"You have a child?" Edgar asked, staring deeply at Allen.
Evelyn nodded. "Yes. His na is Allen. He’s five years old." She said. She felt thankful that no one asked about the child’s father.
Even if they had, she didn’t think she would have been able to say it. Thinking of it... brought back unpleasant mories.
But everyone understood sothing from her silence. They didn’t ask yet, but there was a small, unnoticeable frown on the faces of her family.
Claire’s heart ached. She wondered what her daughter had been through, but she wouldn’t bring it up.
She comforted herself. ’It’s fine. She’s safe with us. No one will hurt her.’
"Prepare a carriage. Get my daughter’s belongi— no." Claire shook her head. "We’ll get you new things."
Evelyn didn’t reply.
She had a feeling that her life was going to change. Whether for better or for worse, she had no clue yet. But... this ant a better life for her son.
A smile made its way on her face. That was all that mattered.
Catherine suddenly rembered.
"You must be hungry." Then she turned to the others. "She was just about to serve dinner when we left her ho."
Just then, Allen’s stomach grumbled.
With everything that had happened, he had forgotten that he was hungry. Now that Catherine said it, his body suddenly rembered.
Claire quickly asked the butler to prepare food for the mother and son.
By then, the whole mansion knew that the long lost second daughter had been found twenty two years later.
The mansion beca hectic as Claire threw out orders.
"Take her to her room, and help her take a bath." Claire told so maids.
The maids led Evelyn towards the room she would find was hers since she was born while another maid took care of Allen’s bath.
"This way, my lady." One of the maids said, opening the door.
The room was painted in soft, comfortable colours.
Evelyn’s eyes road the room, her eyes stopping on pictures hung on walls.
She hadn’t had any pictures growing up, but she imdiately recognized herself in these pictures. She could see how little she was in these pictures.
So of these pictures showed only herself, and so showed two little girls. She knew that was Catherine.
"This is the room you stayed in as a child." An older maid said. "The masters have always kept it clean and unoccupied, even though they didn’t know if you’d ever co back."
It was just as the maid said. The room still had toys and blankets used for children embroidered "Eve", and there was even a cot to the side.
These things had obviously been here a long ti, but there wasn’t a speck of dust on them.
Everything seed to have been left in the position it had been before they lost her.
After so ti of looking around, the maids led her to the bathroom.
"I can bath myself." Evelyn said with a polite smile.
"The old madam had ordered that we take care of you, my lady. Please, allow us." The older maid said.
Evelyn could only accept, even though she felt uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to this.
The maids bathed her like she had never before, lathering her body with sweet slling soap and oiling her body.
At the end of it, Evelyn realized that she was no longer as tensed as before.
When they left the bathroom, Evelyn was surprised to see Catherine there.
"Y-Your Highness." She bowed. She couldn’t help it. Knowing that she was her sister didn’t change that she was still the Imperial Princess.
Catherine glanced at the maids who bathed Catherine. "Help her put on this dress."
The dress Catherine held was her dress.
She usually left so clothes back in her room in the Anton mansion in case she had to sleep over suddenly, even though it rarely happened.
But it had co in handy now.
She and Evelyn were twins and thankfully, her clothes would fit her.
Since no one knew that Evelyn would be found today, there were no clothes for her to wear and she couldn’t put on the clothes she ca in.
It wasn’t like she could also wear her baby clothes so the only option was Catherine’s.
But Catherine was more than willing to give her hers.
Even though she didn’t have much mories of this younger twin sister, she had always heard from her parents and servants about how close-knit they were.
Also knowing that she had a younger sister, even though the difference wasn’t much filled her with a sense of responsibility and care towards her.
Evelyn glanced at the clothes with wide eyes before shaking her head and refusing. She could tell it was Catherine’s.
"Your highness, I can’t." The clothes looked expensive. She didn’t think she should wear it.
"Eve." Catherine stopped her, getting up from the bed and holding her hand. "Call Catherine. You’re my sister." She said, putting the clothes into Evelyn’s hand.
Evelyn lowered her eyes, but finally nodded.
"Help her change." Catherine said, then said to Evelyn. "When you’re done, the servants will show you to the dining room for dinner." She smiled with a hint of warmness.
Evelyn nodded, clutching the clothes. It felt very soft, not coarse like the one the commoners usually wore.
It was a blue dress with jewels in the chest area. The skirt wasn’t too wide and spread out lightly.
Her eyes followed Catherine until she left the room, closing the door behind her.
She turned to the maid, rembering her son. "Allen. My son." He should have finished bathing a long ti ago.
One of the maids waved her hand. "He’s fine. The young misses and young master are with him. Now let’s get you dressed, my lady."
They helped her change into the dress, then had her sit in front of the mirror on the vanity table and got to doing her hair.
By the ti they were done, a soft gasp spilled from Evelyn’s lips. Now that she had been dressed in expensive clothes and had her hair done elegantly and clipped with pins, she looked even more like Catherine.
"Oh my lady, you look so good!" A young maid praised.
Evelyn managed a small smile.
"All done. I’ll take you to the dining room." The older maid said.
She led Evelyn out of the room to the dining room. Evelyn’s eyes road around the corridors they passed, from the crystal chandeliers on the ceiling to the sparkling marble floors. Everything showed how wealthy and prestigious the Antons were.
They made a few turns through different corridors before going down the stairs. She would definitely get lost if she was left to find her way, Evelyn thought.
Finally, they arrived at the door leading to the dining room.
The maid stopped then.
Evelyn looked at her questioningly.
"Go in, my lady." The maid said.
Evelyn hesitated, but then opened the door.
All the heads in the dining room turned to her.
She took a deep breath before walking into the room, turning lightly when the door closed behind her.
"You look stunning, dear." Claire said.
She had finally cald down from all her excitent of reuniting with her lost second daughter.
"Thank you," Evelyn stopped herself from saying ’your grace’.
"Take a seat," Edgar said with a warm smile.
Evelyn looked around the long table. There were two available seats. One was in between Catherine and Lauren close the end of the table, and the other was opposite Aristia directly at the table’s end.
Evelyn chose to sit beside Catherine.
The children had all settled down towards the table’s end. Evelyn was relieved to see that Allen had settled down quicker than she expected. She was also relieved that the children were treating her son well.
He was now saying sothing to Alaric and Lilith.
Allen was dressed in new clothes. It was actually Alaric’s clothes. Just like their mother, Alaric and Aristia had spare clothes in the Anton mansion.
Since Alaric and Allen were the sa age, Allen was given Alaric’s clothes to wear. His black hair had been combed back and his eyes sparkled lightly, clearly enjoying whatever conversation he was having with the two who he knew were his cousins.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, dinner begun.
Evelyn hesitated a bit. The exquisite dish before her was new.
"Try it," a soft voice reached her ears.
She turned her face to the side to see Catherine nodding at her encouragingly.
She nodded and turned back to the food. She really appreciated the way this sister was paying attention to her and trying to make her comfortable.
She took a bite of the food and humd in surprise.
Allen was the sa. The food was better than even the food his mother made.
"Slow down." Lilith said.
But Alaric had more pressing concerns.
There was another addition to the family and he had another cousin.
He hoped this didn’t an more people eying Aristia.
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