Kyla jumped to her feet, startled by the sudden appearance of the unfamiliar young man.

She stood awkwardly beside the piano, and the man slowly walked toward her.

“I startled you, didn’t I? I’m sorry. Your playing was so wonderful that I couldn’t help myself.”

His bright smile caught the slanted winter sunlight streaming through the window, giving him a soft glow.

“My name is Jayden. Jayden Feilding. And you must be… Kyla. Am I right?”

“Yes….”

He was the older brother who, according to what she had been told, was supposed to arrive in time for Christmas a few days later. Kyla was so stunned that she couldn’t find the words to continue.

“You play the piano very well. It seems this piano has finally found its proper owner.”

He lightly tapped the lid of the grand piano with his fingers.

“Ah… thank you.”

He had appeared so suddenly—and even praised her just as suddenly. Still standing stiffly, Kyla lowered her head in a small bow.

“Haha. You don’t have to greet me so formally.”

He burst into laughter, and Kyla felt her face grow warm.

“You probably have no idea how excited I was when I received Mother’s letter saying I had gained a younger sister with the beautiful name Kyla.”

Jayden looked at her with shining green eyes and a gentle smile.

Kyla gazed up at him. He seemed to be at least a head taller than her.

Ever since she found out that she was going to have an older brother, she had been curious about him. Now, she realized that his voice was as smooth and low as the sound of a cello.

“Oh my, Young Master! When did you arrive?”

Mary’s eyes widened as she entered the drawing room. She was carrying a tray with a cup of hot chocolate meant for Kyla.

“Mary, you’ve been well, haven’t you?”

“Of course, hehe. Would you like some hot chocolate as well, Young Master?”

“That sounds great. Thank you, Mary.”

“Yes, I’ll bring it right away.”

Mary placed Kyla’s hot chocolate on the tea table and hurried out of the drawing room.

The scent of chocolate and cinnamon from the cup soon filled the room.

Sitting opposite Jayden with the tea table between them, Kyla could not help but feel her mouth water. However, it didn’t seem right to drink it alone.

“Please have it first. I can drink it later.”

Kyla gently slid the cup toward Jayden.

Jayden frowned slightly.

“I think it’s better if you drink it. Unless you’re trying to make me look like a terrible older brother who steals his little sister’s food.”

“What? No, I didn’t mean that….”

Watching Kyla grow flustered, Jayden chuckled softly.

“I’m joking. You can be spoiled with me as much as you like.”

‘Be spoiled…?’

Kyla blinked, unsure what he meant.

“It means you don’t have to be the perfect, well-behaved little sister. So go ahead and drink it. After playing so passionately, you must be hungry.”

Jayden held out a cup of hot chocolate towards her.

Without saying a word, Kyla took it from him. Just holding the warm cup in her hands made a gentle warmth spread through her body.

She blew softly over the surface before taking a sip. The rich, milky chocolate tasted sweet and slightly bitter at first, and then smooth.

By the time Mary returned with Jayden’s hot chocolate, Kyla had finished her drink, leaving only the cinnamon stick in the cup.

“Mary, I’m sorry, but could you bring one more cup?”

“Of course, Young Master.”

With a smile, Mary disappeared back into the kitchen.

Jayden quietly slid his own cup of hot chocolate across the table toward Kyla. She looked at him with puzzled eyes.

“It seemed one cup wouldn’t be enough for a future pianist.”

“Ah… but….”

“Consider it payment in advance for asking you to play the piano again.”

He smiled, the corners of his eyes curving gently upwards.

Kyla sipped her second cup more slowly.

She had always thought that only naughty children were spoiled. But if it meant she could drink two cups of hot chocolate in a row and see her new older brother’s pleased smile, then perhaps being spoiled wasn’t so bad after all.

Kyla returned to the piano and sat down. She played a lively waltz for Jayden.

The melody flowing from the piano keys rang clearly throughout the Feilding family’s drawing room.

When Mr and Mrs Feilding returned from their outing, they were surprised to see Jayden. Melissa embraced her son, whom she hadn’t seen in months, her eyes glistening with tears.

For the first time, the four of them shared a family dinner together. The atmosphere was warm and lively.

Thanks to Jayden’s amusing stories about school, there was constant laughter at the table.

Kyla could already sense that Christmas would be filled with happy moments with Jayden staying at the Feilding household.

***

“The opera?”

Opera. Kyla had never imagined she would visit an opera house before she was old enough to debut in society. Her heart began to race.

“Yes. Have you ever seen an opera?”

Jayden approached Kyla, who was memorizing Meissen vocabulary in the study, and casually perched on the edge of her desk.

“No, I haven’t.”

Kyla stared up at Jayden with a dazed expression.

She was going to the opera house. She could hardly believe it. She could feel the corners of her lips lifting again and again.

“It’s a piece called Lady Camellia. Today is the famous soprano’s premiere, so I thought we wouldn’t be able to get box seats, but we were lucky.”

“But… will Mother allow it?”

“Of course. I was exactly your age when Mother first took me to the opera house.”

Jayden crossed his arms and smiled. His golden hair glimmered in the light.

“We’ll leave right after dinner, so make sure you’re ready beforehand.”

“Yes!”

With that reply, Kyla snapped her book shut. She hurried out of the study, then suddenly stopped.

When she turned back, Jayden was still sitting at the desk, smiling at her.

“Thank you, brother! I’m really, really excited!”

Unable to hide her excitement, she shouted loudly before immediately running toward the library.

Mary, who had been standing by the doorway of the study, had to chase after her.

“Huff… huff… Miss… if you run… like that… you might… fall.”

Mary gasped for breath as she followed Kyla into the library.

“Sorry, Mary.”

Kyla laughed sheepishly and headed straight toward the bookshelf.

“Miss, but what are you doing? Aren’t you going to the opera house?”

Mary tilted her head in confusion.

“Yes. That’s why I’m preparing right now.”

Kyla quickly scanned the titles of the books lining the shelves.

“But… you’re going to the opera. Why are you preparing in the library?”

“Then what kind of preparation should I be doing?”

“Oh dear…! Of course you should be choosing a dress, a hat, and jewelry!”

“Of course I’ll choose them. Later. Ah, here it is!”

After searching through the books for quite some time, she finally found the one she wanted and pulled it out.

It was the original novel on which the opera they were going to see that evening was based.

Exhaling with excitement, she sat on the sofa and opened the book. Meanwhile, Mary began stamping her feet anxiously.

“Mary, what’s wrong?”

“Miss, if you’re going to wash, put on makeup, and fix your hair, you should go upstairs to your room now.”

“Mary, I’m going to see the opera singers, not the other way around. It’s not like I’m making my debut.”

Kyla laughed softly.

“Oh dear… Of course, the singers won’t be looking at you, Miss. But the people who came to watch the opera certainly will! They’ll all be curious about the young lady accompanying Young Master Jayden. If you go dressed the way you usually do at home, the whole of Ashton will be filled with nasty rumors about how poorly the Feilding couple treat their adopted daughter!”

Mary poured out her concern in a rapid stream of words.

“I see… I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you for telling me, Mary.”

With a small sigh, Kyla stood up, still holding the book.

“I guess I’ll read this while getting my makeup and hair done.”

Smiling brightly, she left the library. Mary followed behind her, shaking her head.

***

The Royal Opera House in Ashton was built relatively recently. It was one of the most modern opera theatres in the Kingdom of Brighton and across the Western Continent.

Modelled on a Greek temple, the opera house boasted massive Corinthian marble columns. Kyla was left speechless by the magnificent exterior as she stepped down from the carriage.

“Wow… it’s incredible!”

“The inside is even more impressive.”

Jayden smiled faintly, took Kyla’s hand, and placed it gently on his arm.

As she ascended the marble steps, her sky-blue silk dress, visible beneath her cream-colored coat, swayed softly.

When they entered the main lobby, they were met with an enormous crowd of people engaged in lively conversation.

As far as Kyla could see, there were no other girls her age — no one with loose hair or wearing a short dress that revealed her ankles.

“So, did you finish the book?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean the original novel of Lady Camellia.”

“H-how did you know?”

Kyla stared at Jayden with wide, round eyes. A pleased smile appeared on his face.

“I heard Mary sighing over and over, saying, ‘Our young lady is so busy reading that she has absolutely no interest in dressing up.’”

“Ah… haha. Mary has quite a hard time because of me.”

Kyla laughed brightly, her cheeks flushed.

Just as she was about to step onto the stairs leading to the box seats with Jayden—

“Silas?”

Jayden suddenly stopped. Since Kyla had been holding his arm, she had no choice but to stop as well.

“Silas!”

Jayden looked toward the main lobby and called out someone’s name. A tall young man with black hair turned his head in their direction.

“He’s a university friend. Believe it or not, he’s a duke.”

Jayden whispered in Kyla’s ear before leading her toward the black-haired young man standing near the lobby.

“So even His Grace the Duke of Lester has come to see the opera.”

Jayden smiled gently as he looked at the man.

“Jayden.”

The moment Kyla saw the man’s face—who seemed at least two inches taller than even the already tall Jayden—her entire body froze.

“I thought I wouldn’t have to see your handsome face during the holidays.”

Jayden spoke teasingly.

“Likewise.”

The black-haired man lifted the corner of his lips in a faint smile, which appeared on his otherwise expressionless face. He then shifted his gaze to Kyla.

Two years had passed.

The little girl had grown into a young woman and the boy into a young man, but Kyla recognized him at once.

It was a face she had not forgotten for a single day since that fateful day.

“This is my younger sister, Kyla. Isn’t she pretty?”

Kyla kept staring at the man’s face, forgetting even to stop Jayden.

“I didn’t know you had a sister.”

That voice!

It was slightly lower than he remembered, yet the soft tone tinged with a strangely dry quality was exactly the same.

He was also staring intently at Kyla’s face.

Her chest began to feel tight. Her heartbeat quickened.

“Yes. The stork brought her.”

Jayden answered with a cheerful grin, making a ridiculous joke.

The man only let out a faint chuckle before replying,

“She seems a bit big for something a stork carried.”

“Well, Kyla is quite tall for a fourteen-year-old.”

Jayden smiled proudly and met Kyla’s gaze.

She wanted to smile back, but could only manage a faint twitch of her mouth.

Jayden and his friend the Duke exchanged a few light-hearted jokes before going their separate ways, promising to meet again soon.

He had definitely recognized her.

For some reason, she simply knew.

Maybe that day had also remained an unforgettable memory for him. Two years ago, back then.

He had seemed perfectly calm, but perhaps he hadn’t been.

After all, his horse had died that day.