Chapter 3
“Haa… I let a child see an unsightly scene.”
The man, who had been scratching his head as if troubled, got into the carriage and sat the girl down on the seat. The fabric covering the seats, everything decorating the carriage interior was all high-quality. The girl, shrinking back from the overwhelming sight, hunched her shoulders and cautiously looked at the man.
‘He’s staring right at me!’
Even the comfort she had never felt at the orphanage felt like sitting on pins and needles, leaving the girl at a loss for what to do, burying her head deeply. Then, remembering Rick who had collapsed earlier, she gulped down dry saliva.
“Just what do you plan to do with us…?”
She tried to sound brave, but flinching at his large frame, the girl trailed off immediately.
“The orphanage is scheduled to be closed. It was illegally established without proper permits in the first place. The children will be sent to the territory of Count Swinton.”
‘Where is that?’
As the girl’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar term, he continued speaking.
“There is an orphanage in the Swinton territory. It’s managed directly by the Countess, so there should be no problems.”
The girl’s body was still trembling, as if the shock hadn’t worn off.
‘How can I reassure her?’
The man, unsure of what to do while looking at the child, moved his lips.
“Earlier, I didn’t realize you were nearby. I’m sorry.”
He seemed quite awkward as he chose his words carefully to offer an apology. It was understandable. With his high status, perfect lineage, and strong abilities to boot—apologies weren’t something he often had to make in his life, positioned at the very top of the pyramid.
“No, it’s fine!”
The man could clearly tell from the girl’s tense voice just how nervous she was. A little time passed like that. The clattering sound of the wheels began to fill the air inside the carriage, which had been holding its breath.
“Do you have a name?”
The man, who had been watching the girl, spoke up again.
“No. I don’t.”
His eyebrows rose as if questioning her words.
“That child earlier was called Rick, I believe.”
“Rick came to the orphanage after being with his parents, but I was abandoned at the orphanage from birth and was just called ‘girl’ or ‘filthy thing’.”
His brow furrowed slightly, as if bothered by that statement. In truth, even if the children at the orphanage had names, they weren’t called by them properly. To the headmaster, the children were merely money-making objects.
“Then… will I be going to Swinton too?”
Is it a charity run directly by a noblewoman? She probably won’t hit me, right? Will they feed me well there? While her head was dominated by hunger from not having eaten anything all day, a sudden statement struck her ears.
“No, you are scheduled to become my daughter.”
Instantly, the girl forgot her fear and raised her voice in response.
“Pardon? Your daughter?”
A person with more power than any of the rich people who had ever come to the orphanage. A person who could crush someone of her lowly status like a fly—why would he? As he nodded as if it were natural, the girl looked at him with a bewildered expression.
“You’re adopting me? Why in the world would you…?”
As he was about to answer, his eyes fell upon her伤痕累累 body.
“Was it the headmaster? Or the other children?”
Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu from his question that seemed to know her well, the girl tilted her head.
“Was it another manifestation of your power?”
Although he just said ‘power’, the girl felt she understood what he meant. That power that had frozen the children’s bodies earlier. At this completely unexpected topic, the girl pushed aside the déjà vu she had felt moments before and raised her voice.
“Power… Don’t tell me, do you know something about it?”
“When you were in danger, or when you thought of something, haven’t strange things happened before?”
At his words, the moment earlier when the children’s bodies stiffened flashed through her mind.
“You unconsciously used mana and cast magic.”
“…Mana? A mage?”
At the unfamiliar yet familiar word, the girl merely repeated it. It was a word she had heard in her previous life too, but not one used in daily life. Because it was treated as something fictional, only appearing in novels.
“Your body holds immense mana.”
At his words, the girl spread her hands and checked her body for the mana he mentioned, but she saw nothing.
“It’s also the talent of a born mage. When you grow up, you will become the strongest mage in the Empire—no, on the continent.”
The word ‘mage’ was utterly unfamiliar. But one thing was clear. The phrase ‘strongest mage on the continent’ meant that she would become incredibly powerful. And that such a her would be useful to him.
‘That’s a relief. He’s adopting me because I’m useful. Then he probably won’t hit me.’
The girl, who had been tense until now, let out a breath as if relieved.
“So, is that the reason you’re adopting me?”
At the girl’s question, his face, which had shown no emotion, broke into a seemingly flustered expression.
“What…!”
He opened his mouth as if to say something, then hesitated upon seeing the girl’s softened face. After hesitating for a while, he covered his face with his hand, bowed his head, and answered.
“…That’s right.”
The girl’s face, which had softened with relief, soon stiffened again. The man, well aware that the reason was himself, swallowed a sigh inwardly. As if leaning back on the chair would cause a disaster, the girl who had calmly stated she was just called ‘filthy thing’ was now frozen solid like ice.
‘I should have controlled my temper.’
Thinking back on the earlier incident, he swallowed another sigh. There were too many problematic aspects. On top of that, he recalled his friend’s comment criticizing his intimidating way of speaking.
‘What tone did that guy use with his daughter?’
The man adjusted his voice so the girl wouldn’t be scared anymore.
“Would you like to become my daughter?”
He spoke slowly, as if trying to sound gentle, but his tone was very awkward. Even so, he didn’t forget to check on the child intermittently.
His behavior was considerate, the opposite of before. The girl gazed steadily at the man who seemed to be trying to reassure her. In truth, she knew well she had no choice. Adopted children weren’t given such a thing.
‘A daughter…’
Becoming his daughter meant she would have a family. The family from her previous life, which she had buried in her memories, came to mind.
The abusive parents. The grandmother, steeped in male superiority, who discriminated between her older brother and herself. To the girl, family had only meant pain.
“You won’t hit me?”
The girl asked in a trembling voice. In her eyes looking at him cautiously, the man was reminded of his niece whom he couldn’t protect. The man, who had been quietly looking into the girl’s eyes, spoke as if making a vow.
“I will protect you with my life.”
He was clearly a dangerous person. He had just killed the headmaster with a sword, after all. Also, he was a noble. The same status as those who massacred Rick’s family. A life like hers probably seemed like that of a fly to him. She knew well he was adopting her because he needed her, but his words shook her slightly.
In his eyes as he looked at her was respect. An expression she had never seen from her previous family or the headmaster. They never gave her even the slightest choice. He was the first person to look at her with such eyes.
With a face tinged with complex emotions, the girl nodded.
“Thank you.”
The man, his expression softened, tried to smile. For some reason, his smile looked very awkward. Seeing him consciously try to smile for her, the girl’s heart wavered.
“You said you have no name? Since we’ll be family, I’ll give you a name.”
The man, who had been bowing his head in thought, suddenly looked at the child.
“They say the greatest mage in history, who left her mark, also had silver hair and blue eyes like you. Taking from that name, ‘Eloise’. Is that alright?”
He made eye contact with the girl as if seeking her agreement.
‘Eloise… my name.’
She repeated the name he gave her in her mind. It wasn’t a carelessly given name like in her previous life, treating her as insignificant.
“Yes. I like it.”
She had been a girl who repeated to herself that it was better to have no family. But the name, filled with warm tenderness, kept making her heart waver.
“I suppose my introduction is late. I am Alex Reston, the Grand Duke of Reston of the North.”
Wait, Grand Duke Reston? Come to think of it, that name earlier too… Thinking about it, it all felt familiar. It was the family origin of the male lead in the trashy novel 〈The End of Vengeance〉.
‘Don’t tell me, if it’s Eloise…’
Hastily retracing her memories, the girl couldn’t help but despair.
Eloise Swinton, the mage of the tyrant Kylian. In the novel, she was a being who committed killings alongside the tyrant. Not only that, she was also a character who was ultimately killed by the tyrant Kylian himself.
“Then, I will become Eloise Reston?”
Wanting to deny it, the girl asked as if to confirm.
“No, I’ll explain the details at the mansion, but first, you will be registered into the Swinton family.”
The girl’s body, which had been trembling from the ordeal at the orphanage, froze. A greater shock had struck her mind.
