The older man that stepped through the doors was perfectly poised, his posture straight and his gaze pointed. He had a very stern aura about him, but the servants that looked at him were delighted to see him return. So from that, the (h/c) haired girl had to assume he was a fair man to those who deserve kindness. Yet from the way he looked at the noisy and demanding pair across from her and Shota, he did not seem to feel that way about his own child. In fact, he was incredibly irritated by the sight of them, even shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"So that's why there's such an artificial stench," he remarked, the redhead's mother giving a shocked look before smelling her wrist as if to check the validity of his statement, "My goodness, Shota, have your standards fallen so low? I had believed I taught you much better, my boy."

"Of course you have, grandfather. I was simply ushering these street rats out, don't you worry. I would never fail you."

The man smirked at the cruel words the male spoke, especially amused by the fact that he was referring to his own parents. Perhaps it was because the man was harsh to even those related by blood but the younger girl hid further behind the red-haired male. He gathered her worry, giving a small chuckle, but did the opposite of what she begged him for, pushing her forward to expose her to the man.

He gave a curious expression at the sight of a new face and tilted his head, murmuring something into Okura's ear. The ginger-haired man nodded and grinned before responding, finishing his statement with another bow. After processing what the caretaker had said, the man burst out into raucous laughter and stepped forward to hold onto the younger girl's hands, shaking them up and down heartily.

"It's a joy to meet you, Miss Shi - ," the man paused, presumably looking over at the red-haired male before continuing, "Well, it'll be Yasojiro soon enough, won't it? Welcome to the family, miss."

With a dizzy mind, the only thing that the younger girl could do was nod her head and give a nervous chuckle. However relieved she was that she wasn't given the same treatment as the redhead's parents, she still could not face the intimidating man so easily. It was likely true that he had been informed of her by Shota, himself, but she knew practically nothing about him even if Nami had elaborated a bit much earlier in her stay there.

"It's about time we have an accomplished young lady here! Working from the bottom up! That's a girl!"

The old man continued to laugh heartily but passed his sights onto speaking about her to Okura with whom he had a close relationship. For the time being, he ignored the two blocking the entrance, more so focused on the prospect of having a new member of the family. And while the man had adapted to life within the estate within a mere moment, it still stirred up a bit of confusion in the younger girl, wondering if he was always so cheerful. Or was it because he was overjoyed to finally meet her? The thought flattered her.

"Father," the other man coughed, the elderly man's expression reverting to a cold and blatant disinterest, "You have impeccable timing. I wanted to talk about the distribution of the family fortune."

"Shota."

"Father, hear me out - "

"Shota."

"But - "

"Goddamn, Itsuki, do you ever shut your flapping mouth?!"

A silence brushed over the foyer, most, if not all, staring on with awe and silently gaping at the tone used. Once more the (h/c) haired girl became afraid of the man, hiding behind the redhead and shivering. That time, he didn't push her towards him, understanding her fear and the origin from where it came. Instead, he pet her hair, attempting to stifle that fear until he could make up for it.

The redhead's grandfather gave a huff and left the room, muttering he needed to be somewhere with fresh air. In doing so, the man he had scolded was rendered speechless and he looked at the floor with a fit of visible anger. Clearly still set on achieving what he wanted, the male was not discouraged from his efforts, opening his mouth to make a remark to his son. Perhaps he would overturn the decision. Yet, even before he spoke, the red-haired male shut him down, giving him a glare.

"You wanted to speak to grandfather, now you have. Take it with dignity...if you have any left anymore."

As Shota led (Y/n) away from the scene, Okura instructed the eavesdropping servants to escort the two out of the estate's grounds. He then went off behind his young master, most everyone scattering back to do their work now that the issue had been settled. The tense atmosphere remained, but it was not as suffocating, allowing the younger girl to breathe with far more ease.

She was instructed by a maid to sit down in a tea room, the redhead seating himself next to her while his grandfather situated himself on the other side of the table. He gave a large sigh, wondering if the nuisances were gone and questioning if he could finally rest in peace. Upon seeing that his grandson had joined, he figured that must have been the case and brought a teacup to his lips, enjoying the fine flavor of the tea.

"Why have they decided to intrude on today of all days? I only wanted to come to see the goings-on of my childhood home and they reared their hideous faces right in front of my eyes. Disgusting. Truly disgusting."

"I am ashamed I've brought such a foul taste to your tongue, grandfather."

The man waved his hand dismissively, attempting to drown out the bitter taste he had referenced with the sweetness of the tea in his hands. As he finished the cup, he held it to Okura, asking for more. The ginger-haired man was happy to oblige as though he were born solely for the art of pouring tea. It was a side that the (h/c) haired girl had yet to see to the ginger-haired man, but she was by no means disappointed.

A scuffle then echoed through the hallway to the tearoom, an out-of-breath Nami showing her face with great worry. She shook in place, her legs still threatening to give out from beneath her. Quivering and on the verge of heavy tears, water building up in her innocent eyes, she looked around with panic before noting her elder brother sitting comfortably on the sofa next to the (h/c) haired girl.

She rushed to hug him, burying herself in his arms and clinging to him, the bunny plush she had taken from the attic still in her arms. Nami didn't look for anything else, her objective solely to see her brother. From what (Y/n) could see, she was deeply concerned about him being left with their parents alone and despite her fear, she nonetheless made it a priority to be there for him. It touched her heart.

"There you are," the girl's grandfather smiled, motioning for one of his own servants to bring him a box, "I've got a gift for you. I saw it in Echal, and I couldn't help but think of you."

Despite the temptation of a present, the redhead only continued to cling to her brother, forcing the male to reach out and take it on her behalf. He then nuzzled her hair and murmured to her "they're gone", encouraging her to at the very least open the box to see what her grandfather had gotten her. And while she was hesitant to do as he said, worried that he could slip away if she let go of him, she did listen obediently, taking it and slowly cracking it open, taking out a snowglobe.

Her eyes glistened while she looked at it, her hands quick to shake it and watch the small sparkles of snow fall over the pink jewel castle. As she winded up the object, she watched as a princess and prince began to dance underneath it, a lovely song echoing in her ears. Despite her hesitance to take the object, her little heart accepted it unconditionally, a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes. She didn't miss the plaque with her name engraved on it nor the title "princess" that preceded it.

"Thank you...," she murmured, continuing to listen to its serene song.

"Of course, dear. I also have a few other pieces I thought you'd like...though I may have bought a little too much. I've been scolded just a bit for it."

"I appreciate the thought, grandfather, but we can't just spoil her. Please keep that in mind."

"Bah! It's your job to keep her humble and teach her morals. It's mine to spoil her rotten. If that's not the point of being a grandparent, what is?"

Shota chuckled, rubbing the top of the red-haired girl's head and patting her back, the small being looking up at him with confusion. He then turned her around and patted her once more, the girl walking off slowly to sit with her grandfather, still fascinated by the snow globe. One could see how much she wanted to be a princess, and though it wasn't at all unusual for a child of her age, it reminded the (h/c) haired girl of someone. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to think, she couldn't come up with a name, only a face.

With a contemplating expression, the girl looked down, fiddling with her fingers to improve her concentration. However, Shota was none too pleased with that, quickly placing his hand on her shoulder and pulling her into him. And, in surprise, all progress she made with the individual's identity ceased to continue. The only thing she was left with was the sight of white hair and shy eyes.

"That reminds me, I actually have a few things for the young lady here as well," the older man hummed, motioning for another servant to present him with a letter, "I'll have the jewelry and other items brought to your room later on, but I was given a task to carry out by a renowned young woman."

As he handed the letter to the (h/c) haired girl, she looked at it with awe. It was a very smooth and elegant envelope, a golden seal of a raven and ancient writing written beneath it. The coat of arms was impressive and extravagant, as was the dried lavender flower beside it, giving the impression that much time and effort went into even closing the letter. With such a degree of carefulness, she couldn't help but wonder who had sent the letter, or rather why they had in the first place.

"The second daughter of a noble family here in Afrua, Lady Sallana Wiunerona. I met her as I arrived back here, and she expressed her desire to see you join a tea party she is hosting with a few other distinguished guests. She even sent a lovely dress for you to wear. She is a truly nice young lady. I think it would do you good to have some friends your age. This is a perfect opportunity."

"That is," Shota paused, his embrace on the younger girl becoming a bit tighter, "sweet of her, but I don't think that (Y/n) is up to the challenge quite yet. She's already immersed with school and etiquette lessons, and adding on social expectations doesn't seem right. Right, darling?"

The (h/c) haired girl paused, wondering how she would reply to his clear disapproval. Whereas he believed her amnesia was still taking quite the toll on her, she had been wanting to gain an opportunity like that. After all, if she had the chance to meet new people, she wanted to take it, especially if they had the same interests as her or were so kind as to send a carefully written invitation. It seemed rude to reject it.

"Well, actually - "

(Y/n) paused, watching as the red-haired male glowered at her. He already knew what she was going to say and warned against it. That much was obvious from watching his expression contort. It was bizarre to see him going against something she wanted, but when thinking on it, he wouldn't have been happy to note she had gone to an interview either. She couldn't quite figure out why it was he was so adverse to her being in high society yet against her having a down-to-earth life either.

"I would like to go," she stated, holding her ground against the displeased male, "It would be a good experience to learn about noble life."

Shota gave a very surprised look, a cloud of displeasure surrounding him, but he soon hid it under a countenance of apathy. He turned his head away from her, pretending to be immersed in the taste of his tea, but she knew better. She was well aware he was frustrated with her for trying to do something on her own. It was petty. She pondered. Had he always been so controlling over her actions? Or was she inclined to let it go due to her love for him?

"A good choice," the boy's grandfather hummed, "It'll be held in a handful of days, so I hope until then, you can pick out a gift for her. It's common manners to bring something of value to a celebration like this. If you'd like, please use the allowance I've created for you."

"No need," the red-haired male sighed, darting his eyes over to the younger girl, "I've already put that together for her."

The man gave an understanding nod to the male's statement, continuing to speak about what would happen. Despite his greater knowledge in noble affairs and his rather stern tone in laying down rules for them, the man was not harsh to (Y/n). He was well aware she didn't know how things worked in high society. It was likely the reason he put in so much effort to educate her on it so she could feel comfortable. He was just as Nami described; noble and wise, but generous and just.

It wasn't long before he finished his informational lecture to the younger girl, telling her that it would be worth more than the work she put into it. He then swept Nami up and bounced her up and down, asking her if she wanted to play games. She responded positively yet quietly, still somewhat fearful of her parents' previous presence in the estate. That left (Y/n) and Shota to return to their room before dinner, the two of them oddly silent with one another.

The former didn't say a peep out of curiosity for what was really going through the redhead's mind with that blank face of his. She watched with apprehension as he began to look through a few filing cabinets, taking out a few before placing them on the coffee table. He didn't speak or look back at the (h/c) haired girl, just focused on the task at hand. However, that didn't mean he ignored her presence. Rather, as she leaned over the couch to peer at what he was staring at, he gave a sigh before pulling her down to kiss him.

"Curiosity killed the cat," he stated blankly before releasing her flushed face.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Well, I certainly don't know what would give that away? Was it my tone? Or perhaps my face? No, it may have had something to do with the fact that you knew I wouldn't like it. Is that it?"

(Y/n) pushed her tongue to the side of her cheek, pouting at his use of sarcasm. It didn't suit him. However, her irritation for him using such a roundabout way of telling her "yes" was likely the revenge he chose to use on her. After all, it wasn't as if he could change her mind. They both knew that perfectly well. But they also knew that it wouldn't have stopped him from being as petty as a child about it.

"Why don't you want me to go?" she questioned, sitting down next to the male.

"I don't want to talk about this, darling. Why don't you go join Nami and my grandfather in some games? It may lift your spirit."

Huffing, the (h/c) haired girl realized she would get nothing out of the male. He was too obstinate to tell her and she was too resolute to let him get away with it. So she left, throwing him back a silly face, sticking out her tongue. As she slammed the door behind her almost immediately, she couldn't see him giving the tiniest hint of a smirk for her childish attitude. It really did never fail to amuse him.

He looked down at the papers in front of him. They each listed an individual that would be attending that party as he did anticipate she would be soon invited to such an event. With bored eyes, he scanned the page, taking in the information quickly. The noblewomen always threw him off guard, as they did most men near his standing. After all, if they wished, they could even hurt his self-esteem. Of course, none tried such a thing, probably due to the fact that they could catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

"What am I to do with you, (Y/n)?"