The Devil's Betrothed-Chapter 711: Missing His Sister

Aaron and Rina returned home by the evening, with another carriage following behind them, full of purchases from the market. The servants carried everything to Rina’s room, following Aaron’s instructions.

"Brother, now that we’re done shopping and I have everything I need, how about you help me decide how to set up my room?" she asked, her eyes bright with excitement.

"I’m not sure I’d be much help with that. Maybe you should ask your mother," he suggested.

Rina pouted. "Since I’ve been here, not once has my mother come to check on me. She only loves that mute son of hers who, when he does open his mouth, only says bitter things. You know, when I left after arguing with my brother, she didn’t even bother to stop me or ask where I was going. Imagine if it wasn’t your home I came to—where would I have gone? They just don’t care about me. I don’t want help from either of them."

"It’s not like that. They—"

"You agreed to be my brother, didn’t you?" she interrupted, her voice firm.

"Yes," Aaron replied.

"Then don’t side with them. If I’m angry at them, you should take my side and talk bad about them so I feel better. That’s what a real brother should do, understood?"

Aaron could only nod, playing along with her instructions for being a good brother. "Anything else I should know?" he asked, clearly enjoying her antics.

"Yes," Rina replied seriously, "A good brother always listens to his sister. Now, when I’m asking you to help me set up my room, you should say yes and follow me."

He nodded. "Hmm."

"Another rule," Rina added immediately, her tone strict, "You can’t reply with ’Hmm.’ It’s strictly forbidden. Anyone who replies with ’Hmm’ should be hanged!"

Aaron was taken aback and asked, "Why?"

"Because it’s a mysterious reply! You can’t tell if the person is agreeing, disagreeing, or just being lazy. I had enough of that from my brother, and I don’t want it from you. I want us to be on the same page, okay?"

"Hm—" Aaron awkwardly cleared his throat, correcting himself. "Okay."

"Great! Now let’s go to my room," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the first floor.

The butler followed behind them, smiling at how easily the young girl was making his master dance to her tune. She truly was clever and at that his master was enjoying submitting to her as well.

Aaron stepped into the room and immediately recognized it as his sister Aaria’s. He hadn’t dared to enter this room since the tragedy, avoiding the memories that it held. But with Rina by his side, he found it bearable, even comforting.

"Brother, I like this room, but I think we can decorate it a little since I’ll be staying here," Rina said, her tone playful. "I want my brother to see I’m living in a better place than the one he offered me."

Aaron sighed. It seemed that everything Rina did or said somehow revolved around Lucian—how much she loved him, he felt envious of him.

He looked around, and memories of Aaria flooded his mind—how she had always been so caring, and how much time he’d spent with her in this very room.

"Brother? Any idea how I can decorate it?" Rina’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Aaron recalled how the room used to look when his sister lived here. Without thinking, he began to describe it. "How about using light peach tones? We could add peach-colored curtains, maybe even drape some around the bed. We could place a vase over there for fresh flowers every day. That corner could be for studying, and the other side for board games. You could keep a space there for any instrument you’d like to play. And if you’re interested in noble ladies’ activities like embroidery or painting, you could set up a spot for that too." frёewebηovel.cѳm

Rina gasped. "Brother, you said you had no idea, but you just planned my whole room in under a minute!"

Aaron looked at her, realizing that he had unknowingly described the exact room layout his sister Aaria had, down to her favorite color—peach.

She flashed him the brightest smile, her eyes sparkling with delight. "You’re truly amazing. You’re like a brother from a dream—so obedient, you listen to me, and you’re so helpful."

Aaron smiled softly at her. "Now you can do as you wish with this room."

"I’ll go with the peach color. Oriana and Lady Erin like that color too. Seems like all noblewomen are fond of it," Rina said thoughtfully.

Aaron simply nodded, careful not to reply with ’Hmm’ as per her strict rule. He smiled inwardly, realizing how much he enjoyed following her little instructions.

—--

Lucian was pacing outside, occasionally glancing toward the Wynter residence. Just then, Arthur arrived to visit him.

"I see Lord Rainier is restless," Arthur commented, amused. "Seems like you’ve left your cat in the neighboring house."

"And that cat seems to have made up her mind never to return," Lucian sighed.

"It’s only been a little while. Give it a few more days," Arthur said reassuringly. "They went shopping today."

Of course, Lucian already knew. "It feels like I haven’t seen her in days."

"Her anger will die down soon," Arthur assured him. "The Ahrens are coming soon, and Aaron will be busy focusing on them and spending time with Erin. Rina will have enough time to cool off and come back to you. Until then, bear with it."

Lucian hummed in response, but then asked, "Where are the Ahrens staying?"

"Where else? Aaron’s home," Arthur replied casually. "That way, Aaron and Erin can spend more time together and get to know each other better."

Lucian hummed again, but remained quiet.

"Once Rina opens him up a bit, I’m sure Aaron will feel more comfortable around Erin, and things will go smoothly between them," Arthur added.

Lucian suddenly grew quiet. These days, the mere mention of Erin’s name unsettled him in ways he couldn’t quite understand.

"Tomorrow, we’re sending the Mortimers and all the prisoners to the extreme north. I heard you ordered protection for Luis’ daughter there?" Arthur asked.

"My mother had a good opinion of Luis’ wife," Lucian explained. "She wanted to ensure that girl wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands and suffer unnecessarily."

"That’s a good decision. She’s just a young girl, following her father’s will. She doesn’t need to suffer more for his mistakes," Arthur agreed.

Lucian nodded, then asked, "Where’s Nathaniel?"

"He has returned to his home, to have some fun by troubling his father," Arthur replied with a smirk. "That old hag troubled my friend for a long time. Now that Nathaniel’s free from his clutches, he can make his father suffer a bit by getting on his nerves boldly."

"Is his father really that bad?" Lucian asked.

"As a lord of his estate, he’s capable, but as a husband and father, he’s downright terrible. I’d rather be an orphan than have a father like him."

Lucian couldn’t help but feel grateful despite everything. He had parents who, no matter what, loved him deeply, whether they were his birth parents or adoptive parents.