you.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“And as for the terms of address……”

Michaela fell into brief contemplation about how to sort this out.

Riello tightly hugged her waist and sent her an intensely bright, sparkling gaze.

She couldn’t help but smile at her youngest brother’s tremendous display of aegyo.

‘Though it’s not a formal adoption, using such terms of address would strengthen El’s position externally. I’ll leave this as is.’

Michaela rationalized, definitely not swayed by her youngest brother’s aegyo, and opened her mouth.

“Since you’ve already decided, what can I do? If you all like it, using just those terms of address wouldn’t be bad. It would also make it easier to protect El.”

“Our sister is the best!”

“Treat her well.”

Briel nodded with a pleased smile.

Riello also released his arms from Michaela, stood straight, and nodded his head up and down with intensely shining eyes and a solemn expression.

He seemed to be suppressing the urge to jump up and down shouting “Wow!”

He apparently wanted to appear mature now that he had become an older brother.

Rapellian, watching Riello’s behavior, suddenly had a question.

‘Older brother?’

He stared at Michaela with a look suggesting something was wrong.

“Sister.”

“Shh.”

Michaela stepped forward and extended her long, straight index finger to place it over her lips.

Her action was very gentle, but it carried a heavy dignity that prevented Rapellian from opening his mouth further.

It meant that she understood what he was thinking, but he shouldn’t voice it here.

After giving this brief warning, Michaela moved with clicking steps and embraced El.

“El, welcome to the Mosteros family.”

At this warm welcome, El shyly blushed and carefully grasped the hem of her dress.

Feeling El’s faint touch on her back, Michaela smiled freshly and pulled away.

“Let’s get along well.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll treat you really well. Just trust this orabeoni.”

“I’m glad we’ll be living together. I’ll be a good o-oppa to you.”

After Michaela’s official declaration and greeting ended, Briel and Riello approached first and confidently extended their hands.

When Michaela put her down, El readily shook hands with them and revealed a bright smile.

Their affection and warmth filled her gaze.

El, experiencing a warmth she had never felt or received before, pledged again and again that she would never do anything to bring shame to this family.

And seeing those who smiled cheerfully before her looking so cool and amazing, she resolved to become a splendid person just like them.

“I welcome you as well. I look forward to our time together.”

Rapellian, who had been waiting briefly, also extended a welcome greeting.

When El turned toward him and met his gaze, Rapellian took her small hand.

He briefly kissed the back of her hand, which was much smaller than others her age.

El felt as if she had become a lady from an extraordinary family.

In an instant, El’s entire body turned bright red.

It was the same greeting she had received from Riello when she first came to the ducal mansion, but now it felt more embarrassing and ticklish.

She became unusually conscious of the back of her hand.

El newly realized that this too was included in what she had to handle, and with her face still bright red, she stared at him with wide eyes before hurriedly turning her gaze away.

After seeing herself reflected in his deep blue eyes, El could no longer look at him.

The shy girl who didn’t know what to do finally scurried away and hid behind Michaela.

Michaela was about to burst into loud laughter but swallowed it, concerned it might hurt El’s ears, and instead just patted Rapellian’s shoulders vigorously.

“Si-Sister……”

As if El’s embarrassment had transferred to Rapellian, he also wore an awkward expression and wiped his dry lips with his hand.

Michaela suppressed her laughter once more with effort and embraced El to comfort her.

“Now, shall we get you accustomed to our family? Cute young lady.”

⁕⁕⁕

El’s adaptation to the ducal mansion seemed easy yet wasn’t.

Currently, El’s eyes were spinning in circles.

“We layered very thin lace in multiple layers to make the dress voluminous. Look at this. This natural volume.”

The costume designer, who had meticulously measured El, continuously flipped through catalogs and showed sample fabrics. The accompanying explanations were so numerous and the speech so rapid that El’s mouth gradually opened wider as she watched her.

“How is it?”

“It’s good.”

“As expected, Your Grace’s eye for quality is excellent.”

“El, what do you think?”

“I……”

El closed her mouth again after opening it to choose her words.

‘Would it be rude to say I understand half of what you’re saying and don’t understand the other half?’

El looked at the designer who was putting in her utmost effort, even sweating profusely.

She smiled very freshly.

El awkwardly curled up the corners of her mouth to smile back and quickly averted her gaze.

“Everything looks pretty to me. It seems the designer’s skills are very good. You’re amazing.”

“My goodness, how can the young lady speak so beautifully?”

“I trust the designer’s eye. Please choose something appropriate.”

El flinched her shoulders and fidgeted with her hands and feet at the word “young lady” used by the costume designer.

El, who had overnight transformed from a street child to the benefactor of a ducal family, simply couldn’t adapt to that tremendous title.

Every time people in the household called her “young lady, young lady,” El felt excited and fluttered, but it was still burdensome.

Faced with a title more unfamiliar than strangers, El couldn’t find words to respond and just slightly bowed her head shyly.

Michaela smiled slightly at El’s restless and excited appearance and spoke plainly.

“Then there’s nothing more to consider.”

Michaela quickly scanned the sample clothes displayed in front and the fabric samples laid out with one glance. The sharp-eyed costume designer’s gaze moved along with hers.

Michaela curled up the corners of her mouth to form a gentle curve and tilted her head slightly toward Irina. It was a very subtle movement that El, sitting nearby, would never notice.

But Irina immediately understood her intention.

Irina very calmly led the costume designer outside.

Once out of El’s sight, Irina instructed in a small voice.

“Please prepare everything you’ve shown just now.”

“Of course. I’ll do my best to prepare them.”

“As for the timeframe……”

“I’ll prioritize this above all else. Don’t worry, I’ll have them ready as soon as possible.”

“Very satisfactory.”

Irina, smiling with satisfaction, now brought in a furniture designer.

“Next is the furniture designer’s turn.”

El, already mentally exhausted after going through accessories, shoes, and clothes, was dismayed.

El’s adaptation to the ducal mansion was just beginning.