CHAPTER 28
Why was he being so argumentative? She wanted to butt heads with him, but she couldn’t help being mindful of Killian.
“You know, people like that. The kind you just need to have around for all sorts of things.”
“…So, needed for what exactly?”
“All kinds of stuff. Like helping prepare meals, clearing dishes, gathering herbs, and sometimes even taking care of kids like now. Kind of like air—we just can’t do without him.”
“Ah, a handyman?”
Should she just knock him down now?
Adele bit the inside of her cheek, trying to stay calm. She hadn’t looked back, but she swore she could hear that man chuckling in her ear.
No, it was probably just her imagination.
Just like last time, she was definitely overreacting.
“Handyman? I’d say he’s more of a multi-tasker.”
“Still a handyman. In my house, all that stuff is done by the handymen.”
Yeah. Same in my house too.
Adele had nothing left to say, so she just smiled like she was in pain. She wanted to deny it, but that was the daily life of any noble household.
As soon as she stopped talking, Nero’s confidence shot through the roof.
“What the heck! A handyman trying to act all high and mighty?”
“Nero, I don’t think you’re in a position to say that.”
“What!?”
“Have you ever been even as helpful to others as that handyman you keep belittling?”
As a former handyman herself, Adele couldn’t just let that comment slide. And Nero wasn’t the type to back down and reflect either.
“Why should I? As long as you pay them, they’ll do anything. Why should I bother with all that crap? Isn’t money all that matters in this world?”
“No, you’re right. The world does revolve around money.”
“…What?”
Nero looked stunned by her quick agreement.
Adele checked the distance between herself and Killian, then tugged Nero by the collar.
“It’s just us, so let’s be honest. You didn’t seriously think the world runs on love and friendship, did you? You and I both know better.”
“L-let go of me.”
“The world runs on money. From what we eat and wear to hiring people and running governments—it’s all about money.”
“Why are you saying something so obvious like it’s profound?”
“What I mean is—do you deserve to have that money?”
“…”
“You whine and criticize others every day. You really think someone like you deserves that kind of wealth? That you’ll just keep coasting through life on inherited fortune?”
Adele’s red eyes gleamed with hypnotic intensity.
“If you were lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family, you should at least have the decency to recognize it. Don’t go flaunting it like it’s your own accomplishment and using it to look down on others.”
“Y-yeah, but do you know how rich my family is—”
“And I didn’t want to bring this up, but you really shouldn’t go around bragging about money in front of me.”
Bragging about money in front of the heir to House Sergio? The absurdity made her laugh.
Still, the boy was just a child. No need to completely crush a sprouting bud.
Not because she loved kids, but because those who didn’t get it even after this were destined to be weeds in life anyway.
“Nero, if you want to flaunt your wealth, start by being worthy of it.”
He didn’t argue anymore, which gave her a sliver of hope. Perhaps this weed—or colt—had some potential.
His trembling fist finally relaxed under her cold gaze.
“S-so what if I try? I still won’t become a knight anyway.”
“…What?”
“I mean, come on. Even if I do everything you say, I’ll never be like those knights over there!”
Adele turned her head in surprise at Nero’s teary outburst.
Through the noisy crowd of kids, she saw Michael and Renald. Killian stood further away, but as expected, no one was near him.
“….”
Their eyes met for a moment. His icy gaze made her heart skip a beat. Pretending not to notice, Adele looked back at Nero.
“What do you mean, ‘those knights’? Why do you think you can’t become one?”
“My dad said so. That no matter what I do, I’ll never amount to anything. That I’d just end up a disgrace to the family and a drunk for life!”
“Your father said that?”
Good grief.
Adele sighed and clicked her tongue internally.
She didn’t know who his father was, but it was clear he bore most of the responsibility for how Nero turned out.
Spoiling a child too much was bad, but pushing them to a dead end like this wasn’t good parenting either.
“Nero, why do you think your father said that?”
“Because it’s true! I’m that kind of person! My dad never lies!”
“…You really like your dad, don’t you?”
That stung a little.
Adele gave the boy a languid look, lips slightly pursed.
Was there anything sadder than one-sided love?
She finally felt a twinge of sympathy for Nero, who still defended his father.
No matter how rich or powerful the family, a father like that couldn’t be called good.
“W-what are you saying!? I don’t like him!”
“Then do you hate him?”
“….”
So not honest.
Adele gently unclenched Nero’s fist, telling him not to do anything stupid.
The father was angry at a son who kept causing trouble, and the son was afraid of a father who only yelled.
It was a simple yet unsolvable issue.
‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’
Even after thousands of years, no one had solved it. She certainly wouldn’t either. But one thing was clear.
‘Poor mom.’
Adele offered a silent prayer for the woman, unknown and unseen, caught between husband and son.
Words wouldn’t fix it, but as a fellow woman, she wanted to help in the smallest way.
“Think about it. Your father probably feels the same way. Why would he hate you?”
“Here we go again… You think I don’t know? He sent me here because he hates me!”
“Oh dear, you’re still saying nonsense.”
“What?”
“This is San Fidelio. It’s not just some place anyone can come to.”
Only kids their families have given up on get sent here.
Adele chose to put a positive spin on the truth of this place.
“You can only enter here if you meet certain qualifications.”
“…What? You said people die here and there are monsters everywhere! Make up your mind!”
“That was before you admitted you like your dad, don’t want to disappoint him, and actually want to be a knight.”
“…”
“If your father had truly given up on you, he could’ve left you in an alley somewhere. You’d have ended up in trouble soon enough.”
“My dad…”
Nero, who had been listening in silence, finally opened his mouth but trailed off. He seemed at a loss for what to say.
“You don’t get it. My dad’s not like that.”
“Of course I don’t get it. I don’t know your dad. But I do know this.”
“…What?”
“If he really gave up on you, he wouldn’t have paid a fortune to send you to San Fidelio.”
“…This place costs that much?”
“Of course. Like I said, even the monsters that might eat you cost money.”
“Wh-what the heck…”
When Adele smiled, Nero frowned deeply.
Still, the fact that he wasn’t glaring or yelling anymore could be seen as progress.
“Spending money isn’t the only waste. Coming all the way here and not even watching how the knights train is an even bigger waste. Don’t you want to see how they do it?”
“What’s the point of becoming a knight!”
“Oh my.”
This brat…
Becoming a knight changes your entire value as a person.
Especially a knight of San Fidelio—your status in the marriage market would skyrocket.
Not that it mattered to a ten-year-old kid.
“Just imagine. Someday, at a social ball, the most beautiful blonde lady puts a flower necklace around your neck—”
“I don’t like blondes.”
Still picky about women, huh?
Adele, her heart softening, tried harder to convince Nero.
She had no idea someone was watching her this whole time—but she was focused on properly educating this boy with high standards in women.
“Fine, no blondes. Let’s say the most stunning woman proposes to you.”
“The most stunning?”
“Yep. Like… a rich, black-haired, red-eyed multi-tasker kind of woman.”
“Not a handyman?”
“…”
Once again, she thought she heard laughter behind her. But when she turned around, the kids were all running around.
Keep it together, Adele.
She slowly straightened her knees, bringing herself upright with renewed resolve.
If she was going to hit him, she should’ve done it from the start. Now it would be a waste of all that time spent talking.
Besides, Nero was actually starting to be a bit mindful of her.
“F-fine. But I still can’t become a knight anyway.”
“Why not now?”
“Those knights over there—they’ve probably been different since they were kids. I’ve been nothing but trouble. Even if I try now, I’ll never be like them.”
Smarter than he looked.
Adele reevaluated Nero. He was a brat, but he had a realistic eye for things.
That alone made her want to continue being kind.
“…What do you mean? Which knights?”
She pointed behind her.
From the trainees to the officers, and at the center—Killian, checking his sword.
Even with his back turned, it was obvious who ruled this place.
“…See that man over there? Silver hair, black armor.”
“Isn’t he new?”
“Nope.”
Even kids recognized Killian’s overwhelming presence.
Stifling a laugh, Adele lowered her gaze to avoid Killian noticing.
“He didn’t exactly have a model childhood, you know.”
Please, just this once, play along.
Adele swallowed her guilt. Giving a growing child some hope and dreams—God would forgive that.
“…Really?”
“Of course. He was worse than you. His whole family, even the whole town, gave up on him.”
“What!?”
“They said he wouldn’t even grow up to be a decent person, let alone a knight.”
“Wow…”
Nero looked at Killian with reverence.
Adele glanced at him too, only to find Killian had frozen mid-move. She forced a smile, relieved by his usual indifferent stare.
God, forgive me…
Sorry, Killian, but you were the perfect example.
Stories of perfect children growing into perfect adults were boring. People wanted tales of redemption.
Adele put a finger to her lips.
“This is a secret, okay? He really hates when people talk about his past.”
“Still… he doesn’t look like someone like that.”
“Only fools believe what they see. Anyway, think what you like—I have to get back to work.”
As a multi-tasker, she had dinner to prepare.
When Jacqueline came looking for her, Adele waved and quickly left.
Nero stared after her, unsettled.
That woman’s seriously weird.
But he didn’t feel confident enough to chase her down and argue. Besides, there was something else he wanted to check.
“….”
Nero looked over at the silver-haired knight standing with his sword grounded.
He looked like a living legend.
The first time Nero saw him, he thought he’d stepped out of a fairy tale.
That pink-eyed woman too—but this man didn’t even feel human.
Could someone like that really…? Yikes!
Killian turned to look directly at him, and Nero gulped. His body froze worse than when Adele had grabbed him.
Then Killian approached, and every hair on his body stood on end.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“Ah… um…”
Say it.
Killian’s silent command dried Nero’s mouth.
Even a kid’s instincts told him that running would not be tolerated.
“D-did you really used to be… like… um, get in trouble and stuff?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Like, did you really not listen and cause trouble, and all that…?”
“….”
Killian’s brow twitched. Nero shrank back in fear—but his curiosity only grew.
If he said no, Nero would run straight to the pink-eyed woman and demand answers.
No way. There’s no way someone like him…
The idea, once comforting, now crumbled.
Someone like him being a troublemaker? The thought made Nero feel embarrassed for even imagining it.
Doubt, anxiety, and disappointment clouded his young face.
“Y-you didn’t, right? There’s no way you did… right?”
“….”
Killian read every emotion in the child’s eyes, then looked toward where Adele had just been.
His expressionless face made him seem even more godlike.
“….”
