Ephelia was the beloved youngest daughter of a duke’s family. From her grandfather, who cherished her as the most precious treasure in the world, to her affectionate parents and kind eldest brother—everyone adored her. And the only person in Ephelia’s gentle, loving world who could be called a “villain” was her mischievous second brother, Kairan, who attacked her the moment she stepped into the house.
“Our little dummy’s home?”
At Kairan’s teasing words, Ephelia flared up furiously.
“I’m not a dummy!”
Though she thought she was expressing great anger, to onlookers she only looked adorable. Delighted by her predictable reaction, Kairan teased her even more.
“Then you must be a fool. I heard you got lost at the imperial palace today, and Regios had to come find you.”
“T-That’s, that’s—”
Ephelia was still just a child, and getting lost in an unfamiliar place wasn’t strange. But too young to argue logically, she faltered in silence.
“Foolish Ephy. Clumsy Ephy. Baby Ephy.”
“No! I’m not! None of that’s true!”
“Oh yes, it is. Fool. Ephy’s a fool.”
“Kairan’s a fool too!”
She shouted back, but tears were already pooling in her big eyes.
“I never got lost like foolish Ephy did.”
“I hate Kairan! Waaah!”
In the end, Ephy burst into tears. She was too young to understand that his teasing was a form of affection.
“Why are you bullying Ephy again?”
“Big brother!”
Just then, their eldest brother Meristo entered, scolding Kairan while reaching his hand out to Ephelia. With tears still clinging to her lashes, she ran to him. Kairan scratched his head awkwardly and approached them.
“Ephy, are you mad?”
“I don’t like Kairan! Go away!”
The way she called him by name instead of “brother” made her sincerity clear—but it only made her even cuter. Yet laughing at her now would surely earn a scolding from Meristo. While Meristo soothed her in his arms, the duke entered the room.
“Oh dear, why is our Ephy crying again?”
“Daddy!”
Letting go of Meristo’s neck, Ephelia stretched her short arms toward him. The duke naturally took her into his embrace.
“Did Kairan make you cry again?”
“Yes. I hate Kairan. Please scold him.”
Looking guilty, Kairan glanced up at Ephelia. The duke knew full well that his son only acted out because he adored his little sister, so he gave a mild, formal scolding.
“Why do you keep teasing your sister, Kairan? Didn’t I tell you not to?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Apologize to Ephy.”
“…Ephy, I’m sorry.”
“Ephy’s a good girl, so you’ll forgive him, right?”
“Kairan.”
After a short pause, Ephelia called to him.
“Yeah?”
“Come closer.”
When Kairan leaned in, Ephelia whispered seriously,
“Tomorrow, your snacks are mine.”
Kairan chuckled and nodded.
Soon after, the duchess—now changed into her indoor dress—returned to the sitting room and greeted her husband.
“Dear, you’re home?”
“Yes, I’m back.”
“You worked hard today.”
“So did you. Did everyone have a good day?”
“Yes!” the three children chorused. It was a peaceful evening like any other in the duke’s household.
“I heard something interesting today,” said the duchess. “The young baron and the marquis’s daughter have been revealed as fated partners.”
“That’s wonderful news.”
“Isn’t it? I hope everything goes smoothly for them.”
“I heard they already knew each other. Apparently, they liked one another, but the difference in their ranks made everyone think it was impossible.”
“So it truly was fate.”
Though they were not fated partners themselves, the duke and duchess loved each other deeply. Listening to her parents, Ephelia tilted her head curiously.
“What’s a fated partner?”
“Oh, Ephy wants to know?”
“Mm-hm! What is it?”
A fated partner—just as the name implied—was destiny itself. Those tied by fate bore the same mark somewhere on their bodies. Not everyone met their destined partner; only a very rare few did, which made it all the more special.
“They’re bound to love each other and be happy forever.”
Of course, not every couple ended happily. Some rejected or even hated their destined ones, but the duchess didn’t want to tell such dark tales to her young daughter.
“They’re happy forever?”
“That’s right.”
“I want to be happy forever too.”
For Ephelia, the people she wanted to be happy forever with were always the same—her warm father, sometimes strict mother, kind eldest brother, and teasing Kairan. But now, there was one more: Regios.
“Kairan teased me again. You should scold him,” Ephelia tattled to Regios.
Both the royal family and the duke’s family had two sons each, and since the duchess served as the empress’s chief lady-in-waiting, the two households were close like family. Until now, Ephelia had been too young to join their gatherings, but she was finally old enough to play with them.
“Really? I’ll scold him for you, then.”
“Really?”
“Mm. Here, eat this and cheer up.”
He handed her a ruby-red candied cherry. She happily munched on it, and Regios asked,
“Is it good?”
“Yeah.”
“You look like someone who’d love sweets.”
“Do you not like them?”
“Not really.”
“Why?”
“They stick to my mouth. I don’t like that.”
“But they’re tasty.”
Smiling, Regios placed a sugar-glazed orange slice into her mouth.
“You can have mine too.”
“Really?”
“You’re my only sweetness. I don’t need any other.”
Young Ephelia didn’t understand his words, but his voice was gentle and kind, so she knew he meant something nice.
“Regios, have you heard about fated partners?”
“…Yeah. I know.”
Of course he did. Even as a child, Regios already bore the mark of fate. Sometimes he wished he could tear it from his body. He hated the very idea of destiny.
“I want to be Regios’s fated partner. What about you?”
“I like Ephelia best.”
“Me too.”
Little Ephelia didn’t understand what he truly meant. She thought it was the same as saying he wanted her as his destiny. If she had realized the truth then—would things have been different? She would never know.
“Haaam.”
Ephelia yawned before she could stop herself. Regios laughed softly.
“Sleepy, Ephelia?”
“N-no, I’m not sleepy.”
Her round cheeks puffed up as she stubbornly denied it, even though her eyes drooped.
“It’s fine. You can nap a little.”
“No.”
Her answer was firm. Curious, Regios asked,
“Why not?”
“A lady shouldn’t fall asleep in front of a gentleman.”
She repeated something she’d overheard from her mother, though she was already nodding off. Her little head bobbed up and down adorably, and to Regios—who’d never had a younger sister—it was simply endearing.
After eating her fill of sweets, Ephelia soon dozed off. Regios gently laid her on the sofa, fetched a small blanket, and covered her. Sitting on the floor beside her, he quietly brushed a hand through her hair. His face, however, was unusually serious for a boy his age.
He had first seen Ephelia from a tree in the palace garden—crying as she wandered, lost. At first, he hadn’t planned to approach her. He’d often seen women crying in the palace; it wasn’t unusual. But a crying little girl was a first. Her chubby cheeks glistened with tears as she rubbed them away with a tiny fist, only to start sobbing again. The sunlight caught the teardrops, turning them gold.
Then, on impulse, he jumped down from the tree. She was too cute, too lovely to ignore. Speaking to her had turned out to be a good decision.
“Fated partner…” he murmured.
For her to say that word—destiny.
“I wonder… if I could be yours, Ephelia.”
Even though he spoke in a whisper, Ephelia stirred in her sleep as if she’d heard him, mumbling softly. The blanket slipped from her small body, and Regios picked it up again, carefully covering her.
Fate.
He pressed a small hand against his chest.
“Ephelia, I like you. So…”
But he couldn’t finish the sentence.
