The air was filled with the rich fragrance of black tea, mingled with the sweet, warm scent of fresh scones.

A round table was covered with a pristine white linen tablecloth, set with a silver teapot, porcelain cups, and several small plates of delicate pastries and jam.

Aurora sat at the head of the table, gracefully pouring tea for the others. She was dressed in a pale yellow housedress, her golden hair loosely pinned up, giving her a gentle and leisurely air.

Murphy sat to her left, dressed in his usual dark blue attire. His expression was calm, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the children at the table.

Kaiden sat next to Murphy. The twelve-year-old seemed to have grown taller in the past few months. The baby fat on his cheeks had started to recede, and his features were beginning to take on a handsome, boyish definition.

He wore a brown short coat, practical for movement, and his eyes were bright with the unique energy of his age.

Eleanor, meanwhile, sat to Aurora’s right, across from Kaiden.

She wore a light green dress that Aurora had prepared for her. Her hair had been carefully combed by a maid and was tied with a matching silk ribbon.

She sat with perfect posture, her hands resting properly on her lap. Her little face was expressionless as her dark eyes quietly studied the cups and saucers on the table. Occasionally, she would flick her gaze up to Murphy across from her before quickly looking down again.

"Here, Eleanor, try this honey scone," Aurora said gently, placing a small piece spread with jam onto the little plate in front of her. "It’s one of Erin’s specialties. It was Kaiden’s favorite when he was little."

"Thank you... Mother," Eleanor replied softly. She picked up the small silver fork, delicately cut off a corner, and put it in her mouth. Chewing slowly, she then nodded. "It’s very good."

"See?" Kaiden immediately chimed in, his tone lively and naturally familiar. "My nurse’s scones are the best in the castle! Eleanor, do you like blueberry jam or strawberry jam? I think it’s more refreshing with blueberry. What do you think, Father?"

As he spoke, he turned to look at Murphy.

Murphy raised his teacup and said nonchalantly, "Either is fine."

Kaiden didn’t seem to mind. He turned back to Eleanor with renewed enthusiasm. "Oh, right! I’m going to the stables this afternoon to practice mounted archery. Father just picked out a new pony for me named ’Meteor.’ He’s so fast! Do you want to come watch? Uh... but you might be too little. Riding can be a bit dangerous..."

He scratched his head, seeming to realize he might have been a bit too enthusiastic.

Eleanor lifted her gaze, glanced at Kaiden, and shook her head gently. "I’m not going. Leia said she’s going to help me organize the books I brought from the Southern Territory this afternoon."

Murphy had brought Eleanor ahead, and Leia, her attendant, had naturally followed with the caravan more than half a month later.

Kaiden paused for a moment, then smiled. "Oh, right, reading is good too. Mother says you’re very smart and already know how to read a lot. I have some storybooks and maps, too. If you want to read them, I can get them for you."

"Thank you, brother," Eleanor said politely once more, but she didn’t show much interest. She simply lowered her head again and took a small sip of her tea.

A subtle stillness fell over the table.

Aurora broke the silence with a timely smile, changing the subject. "Kaiden, be careful during practice this afternoon, and remember to have the riding instructor with you. Eleanor, organizing your books is wonderful, but don’t strain your eyes. Rest when you feel tired, or take a walk in the garden. The Snowball Flower seedlings have grown a bit taller, you know."

"Yes, Mother," the two children replied in unison, though their tones differed.

Murphy took it all in, his expression remaining calm.

Kaiden was cheerful by nature, filled with curiosity and a natural affinity for the sister who had suddenly appeared in his life, and he was trying to welcome her in his own way.

As for Eleanor... she responded to Kaiden’s kindness, but only out of politeness. She had yet to build any true familial intimacy.

’But this is fine.’

Murphy didn’t expect them to become as close as true siblings overnight, nor did he need them to.

’There is still plenty of time. The gentle, steady current of life will slowly forge new bonds.’

’As long as they maintain basic courtesy and harmony, growing up peacefully under the same roof, that will be enough.’

He set down his teacup. His gaze swept over Eleanor’s quiet little face, then over Kaiden’s lively expression, and finally met Aurora’s gentle, smiling eyes.

The sunlight was serene, the aroma of tea wafting gently.

’This is enough.’

...

Time passed quietly. It was now midsummer in the Northern Territory.

A considerable amount of time had passed since Eleanor’s arrival at Monte Castle, and life within its walls had gradually settled into a new, peaceful rhythm.

Besides participating in his official duties, Kaiden still went to the stables and the training grounds daily.

Eleanor, for her part, spent most of her time in the study or the greenhouse. She would occasionally learn the basics of domain management under Aurora’s guidance, or explore the castle gardens with Leia by her side.

The two children, for the most part, maintained a polite distance from one another.

However, the lockdown of the Holy City was like an iron curtain, its grip still suffocatingly tight.

Not a single shred of concrete news about the outcome of the top-tier confrontation within the Half-Plane had leaked out. Only increasingly bizarre and horrifying rumors circulated wildly through clandestine channels.

Surprisingly, despite such an unexpected event occurring just outside the Holy City, the Northern Shepherd Chief District maintained a relative calm. They did not seize the opportunity to move against the Church Court, which only made the situation more treacherous and unpredictable.

One afternoon, with the sun shining brightly, Murphy was at the open-air archery range on the edge of the castle’s high ground. He was instructing Kaiden on how to adjust the sights of a new model of Heavy Crossbow.

Eleanor was also nearby, accompanied by Leia, quietly observing the growth of several cold-resistant medicinal herbs.

Aurora’s figure appeared on the stone steps leading to the archery range. Her pace was much quicker than usual, the hem of her dark blue dress brushing against the stone and bringing with it an air of urgency.