Chapter 15 …
Angelica tried to answer while chewing her food, but her mouth was too full to speak properly.
So she hurriedly chewed, and Olivier reassured her that it was fine even if she didn’t respond.
“Last night, I sent a letter to my son, and I’ve received a reply.”
Angelica’s eyes widened as she swallowed her food and gulped down some water.
A letter? A reply?
“Grandmother is a knight with mana, so did she send the letter magically?”
She remembered seeing people like that during the first and second sessions, so she quickly understood.
“Perhaps by the time the sun sets today, he will come to pick me up.”
“Yes, yes?”
“You’ve essentially stayed out for a long time without telling anyone at home. It’s about time we head back.”
Olivier smiled gently as she spoke, but Angelica couldn’t bring herself to smile.
She had always known that one day her grandmother would leave.
From the beginning, she had thought she would only care for her for a few days.
Yet today turned out to be that day.
It was far too sudden a farewell.
I’ve grown so attached to her over this time…
Memories of the time spent with her grandmother flashed through her mind.
But she couldn’t stop someone who wanted to return home.
“I-I see…”
Angelica’s eyes reddened instantly.
I shouldn’t cry, but why do I feel like tears are coming anyway?
She tried hard to hold back her tears, but her vision was gradually blurring. Her body didn’t obey her; even a little sadness made tears fall immediately.
Angelica rubbed her eyes vigorously to avoid crying.
Still, tears glistened in her eyes.
Seeing her on the verge of crying, Olivier quickly added:
“So, I was thinking…”
A single tear slipped from Angelica’s eyes.
Then Olivier continued:
“Rika, how would you like to come live at my house?”
Angelica’s eyes went wide. Another tear, which hadn’t fallen before, slipped down.
Did I just hear that right?
She blinked and looked up at Olivier.
Olivier gently wiped away her tears.
“If you stay alone in a forest like this, something dangerous is bound to happen. So, why not come with me?”
There was worry and warmth in his voice.
Angelica wiped her tears and gazed at Olivier.
The invitation felt overwhelmingly comforting.
But her memories from the previous session made her hesitate.
Around the age of ten, she had followed a baroness who had offered her a helping hand.
She had worked as a maid in the baroness’s mansion. At first, the baroness’s kindness made the work enjoyable.
But once she fell out of favor, the baroness, who had once been so kind, turned cold.
So Angelica couldn’t respond immediately.
Olivier didn’t rush her. He simply wiped her eyes and spoke calmly.
“I want you, Rika, to be my granddaughter. There’s a mountain near my house, and I could even make a garden and a little farm for you.”
“May I think about it for a moment?”
The child, now done crying, asked cautiously. Olivier smiled and nodded.
“Of course. I’ll wait, so take your time to think.”
After mealtime, Angelica and her guardian were in the forest.
Leaning against a tree, Angelica stroked her guardian’s fur as she pondered.
I have no parents, no property… it would be better to go with Grandmother. She’s right; living alone in this child’s body could be dangerous.
Besides, Grandmother had been very kind and seemed fully capable of protecting her.
She appeared to have some wealth and had been a knight in the past.
But she couldn’t answer right away because the events from the previous session were ingrained as trauma.
She had been scolded or beaten by servants for falling out of favor with the baroness.
In this child’s body, she couldn’t even resist; she had no choice but to endure it.
Still, it hadn’t felt as unbearable as Timi’s house.
At least there was no spoiled food to eat.
The pain was still there, though—the mental pain at the baroness’s mansion was far worse than the physical.
Grandmother is kind, but… what if she changes, like the baroness did…
Angelica sniffled. The thought of her grandmother changing brought more tears to her eyes.
[Rika.]
While she wiped her eyes, her guardian, who had been silent, spoke.
“Yes, Master?”
[Why are you so worried? Don’t you like Olivier? I thought you’d say yes immediately.]
“I do like Grandmother, but… I’m worried.”
[About what?]
“…I’m afraid she might change. What if I make a mistake and she dislikes me?”
Angelica struggled to express her true feelings. Her guardian let out a short sigh.
[Even at your age, you worry about useless things.]
“But…”
It’s not useless. I’ve been through it.
Angelica swallowed the rest of her words. Her guardian continued:
[Rika, there’s no need to worry too much. You can trust Olivier.]
“…Why?”
[Olivier’s mana is a force for good. You might not feel it as strongly, but there’s also the power of the land.]
“Really?”
[Yes. You can trust him. I am your spirit, and I would never say anything to harm you.]
Her guardian placed her small paw on Olivier’s hand and spoke seriously:
[And if anything happens to you, I will do everything in my power to protect you.]
Hearing this, Angelica’s eyes became moist again.
“…Thank you, Master.”
She hugged the dog tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Some time later, Angelica, her eyes puffy from crying, entered the cabin.
“Rika, you’re back?”
Olivier, anxiously awaiting her decision, jumped to his feet to greet her.
“I…”
Angelica looked up at her grandmother and spoke carefully.
“I will be your granddaughter.”
“Thank you, Rika!”
Finally hearing a positive answer, Olivier lifted the child into his arms.
Angelica floated three times in the air before finally touching the ground again.
As the sun began to set, Angelica couldn’t stay still from nervousness.
Her heart pounded so fast it felt like it would burst from her chest.
Oh no… I’m so nervous.
Since deciding to go with Olivier, she had been busy packing.
With Olivier’s help, she gathered the harvest piled in the kitchen and tidied up the fields.
She put the harvest and the beginner’s full set into an enormous bag.
Seeing how much the small bag could hold, Olivier’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly thought, He’s a magician, so that makes sense.
Angelica then tried to gather old clothes and bedding from the wardrobe, but Olivier stopped her.
He didn’t want his granddaughter to use old things and promised to buy her new ones.
Angelica said it was fine, but she couldn’t change Olivier’s mind.
After saying goodbye to the forest creatures, the sun was nearly set.
Angelica held her grandmother’s hand, waiting for her son to arrive.
“There, I see them.”
Angelica’s heart raced even faster at Olivier’s words.
From the direction he pointed, something shining was coming.
It was soldiers in armor. They rode horses in two lines toward the cabin.
Olivier furrowed his brow upon seeing the guards and muttered with a wry smile:
I told them to come lightly…
Angelica felt as if her heart had stopped.
She had expected her grandmother to be extraordinary, but she hadn’t imagined it would be this impressive.
She watched the procession, forgetting even to blink.
Behind the dozen or so soldiers was a dark red carriage.
Angelica’s mouth fell open at the sight of the carriage.
