Lotus looked at Beate’s hand with astonished eyes.

The special signal he used to share with Riley, the one he thought he would never see again.
How could he not recognize it, even after all this time?

‘Riley….’

Although two years had passed since his youngest daughter left this world, the emptiness she left behind in the marquisate had never been filled. It was a place that could never be filled.

“How old are you, child?”

“I’m thirteen.”

Riley was also thirteen. She was thirteen last year, this year, and would be forever.

Would Riley, unable to grow beyond her memories at thirteen, have sent Beate here to comfort the family?

Lotus closed his eyes tightly.

He couldn’t ignore the signal for help from his daughter, no matter whose body delivered it.
Even if it was just a coincidence with no connection to Riley at all.

“Albert.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Take this child inside, let her wash up, and prepare a spare room for her.”

“What should I tell the orphanage?”

“Inform them that, due to circumstances, we’ll be taking care of Beate for the time being, and that we’ll bring her back ourselves later.”

After giving his orders to Albert, Lotus knelt down to meet Beate at eye level.

“Beate, I can’t decide on my own whether you become a member of our family. I need my family’s agreement. If even one person opposes, I can’t adopt you.”

At the mention of opposition, Beate’s shoulders shrank. Lotus gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“But I’ll do my best to persuade them. Until we’ve heard everyone’s thoughts and reached an answer, stay here comfortably. I’ll tell the staff to treat you as an honored guest.”

Tears of relief welled up in Beate’s eyes as she nodded.

The marquis had given her a chance, and now it was up to her to seize it.

She had to win over the hearts of the remaining family, no matter what.

“Please follow me.”

The maid assigned by Albert guided Beate to the guest wing of the mansion, to a special suite reserved for important guests.

Just moments ago, she’d been an uninvited intruder, and now she was in the guest suite.
When the door opened, she couldn’t help but marvel at the luxurious interior.

“Wow. The room is so beautiful.”

It wasn’t just empty flattery.

Though she had lived two lifetimes in the grand duke’s residence, which was said to be even larger and more splendid than the marquisate, the rooms given to Beate had always been simple.

Even in the imperial palace, the greatest building in the empire, the maids’ quarters were nothing special.

This was the first time she’d ever been treated with such distinction and care. Beate, her face full of excitement, asked the maid,

“Am I really allowed to use this room?”

She was just being polite by confirming again, but—

“Of course not.”

Beate flinched at the unexpected answer and the maid’s crisp, sassy tone.

Would the servants here, like in the grand duke’s residence, look down on and bully the weak where the masters couldn’t see?

‘Is it going to be the same treatment again?’

Even in her third life, it was an experience she found hard to endure, and tears pricked her violet eyes.

“Not until you’ve washed up and changed into the clothes we’ve prepared. You’re not planning to lie down on that soft, white bed—like a fresh cream cake—in your current state, are you?”

The maid, with soft brown hair and eyes, smiled playfully at Beate.

“Oh… yes!”

Only then did Beate realize the maid’s intent. She had misjudged her.

“My name is Casey. I’m sorry about earlier. Did it hurt when I grabbed you too hard?”

“It’s fine. You were just doing your job, Casey. It didn’t hurt.”

Casey looked at Beate with admiration.

How could someone so young speak so thoughtfully and kindly?

Remembering how kind Miss Riley had been to the maids, Casey found herself happy to serve Beate.

“I’ve prepared your bath, so please follow me.”

Casey led Beate to the bathroom connected to the guest suite. The tub was filled with warm, fragrant water, with oils and flower petals floating on the surface.

It was hospitality almost too generous for a guest.

“Am I really allowed to go in there?”

“Of course! Who else would use it but you, miss?”

When Casey tried to help her undress, Beate shrank back.

“I’ll do it myself. I can wash alone.”

At the orphanage, she’d washed herself under the supervision of the priestess. At the grand duke’s residence, she’d insisted on bathing alone because she disliked the maids’ help.

The maids there would use the excuse of bathing to pour hot or cold water on her and pretend it was an accident, or scare her by putting frogs or bugs in the tub.

She’d lost count of how many times they’d giggled together over it.

“Ah, you’re uncomfortable with someone else washing you? I’ll just wait nearby until you feel comfortable. Call me if you need anything.”

Casey moved a little away from the tub and turned her back, ready to help if called.
Beate undressed with a rustle and carefully stepped into the bath.

The way Casey waited quietly and kindly made Beate feel a bit guilty for refusing her help.
Gathering her courage, Beate asked softly,

“Casey, could you help me wash my hair?”

Casey turned back with a delighted smile.

“Yes, of course. I’ll wash it gently and brush it beautifully for you.”

After her bath, Beate let Casey dry her hair with gentle hands.

In her previous life, the grand duke’s maids would deliberately tug her hair while brushing, so she’d usually brushed it herself.

She’d always just tied her long hair back tightly and kept it neat, with no decoration, as the grand duchess had instructed.

Though she’d been adopted to be raised as the empire’s most attractive woman, she was forbidden from adorning herself prettily.

She was not allowed to have private contact with men or debut in society until she was an adult, and even had to avoid the grand duke’s son, Blair.

Beate was raised solely to serve and catch the emperor’s eye, never to be distracted by any other man.

Only after becoming the emperor’s maid was she finally allowed to adorn herself.

“Miss, shall I help you change into these clothes?”

Casey, having finished Beate’s hair, held out the prepared clothes.

There were no new clothes in Beate’s size, so she explained that these had belonged to Riley when she was alive.

Seeing Riley’s clothes again made Casey’s nose sting with emotion.

Riley had been a joy not just to the marquis’s family but to the staff as well, a beloved presence who brought them happiness.

Her death had left sadness in the hearts of everyone at the marquisate, not just the family.

Beate hesitated, staring at the clothes in front of her.

“If you don’t want to wear the clothes of someone who’s passed away, I can have new ones brought for you.”

“It’s not that…”

“Please, speak freely.”

“I don’t mind wearing anything, but these clothes are special… I feel like I shouldn’t wear something so precious that’s been kept with such care.”

Casey was inwardly surprised by Beate’s thoughtfulness.

At thirteen, most girls would just be happy to wear pretty clothes and be indulged.

“Of course, the marquis has given his permission.”

Only then did Beate carefully put on the clothes, with Casey’s help.

Riley and Beate were similar in build, so the clothes fit perfectly, as if made for her.

Beate thought Riley’s dress, with its fluttering lace and elegant ribbons, was far more beautiful than any dress the grand duchess had ever given her at the orphanage.

The grand duchess’s clothes were just pretty wrapping for a product, but these were sewn with true affection for a beloved daughter.

“It’s time for dinner now. The marquis has invited you to join him in the main dining room.”

Guided by Casey, Beate headed to the mansion’s largest and most beautiful dining room, reserved for honored guests.

The main dining room, located on the second floor of the main building, had a double structure with a waiting room attached.

Nobles would wash their hands and tidy their clothes here before entering the banquet hall.

The waiting room, befitting its place in the dining suite, was decorated like an art gallery, with porcelain plates adorned with beautiful patterns and paintings, and finely crafted silverware displayed in glass cases.

But what most caught Beate’s eye were the porcelain figurines.

Made of the same material as the plates, these figurines were so detailed it was hard to believe they were crafted by human hands—perhaps only fairies could have made them.

The smooth glaze shone beautifully under the lights. The main subject was a girl:
spending a happy afternoon on a picnic with her family, riding a small pony for her first time, having tea with friends her age, posing for her first portrait with an artist.

As Casey gave Beate’s hair and clothes a final check before entering the dining room, she explained to the girl who couldn’t take her eyes off the figurines:

“The marquis and his wife commissioned these from a master artisan to remember Miss Riley. They add a new one every year on her birthday and memorial day.”

“They’re truly beautiful.”

Yet, enjoying them made Beate feel a twinge of guilt, as if she were taking advantage of the youngest daughter’s absence.

She worried she might be exploiting the family’s wounds.

Creak. The dining room door opened a crack and a maid peeked in, signaling to Casey.

“Miss, it’s time to go in. The table is set, and they’re waiting for you.”

Beate nodded and walked into the dining room as the maid opened the door for her.

She kept her eyes on the floor, unable to meet the gaze of the marquis’s family.

Even in her third life, her thirteen-year-old heart pounded at the thought of facing the family and asking to become one of them.

Her heart thudded anxiously.

‘What if the family rejects me? I’ve appeared out of nowhere and suddenly asked to be adopted. Won’t they find me absurd and rude?’

Beate gathered her courage and looked up at the marquis’s family. They were seated at a long table, big enough for twenty people to dine at once. But what she saw before her was entirely unexpected.

‘Ah…!’