Leon excused himself to attend to other duties.

The living room was quiet, with only a few children gathered around a small table laden with candy and chocolate. When they saw Frederick, they politely greeted him, and a few ran over to offer him chocolates.

"These are my nieces and nephews, and that is my brother," Frederick introduced them, sliding the chocolates they gave him into Arabella's pocket.

Arabella's mouth fell open in surprise. The boy Frederick called his "brother" was the youngest of the lot, meaning the older children actually had to call the toddler "Uncle".

"But he looks like the smallest one!" she whispered.

"Yes, he's only four".

"Then your 'uncle' must be very young to have such a cute little brother".

Frederick laughed. "He is my father's child". He gently nudged her jaw up to close her mouth. "We don't share the same mother. Don't be too surprised; you'll see a lot of this, sweetheart".

Frederick had six half-siblings from his father and three from his mother. It was a massive, complicated family.

Still dazed, Arabella let Frederick lead her out of the villa. The back garden was enormous, stretching down to the lakefront where an elegant grass tennis court was situated. Some of Frederick's cousins were out on the lake sailing, while the rest were playing tennis.

The rhythmic thwack of tennis balls echoed from a distance. Arabella's eyes lit up, and she urged Frederick to walk faster—she loved a good spectacle.

On the court, two girls were locked in a fierce match. One was very tall, her golden hair tied back in a ponytail. Despite the cold, she wore only a sports tank top and a pleated tennis skirt, confidently showing off her athletic physique. She was a striking sight.

The girls were evenly matched, and the spectators were tense until the tall girl delivered a powerful overhead smash. The force and angle were too much for her opponent, and she secured the win.

Sophia, having lost in front of the family, stamped her foot in frustration. "Daisy! Whatever happened to 'sisters first, competition second'?".

Daisy Beaumont laughed. "You didn't show me any mercy when we were paddleboarding".

Sophia had sharp eyes and spotted Frederick standing under a sun umbrella from across the lawn. She jumped and waved. "Fritz! Come! You're the only one who can handle Daisy!".

At her shout, everyone turned to look.

Daisy paused, signaled a servant for a towel to wipe the sweat from her face, adjusted her hair, and then turned around.

When they saw Frederick, they naturally saw the girl standing beside him. Everyone was stunned. Eyes darted back and forth—they had all heard the rumors, but no one expected Frederick to actually bring her to a family gathering.

Frederick's young uncle, William, was the first to approach with open arms. "Dear nephew, it's been too long. How have you been?".

Frederick politely returned the embrace. "Not bad".

"And is this your friend? Let me guess... she must be from Japan. She looks just like a lovely porcelain doll," William said, eyeing Arabella with a smile.

Arabella understood the German clearly and pouted in annoyance. What is this man talking about?

"Nice to meet you, I am Chinese," Arabella emphasized in German.

William blinked, then laughed, offering a polished apology. "My mistake. Please forgive me. I've simply never seen such a beautiful Chinese girl before".

It sounded like a compliment.... Arabella looked confused and bit her lip.

Frederick gave William a cold, dismissive glance. "Uncle, you should travel more. See the world". Ignoring William's sheepish grin, he took Arabella's hand and formally introduced her to the group:

"My girlfriend, Aerona. She is from China".

Feeling the security of Frederick's grip, Arabella offered a graceful greeting in German.

The crowd offered their congratulations, though they were privately reeling. Out of respect for Frederick, they didn't dare show their shock, though several sympathetic glances were cast toward Daisy, who remained silent.

Heinrich had tried to set Frederick and Daisy up a few years ago. Though it had gone nowhere, it was no secret in their circle that Daisy was in love with him.

Daisy's expression was dark. She felt that coming today had been a mistake and that Frederick's actions had humiliated her. If he was going to bring a girl to outshine her, that was one thing. But bringing... this?

Seeing Sophia notice Daisy's cold shoulder, she secretly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to drop the attitude as the atmosphere had turned tense. Grinning to smooth things over, Sophia chimed in, "Fritz, care to play a role? Your arrival is perfect for doubles. Daniel and I will be one team—how about you and Daisy pair up?"

Frederick offered a thin smile. "I'm not wearing athletic shoes. Perhaps next time."

It was only then that Daisy finally spoke up, her voice airy. "I remember there are several sets of your sportswear and tennis shoes kept here."

Arabella watched Daisy with bright, inquisitive eyes. The girl was exceptionally beautiful, like an exquisite Barbie doll, and she was clearly a talented player. Arabella had a natural affinity for beautiful things.

Daisy, naturally sensing the scrutiny, cast a condescending glance back at Arabella, her lips curling into a perfunctory, dismissive smile.

Arabella wasn't dense; sensing the other woman's dislike, she was startled and immediately withdrew her gaze, huddling closer to Frederick's side.

The disdain in Daisy's eyes deepened. She was the quintessential elite: her mother came from a "Old Money" German family, her father was a high-powered attorney, and she herself was an Ivy League graduate and core sorority member. She spent a fortune annually on maintaining a perfect tan, dyeing her blonde hair, and eating strictly organic, occasionally sharing glimpses of her private yacht vacations on social media to endless praise.

The more confident Daisy felt in her own beauty, the more she looked down on Arabella. To her, Arabella was just a "poor, stupid, unrefined commoner" who used a facade of fragility to win a man's pity. She couldn't fathom why Frederick would be interested in someone who looked so... simple.

"It's no trouble to go back and change," Daisy said, stretching her shoulders with a practiced grace as she smiled at Frederick. "It's been a long time since we've faced off."

Frederick had no desire to play tennis. He had planned to take Arabella to a small plot by the lake where he grew grapes and strawberries. Just as he was about to refuse, Leon, his grandfather's secretary, approached and informed him that Heinrich requested his presence in the study.

"My apologies, Grandfather is looking for me. I'll play another time."

Seeing Daisy's face fall, Sophia jumped in. "If Grandfather wants you, you'd better go. We're all set for sailing and target practice tomorrow afternoon; make sure you come." She added, "And bring Aerona along."

Arabella didn't yet know the words for "sailing" or "shooting," so she just listened, uncomprehending. Frederick didn't explicitly agree or disagree. He looked at Arabella and spoke in English: "Grandfather needs me. It won't take more than half an hour. Shall I have Leon take you back to the villa, or would you rather walk around? I can have Harold come and stay with you".

Arabella waved her hand obediently. "Don't worry about me, and don't bother Butler Harold. I'll stay here and watch them play tennis".

Frederick nodded, then turned to Sophia and Daniel. "Aerona is still learning German. If possible, please speak English so she can follow the conversation."

Daniel nodded, promising he was on it. Sophia gave Daisy a "what can you do?" shrug.

Frederick turned back to Arabella with patient instructions: "Sophia and Daniel are my cousins; they're nice. I've asked them to look after you. if you don't feel like playing, have a servant take you back to the villa and message me."

Arabella gave a sweet "Mhm." Frederick really did sound like a fretting Daddy, giving so many instructions for a mere thirty-minute absence.