"Elias, Cyril, Lucien."
Serena Vale greeted each brother softly in turn.
In her mind, she quietly matched them with the information she'd memorized:
the eldest—a CEO,
the second—a celebrity,
the third—technically unemployed, still in university,
but the campus tyrant, top student, and resident heartthrob all at once.
Not one of them was ordinary.
Her voice was gentle, sweet, almost airy—
and in that instant, all three brothers felt their protective instincts erupt like a storm.
If anyone dared lay a finger on her…
they would personally
blow that person's head off.
"All right, enough standing around. Let's head home,"
Lila Harrington-Vale urged gently, afraid Serena might be exhausted after riding such a long, cramped train.
"Yes, yes—home. Quickly,"
Galen Vale echoed, suddenly remembering the gifts they had prepared for their daughter, all waiting back at the mansion.
Lila's gaze drifted to Serena's back.
The girl carried almost nothing—just a small, worn backpack that could barely hold a change of clothes.
Her heart tightened.
They would need to buy her everything—
and not allow her to feel even the slightest bit lacking ever again.
The three Vale brothers immediately stepped forward to open the car door for her, but Lucien Vale moved faster than the other two, slipping ahead at the last moment.
He pulled the door open with a flourish and smiled brightly.
"After you, little sister."
Elias and Cyril Vale:
"…"
This kid.
He had never moved that fast during actual work.
The vehicle waiting for them was Galen Vale's seven-seater, enough to comfortably hold all six of them.
"Thank you, Lucien,"
Serena said with a soft smile—
the kind that melted straight into a person's heart.
Lucien went blank for a moment, utterly dazed.
Their little sister was too sweet.
A thousand times better than those arrogant, spoiled heiresses from other wealthy families.
Lucien didn't forget his next task—
helping his mother, Lila Harrington-Vale, into the car and seating her right beside Serena.
Only then did he dive into the vehicle without hesitation.
Respect the elderly, dote on the young—
he had done both.
As for respecting his older brothers…
well, that simply wasn't part of his moral code.
"You little brat. Feeling bold today, aren't you?"
Cyril Vale muttered, eye twitching at Lucien's blatant favoritism.
"Elias, I strongly suggest freezing his credit card."
"Agreed,"
Elias Vale replied without missing a beat.
The rest of them climbed into the car shortly after.
…
They returned to the Vale estate in grand fashion—
a sprawling manor-style residence
spanning over ten thousand square meters.
A line of household staff waited at the entrance to welcome them,
the display nothing short of extravagant.
Although the Vale family now held the title of the wealthiest in Velencia City,
their rise had been rapid, almost meteoric.
To put it bluntly, many old-money families still viewed them as "new wealth,"
lacking the deep-rooted heritage of the city's long-established dynasties.
For that reason, the Vale family had always kept a relatively low profile.
From the time their sons were young,
Galen Vale and Lila Harrington-Vale had drilled one lesson into them—
they had to succeed.
They had to rise high enough, stand strong enough,
so that if their missing daughter was ever found,
they could protect her with their own power.
They even instilled the belief that their family was "poor,"
hammering the idea into the three boys until it became instinct.
None of them disappointed.
Especially the eldest—Elias Vale.
Starting with nothing,
he built his empire from the ground up and, together with Galen,
rapidly expanded the family business,
lifting the Vale Dynasty to the top of Velencia City's wealth rankings.
And now that their daughter had returned…
they no longer intended to stay low-key.
They were already imagining a grand, extravagant homecoming banquet—
a celebration so magnificent it would announce to the entire world
that the lost princess of the Vale Dynasty had finally returned.
But whether such an event would happen
still depended on Serena's wishes.
Her comfort came first.
The moment they stepped out of the car,
the household staff waiting outside moved in perfect unison,
as if trained for this very moment.
All of them bowed deeply.
"Welcome home, Miss Vale!"
They didn't greet Galen Vale or Lila Harrington-Vale first.
Instead, every bow, every word,
was directed solely at Serena.
She understood immediately—
this had to be arranged by her parents.
Still, she hadn't expected them
to value her
so much.
Her heart softened again—
quietly, involuntarily.
Being valued like this…
felt unexpectedly wonderful.
She let herself appear shy and overwhelmed,
fingers gently tugging at Lila Harrington-Vale's sleeve,
as though the grand scene had frightened her.
Serena reasoned that this was exactly how
a sheltered, inexperienced girl
should behave in such a situation.
The moment Lila felt her daughter's tiny, cautious motion,
her eyes reddened once more.
In her heart,
she made a silent vow—
to make up for every lost year,
to give Serena endless tenderness,
to love her without limits
for the rest of her life.
Lila gently patted her daughter's hand in comfort.
"Don't be afraid, sweetheart. I'm here.
You'll get used to scenes like this in time."
"Mm."
Serena responded obediently, soft and sweet.
Lila held her hand and guided her toward the grand foyer,
with Galen Vale and the three brothers following closely behind.
Once their figures disappeared inside,
the household staff could no longer hold back their whispers.
"So that's the daughter the Master and Madam have been searching for all these years?
She's so gentle… and unbelievably beautiful.
Puts every socialite in the city to shame."
"She really does look like she belongs to the Vale family.
Her looks are just as stunning as the three young masters."
"And her personality seems so gentle too—
not like those arrogant, spoiled heiresses who think the world revolves around them."
"I heard Miss Vale is supposed to be university age.
Maybe she'll end up attending the same school as Third Young Master."
"They say she suffered a lot overseas…
but now that she's home, her blessings are only beginning.
With the Master and Madam supporting her—and three brothers protecting her—
she might become the most respected woman in Velencia City."
"A return like this is bound to cause a huge stir.
People will definitely keep their eyes on her."
"We just need to focus on our duties.
Let's not gossip too much."