The snacks Lucian brought filled the tea table and more. Seeing the snacks piled high even on the low table beside it, Ariana grinned as she picked up her fork.

The savory and sweet butter scent tickled her nose.

“Thank you for the food!”

The first snack Ariana chose was shaved ice dessert topped with finely shaved frozen milk piled high, sweet honey, whipped cream, and chopped peaches on top.

One bite of the moist, sweet shaved ice, one bite of fluffy castella. Watching Ariana eat deliciously until her white, fluffy cheeks puffed out, Lucian smiled contentedly.

“Is it good?”

“Yes! It’s super delicious. Would you like some too, Brother?”

“No, eat as much as you want. I prepared it all for you.”

Lucian said as he pushed the plate toward Ariana.

At that moment, Ariana stopped her excited movements. She put down her fork on the table with a clunk and crossed her short arms while glaring at Lucian.

“This is strange. This isn’t like you.”

Ariana’s narrowed-eyed glare was more cute and adorable than threatening.

But Ariana was serious.

“Brother always stopped me from eating too many snacks. So why are you telling me to eat as much as I want today?”

Lucian always regulated Ariana’s snack intake. Though Ariana’s happy face while eating snacks was lovely enough to make anyone who saw it feel good, nothing was more important than health.

For that Lucian to say eat as much as you want today—even the young Ariana was perceptive enough.

“You want something from me, don’t you, Brother?”

Ariana asked primly.

Though it was more adorable than prim, it was enough to prick Lucian’s conscience.

Lucian cleared his throat while rubbing his nape.

“Well, about that. Ariana…. Do you perhaps know what Adelia likes?”

Lucian carefully broached the subject.

Though Ariana was fond of Adelia, he thought accepting her as family was a different matter.

Hearing those words, Ariana tilted her head and blinked her round eyes. It didn’t take long for her small head to receive and interpret Lucian’s question.

Soon Ariana’s eyes widened and she smiled so brightly you could see the empty space where she had recently lost a tooth.

“Brother! You like Sister!”

Ariana smiled happily, seemingly truly delighted. Her red eyes weren’t even visible between her beautifully curved eye lines.

Seeing his sister genuinely happy despite his worries, Lucian lifted the corners of his mouth helplessly.

“Yes, I’m glad you’re happy too.”

“Why would I not like it? Sister Adelia is so wonderful! I want to live with Sister forever!”

Ariana said while stomping her short legs. Her cheeks that had been puffed with food returned to normal but turned peach-red with excitement.

Lucian picked up the fork in front of him and poked the most delicious-looking peach-topped cake. Instead of going into his mouth, the cake slipped right into Ariana’s mouth.

Ariana accepted the cake he gave her like a baby bird.

‘Delicious! And I’m so happy!’

Not only did she get to eat lots of delicious snacks, but she couldn’t control her rising smile at the fact she could live with Adelia forever.

Lucian smiled with satisfaction as he picked out snacks Ariana would like and fed them to her.

“So won’t you help me?”

“Of course! Hmm…. First, what Sister Adelia likes is….”

Ariana pondered while munching on snacks.

She recalled words that could hint at Adelia’s preferences from their daily teatime conversations.

“Me?”

“You?”

Ariana said while pointing at herself with her small finger. She tilted her head as if confused by her own words.

“Sister likes me, right?”

“That’s not wrong.”

Adelia was particularly fond of Ariana. From the start she showed goodwill, gave lots of gifts, and doted on her.

When Adelia looked at Ariana, you could feel the passionate love like sunlight shimmering on the sea.

Thinking of that gaze, his stomach suddenly felt heavy and his chest seemed to burn.

‘…… Jealousy?’

Now that he was aware of the emotion called love, even secondary emotions like jealousy became clear.

Lucian stroked his chest with a half-dazed expression.

‘To feel jealous of my sister…. The saying that love makes you stupid was true.’

He felt quite pathetic feeling jealous of his sister who wasn’t even male and was fourteen years younger.

But it also meant he loved Adelia that much.

Lucian patted his chest like he was dusting off his clothes, trying not to show it.

“Ahem…. Ariana, isn’t there anything else?”

“Hmm…. Sister likes sweet snacks like me, and she likes money and expensive jewels too.”

“What else?”

“And….”

Ariana listed things Adelia had shown interest in while wracking her memory. There was useless information mixed in, but it was up to Lucian to filter that out.

Ariana dug through her memories, even setting aside eating.

“Ah! And Sister said this once! It’s very important!”

“Tell me, Ariana.”

Ariana clapped her hands together with wide eyes.

Words she had forgotten since time had passed came flooding back.

“She said a handsome and modest man is the best!”

“A handsome and modest man?”

“Yes! Sister said she has lots of money so she doesn’t need a rich man. So I think she said she wants a man who’s handsome enough that looking at his face would soothe her anger and who modestly only looks at her!”

Ariana said with a confident tone while clenching both fists.

Though she couldn’t remember why Adelia had said those words, she was certain Adelia had said them.

Having recalled the key point, Ariana put her hands on her hips with a proud face.

“I told you Sister’s taste.”

“Yes, thank you Ariana.”

Lucian reached out and patted Ariana’s head.

Ariana wiggled her head feeling his touch like a kitten.

“Since I told you, make sure you catch our Sister.”

First a beautiful person, then a kind sister, and now a precious family member.

To Ariana, Adelia was as precious as her family members.

Sometimes she couldn’t believe she had fallen so deeply for someone she’d known less than a year, but when she saw Adelia, those thoughts disappeared.

On the outside, she shone clearly like the moon in the night sky while displaying more vitality than anyone, but looking closely, that light wasn’t her own. Drawn to the light, one would fall into the deep sea hidden within.

The love for oneself filled that vast, deep sea. Once discovered, it left an indelible mark on the mind, a memory that could never be erased.

Ariana hopped down from her seat and hugged Lucian.

“Brother, even if Sister says she doesn’t like you, you can’t hurt her. Sister is someone who saved my life.”

“You…. How do you see me? That will never happen.”

Neither him harming Adelia, nor her saying she doesn’t like him.

Lucian patted Ariana’s back lightly while seating her.

Though her fluffy pink hair tickled his cheek, Lucian’s eyes shone ominously. The desire filling his red eyes flickered and disappeared.

‘I won’t let you go.’

Though he respected her will, his desire not to lose her was also great.

If Adelia rejected him, he wanted to have her even if he had to pathetically kneel, and if she wanted, he could put a leash on his neck and hand it to her.

If the position of crown princess was burdensome, he could gladly give up his position and go to her side.

Lucian would be satisfied as long as Adelia was by his side, even if he lost everything else.

Once he realized it, the emotion grew endlessly. His passionate love for her only grew more enormous as time passed.

“Our lovely youngest. Will you keep this a secret?”

“Huh? Why?”

“If she knows I love her, she might run away feeling burdened.”

“That can’t happen! I’ll keep my mouth tightly shut!”

Ariana covered her mouth with both hands.

Though Ariana told Adelia everything she couldn’t tell her family, she could keep this one thing secret.

Ariana nodded with round eyes while tightly covering her mouth with her small hands.

They silently exchanged glances, affirming their alliance.

That’s when it happened.

Knock knock—

“The Crown Princess is coming this way.”

The moment those words were heard from outside, Lucian and Ariana quickly looked at the door then met each other’s eyes again.

“Brother, no running away this time like before!”

“Of course not. I have no such intention.”

They nodded while exchanging determined looks,

Without words, they knew what meaning lay in each other’s gazes.

Ariana let go of Lucian’s clothes she had been holding tight and wiggled out of his embrace. She dusted off her clothes as if nothing had happened and returned to her seat.

“Brother, when Sister comes, tell her to eat this. Sister really loves this.”

Ariana pointed to one specific item among the many snacks laid out.

It was a tart topped with plenty of peaches and mangoes on cream that appropriately mixed sweet whipped cream and cream cheese.

It was a dessert chosen to actively reflect Adelia’s taste. She liked sweet things but not dry ones without cream.

Lucian nodded and pulled the dessert plate in front of himself.

Just as their plotting was almost finished, Lucian sensed a familiar presence outside the door.

His heart suddenly pounded and throbbed as a faint smile bloomed on his face.

“Wow…. Brother, I didn’t know you could make that kind of face?”

Ariana marveled innocently.

Her brother’s expression before her was very unfamiliar yet beautiful. Though she thought he showed more expressions when with her, she had never seen this face.

His cheeks were slightly flushed, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile, and his crimson eyes, gentle only for her, softened with unmistakable love.

At Ariana’s words, Lucian awkwardly rubbed his chin.

“Is it strange?”