C33
The little girl who didn't even reach his waist opened her mouth with eyes that held no expectations at all.
The girl didn't even look away as she stared directly into his eyes.
It had been the same since the first time they met.
Despite being terrified, she never averted her gaze. Still not looking away, the girl stuttered and spoke.
Even the best soldier would avoid looking at him if he stared at them.
Yet, this girl always made eye contact when she spoke.
Did she have any expectations?
No.
The girl had no expectations. She smiled brightly and spoke with poor pronunciation like any child, but there was no anticipation in her eyes.
Surprisingly.
"You are the benefactor of our Collin family. And my son seems to like you very much. Do I need another reason?"
"......"
In response to my words, the girl kept her mouth shut.
Then, very slowly, she shook her head.
As if she didn't need to ask anything, no matter what she was thinking.
"What color are your scales?"
"Silver with white... there's a bit of pink mixed in there too."
"...Alright."
Since the Collin Duchy had active exchanges with the Southern Continent, he knew quite a bit about the Suin ecosystem.
However, he had never heard of a lizard with scales of this color.
"Is it a mutant?"
He had heard that sometimes lizards were born with pale white scales and blood-red eyes.
It was said that there were places where these mutants were treated as messengers of God and places where they were treated as servants of the devil.
"She's my benefactor. I can't send my benefactor back to an orphanage."
"...I'll think about it."
The girl responded with a wide smile. At first glance, what reflected in her trembling eyes was a little regret and hesitation.
"By the way, who is that boy? There was someone else besides you and Richard."
"Ah..."
The girl frowned and pondered as if embarrassed, then scratched her cheek and laughed awkwardly.
"My... pet...?"
"......"
Is this something that's trendy among kids these days?
The words he wanted to ask again rose to the tip of his chin, but he managed to suppress them.
"...I shouldn't be so old-fashioned."
He thought of Duke Collin, who didn't want to hear the phrase "you don't even know this" from his newly met son.
"Bam Bam!"
"I don't want my teacher to hug you."
"What's it got to do with you if I hug BamBam? Are you really not going to leave my house?"
"You said you didn't need anything other than my teacher, but now it's 'my house' in just a week, isn't it? There's no such thing as loyalty."
I lay on the bed and watched the two children bickering.
"They say clothes give you wings..."
Both of them were dressed in decent clothes, so they were no different from princes.
Should I say that the original bright gem felt like it was being reborn as a jewel through the hands of a craftsman?
Anyway, why are these two always fighting?
And...
"When is she really going back to the temple?"
It's been a week since I came here.
"No news about Albion..."
Is the original story in progress?
"Is the auction in full swing now?"
Underground auction.
It's the largest underworld auction house in the empire run by the "Bright Moon" information guild that dominates the underworld.
It was also a place that the imperial family knew but tolerated because the connections behind it were very extensive.
"As the heroine is kidnapped, it will be tipped over by the Etham family..."
I gradually stumbled upon the contents of the novel.
"After that, was there an epidemic?"
Apparently, Duke Miriel contracted this disease.
As he gradually leaves the duchy, he tries to hand over power to Erno Etham...
<— You're spouting clichés. I already said no.
It was a cold refusal, as if there was nothing to think about.
"What do you mean you won't do it? Are you going to be so stubborn even when your father is like this?"
"As soon as I inherit power, the Etham family will be ruined, I know that. If you want to grow old, find another successor and hand it over to them."
"Erno Etham. I know you're living like a fool, but... You don't feel so well this time."
A deep furrow formed between Erno Etham's brows. He said nothing for a while, then got up from his seat.
"Look for another successor. I don't do this kind of troublesome thing, so please understand."
I remember he was rudely rejected.
In the original story, Erno Etham did nothing until Duke Miriel's death.
"Ah..."
I remember.
The biggest victim of this epidemic is Duke Miriel.
He suffers from this disease and slows down the disease's progression with the heroine's ability, but that's it.
Years later, he gathers his last strength to fight against a villain targeting the heroine, and he closes his eyes with the tip of his sword pointed at himself just before going mad.
Then, when the inherent dragon blood of the heroine blooms, she unlocks the power of "purification."
It was the power to more perfectly suppress madness and purify poison.
"The epidemic..."
Indeed, it was preventable. It's not even an epidemic. The treatment was also very simple.
It was like a biochemical weapon that someone artificially created.
The "anti-aristocrats" who cursed the nobility hid as servants and maids in each aristocratic family and spread the plague by spreading germs at the same time.
The damage to the aristocratic families was significant because of this. Many nobles died, and others lost their eyes or limbs.
Not only that, many attendants also died because they got infected.
Tiny invisible worms would coil around the body and crawl up the host's body to settle in the brain.
Some nobles went insane and bit people, and some nobles couldn't bear the intense pain and died screaming.
The insects could enter anywhere there was a hole. So, they had an incubation period of a minimum of one day and up to ten days.
When it penetrated to the farthest part of the brain, it took about ten days to reach the brain.
Meanwhile, some who noticed that their bodies were strange ignorantly dug or stabbed the area with a sword to get the insects out.
As mentioned, these biological weapons could have been easily prevented and treated.
"They just needed to take an insect repellent."
The issue was that it was a disease that would disappear if the bugs were eliminated.
After it was revealed that the cause of the situation was an insect, the female protagonist noticed a clue to the cure and made it known to the imperial family and society.
However, it was too late to treat Duke Miriel, the first infected person.
"Why the hell didn't they think of an insect repellent?"
It's the Duchy of Etham, where all kinds of geniuses gather!
... There were times when I thought that in the <Adopted> scenario, insect repellents didn't exist in this era.
And for the heroine to stand out, she would have had to solve a big case.
"...I enjoyed that scene too."
At that moment, I felt a sense of pleasure and thought I was going through the process of being loved...
Certainly, it wasn't pleasant to see this kind of scene becoming a reality that covered my world.
I know, but I've already seen them live and breathe to feign ignorance for the sake of the original story.
Aaaaah!
"Should I write a letter warning them to be careful?"
Thinking about it, if I combine the "balance fragment" given by Lucilion and the balance fragment given by Richard, it becomes the same size as the one lost by Erno Etham.
This also needs to be conveyed.
"The problem is how to deliver it."
The risk is too great for me to go alone.
"Teacher?"
A face appeared in front of me.
When I opened my eyes wide in surprise, Lucilion smiled with his eyes wide open.
"I thought my heart was dropping."
I sighed lightly.
"What's going on?"
"What are you thinking?"
"I have something to give to someone, but it's a bit dangerous."
At those words, Lucilion opened his eyes wide and then the corners of his mouth curved.
"I'll do it."
"...Eh?"
"I can do it, please let me do these tasks."
I looked at the blue eyes that were so transparent I couldn't believe they belonged to a person.
"Then thank you."
Now, the problem is...
My handwriting is very crooked.
And it's difficult to adjust the size. A five-year-old's hand is that awkward.
"Bambam, let's go for a walk."
Richard approached, took my hand, and said.
"I don't..."
"No, you have to go for a walk every day."
Grrrr-
I quickly grabbed my stomach and tilted my head at the loud horn-like sound that came from my stomach.
"BamBam, are you hungry?"
"......"
Embarrassed, I couldn't respond.
That's because I had filled my stomach two hours ago!
"Bam Bam?"
"......"
"Bam-Baaaam~."
I'm embarrassed, so why are you calling me?
"Eirin."
Before I knew it, Richard was lying face down with his chin in front of my nose. Unbeknownst to me, my face turned red.
"Should I order more food?"
Richard tilted his head. Why is the appearance of an eight-year-old boy so dazzling?
Finally, I nodded.
It was because I was very hungry.
"I should eat and then go to the stationery store."
However, it's a bit frustrating.
<Director, if we don't return, come to Duke Collin's house. Richard, no... We went to look for Rich's parents.>
Returning after a week, Albion saw the carefully placed, crooked letters on the table.
"... The grammar is perfect."
Albion's eyes narrowed when he noticed something strange in the short note.
