Aneta leaned her now-relaxed body against the edge of the bath, waiting for Chris’s response.

Perhaps thinking it wouldn’t hurt to know, Chris nodded.

Aneta shared quite a bit with Chris. She wasn’t hesitant—Chris wasn’t the type to carelessly spread what she heard, so Aneta felt free to speak.

One story that couldn’t be omitted was the reason Liliette harbored such intense hatred toward Derek.

In a calm voice, Aneta began recounting the tale.

“My aunt was known throughout the social circles as an exceptional genius. She had the ambition to match and the capability to realize it. My father, on the other hand, was her complete opposite—a useless, self-indulgent scoundrel who spent his days in debauchery.”

Aneta’s assessment of Derek was merciless, but no one could likely dispute her words.

Liliette and Derek were opposites, as different as night and day.

In nearly every respect, the positive qualities belonged to Liliette, while Derek epitomized the negative. This was true in their demeanor and even the smallest habits.

“That’s why everyone assumed Aunt Liliette, not my father, would become the next head of the Adenauer family.”

With Derek’s violent tendencies and Liliette’s rational nature, it was clear whom the household staff would trust and follow.

Yet Liliette ultimately never ascended to the position of the family head. There was no need to spell out the result—it was evident.

Ultimately, the surname attached to Liliette’s name was not Adenauer but Kainer.

“Are you saying the reason my lady couldn’t become the family head was…?”

Chris trailed off, hoping against hope that the reason wasn’t the archaic one she suspected. But Aneta’s response dashed her hopes.

“Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. Grandfather chose my father simply because Aunt Liliette was a daughter, not a son. When he became head of the family, my father tried to force Aunt Liliette into marrying a provincial nobleman, someone far removed from the family’s affairs.”

“How did she avoid that marriage?”

“She left the family and married her then-lover, Uncle Rodion.”

“Wait, are you saying your father knew she had a lover and still tried to marry her off to someone else?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh, my goodness. How could he do something like that?”

“He was the kind of person who bought my mother’s property and married her. Something like that probably didn’t seem like much to him.”

Chris’s face was now flushed red. Seeing her furrowing her brows and repeatedly fanning herself with her hand, she was clearly upset.

“Anyway, Aunt hasn’t come near the marquisate since then. Except for once—at my mother’s funeral. It’s understandable. I would have felt the same way.”

Though she had been unjustly deprived of her position back then, it was fortunate she now had the opportunity to showcase her capabilities.

Compared to her, Derek had been utterly pitiful from beginning to end. He had pushed aside Liliette solely because he was a man and behaved like a tyrant, ruling over those he considered beneath him.

His indulgence in women and alcohol caused the Adenauer family’s wealth to decline more drastically than ever before.

Even that would have been enough to leave a stain on Adenauer’s history, but one day, while wandering the streets drunk, he was hit by a carriage and died.

No matter how one looked at it, it was an absurd death. Perhaps he’d used all his fortune to become the family head.

Aneta curled her lips into a cold smirk.

“Grandfather regretted his choice until the day he died. And he sought to atone for neglecting his daughter through me, his granddaughter. He was a good grandfather to me, but I don’t think he was a good father.”

Aneta added that it was a regrettable matter.

Just as wise people are not always good, good people do not always make wise choices—this was something Aneta realized while observing her grandfather.

Saying he was simply accustomed to the ways of his time was no excuse. There were plenty of people who adapted to the changing times.

Aneta believed one of her grandfather’s few flaws was his inability to flow with those changes.

She sighed and brushed aside her thoughts about him. It seemed time to change the subject.

“That’s all you need to know. Now that I think about it, I’m curious what your late baron and baroness parents were like. I’ve heard that they seem to have had a very harmonious relationship.”

When she first met Chris, Aneta recalled that she had brought cookies as a goodwill gesture. She had said then that she had made the thing she was most confident in, something her mother had taught her.

Bathing and cooking together were not things one would often see in a noble household.

Aneta expressed her curiosity but subtly observed Chris’s expression, wondering if bringing up her parents might stir feelings of longing, especially on a day like this.

“My parents were both wonderful people. No matter how busy they were, they always made time to spend with me, even if only for a short while. Before bed, they always told me they loved me.”

Fortunately, Chris’s expression brightened as she spoke of her parents.

Relieved, Aneta listened intently to Chris’s words.

“They always had gentle, smiling faces, no matter what happened. Seeing them made me feel at ease, and I often thought I wanted to be like that, too.”

As Chris spoke of her parents, she seemed more animated than usual. Even though they were no longer in this world, she couldn’t hide her joy in sharing their story.

Chris’s story continued even as they finished bathing and dried her damp hair.

From tales of how her father would feign death at her mother’s slightest word to how her mother had an exceptional sweet tooth, Chris chattered on without pause.

Aneta, far from appearing bored, listened quietly and occasionally asked questions.

“It’s nice to talk about my parents after such a long time. I couldn’t really talk like this in front of the nanny or my brother. I didn’t want to upset them,” Chris admitted.

As her story began to wind down, Aneta brought Chris to her room and brushed her hair.

“I suppose I was destined to part from my parents early. Maybe that’s why they showed me so much love when I was young. As if they were giving me enough to last even after they were gone,” Chris said, feeling the gentle touch of Aneta’s hand running the brush through her hair.

She continued, voicing thoughts she’d kept locked in her heart for so long.

“I still miss them, but I have more happy memories than sad ones. So when I think of them, I want to smile instead of cry.”

Her cheeks turned slightly red, perhaps from the embarrassment of expressing her feelings so openly.

“Do you think that when I’ve lived a full life and die, I’ll be able to see them again in heaven?”

“Are you certain you’ll make it to heaven?” Aneta teased.

“I’ve never done anything bad, so maybe I’ll barely squeeze in,” Chris replied, grinning.

“Sure. If not you, then who else would deserve it?”

Aneta chuckled and nodded. If anyone could live without the need for rules, it would undoubtedly be Chris—a thought anyone who knew her would agree with.

“When I have children someday, I want to be a parent just like mine—no more, no less. Do you think I can do it?”

“You absolutely can. I guarantee it,” Aneta replied without hesitation, as if it were obvious.

Not every parent feels paternal or maternal love toward their child. However, Chris seemed like someone who would love her children as deeply as her parents had loved her.

“But no matter what, make sure you and Vernon are fully prepared before you decide to have children. Most importantly, Chris, it has to be your decision. No matter how supportive Vernon might be, the burden of carrying and giving birth to a child will ultimately fall on you.”

No matter how much Vernon cared for Chris, that was something he couldn’t take on for her. Aneta offered practical advice.

Pregnancy was not something to take lightly. From the moment a child is conceived to long after birth, countless physical changes occur. Gaining weight and a growing belly were only the beginning.

And that wasn’t all. Even in their previous world, dying in childbirth was not uncommon. It was a life-threatening endeavor in a world like this, where medical practices were less advanced.

Aneta shared these truths with Chris, who listened with a look of astonishment that didn’t fade as she learned things she hadn’t known before.

“Becoming a parent seems more challenging than I thought.”

“That’s how heavy the weight of life is. There, all done.”

Aneta put down the brush she was holding and took a step back. Chris smiled as she looked at Aneta through the mirror. When their eyes met in the reflection, Aneta tilted her head.

“What is it?”

“Today, you feel a bit like my parents… and a bit like an older sister. Is it alright for me to think that way?”

“Of course. Even if you didn’t want me to, I already see you as a daughter and a younger sibling.”

As if by habit, Aneta reached out and gently patted Chris’s hair. Feeling the now-familiar touch, Chris nestled her head under her palm.

“I’ve spent so much of my life doubting whether I could ever be happy again like I used to be. I can’t say I’ve never had dark thoughts.”

Her words could have dampened the mood, but Chris still looked cheerful, as though she had already shed all her tears earlier.

Seeing her expression, Aneta wasn’t worried about what might follow.

“But not anymore. The people around me keep making me happy. They make me feel grateful to be alive. If I had given up back then, I wouldn’t have this happiness now.”

Just as she had hoped, Chris had grown stronger. Watching her, Aneta felt proud and genuinely relieved that neither she nor she had crumbled under the weight of their fates.

“You and Vernon have changed my life the most. That’s why, just as you wish me happiness, I also want to wish you happiness.”

Chris turned toward Aneta, gently holding the hand that had patted her hair in both of hers.

“Let’s stop being hurt now. You and I—we can be even happier from now on.”

“You’re right. Hearing you say that makes me think I can be.”

Aneta looked down at her sparkling, lively eyes and smiled warmly.

For some reason, she felt like a corner of her heart had been filled.