The atmosphere instantly turned awkward. Luna Eileen looked guilty, while Edwin completely oblivious started scolding the maids.
"This should've been taken care of weeks ago!" he snapped, glaring at the maids who bowed their heads, unsure what to do.
I tugged on the edge of his jacket. "I haven't decided if I'm moving in yet," I said quietly.
Edwin turned to me with a look of disbelief, then sighed. "Let's go inside for breakfast first."
"Come on, Clarissa." Luna Eileen gently took my hand, and we walked in together.
Before entering, Edwin turned back to the servants. "Remember this—she's my sister. Sister Clar."
I looked at him. The sour expression he wore earlier melted into a grin once our eyes met.
"Starting today, I'm calling you Sister Clar. Just like I call the others Brother Der, Brother Lar, and Sister Shan."
I could only nod, speechless. But inside, something warm bloomed.
With every step I took across the gleaming marble floor, my body felt lighter, almost as if I might float away.
It wasn't the luxury of the house making me feel this way. It was the fact that, somehow, this family was becoming real to me.
We arrived at the dining room.
Edwin rushed off to change, while Luna Eileen asked a maid to call Larry and Shannon for breakfast.
"You don't have clothes here yet. After you shower, just wear one of Shannon's outfits for now. Is that okay?"
I felt my face heat in embarrassment. How could I show up without even showering? That idiot Edwin really caught me off guard.
I didn't want to trouble them any more than this, but seeing Luna Eileen's guilty expression, I couldn't refuse. Once again, it was Edwin's fault for running his mouth.
Luna Eileen took the seat at the head of the table. I froze. Families like this didn't sit anywhere they pleased. There were rules.
Even Alpha Ryan's family in the Brown Pack, whose dining table was half this size, followed strict seating orders.
Noticing I wasn't moving, Luna Eileen pointed to the chair on her left. "Here, Clarissa."
I sat down, feeling awkward.
Judging from the arrangement, Larry Green would sit across from me, to Luna Eileen's right. Shannon would likely sit next to him, and Edwin next to me.
Was it really okay for me to sit beside Luna Eileen?
In Alpha Ryan's family, Tasha as the oldest sister sat to his left, Luna Thalia to his right, and the youngest, Tisha, sat beside Tasha.
"Your father left for the capital again. He's been very busy, rumor has it traces of a vampire were found near the border. Because of that, your eldest brother, Derren, has to take over the other meetings in the West Region," Luna Eileen explained.
I nodded. It was expected for the leader of a major pack to be this busy.
Moments later, Larry and Shannon arrived. Larry sat across from me, just as I predicted.
Shannon paused before approaching me slowly, almost hesitantly.
Did she usually sit beside Luna when the Alpha wasn't around?
She eventually took the seat next to mine and greeted me with a warm smile. I returned the smile, secretly relieved.
To be honest, I'd been a little nervous. I thought she'd be upset that I took her spot.
Breakfast began as the servants brought out a variety of dishes—beef, pork, meat dishes, fish, shrimp, and more.
It seemed they went a little overboard because I was here.
Soon enough, Edwin returned with his signature grin. Instead of sitting beside Larry, he stopped next to me.
I stared at him, confused.
He opened his closed fist. Inside lay a silver necklace with a polished purple crystal, exactly the shade of my eyes.
"A gift for you," he said casually.
"A gift for what?"
I was still stunned when he reached forward and fastened the necklace around my neck.
"It looks good on you," he said, then finally answered my question. "A welcome gift."
Edwin went to sit next to Larry. My eyes trailed after him, until Luna Eileen suddenly clasped my hand.
"Welcome to this house. Welcome to the Alpha Green family, Clarissa."
I looked at each face at the table, fighting hard to keep my tears from spilling.
"Thank you," I finally managed to say without crying.
After that little emotional moment, breakfast officially began.
I had expected eating with an elite family to be silent and stiff, but they talked freely—especially Edwin.
"Sister Clar, that necklace isn't just a necklace. It's an aether device," he explained.
I touched the crystal pendant. Small buttons suddenly appeared. When I pressed one, our voices played back from the necklace.
"It records continuously for a full month. After that, you have to swap out the ae-memory chip. Do you have a storage port for your ae-memory?"
"I do…" I said, though I remembered mine was already full. Better not mention it.
He'd probably cause a commotion by trying to get me a new port. Those things were insanely expensive.
Edwin nodded proudly.
I finally understood how he managed to create so many borderline-illegal inventions. The boy was a genius in ways people didn't expect.
Surprisingly, everyone else seemed used to Edwin being like this.
"I've known about you for a long time, Sister Clar. Mrs. Willette displays your assignments in the workshop classroom. I really admire your devices. They look simple and some are unfinished, but with development, they have huge potential."
I blinked. I didn't expect anyone besides Mrs. Willette to acknowledge my skills.
"So you're the one Mrs. Willette said always steals my devices from her display cabinet?" I laughed softly.
He shook his head quickly. "I didn't steal them—I just borrowed them… without telling her."
Larry even choked on his food at that. Luna Eileen and Shannon laughed.
"Since you're my sister now, how about we work on a project together?" Edwin asked eagerly.
"If the idea is interesting, sure."
Honestly, I was curious about his abilities too. Everyone said he was exceptionally talented.
I was so absorbed in talking that I didn't realize I'd finished my food.
Feeling embarrassed at my lack of manners, I excused myself to the restroom. Shannon offered to accompany me.
She was heading to her room on the second floor anyway. The guest bathroom was behind the stairs.
Inside the restroom, I heard unfamiliar voices mentioning my name—probably the maids.
"Is Miss Clarissa really going to become our new young lady?"
Judging by how they addressed me, yes, they were maids.
"Not necessarily," another replied.
Hm? It wasn't like I desperately wanted to be part of this family. But I was curious why she said that.
My question was immediately answered.
"I heard the Alpha told the Luna not to bring her into the house yet."
...