Adopted Daughter

Had she really taken him as her father…?

Mana sighed helplessly to himself.

These past few days, the little one, Lian, had been coming to see him every day.

She always talked to him about unrealistic fantasies.

He didn’t even fully understand what she was rambling about.

Yet she spoke endlessly, as if she had always lacked affection.

She cherished every single conversation deeply.

What a headache…

Mana rubbed his forehead.

His head hurt.

In any case, it was partly his own fault.

Actually… wasn’t this kind of nice?

He really was lacking a daughter.

And from the looks of it, Lian seemed to have lost both parents.

By coincidence, she had also said that he resembled her father very much.

A bold thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Adopt her…?

After all, the Leonardo family had many children.

Yet not a single daughter.

Raise sons to guard your old age.

Raise daughters to ward off loneliness…

The thought passed through his mind.

Because—

“Knock, knock, knock…”

A light knocking sound came from the door.

A-Lian arrived again, right on time as usual.

Recently, she had thoroughly figured out Duke Mana’s daily schedule.

She always wanted to chat with him about anything at all.

That day, she had almost blurted out that she was A-Lian.

Thankfully, she had been persuaded by Mana to go rest.

Only afterward did she realize how terrifying that almost was.

What if Father thought she was a monster…?

She could only keep hiding it.

She was always afraid of being exposed.

But honestly…

Staying by Father’s side like this…

Wasn’t it kind of nice?

She picked up the documents piled on Mana’s desk and began organizing them for him.

Actually…

Wasn’t this quite nice too?

Mana thought in confusion.

Maybe he really should adopt her.

She truly treated him as her father.

Having a daughter to accompany him, to stroll around casually…

That didn’t sound bad at all.

Later, he should talk to Alex and Charlotte about it.

Mana genuinely planned to adopt Lian.

After all, he felt that A-Lian had a strange pull on him.

Like a long-lost close relative.

But one thing was certain.

It was impossible for him to “suddenly become a father.”

He loved only Golia.

And only her.

He did not intend to forget Golia.

He planned to be buried alongside her.

He loved her.

Now.

And forever.

Looking at the fifteen-year-old girl before him, a trace of pity welled up again.

That settled it.

He decided silently.

“Lian, no need to help.

Just sit for a while.”

Old Mana also felt that he should retire someday.

But he was not the kind of person who could stay idle.

This arrangement was perfect.

After a few more years, when the duchy was fully taken over by his two sons, he planned to travel the continent with Lian.

“Here, take this…”

He took out the teaware and poured tea from the pot.

A-Lian accepted the cup and took small sips.

So fragrant…

Tea leaves from Bordeaux.

Back when she was still “him,” she had secretly snuck into this room to steal sips of this tea.

When cold, the tea was bitter instead of mellow.

“Is this tea from Bordeaux…?”

A-Lian carefully observed Mana’s expression and asked cautiously.

Mana continued writing the document sealed with a confidential crest.

He slightly raised his head and glanced at her.

“Hm?

You know about this?”

Mana asked quietly, then continued writing the long letter.

“N-no… well, yes.

I suppose I’ve had it before…

But it was cold and very bitter.

That’s why I remembered it so clearly.

I didn’t expect it to be just like the books said.

When warm, this tea is truly mellow and fragrant…”

A-Lian replied, half answering, half reminiscing.

It was all true.

Because of that experience, she remembered this tea’s nature clearly.

“I see…”

After a moment, Mana replied.

He lit the oil lamp, then took out a piece of crimson sealing wax, melted it, and dripped it onto the oil-paper envelope.

He then took a metal seal from the drawer and pressed it firmly onto the envelope.

Afterward, he reached out and patted Lian’s head.

He gently rubbed A-Lian’s smooth hair.

Just like stroking his own child’s head.

A-Lian felt very comfortable.

For her, this was deeply soothing.

This kind of head-patting…

In the past, it only existed in her imagination.

She had only ever seen it from dark corners, secretly watching Mana pat her two brothers’ heads.

The two remained silent.

Mana seemed lost in thought.

A-Lian, meanwhile, half-closed her eyes, focusing only on the sensation on her head.

It was tingly and pleasant.

This feeling was wonderful.

Like someone beside you, gently playing with the tips of your hair.

Or whispering softly in your ear.

In any case, A-Lian felt very at ease.

After some time, Mana suddenly spoke.

“Lian…

Would you be willing to become my adopted daughter?”

Mana asked carefully.

Afraid she might misunderstand, he used a very serious tone.

“I…”

A-Lian lowered her head and replied softly.

“I… I’m willing!”

She answered, rubbing her eyes that had grown a little blurry.

………………

“D-don’t be afraid!

Get in there!”

Sharred roared angrily, shouting at Lilith as she descended from above.

Only a little over two hundred people remained scattered on the battlefield.

They were weaker than him.

But they were still trained demon soldiers.

With two hundred men plus himself, even biting, they could tear the Demon King to death, right…?

There were no mages or archers left.

But at least there was still manpower.

With his own strength, he might not win outright.

But he still had a secret weapon.

If he caught the Demon King off guard and killed her in one blow…

He would become a hero.

A gamble.

At worst, it would cost him his life.

He believed it was worth it.

Win, and become a hero.

Lose, and become a corpse.

Even if the method was somewhat shameless.

Amid the remnants of the army, Sharred roared at the Demon King in the distance.

He activated his awakened power.

Wrath.

A power only those beyond saints could possess.

Each person’s awakening was different.

Sharred’s individual combat ability was not exceptional.

But who said only strong individuals could be commanders?

Sharred was proof otherwise.

His power was Wrath.

His Wrath could strengthen his subordinates, turning them into fearless death warriors.

The demon soldiers’ faces flushed red.

Their adrenaline surged several times beyond normal levels.

Their hearts began pounding violently.

In an instant, they seemed to forget the scenes of comrades being shredded by afterimage swords.

Like berserk warriors driven mad, the beasts hidden deep within their bodies awakened.

“Ahhh!

Tear her apart…

Rip her to pieces!”

The demon soldiers screamed.

“Ahhhh!

Blood!”

They howled and charged at Lilith.

“Thump—thump—thump…”

Their hearts pumped vast amounts of blood.

So violently that they seemed about to burst.

Lilith condensed the afterimage sword into a solid form and held it in one hand.

“Don’t mind me…”

She swung her blade and severed an arm in one strike.

Blood sprayed out from beneath skin reddened to the point of dripping.

Like a fountain erupting.

Without fear, those beasts—no longer even human—continued surging forward like a tide.

Afterimage swords…

Ready.

“Wrapped in horsehide in death…

Returning home…”

Lilith sang softly as she fought.

Under the afterimage blades, none could withstand such a cleansing.

Only the exhausted Sharred remained standing blankly.

He had drained too much strength by empowering so many soldiers.

Lilith had deliberately spared Sharred.

She dismissed the afterimage swords, released her stone spell, and held the solid blade.

“Any last words?”

She asked calmly.

“Yes.”

Sharred replied with surprising composure.

“Oh?

Go on.”

She smiled playfully.

Once he finished, she would cut him down.

Head and body separated.

“That would be…”

“Die.”

He sneered.

“Bang!”

A palm-sized launcher fired a dazzling burst of flame.

“Die—ugh—ahhh!”

He screamed as he collapsed.

………………

“No!

I disagree!”

Alex shouted at Mana and Charlotte.

“She’s highly suspicious!

I don’t feel at ease!”

Alex said angrily.

“You should know…

At that banquet, she told many lies.

She’s not some small noble from a neighboring country.

She’s a native of Bordeaux!”

Alex protested loudly.

But it had little effect.

Lian was simply too pitiful.

Charlotte and Mana deeply sympathized with her.

“I strongly agree!

I think having another little sister would be great!”

Charlotte said firmly.

“Even if she lied about her nationality, I was there.

The etiquette she performed was unmistakably noble.

She might just be a fallen minor noble from Bordeaux.

Maybe she’s afraid of being discovered by enemies seeking revenge.”

Charlotte immediately countered.

“You—why are you—”

Alex began shouting.

“That’s enough.”

Mana tried to stop the meaningless argument.

But it was already out of control.

“Why are you always so rigid—at least—”

Charlotte and Alex continued arguing back and forth.

“Then why is she afraid every time she sees me?!”

Alex demanded angrily.

“Maybe because you’re ugly and she’s scared.

Why doesn’t she react that way to me?”

Charlotte defended A-Lian again.

“I said stop!”

Mana roared.

“I’ve decided.

I will adopt her.”

Mana declared firmly.

“I’m afraid.

Afraid that one day, when I’m old and helpless, you brats will forget about me and leave me to die alone.

So I plan for her to take care of me in the future.

That’s why I will adopt her.

No objections.

That’s final.

I’ll go talk to Lian again.”

Mana said decisively.

Now it was Alex’s turn to feel awkward.

He had no choice but to accept his father’s reasoning.

It seemed he was about to gain a younger sister he didn’t feel great about.

What a way to become a brother.

“Then it’s settled.

Everyone, disperse.

Wait—Alex, don’t leave yet.

There’s a document here.

Take it today and have it delivered to the Imperial City.

That’s all.

Dismissed.”

With that, Mana walked straight toward the library.

He wanted to inform A-Lian directly.

Her fever had already subsided.

She was still coughing slightly, so she was still taking medicine.

At that moment, she was lying face-down on a book, asleep.

She must truly have been exhausted.

He gently touched her smooth silver hair.

Then he quietly left.