“Siena, we have a lot to do today.”
It had been a month since Siena appeared, and we had been so busy that there was hardly any time to rest.
The paperwork to sort out her identity was one thing, but simply restoring what she should have originally had was overwhelming.
“A lot to do?” Siena asked with wide eyes. The first two weeks after her arrival had been a sort of adjustment period.
I had introduced her to the maids, established order, and helped her get used to the abundance of food and the environment where she didn’t have to work.
Most importantly, it was a time for Siena and the family to lower their guard and get to know each other.
It was a time to share daily lives and become accustomed to each other’s presence.
“Clothes, shoes, hats, ribbons… If we have time, we should also go to the hair salon.”
“Oh…” Siena’s face showed signs of confusion as she responded, still somewhat dazed.
“But Selene has already given me so much. Do I really need to buy more?”
“Siena, you should have your own things—better and newer ones than what I gave you. And you’ll need more things in the future.”
I gently pulled Siena, still looking bewildered, toward the carriage. Suddenly, she shook her head.
“I’m fine. You don’t need to spend that much money on me.”
“Siena, it’s not even a lot of money. And even if it were, I’d happily spend that much for you.”
“Selene…”
Every time she said my name, my heart fluttered. Selene was originally Siena’s name.
It’s funny how the fake took the real name, and the real one ended up with a different name.
Moreover, my clothes, my shoes, my family… All of them were things she should have had.
That’s why I wanted to return everything I had mistaken as mine to Siena as quickly as possible.
Sharing the family was a bit scary, but I couldn’t afford to complain about that. After all, my brother and father were originally Siena’s family.
“Let’s go, quickly.”
The carriage carrying us moved swiftly toward the bustling district. Inside, I asked her various questions.
Her favorite color, preferred designs, what styles suited her, how well she was adjusting, if any maids were mistreating her, and how things were going with the family.
“Is there anything you want for yourself?”
“Well… there is one thing, actually.”
Siena glanced at me hesitantly, making me feel uneasy.
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you later when I find it.”
She didn’t seem eager to say it immediately, so I didn’t push. Soon, the carriage stopped.
We arrived at the bustling district and visited several stores, buying everything we needed.
Siena was in awe. When she saw a chemise made of silk, her hands even trembled.
“Can I really wear something like this?”
“Siena, these are things you should have had in the first place.”
My brother and father, with their indifferent personalities and not being women themselves, couldn’t take care of her in detail.
And there was no way I could give Siena a used chemise.
Seeing her in her shabby chemise always made my heart ache, so I bought five silk ones.
“Selene, this is too much.”
“It’s fine. You’ll need all of them.”
“They’re all so expensive, and how much do they cost altogether?”
“Father gave me a lot of money to buy things for you.”
I had received a separate budget specifically for buying what Siena needed. Besides the silk clothing, there were also many other essentials.
If she wanted, I was ready to replace the furniture or buy anything she wished for.
Siena seemed to notice my intentions and anxiously made a suggestion.
“Selene, what about your clothes?”
“I’m fine. I already have everything I need.”
“I don’t want to just buy things for myself. Let’s get something for you too.”
Siena firmly expressed her thoughts in her characteristic straightforward manner. I checked the bags the maids were carrying.
Jewelry boxes, six pairs of shoes, a full-length mirror, eight hats with feathers, twenty-one dresses that would be delivered… We had bought so many things.
“It feels wrong to buy all this just for myself.”
I began to wonder if I had been burdening Siena without realizing it.
I had been so focused on wanting to do something for her that I hadn’t really considered her feelings.
“Well… I did run out of ribbons for my hair, so let’s go buy some ribbons.”
In truth, I had plenty of ribbons. But saying this was my way of trying to ease her discomfort.
“Besides, I already have enough clothes and shoes.”
Ribbons were the least burdensome thing to buy.
“Ribbons?”
“It’ll be fun if we can tie ribbons for each other like sisters.”
At the word “sisters,” Siena’s eyelids trembled slightly.
I wondered if the term “sisters” might upset her, given how she had been displaced from her rightful place and now found herself with me as a sister.
“If you’re offended—”
Before I could apologize, Siena cut me off.
“Can I choose the ribbon for you?”
Her words brought a mix of comfort and relief. I was grateful.
Siena grabbed my hand and led me to a shop.
“Selene, what color do you like?” she asked, holding a white ribbon next to my face. Her eyes quickly scanned the other ribbons.
“I like white. White is my favorite color.”
“It suits you well, Selene.”
“And you, Siena?”
“Well… Oh, this one looks good.”
Siena confidently handed me a ribbon. It was delicate, with lace accents, and the ends were embroidered with red flowers.
“Selene, this one is perfect for you!”
“Okay, I like it.”
Excitedly, Siena asked for the ribbon to be wrapped, its intricate lace details now neatly packaged.
While she was distracted, I picked out some things to gift to Siena, but she stopped me.
“I don’t need anything.”
“But your hair is so long.”
Siena’s hair cascaded down past her chest.
“My hair is too messy. Something this nice wouldn’t suit it. I’ll get it next time.”
Blushing, Siena quickly ran her fingers through her disheveled hair, embarrassed.
She then led me to the checkout counter. The ribbon Siena had picked for me was already wrapped. As I paid, the shopkeeper asked us,
“Are you two twins?”
At the shopkeeper’s question, I automatically looked at Siena.
If you looked closely, there were slight differences, but aside from the atmosphere and expressions, we resembled each other like real sisters.
‘Would she feel offended if I said we were sisters?’
While I hesitated, Siena smiled brightly and answered,
“We’re sisters.”
“I thought so.”
At those words, a warmth spread in my chest. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from tearing up.
I met Siena’s gaze as she smiled at me. Her eyes were the exact same color as mine.
‘How strange. We’re not blood-related, but we look so much alike.’
I bit my lip, wishing that we were real sisters.
“Selene, let’s skip the salon for today. I’m feeling a bit tired.”
“Then let’s head back so you can rest. I’ve dragged you around too much today.”
“It was fascinating and fun. Especially the clothing stores—they were amazing.”
“Next time, we’ll go buy some jewelry.”
“Jewelry…?”
As the sunlight streamed through the window, Siena’s golden eyes shimmered. Her gaze, tinged with a reddish hue, turned toward me.
“There’s going to be a royal ball at the end of spring, so we’ll need some jewelry for that. Actually, I also need to buy some for the ball.”
I had been looking forward to the royal ball for a long time. Now that I think about it, what would happen to my engagement to the Crown Prince?
‘It’ll probably be annulled.’
If it were revealed after marriage that I wasn’t a legitimate child of the Estarion family, our house would be accused of treason against the royal family and would face severe punishment.
‘It was ridiculous for someone of unknown origins like me to be engaged to the Crown Prince in the first place.’
I should just be grateful that I was able to make happy memories with him for a while.
Even though I kept thinking that, my heart still wasn’t ready to let go.
I had liked him—no, perhaps I even loved him.
He and I were both quiet people who enjoyed peaceful moments. Our similar personalities meant that the Crown Prince had come to occupy a deep place in my heart during the time we spent together.
‘Although that’s not the only reason I came to love him.’
“Selene? You don’t look well.”
“I must be tired too.”
After the engagement was called off, Siena would likely become engaged to the Crown Prince. I bit my cheek hard, tasting the metallic tang of blood in my mouth.
Royalty typically married within the royal family or with members of other royal houses.
But recently, the influence of the temple had grown, and there was a need to have someone who could counterbalance that power.
That’s why our Estarion family had been chosen.
There were few noble families with daughters close in age to the Crown Prince, but that wasn’t the only reason.
‘Whatever the reason, I need to sort out my feelings.’
The Crown Prince was never someone I could have. Moreover, he would soon be Siena’s fiancé, and eventually her husband. I had to stop thinking about him.
I closed my eyes and sank deeply into the sofa, trying to clear my mind of the complicated emotions. By the time I managed to calm myself, the carriage had arrived at the mansion.
Just before
getting out, Siena spoke up.
“Selene, there’s one thing I want to say.”
She lowered her voice so that only I could hear.
“When I said I had something I wanted…”
“Yes?”
She clenched her fist and said,
“I want to make sure you stay happy.”
I was left speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
Siena’s face was calm, but her eyes looked troubled. She quickly stepped out of the carriage and didn’t look back at me.
‘What does she mean by that?’
