The surroundings fell silent at Chesha’s response.
Neither the orphanage director, the children, nor even Count Basilian’s coachman spoke a word.
Everyone stared at Chesha with wide eyes, their faces frozen in shock.
Their thoughts were easy to read.
What kind of insane nonsense is this?
But Chesha was certain.
With this answer, she had successfully caught Count Basilian’s attention.
From the moment Kierne stepped into the orphanage, he deliberately exuded his presence.
He did not bother to conceal the sharp aura he carried.
It was something an ordinary person could never withstand.
In fact, the orphanage director and the children trembled, unable to even meet the Count’s gaze properly.
Kierne’s reason for behaving this way was simple.
The child he needed was one who would not be afraid of him.
And what if that child even managed to pique his interest?
That would make for a perfect adoption candidate!
Inside, Chesha let out a silent, gleeful laugh.
She had been through enough in the underworld to learn how to read people.
Understanding others’ thoughts was as easy as eating cookies while lying down.
Pick me, Count!
And sure enough—
Kierne, who had been watching with an enigmatic smile, let out a low chuckle and reached out his hand.
“…?”
Chesha’s eyes widened.
Her body suddenly lifted into the air.
Kierne effortlessly picked her up, as if lifting a pebble, holding her in his arms.
Despite her dirty and smelly state, he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.
With a soft voice, he asked,
“Name?”
“Cheh-sha.”
The moment she answered, she felt a bit embarrassed.
Because of her shortened tongue, her name sounded oddly weak when spoken aloud.
Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.
The transformation potion Hata had given her had been too strong.
Her original goal was to turn into a child around five to seven years old.
But after drinking the potion, she ended up as a two-year-old toddler.
Adjusting to her shrunken limbs had been an ordeal.
She had spent an entire month rolling around in the orphanage, struggling to get used to her new body.
But I still haven’t adjusted to this short tongue.
Living as a helpless little kid didn’t suit her at all—she wanted to put an end to it as soon as possible.
Once she infiltrated the Basilian household and gathered useful information, she would return to her adult form immediately.
For now, there was no other choice.
So, Chesha put on an adorable angelic baby smile.
Thankfully, the orphanage director stepped in to correct her name.
“She’s Chesha. She’s two years old…”
Smelling the scent of money, the director hurriedly started rambling.
But Kierne raised his hand slightly.
The director immediately shut his mouth.
As Kierne quietly observed Chesha, he murmured something unintelligible.
“…Does she resemble…?”
Before she could even question his strange words, he smiled gently.
“I see. Chesha.”
He pronounced her name with unusual clarity.
His long eyes curved softly, like a crescent moon.
With that, the cold atmosphere melted away entirely.
Kierne tilted his head, bringing his face close to hers.
Then, in a voice as sweet as sugar candy, he whispered—
“From today on, I am your father.”
It was the moment she had been waiting for—her adoption was confirmed.
But for some reason…
Chesha wasn’t happy.
The moment she heard that sugary whisper, chills ran down her spine.
This felt a little… unsettling.
She had spent a month in the orphanage, yet there was nothing for her to pack.
That was to be expected.
Even the clothes she was wearing were practically disposable.
The rock-hard bread that had come in handy, she gave as a farewell gift to the only decent kid there.
Just need to leave my mark before I go.
She had to inform Hata that she had successfully infiltrated the Basilian household.
Pretending to pack, Chesha placed her hand against the window.
A faint light shimmered, and lush flowers bloomed around her.
The scent of flowers spread through the air, butterflies fluttering in a dreamlike illusion—
It was as beautiful as something out of a fairy tale.
“Awwng.”
Chesha lazily waved her hand, dispersing the illusion.
It was a flashy power.
Usually, it was useful for drawing people’s attention.
But at times like this, it was a bit of a hassle.
As the dazzling effect faded, a small flower mark appeared in the corner of the window.
The red floral pattern soon disappeared.
When Hata came to this place, it would reappear and reveal Chesha’s location.
Now that the mark was left, there was nothing else to do.
Chesha left the orphanage empty-handed.
Kierne, who was standing in front of the carriage, waved his hand.
As Chesha ran toward him, she glanced back at the orphanage director and the children.
While she had been pretending to pack nonexistent belongings, they had remained gathered in the yard, their gazes somewhat dazed.
What’s that about?
She thought it was a bit strange, but there was no time to dwell on it.
That was because Kierne immediately picked her up and boarded the carriage.
Thunk.
With a heavy sound, the carriage door closed.
The vehicle smoothly set off down the road.
Finally, I’m free!
She wanted to laugh while watching the orphanage grow distant through the window.
However, the curtains were drawn, making that impossible.
Feeling slightly disappointed, she glanced around—when a drowsy murmur reached her ears.
“You’re wriggling around.”
Kierne, who was holding her in his arms, gave a faint smile when their eyes met.
Chesha twitched her plump cheeks in response, smiling back.
“……”
Time passed as they simply stared at each other, both smiling.
His smile gradually deepened.
“I suppose having a father still feels unfamiliar to you, Chesha.”
Shake, shake.
Chesha shook her head.
But it didn’t seem like he had been expecting an actual answer.
“Here, a gift.”
“Wuh…?”
Click.
A black bracelet was fastened around Chesha’s wrist.
It shrank to fit her size.
Feeling it tighten around her wrist, she swallowed a groan.
A large hand gently patted her head.
“I just want to get closer to you.”
And in that moment, Chesha let out a silent scream.
This is a magic restraint!
A magic restraint prevented the wearer from using magic.
Additionally, it nullified any spells cast upon the wearer.
He had put the restraint on her to check if she had used magic to turn into a baby.
But the potion I took wasn’t magic.
The numbers of beastfolk and fae had dwindled to near extinction.
The power that beings of fantasy species wielded was different from magic.
Since the potion was made by Hata, a beastfolk, it had nothing to do with magic—so the magic restraint didn’t affect it.
She had anticipated that something like this might happen, but it still irritated her.
How could he suspect a baby as cute, pretty, and innocent as me?!
Even if her beauty was currently hidden beneath grime.
Still, as the innocent baby she was pretending to be, she played along.
“Fank yuu.”
She intentionally rounded her pronunciation to sound even cuter.
Kierne smiled as he gazed at her, waiting.
“……”
The carriage remained silent.
When nothing happened, he belatedly dragged out his response.
“Hm, I see.”
He lightly grasped Chesha’s wrist.
“But I made a mistake with your gift. I’ll take this back and replace it with another bracelet later, okay?”
“Ah, o-kay.”
Hurry up and take it off, you bastard.
While cursing him internally, she smiled sweetly on the outside.
After removing the magic restraint, Kierne kneaded Chesha’s small hand and asked,
“How did you end up in the orphanage, Chesha?”
“I don’t remember.”
That was the truth.
The witch Ritesha had no memories from before she was left at the orphanage.
She remembered only one thing about her parents—
A strange lullaby her mother used to sing.
Chesha suddenly looked into Kierne’s eyes.
Right now, her eyes were pink, but as Ritesha, they had been as crimson as the Count’s.
If we stood side by side, we’d look quite similar.
Shoving away the unnecessary thought, Chesha subtly probed him.
“Papa-eye… why take me?”
But instead of answering, he asked a question of his own.
“Do you want something, Chesha?”
He poked her cheek as he spoke.
“Shall I punish the people who bullied you at the orphanage?”
It was a leisurely question.
But Chesha instinctively knew—
His idea of punishment would not be normal.
When she only blinked, Kierne smiled.
“Papa will grant you anything you wish for, Chesha.”
“……”
“In return, you only have to do one thing for me.”
He whispered again.
“Just one. Easy, right?”
As his gentle touch lingered, Chesha thought—
That’s exactly how a con artist talks.
She didn’t know what Count Basilian wanted.
But it wouldn’t be something trivial.
At the same time, curiosity stirred within her.
What was he planning?
Just then—
The carriage, which had been running smoothly, suddenly slowed.
A small window connected to the driver’s seat slid open.
“Inspection ahead.”
At the coachman’s words, Kierne frowned.
He clicked his tongue lightly.
Before long, knights approached the carriage.
Kierne lazily opened the window and asked,
“A sudden inspection? What’s the matter?”
Chesha, peeking her head out, gasped softly.
White horses, white armor, blue cloaks—
They were Holy Knights.
One of them answered in a stern voice.
“We are searching for the witch Ritesha.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
