Thanksgiving arrived, and Tina excitedly ran over to tell Mia that she just realized she'd been living in Mole Manor for nearly a month.
Perhaps because it was a holiday, Arthur, for once, didn't leave Snowhaven. Instead, he stayed in the study reading, watching Mia play in the courtyard.
Of course, Mia wasn't the only one playing. But in Arthur's eyes, he only saw Mia.
After reading a few lines, he was distracted by the laughter outside. He looked up, gazing at Mia's radiant face for a long time, as if he wanted to etch every smile and expression into his heart.
"Wow, Miss Mia! Little Bit really loves sticking to you!" Tina said, clearly dissatisfied with this fact.
Mia, Tina, Jenny, and the little snow fox Arthur had given to Mia—whom Mia named "Little Bit"—were playing in the leaf-covered courtyard. Tina's comment came because she'd been trying to play with Little Bit all morning, but the fox ignored her, constantly snuggling into its owner's arms.
"Hehe, that's because this little guy knows exactly who's been stealing its food!" Jenny teased with a laugh.
"It's his fault, okay? Whatever I eat, he tries to snatch! And when it's his mealtime, I just wanted a tiny bit, and he had the nerve to pee on the food!" Tina said, fuming at the memory.
Tina stood with one hand on her hip, the other pointing accusingly at Little Bit in Mia's arms. The fox, however, looked completely unfazed, as if saying, "What can you do about it?"
Seeing Tina's pouty expression, Mia couldn't help but laugh. "Tina, come on! Why are you fighting over food with Little Bit? His food isn't as good as yours!"
Everyone knows animals don't eat as well as humans do.
"Who says that? His food is exactly what I love!" Tina said, practically drooling at the thought.
"Huh? Why? Little Bit just eats small fish and shrimp!"
"That's because those are what us foxes—ow!"
A heavy stomp on her foot made Tina hop in pain. "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!"
The culprit showed no sympathy, grinning at Mia. "Tina's always gobbling up everything! It's bad enough she loves eating, but now she's saying we all love it too. Miss Mia, don't you think she deserves a little punishment?"
While I kind of agreed with Jenny, seeing Tina in such pain made me ask, "Are you okay, Tina?"
"Miss Mia…!" Tina's eyes brimmed with tears as she wailed pitifully. "Jenny, you kicked so hard, it hurts like crazy! You're definitely holding a grudge because I snuck a bite of that osmanthus cake you were saving!"
Jenny cleared her throat. "Ahem! Tina, if you hadn't brought it up, I'd almost forgotten about that. But since you mentioned it, I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't pay you back, right?"
Before she finished speaking, Jenny aimed another kick at Tina. Tina, of course, wasn't about to stand there and take it—she turned and ran. "Ha! You can't catch me, you can't catch me!"
"Oh, I'll get you!" Jenny's playful spirit was ignited, and she chased after her.
And so, the two of them started running circles around Mia, laughing and chasing each other in the courtyard.
Standing in the middle, Mia giggled as she watched the two playfully bicker. Little Bit, nestled in her arms, let out a yawn, as if sighing, "Ugh, why aren't they playing with me anymore?" Mia's gaze instinctively drifted toward Arthur, who was reading in the study through the open door. Unexpectedly, her eyes met his.
Arthur's unabashed, deep affection hit Mia like a wave, startling her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned away, too shy to meet his gaze again.
"Miss Mia, what's wrong?" Noticing Mia's unusual reaction, Jenny stopped chasing and ran to her side.
Realizing her face must be bright red, Mia lowered her head and mumbled, "Nothing."
"Nothing? Then why are you looking down?" Tina, who had also come back, asked in confusion.
"Yeah, if something's up, should we tell the Leader?" Jenny asked, frowning. The last time they let Mia into the kitchen without asking the Leader, he scolded them multiple times. They had to be cautious this time—there wouldn't be another chance. One more mistake, and she and Tina might be banished to some desolate place!
"Oh, come on! I said it's nothing, so it's nothing!" Hearing Jenny's words, Mia's embarrassment turned to frustration, and she lifted her head. This was all because of Arthur! And now they wanted to go tell him?
Seeing Mia's flushed face, Jenny and Tina simultaneously glanced at Arthur in the study. "Only the Leader could make Miss Mia blush like that," they thought in unison.
But the Arthur they saw was engrossed in his book, showing no signs of anything unusual.
"Only Miss Mia can make the Leader smile so gently. Normally, he's got such a cold face—so serious!" Tina mused, looking away.
Jenny nodded in agreement. "Yup, exactly!"
Mia looked puzzled. "Really? I've never seen him with a cold face." At most, his face turned stern when he was angry, but wasn't that normal for everyone?
Every time Mia saw Arthur, he had a gentle expression, which was why she thought he was such a kind man.
Hearing Mia's words, Tina and Jenny instinctively turned back to the study, only to meet a chillingly cold face. Tina's expression darkened, and she quickly lowered her head, whispering to Mia, "Miss Mia, if you don't believe us, turn around and look!" Jenny nodded with the same serious expression, urging Mia to see the proof they weren't lying.
Curious, Mia turned her head, but… "What? Arthur's smiling at me right now, isn't he?"
"What?!" The two of them, forgetting their earlier fear, immediately looked up. Sure enough, the Leader, who had just terrified them, was now smiling warmly, his cold demeanor completely gone. It was as if the icy face they'd seen moments ago was just their imagination.
"Oh, Miss Mia, the Leader only acts like this when he's with you!" Tina and Jenny silently screamed in their hearts.
On Thanksgiving, Arthur gave Mia a special gift.
He introduced her to the entire Mole family, including Anna Ivan.
The Mole family greeted Mia with overwhelming curiosity and warmth, so much so that she could barely keep up. If Arthur hadn't stepped in to shield her from their enthusiastic affection, Mia might have been moved to tears—or even sobbed uncontrollably—by their heartfelt care.
But one person remained stone-faced throughout: Anna Ivan, the Mole family's daughter-in-law.
When she first saw Arthur, her face turned pale with shock. For the rest of the time, she stood coldly on the sidelines, watching the family's adoration for Mia with an icy glare.
During the gathering, Arthur sent her back to her room, unable to tolerate her sour expression any longer.
Before Anna left, Mia couldn't bring herself to look at her. As Anna passed by, Mia felt a chilling unease, causing her own face to pale instantly.
Worried about alarming the others, Mia forced down her growing anxiety and explained that she was simply overwhelmed with emotion.
Later, the Mole family elders adopted Mia as their goddaughter, enveloping her in the familial warmth she had always longed for. In this touching, heartwarming moment, she pushed the earlier unease to the back of her mind, wanting only to bask in the loving atmosphere she had dreamed of for so long.
Another peaceful night fell, but Mia, still immersed in the sudden beauty of it all, couldn't fall asleep.
Arthur didn't rush her. Silently, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, letting her rest comfortably in his embrace.
His warmth transformed the chill of the late autumn night into something soothing and pleasant, making Mia feel that his arms were her true haven. She wanted to stay there forever, going nowhere else.
"Arthur?" Mia softly called to the person behind her.
"What?" Arthur asked gently, resting his cheek against hers.
"I've always wondered… why me? How did you choose me?" she asked. In a sea of people, how did you find me and pick me out?
Arthur pulled her closer to his chest, pausing for a moment before speaking. "Mia, do you believe in fate? Do you believe everyone's destiny is predetermined? I do. I've always felt like half of my heart was missing, like someone had taken it away. My heart felt empty, hollow, and I knew I had to find that missing half, or I'd be left with this endless void, unable to fill it no matter what I did. So I searched and searched, for so long that I thought I'd carry that regret forever. Then, she appeared. She was the only one. Even in a crowd of thousands, I could recognize her instantly, like it was fate. Because the moment I saw her, my empty heart felt a fleeting sense of fulfillment—a feeling I'd never had before, no matter what I did. Do you know how excited I was? I wanted to lock her by my side right then and there, keep her in my arms forever, never letting her go anywhere… But I couldn't do that. If I did, I'd scare her, and she'd run far away. So I held back my urges, approaching her slowly, step by step, letting her know how much she completes me, how much joy she brings me."
"That person… is me?" Mia whispered. Deep down, she already knew who he was talking about, but she still longed to hear him say it—to confirm that the one who filled the void in his heart was her.
"It's you! How could it not be you? Only you make me feel so anxious, so afraid of losing you. Only you make living in this world a joyful, happy thing."
His heartfelt words overwhelmed Mia, and she couldn't help but turn around to hug him tightly. "Arthur." That was enough. His deep, tender affection was clear to her now, and she would never ask him that question again. His response, so full of love, tugged at her heart, making her want to cry.
She kept asking because she felt uneasy, as if everything she had gained overnight—loving people, a harmonious family, everything she'd ever dreamed of—was too good to be true. It made her anxious, fearing it was all just a dream, a long and beautiful one.
But now, with him whispering fervent love in her ear, expressing feelings as enduring as life itself, she knew this wasn't a dream. This was real. This was God answering her prayers.
On this chilly night, they held each other tightly, filling the room with warmth and romance.
Mia didn't mind, but two-month-old Little Bit was no longer content with Snowhaven. Along with the energetic and lively Tina, they moved their playtime to another spot. The spacious and scenic Morning Room was the perfect playground for them now.
At first, Mia, Tina, Jenny, and Little Bit were just laughing and messing around. But when the nimble Little Bit snatched Tina's snack again, Tina, furious, chased the fox around the Morning Room. Mia and Jenny stood by, chuckling as they watched Tina and Little Bit's game of cat and mouse.
Little Bit, just a tiny snow fox, was no match for Tina's speed. As Tina closed in, the panicked fox bolted straight toward the Morning Room's entrance—
"What is that thing?!"
A woman's terrified scream startled Mia and the others. Thinking Little Bit had caused trouble, they rushed to the entrance. When Mia saw who it was, she froze. Standing there was the last person in Mole Manor she wanted to see: Anna Ivan, accompanied by her personal maid, Jim.
Jenny quickly scooped up Little Bit, who was frightened by the scream.
Anna Ivan, already pale from the scare, turned ashen when she saw Mia.
"Really, no matter where I go, there's always someone in the way," Anna sneered, her disdainful gaze fixed on Mia. Her cutting words made Mia lower her head, but Tina couldn't stand it. "Hey, what's with the snide remarks? We haven't done anything to you!"
Perhaps Anna had learned her lesson, or maybe she had an ulterior motive, but this time she didn't snap back at Tina's rudeness. "As expected of someone born a servant. Finally climbed up the ranks, and yet you let a lowly maid speak for you? How utterly shameless!"
"Shut up! Don't think you can keep running your mouth just because Miss Mia is kind. If I tell the Leader, you'll be in for it!" Tina retorted with a cold huff.
"The Leader!" Tina's mention of Arthur made Anna's face darken even more. "I just don't get it. How could such an outstanding man fall for a lowly servant like you? Some cheap harlot who must've used some wicked spell to bewitch him!"
"You're the Mole family's daughter-in-law—show some respect!" Tina snapped, itching to march over and throw a few punches.
Anna shot Tina a scornful glance. "Oh, now you remember my status? Scared, are you? Funny how you forgot that when you were yelling at me!"
"You started it!"
"Did I start it?" Anna's icy gaze fixed on Mia, who still couldn't bring herself to look up. "I just don't understand. This toilet-scrubbing wretch—how can you all willingly serve her like she's your master? Have you no shame, defending her like this?"
Anna's words plunged Mia into the depths of despair, overwhelming her with memories of the humiliation and pain she endured in the Ivan household. She could barely stand, and if Jenny hadn't quickly steadied her, she might have collapsed to the ground.