CH 16

The orphanage was filled with children who had endured painful pasts, leading them to be cautious and making it challenging to form friendships easily.

Therefore, it was a new experience for Nia to naturally connect with someone like this.

But for a child who had always fought to survive, perhaps the current situation didn’t seem too different.

Ultimately, Nia felt that she had to do what Ivanna wanted in order to stay here.

“It’s a big problem…”

Nia tightly gripped the teacup in her hands, trying to avoid the situation, as Ivanna made her comment.

“Nia, look. It’s a big problem. I’ve run out of pocket money.”

“……Really?”

“You know, my mom says that traders shouldn’t just take. I mean, you’re my first girlfriend, but I can’t just take… “

Ivanna pondered deeply, realizing that the toy looked expensive.

Ivanna’s unexpected response surprised Nia, and one of her comments made Nia’s heart flutter.

“…Nia, are we friends?”

“Friends……?”

“Yeah. It’s my first time having a girlfriend. Isn’t it fun? Brothers and even Sejar get tired quickly. Boys are useless.”

Ivanna crossed her arms and shook her head, appearing bored.

‘…Nia is Ivanna’s friend.’

Contrary to her own thoughts, the fact that she had made a friend her age for the first time in her life made Nia’s heart swell, and her cheeks turned red like peaches.

“Hmm… Okay!”

In front of her, Ivanna seemed to have realized something and struck her palm with her small fist.

“I’m Ivanna Berna. I swear on my name, I will help you practice calling your mom ‘mom!’ That’s how we pay off the debt, right?”

With sudden determination, expressed by tightly clenching her fists, Ivanna made her proposition, and Nia quickly nodded, filled with happiness.

Nia had already attempted to practice alone, but it didn’t work.

“It doesn’t work! Everyone else is fine. It’s all a lie. Ivanna knows! Listen to our mom, okay? She said she loves me more than my brothers, so we shouldn’t fight with them. Then, immediately twist here, twist here!”

Ivanna puffed out her cheeks, recalling a bad memory.

“…Does it hurt there?”

“Yeah. If I tell my mom that it hurts here, she can fix it right away. But you might cry.”

The child pointed to her side with a serious face, warning Nia to be careful.

Unfortunately, for Nia, Ivanna’s mom now seemed like a monster she shouldn’t meet.

“Ah… Don’t worry. Nia is fine.”

“…..”

“I thought you were a fool, but you’re smart? Hehe. Then let’s go, mom~! Try it.”

Nia flinched at Ivanna’s words, but in the end, she covered her reddened cheeks, feeling the heat rising up into her hands.

Even though she had practiced alone while watching herself in the mirror, it seemed difficult to do it in front of someone else.

“…I can’t do it…!”

“Huh, Nia, you have a big problem. What will you do when you grow up? You can’t even make cookie dough, let alone get married!”

Ivanna sighed heavily and crossed her arms, using words she usually heard at moments like this.

“…What should I do. Huu.”

Nia didn’t even know what getting married meant, but Ivanna’s words shocked her.

***

Children cry at the drop of a hat and laugh with joy.

Looking at Ivanna and Nia cheerfully chatting in the front yard, Lucia understood what that meant.

Ivanna was the same age as Nia, but she was similar in size to Nia, who was smaller than her peers.

However, when it came to energy and action, she was a child with such tremendous vigor that she could be a general in a war right now.

Was Gilliana like that when she was a child?

Gilliana brought out some desserts from the kitchen for her teatime with her commander and placed them on the table in the living room.

There were tarts with seasonal fruits, mousse cakes shaped like chicks, uniquely shaped macarons, stacked crepes, and more.

The desserts she brought, although small in size, numbered over 10 types for some reason.

“Hiss.”

Seeing them, Lucia quietly called out to him.

Hiss, who had been silently observing from somewhere, flinched as if he had done something wrong.

Perhaps he had been caught trying to send Nia to the temple without the commander’s knowledge today.

Even after a long time, space teleportation remained high-level magic.

Traces of mana lingered.

Moreover, Hiss’s mana had unique properties, so if Lucia discovered it, she might have caught him.

“It’s good to rest when you’re tired. Come here.”

“Huh? Commander? Are you talking about Hiss right now? I mean, what power did he use? It was today, wasn’t it? Hiss…”

Lucia listened quietly as Gilliana recounted the incident of Hiss taking care of Nia.

But Hiss’s eyes widened at what she said.

He had been caught.

Though Lucia usually maintained an indifferent demeanor, she was sensitive when it came to the whereabouts of Saintess Nia. It was only natural that she had immediately detected the remnants of Hiss’s magic upon her arrival.

Furthermore, Gilliana had mentioned that only Nia was with Hiss at the moment, but Lucia couldn’t even imagine the full extent of the situation.

She subtly conveyed to Hiss that she was aware of what had happened, as she had been bothered by his unwavering attention to her, regardless of what occurred with Nia.

Hiss looked into her unwavering blue eyes, finding no trace of disappointment, anger, or suspicion that he had feared.

Then he realized why he had been anxious ever since the child had come into their lives.

He was jealous of Nia.

He feared that the commander, who had changed because of the child, would abandon him. This thought gave rise to jealousy and anxiety that overwhelmed him.

Hiss quietly asked Lucia, “Commander, what would you do if I disappeared?”

“Haha! Are you sulking because I scolded you? You’re sulking!” Gilliana mocked his question with nonsense, but Hiss continued to gaze directly at Lucia.

“What would you do?”

“Do you have somewhere you want to go?”

“….”

When Hiss didn’t respond, Lucia pondered for a while before saying, “Just let me know when you’re leaving, and then go.”

“…I said I would disappear.”

“I told you, I intend to make use of you for life.”

Despite her bothersome tone, Hiss remembered the words of the familiar 17-year-old girl.

.

.

.

“Did you bring me here to use me?”

“Of course. The knight squad is about to be established. I plan to use you for life if possible.”

“…Life?… My magic, it’s not working.”

“Hmm, then I should at least make you useful for cleaning.”

.

.

.

Lucia, who had the ability to perceive and control rampant mana, certainly couldn’t have been unaware of that blatant lie.

And Hiss had truly concealed his mana, only creating trivial magical tools.

Even though he only made useless things, his ability couldn’t be hidden. However, amidst the crisis of war, Hiss had hidden behind Lucia and never used his mana, never bringing it up.

For Hiss, she was the only person who truly didn’t demand anything from him.

The boy realized that he had forgotten about her.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Despite his apology, a faint smile appeared on Hiss’s lips.

Gilliana sensed the strange atmosphere between the two, but she eventually resumed her complaints as she handed the dessert plate to Hiss, who sat close to Lucia.

“Oh, I’m so tired of this. Because of all these overlapping events, everyone at the bakery is busy with mass production? I’m glad to have an excuse to escape it by using Ivanna.”

The youngest daughter of a shop specializing in such adorable desserts becoming a member of the Black Knight Corps was one of the unbelievable mysteries.

Just then, Vernon emerged from the bathroom and plopped down roughly on the remaining space on the sofa.

The scribbles that had not been wiped off his face seemed to reflect his current mood.

“Phew. I’m tired too. This is ridiculous. Why do I have to suffer because of the Gilliana family’s business?”

Usually, Gilliana wouldn’t tolerate his gruff words, but today’s Vernon was a benefactor deserving of royal treatment.

Gilliana, with an unusually mischievous grin, silently moved the desserts in front of him and waited for his feedback.

“It’s sweet.”

“It’s dessert.”

“Yes.”

“Is that all?”

When Gilliana sought a more enthusiastic response, they replied in a rehearsed manner, as if rewinding a tape.

“Ha ha.”

Suppressing her anger, she realized it had been a mistake to bring these desserts to these clueless individuals who didn’t appreciate the taste.

“Oh, right. Commander. These desserts are meant to be supplied to the kindergarten.”

“Yes.”

“What? Commander? You’re so nonchalant about this matter?”

In response to her inexplicable nagging, Lucia turned her indifferent gaze towards Gilliana.

“Goodness, it’s time to enroll the new students. If we miss the timing, we’ll have to hire a nanny and a private tutor. What are your plans after your leave ends? Besides, this year there’s a large influx of new nobles, so the chances of admission have decreased even further.”

Gilliana enthusiastically informed her commander that a knight commander’s salary wouldn’t be enough to afford a private tutor, gesturing a money sign with her fingers.

“…”

Kindergarten. Education.

Once her leave was over, the control stone would likely be completed, and novice mother Lucia had never considered anything beyond hiring a nanny and raising her child properly.

Eldarion Academy was a prestigious boarding school for members of the royal family and nobles until their debutante, under the royal jurisdiction.

A kindergarten attached to such a renowned academy was unnecessary for noble families who naturally hired nannies and private tutors during early childhood.

However, as the empire was still relatively new, there was no place for the new nobles to build connections. To address this, the royal family established an attached kindergarten to facilitate the integration of the nobles.

Lucia was aware of its existence, as it was located right next to the knight’s quarters, but she never imagined that she would be involved with that place.

However, Lucia had no intention of sending her child to a crowded place.

She had no plans to draw attention because her child was special.

…A private tutor. Should she try persuading the Emperor to provide some advance payment?

He would surely grant a favor, and if he sensed the Grand Sword Master’s presence, the Emperor, who would spare no expense, Lucia thought of him as a human bank.

“By the way, our Ivanna has already consulted…”

“Oh, Gilliana. That’s not it. We already have Countess Ruins’ book.”

As Vernon wiped off the remaining scribbles, he pointed to the book on the table to Gilliana.

“Huh? You mean the kindergarten principal’s book? Wow, pre-interview research for preparation. The commander is truly considerate! How wonderful, even as a child, Lord Leon was an angel. Oh my, there’s even a baby photo inside!”

No, Lucia hadn’t considered it at all. Countess Ruins.

Somehow, the boy on the back cover seemed familiar.

Was the person who wrote the book Leon’s mother and the kindergarten principal Gilliana was talking about?

‘So that’s why this book caught his eye.’

But was it something that would make his face turn red?

Anyone would feel embarrassed and blush if the person they liked saw their childhood appearance, but Lucia had no way of knowing that.

Lucia recalled Leon’s earlier demeanor, and before she knew it, the children were making cute faces and drooling over the desserts.

Ivanna had been stuffing her mouth as soon as she arrived, but Nia hesitated.

When Ivanna, without even swallowing what she was eating, tried to reach for something else, she looked at Nia as if she remembered something.

“Nia, hurry.”

Ivanna urged Nia with a gesture.

But Nia didn’t even touch the dessert and timidly approached the back of Lucia’s sofa.

“Sigh. Such a crybaby.”

When the child cautiously tiptoed forward at Ivanna’s urging, she whispered secretly into Lucia’s ear.

With Nia’s words, things she absolutely couldn’t say in front of people, Ivanna resorted to her last measure.

Upon hearing that, Lucia’s expression hardened, and Gilliana and Vernon, who were watching, clenched their chests, understanding the significance.

The child finished speaking and ran back to the front yard, following the laughter of Ivanna.

The sound of children’s laughter and play reached Lucia’s ears and eyes, leaving her stunned.

‘…Mom!’

She had told her to say it, but hearing it felt like the world had come to a halt.

Contrary to the shy and innocent words she had just heard, it resonated as hollow and empty.

She remembered whispering those words while unveiling a covered portrait in an empty count’s mansion during her childhood.

Nia, receiving praise in the front yard, bent her head to Ivanna, who was smaller than her.

Her hair was messy, but the two children continued to laugh while looking at each other.

Observing that scene, a question arose in Lucia’s mind.

‘…Is this what a normal daily life looks like?’

Nia was a child who would become a saintess, called by God in the future, but her current appearance of playing with a friend was just a natural child’s behavior.

If this was normal, then a daily life without a friend like Ivanna for the child was not normal.

Perhaps Lucia, who had experienced a more lonely childhood than anyone, understood this fact better.

Raising a special child in an ordinary manner.

Because that was her pledge while saving the child.

“Gilliana, is the interview still ongoing?”

Lucia made up her mind.

To send her child to kindergarten.

As she watched the children while listening to Gilliana’s endless explanations, Ivanna was now showing off by spinning like a windmill to Nia.