Chapter 63
“You’re being adopted by the Rieri County family—do you know them?”
“Yeah. The Rieri family… Countess Rieri is a really nice person.”
“Really? Ah—right! I’m getting an older sister too… What was her name again…?”
“Laura. Laura Rieri.”
“Gasp—yes! Laura Rieri!”
I nodded calmly.
Laura Rieri.
She was one of the young ladies who attended my birthday party.
And her mother, Countess Rieri, was the one who gifted me a magic stone that day.
“Kids from the orphanage almost never get adopted by nobles, right?”
“Right.”
“But now I’m going to a count’s family, and Tom got adopted by some rich family in the south.”
“Mm, I see.”
“Yeah…”
Mika lowered her gaze, hesitating.
“Uh… sorry, Ria.”
“Hmm?”
“I didn’t want to say it like this. It’s just… when they said we only had three days left, I panicked.”
“What are you talking about?”
Mika took my hand tightly.
“I know everything. You act okay, but you’re actually really sad.”
“…Huh?”
“When I first came here, I thought you’d definitely have a mom and dad with you. But you said you didn’t have parents… and you were hurt all over…”
I couldn’t speak.
“I don’t know what a ‘fugyuri’ is, but you’ll meet a family too, I’m sure.”
—She meant “fugitive.”
I decided not to correct her.
“I remember everything. On your birthday two years ago, you cried and made a wish secretly.
That you wanted to meet your family soon.”
My lips slowly closed.
Two years ago…
That was when I was three.
Apparently, I cried wishing for adoption back then.
I don’t remember it at all now.
After a long silence, I answered.
“No… I’m fine.”
Mika’s eyes widened.
“You’re… fine?”
“Yep! I don’t need a family. I can do everything on my own now.”
Suddenly I remembered the party.
The way Countess Rieri lovingly wiped whipped cream off Laura’s lips…
The gentle warmth in her eyes.
Countess Rieri was obviously a kind person.
She would surely be a wonderful mother to Mika.
And Tom, Lulu, and the others—they were all going to good families too.
“It’s really good news!”
When I smiled brightly, Mika looked confused.
“Thanks…”
Then she tilted her head.
“But… why are you crying?”
My mouth shut.
I rubbed my eyes hard.
“I dunno! Guess I’m tired!”
The truth was—
I was hungry and tired, and my head hurt.
‘Ugh… this cursed baby body. Always crying at the worst times.’
Tears I didn’t want to keep falling.
I had no idea that everyone was gathered outside the door pretending to “give us space” while actually eavesdropping on everything.
***
“Idiot.”
I muttered quietly at the empty air.
When I said my head hurt, Soya immediately brought warm milk.
I drank a cup and crawled into bed.
For some reason, everyone quietly left my room without saying anything.
“Sigh…”
A sad breath escaped.
Honestly—absolutely honestly—I was upset Mika was suddenly leaving.
And I would miss Lulu, Tom, and all the cute little kids too.
That was the real reason I cried.
‘No… but it’s really good for her.’
Especially since Countess Rieri was going to be Mika’s mother.
I had learned more about her.
After Laura was born, she had longed for a second child for years.
But she couldn’t have another baby, so she’d been considering adoption for a long time.
Then she met Mika —
So this was truly, truly the best outcome.
“Teaching Mika noble etiquette is going to be so hard…”
But if it was Countess Rieri, she would stay patient and kind no matter what.
I suddenly recalled something Laura said at the party.
‘My mom reads me fairy tales every night! She’s better at acting than theater performers in the capital!’
‘Ugh, you’re seven, and you’re bragging about bedtime stories? Loser!’
‘Don’t make fun of me when you’ve never heard my mom read before, Daisy!’
Laura was clearly a girl raised with overflowing love.
Daisy too.
‘The two of them had so much fun together. Mika will fit right in.’
Mika would definitely adapt well.
And Laura always said she wanted a little sibling.
‘I wish I had a sibling to play dolls and have tea parties with!’
‘If I were your sister, I’d run away immediately!’
‘DAISY! COME HERE AND DIEEEE!!!’
I buried my face in the pillow for no reason.
“It’s good… it’s REALLY good.”
If my head wasn’t hurting, I would’ve grabbed Mika and jumped around the estate celebrating.
Finding a family who will love you forever is a miracle.
‘I know that better than anyone… because I failed once.’
I felt annoyed thinking about how I cried earlier.
I genuinely wanted to congratulate her properly, but my stupid head hurt so much that tears came out instead.
“This won’t do.”
I sat up quickly.
Then hurried downstairs.
I planned to find Mika and congratulate her properly.
And the other kids, too.
I glanced at the mirror on the wall.
My eyelids were slightly swollen.
“……”
I pressed my eyes five times with both hands, then marched toward the door with determination.
But the moment I grabbed the doorknob and turned it—
I froze.
Standing right outside my room,
Frozen in place as if struck by lightning—
Was Sharon Abner.
***
“About this morning—”
“About the review meeting—!”
We both spoke at the same time, then awkwardly shut our mouths.
We exchanged a few stiff glances.
“I…”
“Thank you for your hard work—!”
Again, our words overlapped.
I awkwardly covered my mouth with one hand.
A silent way of saying, “You go first.”
Sharon let out a small sigh.
“If there is something you wish to say, speak first.”
“N-no! I have nothing to say!”
“…Very well.”
“Yes!”
Silence fell.
Sharon stared at me for a long time without speaking.
Finally, she opened her mouth.
“The Crown Prince is preparing to return.
I invited him to stay for dinner, but he seems short on time.”
I nodded.
Tiaan would be busy from now on.
It looked like he had begun helping the Emperor with government affairs.
Since he was starting late, of course he had a lot to do.
But I pretended not to know anything and answered vaguely.
“Well, royal people are always busy.”
“…That is true.”
Silence again.
I stared at the floor, not knowing what to do with my eyes.
Then—
“You can read ancient script.”
I looked up.
Her violet eyes were fixed on me.
I stared blankly.
Oh… right. Ancient script.
At the meeting, I had recited the contents of the Abner historical book written in ancient script.
I had not meant to reveal that.
My plan was only to show the book and say, “Look, I found this. Maybe it’s useful?”
Memorizing the entire lawbook alone was enough to crush the branch families.
And with Lloyd’s handwritten letter, there was no need to expose my ancient-language knowledge.
But then—
‘Show me a single example in the entire Empire—no, the entire continent—where a mere woman,
a woman not of Abner’s blood, entered by marriage,
and took the position of family head!’
Kainton’s words made my vision explode in white-hot anger.
There was only one thought in my head:
‘What the hell is that old man saying right now?’
Even if Sharon was flawed, she was the family head Kainton was supposed to serve.
Attacking her directly was already outrageous, but saying that?
By his logic, the original Abner ancestor—the great adventurer—was just a “mere woman.”
If I didn’t know Abner’s history, maybe I’d have stayed quiet.
But I did know.
And there was no way I could keep my mouth shut.
So I said everything I’d read—
That the Abner founder was a female adventurer.
That she died early and passed her title to her husband.
That multiple successors in history had inherited the seat as spouses.
Of course… afterward, I regretted it a little.
Because now I’d have to deal with uncomfortable questions about ancient script.
Just like—
“You knew ancient script.”
—Sharon was asking now.
I rolled my eyes and decided to dodge the question in the usual vague way.
But then—
“When I was your age,”
Sharon suddenly spoke first.
“…my entire clan, the Meserian line, was massacred.”
