CH 17

At night, Persis couldn’t fall asleep for some reason. It wasn’t common for him to be unable to sleep, whether he had nightmares.

It was also unusual for him to not be able to properly do his work due to being a little kid today. It was very rare for him to keep getting distracted by something as well.

What could be bothering him so much?

He doesn’t need that little kid in his life. He doesn’t want to make her his son, even if he has to watch her fall apart.

Raising a little kid who might not even be his own daughter was something he couldn’t tolerate.

That’s why he has no regrets about sending the little kid to an orphanage.

… He shouldn’t be feeling this angry, though.

He stayed up all night trying to find an answer to this. He couldn’t find one even as the sun rose, but he was able to figure it out when the little kid came to his bedroom.

The little kid standing in front of him had swollen eyes from crying all night, struggling to lift a heavy snowball as he looked at him.

A hoarse voice came out of the little kid’s mouth.

“I’m going to the orphanage.”

“…”

“Thank you for letting me stay at the Duke’s house until now.”

“…”

“Take care, Your Grace.”

“…”

The address changed again. He used to be called “Father,” but now it’s “Your Grace,” like drawing a line.

“You’re going to the orphanage?”

“Yes. I thought about it a lot overnight. I think I have to go after all.”

“… Why?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you giving up so easily?”

Why can’t he treat this little kid like he normally does?

The confusion was evident on the swollen face of the little kid. It was a look that said, “Why did you tell me to leave if you’re going to act like this?”

But he was not willing to send the little kid to an orphanage if he begged not to be kicked out one more time.

He didn’t want to give up so easily.

“What happened to that precocious kid who said she would live as a son and be a perfect heir?”

“… She’s grown up a bit.”

It was true that May had matured a little overnight.

To avoid the bondage of the original work, she did not care about others, but now she thinks about the situation of the people around her.

Ellen knew that if she were caught by Persis, she would receive severe punishment, but she still raised herself without care. Joan also stood by her side even though she had no reason to do so, and Floa cast magic to hide her identity as the unwelcome heir and became her swordsmanship teacher.

Stella may end up in a situation where she has to share her father’s attention because of May, and Persis may face a situation where the child he forcibly raised is not his own child.

Even more serious than that, a faceless and nameless child could die in her place.

‘If I go to an orphanage, I won’t harm the people around me.’

Even if she was adopted by a swindler, and sold as a slave, even if she was beaten to death by the count’s daughter. She made the decision that she should go to the orphanage.

“How can I hold on when His Excellency doesn’t want to raise me? I will go to the orphanage.”

There is a way for me not to die, even if I go to the orphanage. They say that even when the sky falls, there is a hole to crawl out of.

“But I have a wish instead.”

However, it would be better to make the hole yourself beforehand.

“If anyone wants to adopt me, I will send a letter through Baron Tibor, so please visit the orphanage. I am anxious because I dreamed of a bad person adopting me, so please.”

If it was the name of the Duke of Flotina, Baron Tibor would do it. With those words, she showed a bitter smile.

“Please check if the person who comes to adopt me is a bad person. If so, please punish them so that they won’t do bad things again. That’s my last wish.”

Upon hearing this, Persis couldn’t understand even more. Despite having such an uneasy dream, she still wanted to go to the orphanage.

However, he did not stop her from going to the orphanage. He had already decided that he didn’t need the kid, and he didn’t ask for the kid to live in the house anymore.

“… Okay.”

“Thank you for everything so far, Your Grace.”

He stayed still until he couldn’t see a single strand of the child’s hair. No, even after a long time.

Just still.

And so the child left the house without looking back.

***

After sending May to the orphanage, Persis resumed his role as the Duke of Flotina as usual.

For only half a day after, that little kid disappeared from his sight.

After that, Johann felt that something was different about him.

Instead of going out to spar with knights or taking a nap after work, he just said he would take a nap and didn’t even close his eyes.

It was the first time Johann had seen his master so lost.

‘Is it because Master is also having a hard time without May?’

But Persis didn’t really want to know why he felt this way. He knew that he would only feel worse if he found out.

Now that little kid was nothing to him.

She asked me to come and see her when she was adopted, so I will listen to her personally, but that’s it.

She’s nothing to me, so I don’t regret sending her to an orphanage.

He brainwashed himself.

Without even realizing it, the brainwashing was eating him up.

Meanwhile, without knowing that such a thing had happened, Stella headed to Flotina with one escort knight and one maid. It was to apologize to May for what had happened before.

During that time, she had time to reflect.

“Stella, even if May gets angry with you, it was wrong not to accept his apology.”

It was the first time that an angelic Heint scolded her. It was the first time, so I could easily realize that I was wrong.

Indeed, she was not a good person.

Because she was jealous that Persis only paid attention to May, she even made a rude remark and made her apology for something that never happened.

I will admit my mistakes and apologize. However, I will tell you clearly that I do not want to share His Excellency’s attention. Even if we end up living together, I will always threaten to harm you if you ever become a threat to my position.

Stella held a bouquet of lavender hyacinths as a sign of apology and entered the Flotina estate.

The Flotina estate was more luxurious than she had ever imagined, with a huge mansion that seemed impossible to take in at a glance. It made her wonder how May had been able to raise Persis secretly for ten years.

‘This will be our home next year, right?’

She couldn’t help but feel envious. Even though Nazet was wealthy, Flotina seemed to have even fewer financial worries.

Once inside the mansion, Stella was guided by a butler to the reception room. She couldn’t help but comment on the atmosphere inside.

‘It’s all nice, but the atmosphere is dark. How should I put it, it’s stuffy?’

Well, she thought to herself, maybe it’s described as if every step she took was filled with a bright light that lovingly illuminated the atmosphere because she hadn’t been adopted into this place yet.

“Please wait here, I’ll bring the master.”

After arriving at the reception room, Stella quietly waited for Persis and May after the butler left. The heavy silence that filled the room made her nervous, but she decided to admit her mistake and apologize calmly.

‘That idiot. She must be so angry. What if she doesn’t accept my apology after coming all the way here…?’

Perhaps Persis already knew what had happened between her and Na-jet.

‘Goodness, why did I act like that back then…?’

She wished she could hold back her actions. After a while, Persis entered the reception room.

As the butler opened the door, Persis walked in. The atmosphere was completely different from what she had seen at the Nazet residence.

Stella got up from the sofa and greeted him bluntly.

“Greetings, Your Grace.”

“…”

He didn’t even acknowledge her greeting and sat on the opposite sofa.

Stella was slightly shocked that her greeting was ignored and sat down, feeling flustered.

And then, she was shocked once again by looking closely at Persis’ face.

Three days had passed since he sent May to the orphanage. He had not been able to sleep properly and looked terrible, with bloodshot eyes and dark circles under them.

“Are you feeling ill somewhere?”

He even seemed to be in a very bad mood.

As Stella tightly held the bouquet of flowers in her arms out of fear, he opened his mouth.

“Why did you come here?”

“I came to apologize to Ma for what happened before…”

“I didn’t know you knew how to apologize.”

“… Excuse me?”

Stella was so flustered that she couldn’t speak anymore.

His blunt tone was so cold that it chilled her to the bone.

“Or, is that also one of your plans to torment May?”