CHAPTER 03
“……I’m lovable?”
“Of course. To my eyes, you’re more lovable than anyone else. May I take a look at you for a moment?”
Hearing the word “lovable” made my chest feel ticklish. My mood instantly brightened, and I smiled widely at him.
“No one’s ever told me I’m lovable before. It feels all tickly here.”
I placed both hands neatly over my heart as I spoke. It felt warm inside.
“And I’m okay. My butt got all flat, but it doesn’t hurt enough to die!”
“Your butt… got flat….”
The man covered his mouth with his hand and lowered his head deeply.
Did I say something wrong?
“N-No! It’ll puff back up later! So it’s okay!”
“It… puffs back up later… ahem. I see. That’s good to hear. You fell, yet you didn’t cry. You’re a brave child.”
“Ariel doesn’t cry over stuff like this. It’s sad to be useless, but a flat butt fixes itself….”
“Kh—ah, I see. Your name is Ariel, then. My name is Kishan. If you’re lost, I can guide you.”
I hesitated for a moment. I wasn’t exactly lost—I had been chased out.
Even though I walked and walked, I hadn’t even reached the middle of the corridor yet.
With these short legs, leaving the Grand Duke’s residence would probably take all day. On the other hand, the wonderful man named Kishan standing in front of me had long, sturdy-looking legs.
“Handsome, cool mister. Can you take me to the front gate?”
“…Handsome and cool.”
He muttered quietly, staring at me in a daze.
The corners of his lips twitched. Since he didn’t say no, it felt like he’d gladly take me.
“My legs are too short, so it’s really hard… Could you hold me in your big arms?”
When I reached my hands toward him, Kishan naturally picked me up.
Being held in his arms, my view became much higher. No—if I fell from here, it wouldn’t be my butt going flat; it’d disappear completely.
I clung desperately to Kishan’s neck. The corners of his mouth lifted even more than before.
“Ariel, may I ask why you came to the Grand Duke’s residence? If there’s an adult you came with, I can take you to them.”
“There isn’t one. Ariel came alone. I came to meet the Grand Duke, but I was useless, so I got chased out.”
“…You came to meet the Grand Duke?”
“I asked him to raise me, but he said no.”
Kishan’s face twisted, and his gaze as he looked at me grew complicated.
“Ariel has nowhere to go, no home, no strength… and they wouldn’t take me, so I said I’d come back when I grow up.”
“The Grand Duke… chased you out… haah. Getting a small, cute daughter is such a difficult thing. How could he treat a child like this…?”
Kishan muttered as he rubbed his dry face.
“Ariel has nowhere to go… But useless, unnecessary Ariel has to leave.”
“What nonsense! That’s not true! You can stay here! Children are lovable no matter what! If the Grand Duke won’t take you in, then I will take care of you myself!”
“Really? Then Ariel can stay here?”
Kishan snorted and nodded his head vigorously. Still holding me, he headed somewhere.
***
Sniff, sniff.
Something smells yummy!
I turned my head from Kishan’s arms and looked around. My eyes widened, and my nose flared.
My mouth filled with saliva, and then my stomach let out a gurgle.
Startled, I hurriedly covered my belly and glanced around.
It seemed like Kishan looked down at me, but I pretended not to notice.
‘So embarrassing!’
People were bustling around, cooking food. Among them, my eyes were completely captured by some soft bread, just baked and still steaming.
I couldn’t take my eyes off it, staring with my mouth wide open.
Kishan walked toward the bread and spoke to the woman beside it.
“Miss Lily. May this child have some of that bread?”
“Oh my, Sir Kishan? Of course. I’ll cut some for her.”
Lily sliced the bread onto a plate and glanced at me.
She cut it into small pieces, then smiled brightly and handed over the plate.
When I looked at Kishan, he nodded lightly.
“Thank you. I’ll eat well!”
Chomp!
I grabbed a piece of bread and took a big bite. My mouth filled with buttery flavor as the soft bread melted away.
My eyes widened, and it felt like my nostrils expanded.
“It’s yummy!”
Chomp.
As I stuffed another piece into my mouth and chewed, Lily couldn’t take her eyes off me.
“Sir Kishan, who is this adorable child? Look at her eating! Her cheeks are all puffed up!”
Lily bounced on her feet as she approached me.
I was too busy with the bread, holding one in each hand and eating earnestly.
Adorable child….
Hearing that, my face flushed shyly.
“My name is Ariel.”
“What a cute name. Eat slowly. Here, there’s warm milk too.”
Kishan gently set me down.
I sat on the chair Lily prepared and drank the milk.
Taking a bite of bread and then a sip of milk made it melt in my mouth, doubling the deliciousness.
“She’s a guest who came to see His Grace,” Kishan said.
“Who did you come with? She’s so cute and lovable. Just seeing her smile and eat makes me want to give her everything.”
“…Well,”
Kishan couldn’t answer right away and trailed off.
“Ariel came alone.”
“…Alone?”
“I came to see Grand Duke Elphiers, but I got chased out.”
The people in the kitchen froze, their eyes shaking violently. Their faces filled with shock.
“I got rejected for adoption. So I said I’d come back when I grow up.”
Lily covered her mouth and looked at Kishan. People hurriedly exchanged glances with one another.
“Did His Grace really…? No, that can’t be….”
“Watch your words, Lily. Until we confirm it properly, don’t say things you can’t take responsibility for.”
The adults’ expressions turned serious. Just like Kishan earlier. It seemed the idea of a child being chased out had shocked them deeply.
“It’s my fault. I’m weak and came too early. Kids who aren’t helpful aren’t welcomed.”
Kishan said I could stay, but nothing was certain yet. I could still be chased out at any time.
“My goodness…”
“A child not being welcomed because they’re not helpful… What on earth did the Grand Duke say to her…?”
“Is Ariel not allowed to stay here?”
I looked at them with a drooping, gloomy expression.
Lily smiled kindly, bent down beside me, and wiped my mouth with a handkerchief.
“Of course you can stay! You absolutely can! Even if His Grace doesn’t allow it, there are plenty of places for Ariel! Right, Chef?”
“That’s right. Lily’s correct. You can stay as long as you like.”
“But the Grand Duke is the owner here….”
“If everyone stands together, His Grace will have no choice but to allow it. So don’t worry—just eat your bread.”
Hearing their words, my heart relaxed a little.
Since it didn’t seem like I’d be chased out right away, I continued eating comfortably.
Philip, the head chef, told me stories about himself. He’d worked at the Grand Duke’s residence for over fifty years and had served the previous Grand Duke as well. He said he had three sons and always wished for a daughter.
“Then should Ariel be Uncle Philip’s daughter?”
He had lived in the residence much longer than even the current Grand Duke.
Since he’d served the previous Grand Duke too, by seniority alone, Philip was practically the boss.
If I became his daughter, wouldn’t that mean I wouldn’t get chased out?
As long as I could stay in the residence, it didn’t matter whether I became Kishan’s daughter or Philip’s daughter.
“…Why are you still here?”
But my small wish was crushed at once.
