Chapter 2
Dressed in a pale yellow dress, I entered the small banquet hall where the “father candidates” were gathered, and looked at the childcare priestess with a sulky expression.
“There was no helping it. We were short on time, and we couldn’t force people who never intended to adopt children from the temple orphanage in the first place.”
“……”
“Still, they are all well-meaning people, so don’t worry.”
“Okay, Priestess.”
In truth, I already knew. I knew full well that everyone I had listed would not show up. Because I knew that, I had deliberately packed the list with noble names.
Even so, those who were dragged here by the temple’s request did not truly wish to adopt a temple child. They would inevitably interfere with the temple under the pretext of “protecting the child.”
And yet, because they could not refuse the temple’s summons, they had come. I had expected about five families at most—and just as I predicted, the heads of five houses were present. Among them was my “father,” whose presence I could recognize even from the back of his head.
I was about to stride inside confidently, but then I looked back at the priestess.
“Priestess.”
“Hmm?”
“From here on, I’ll go in alone. I want to hear their honest feelings. So I’ll pretend to be a young priestess of the temple and listen to what they truly think.”
“But that’s…”
“Please.”
The childcare priestess, who had intended to accompany me, let out a deep sigh and nodded.
“Alright, Rubie. You were never a child who could be stopped anyway. Do as you wish.”
I had already chosen my “father candidate” among them.
After briefly looking inside, I quickly put on the cloak I had borrowed from the priestess and stepped into the room.
They didn’t even realize I had entered and were complaining among themselves. When they finally noticed me, thinking I might be the adoption candidate, they flinched—but upon seeing my priestess robes, they quickly returned to their irritation.
“A job interview? For adopting just one child? How can they treat us with such disrespect?”
“I have no idea what the temple is thinking.”
“How arrogant.”
“Still, what can we do? I am curious about this supposedly special child. Just how great could they be?”
“I hear they were born with divine power?”
They huddled together, whispering among themselves.
I raised my voice toward them.
“The Child of God is said to be running a bit late! Please wait here. You will each be guided to the prayer room shortly.”
As expected, they glanced at me briefly, then turned away as if I were of no interest.
Only one of them—one silver-haired man—let out a faint scoff while watching me.
That smirk made me feel strangely exposed, so I quickly turned my head away.
“If it turns out to be some useless brat, I swear…”
“There’s a child present. You should watch your words.”
“Count Colin!”
“Exactly. I’m right here, you know. Do you think it’s fine to say things like that where I can hear?”
I brightened my eyes and walked toward the group. However, one of the ill-tempered nobles pushed me back.
“Even if you are a young priestess, do not interrupt adults.”
“Be careful. If even a scratch is left on her, the temple will make a scene. They might have brought her here to find leverage on us, so be extremely cautious.”
“Honestly, I don’t like the temple’s people. Tch.”
I maintained a dejected expression as I looked at them. There were four heads here. Five were supposed to arrive. I glanced toward the one missing.
The silver-haired man who had scoffed at me earlier.
Excluding him, the other four were grouped together, voicing their complaints. Among them, Count Colin—who seemed the most influential—appeared to be both restraining them and watching passively at the same time. In fact, he looked at me, the one pushed aside, with a faint, ambiguous smile.
He brought a finger to his lips, then leaned forward to meet my eyes.
Flinch.
Could it be… had Count Colin already seen through my little act?
My eyes sharpened instinctively. But surprisingly, Count Colin was not that perceptive.
“Little priestess. You know you shouldn’t repeat what adults say elsewhere, right?”
So that’s all it was. I thought he was someone far more clever.
“Don’t worry. I’m not the type of kid who goes around telling on people.”
“What a clever child. So how long do we have to wait here? I don’t exactly have endless time to waste in a place like this.”
“Then please follow me first, Count Colin!”
Of course, I never said I wouldn’t “tell”—just that I wouldn’t tell everything.
At this point, I found being with them increasingly unpleasant, so I quickly led Count Colin into the inner room. It was a small prayer chamber that couldn’t even fit ten adults.
There was another entrance at the back besides the door connected to the hall. But even after entering, there was no one inside, so Count Colin looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Then where is the Child of God?”
“It’s me.”
“…What?”
“I am the Child of God. Don’t worry, I won’t spread what happened earlier when you ignored me.”
Count Colin looked genuinely flustered.
His gaze made it seem like he was trying to assess whether I was telling the truth—but it didn’t look like he had figured anything out. He was simply cautious because of the temple.
“Now then, let me ask you properly. So… Count Colin, why do you want to adopt me?”
“What a bold child you are.”
“So, are you not going to adopt me?”
At my confident words, he smiled and began listing rather dull, formal reasons—apologies for failing to recognize something special, praise for his own house, and so on. Still, he seemed quite eager to adopt me, actively trying to present himself in the best light.
After him, I met the other family heads one by one.
“…You’re that child?”
“Oh! You gentlemen don’t need to bother with the evaluation.”
“Huh? Wait, earlier we didn’t mean to…”
“You just looked down on me because I’m a child, didn’t you? It’s fine. I’m not angry about that. I just think it’s a waste of time to speak with people who dismiss others simply because they are young. Goodbye.”
Since they were people who had already dismissed me for being a child, I had no desire to engage further. I was rather stubborn when it came to grudges.
My firm attitude left them visibly disappointed.
One of them tried to explain themselves frantically, while another shouted that he would complain to the priestess for being deceived. But none of them were my target from the beginning.
There was only one person I wanted.
A man who lived as a dog of the temple and the emperor in order to save his wife.
Finally, I stood before him—the father I had chosen.
“As expected. You were the Child of God.”
“You knew? Father?”
“F-Father?”
“Yes. I already decided on you from the beginning.”
“You… what do you think you’re saying?”
His lips curved upward so elegantly it was almost unfairly attractive. For a moment, I almost drooled. He was truly handsome. If my mother were here, she would have called him exactly the kind of man worth admiring.
But I couldn’t just stand there staring.
Before he could become suspicious, I quickly spoke.
“You are Duke Anekrokxa! I know very well who you are. And I have power.”
“So you do know your place. I thought you were just a shameless child saying that to anyone.”
“Not to anyone. I already rejected three people earlier.”
“You don’t seem desperate to be adopted. All of them were excellent noble heads.”
His lips curled upward with amusement.
“I’m willing to stake everything on you as my father. So? Won’t you adopt someone as special as me?”
“Children who want to be adopted all say the same things. They claim they have power, that they are special. I’ve heard it countless times. Don’t think I’ll choose you just for that.”
The situation I had expected didn’t surprise me.
I straightened my shoulders even more confidently.
“So you don’t like it? I like you, Father. I’ll choose you.”
