Chapter 2

Adrian was not a nobody.

He was the eldest son of the Duke of Eston Family, the one said to be the richest on the continent. To find the youngest daughter of such a house was a huge matter.

The butler also squinted and looked at the child.

“Yes. I’m sure that she died as soon as she was born. They held a funeral and I even attended. She probably isn’t her.”

“Is that so? Ah right, didn’t they start accepting requests for biological child identification at the temple not long ago?”

“Yes, Young Miss. That is right. I heard that through such requests, even an illegitimate child from the Viscount Beryl Family was kicked out. It seems that the child’s mother was only aiming for money.”

“Did you say the Viscount Beryl Family?”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

Thinking for a while, Violet asked the butler.

“Wasn’t Viscount Beryl’s eyes an especially bright sky blue?”

“Yes. That is right.”

“…Isn’t something strange?”

“What is the Young Miss thinking?”

“…Hm.”

Violet put her answer on hold and quietly looked at the child who had bright sky blue eyes.

Although sauce fully covered her face, the child was still eating happily.

‘Looks like she’s eating with her face, not with her mouth.’

She was like a kitten drinking milk with its whole head dunked in the bowl.

Looking at her appearance, Violet began sorting out her thoughts and the situation.

“Adrian’s younger sister died as soon as she was born, right?”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

“What if six years ago, around the same time, Viscount Beryl had an illegitimate child?”

The butler’s expression darkened when he heard her words.

Although the Young Miss whom he served was still young, she was so smart that she could not be compared with her peers.

That’s why whatever Violet said, he couldn’t just dismiss as a child’s mindless babble.

“No way…”

“Someone might have swapped the children, right? The dead child might have also had blue eyes with pink hair.”

“…!”

“Try to ask around about the woman who gave the illegitimate child to Viscount Beryl. Since Viscount Beryl’s hair color is black, then that woman’s hair is definitely pink. If not, it’s a similar color.”

“If that is the case…”

“That’s right. If she did indeed do that, she could deceive him by saying that it was her and the Viscount’s child.”

“I understand.”

“Ah right, find out how much money she received too.”

“Yes. I understand Young Miss. Ah! The Count and the Countess said that they will return to the mansion around next week, after finishing all the territory business.”

“Uh… Is that so? Okay.”

Violet took a sip of water.

‘I have to deal with this matter carefully.’

Since she knew well just how hard it was for Adrian’s family after the child died as soon as she was born.

‘But they really do look alike.’

That child looked particularly similar to Adrian’s mother.

While the child was eating diligently, Violet secretly went behind the child and plucked out one strand of pink hair.

Perhaps the child was so absorbed in eating that she didn’t even care about it.

‘I’ll have to make a request at the temple.’

Not long ago, at the temple, they started working on checking whether one was a person’s biological child or not.

Originally, they adhered to the attitude that they could not do such a thing and would follow God’s will, but it was no longer a situation to refuse.

There were so many nobles who had illegitimate children, and the resulting fraudulent behavior increased. The Imperial Palace directly requested the temple.

Instead of being forced to start doing it, the temple decided to receive a large donation.

‘In the end, the temple is a place that can’t work without donations.’

The temple that was suffering from financial difficulties at that time, was now enjoying its revival period again thanks to it.

Now, not only nobles, but even commoners could confirm their paternity by simply donating.

‘I have to get Adrian’s hair tomorrow.’

The temple’s paternity test only required one to bring a part of the growing body such as hair, nails, or others to get a result.

Violet ordered a servant to keep the child’s hair well.

“Uhm nyam nyam.”

In the meantime, the child was working hard eating. To the extent that her stomach had started to protrude like a tadpole.

After eating, her stomach was full of pain. Only after taking digestive medicine did she fall asleep as if she passed out.

While sleeping, a priest visited, but the child was so deep in sleep that she didn’t notice at all.

***

When she opened her eyes, she saw a fancy-designed ceiling.

The child jumped up and checked her surroundings.

‘Where is this?’

The place where she was lying was a large and soft bed.

And…

“Are you awake?”

“Aack!”

Right next to the child, someone got up and talked to the child.

Surprised, she lowered her head in the blanket, then raised her head again…

“Good morning.”

It was the pretty Older Sister from yesterday.

Brown hair, a smile, and the name Violet.

‘Ah right. Yesterday, I got a meal here, right?’

She ate so much to the point that she couldn’t even walk and had to take digestive medicine.

After that, her memory was cut off… but it seemed that she fell asleep.

“Slave….”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Am I becoming a slave now?”

The child asked carefully. With a very serious and grave face.

Honestly, it didn’t seem like she was a slave trader… even so, the child was still absolutely anxious.

After all, there was no reason for a noble young lady to show such goodwill to a beggar child.

“Pfft… PHUAHAHAHA!”

Perhaps the child’s words were so funny that Violet grabbed her belly and guffawed.

“For you to say ‘slave’. That’s illegal, Baby.”

“….”

“Now, since you’ve woken up, shall we wash your face and eat?”

“…Yes!”

After answering without realizing it, the child bit her lips.

It was because this situation was a little humiliating. She had lived hungry every day for so long that just hearing people asking her to go eat, she couldn’t refuse.

‘First of all, since it doesn’t seem like she’s a slave trader, let’s relax a bit.’

“Now, come here.”

Violet reached out her hand as if she was going to hug the child tight.

When the child approached carefully, Violet really hugged her for a moment before putting her down.

‘Gasp! To think that she really hugged me!’

It felt like her mind was going to be melted away by the warmth she felt for the first time.

Moreover, Violet had a very lovely and sweet scent. A happy smell that seemed to only come from a happy person.

“You said you were 6 years old, right? But why are you so small and light? If you told me that you were 4 years old, I’d believe it.”

It couldn’t be helped since she couldn’t eat properly.

When she was in a noble house, there were people who at least gave her food, even if it was poor food. However…

After being kicked out, she was grateful if she could eat a meal once every two days.

So when she saw food, she couldn’t help but rush like a beast.

When they arrived at the dining room while holding hands, Violet put the child in a chair.

“Today, you’re eating slowly. Understand?”

The child nodded eagerly.

On top of the table, just like yesterday, it was filled with delicious things.

From savory-smelling bread to warm soup, well-cooked steaming meat, and even cute desserts.

Just looking at them made her gulp.

It felt like she could even do anything that was ordered if they allowed her to eat this kind of food every day.

‘But, if it’s not for slave trading, why are they giving me food?’

When she started eating, rational thinking became possible again.

The child chewed the meat eagerly and glanced at Violet.

Whenever they made eye contact, Violet smiled brightly. That smile of hers was so pretty that the child blushed without realizing it herself.

‘She’s like an angel.’

An angel who gives meat…

What kind of novel had an angel character who gives out meat…?

The child gulped the juice and recalled the novels which she had read in her previous life.

“Ah, I’m going to my friend’s house today. He is called Adrian Eston, my closest friend.”

“Aahh… Yes.”

After answering insincerely, the child paused.

‘Adrian Eston?’

Gulp.

After swallowing the meat, the child blinked.

“Why are you like that?”

“…It’sh nwothing.” [It’s nothing.]

The child started eating again. Let’s eat first, then think. When one is full, its brain will also roll!

After the meal was finished, she even ate a lot of desserts.

After Violet was well-dressed and left the mansion, the child sat on the sofa together with a maid.

The maid was reading a storybook to the child, but… none of the words entered the child’s ears.

‘Don’t tell me it’s ‘that’ Adrian Eston?’

Come to think of it, the name of the female lead in the novel where Adrian appeared was Violet.

Moreover, she was a lady of a noble family with pretty brown hair.

‘Then, don’t tell me, I…’

No. You never know.

‘There’s no way that it’s that tragedy novel… It must not be it!’

However, it seemed like everything that happened so far matched the bill.

The fact that she had pink hair… The fact she lived in the beggar’s den…

“No!”

“Oh my! Were you surprised? Hohoho. I was good at imitating wolves, right?”

When the child shouted without realizing it herself, the maid laughed, “Hoho.”

The maid was reading aloud a scene in the storybook where the wolf tried to eat a child.

“If it is scary, I’ll read you something else. Or do you want to take a nap?”

“….”

Come to think of it, she was indeed getting sleepy.

‘I have to think more about it though…’

Feeling full and warm for the first time, her body quickly became hungry and quickly found sleep.

The child was muttering that it’s not it, but when the maid covered her with a warm blanket, she soon fell asleep.

Inside her dream, meat as big as a face which could be seen in a cartoon appeared.

***

It was in the middle of the night when she woke up.

The child opened her eyes in the same bed she woke up in during the morning.

The difference was that there was a small teddy bear next to her, instead of Violet.

“…?”

The child looked at the pink baby bear doll and frowned.

‘This doll is…!’

N-no. It can’t be.

The child denied reality. She wanted to deny that this world was inside that novel.

However, this teddy bear was really…

‘The baby bear doll that the female lead had in the novel…’

It reminded her of that doll.

Also, isn’t a teddy bear with pink fur very rare?

[It’s nice to meet you, Kid.]

What was worse was it even spoke.

“….”

I-I said It c-can’t be… No!

In the novel, the teddy bear was one of the original female lead’s redemptions. A few years later, when the female lead’s mana was opened, it was revealed that it was a child whose seal was released.

[So you’re a kid who has mana. Thanks to you who sleeps while holding me tight, the seal was released. Hohoho. I’m a redemption that has a special power. In other words, I’m also called a spirit!]

“…N-No.”

There must be another novel with a redemption pink baby bear setting…. There should be one, right? There should be…

‘It’s common, right? Something like a pink teddy bear…’

Yeah, that’s why it must not be that tragedy novel.

[What do you mean no? You woke me up. Let me introduce myself, what kind of spirit I am… I am…!]

“Nooooo!”

The child jumped up and like that, she rushed toward the door.

As she opened the door with a whimper and went down the stairs, she saw Violet with a serious expression.

Violet’s expression was like that because the child was on the verge of tears.

“Huh? Did you have a nightmare?”

Violet reached out her hand while looking at the crying child. The child soon ran to her in tears and fell into her arms.

When the child buried her head in Violet’s brown hair, a nice scent enveloped her. When she smelled it, her mind gradually became more peaceful.

“Don’t worry, Baby. Everything will be alright.”

Violet patted the child on the back as she whispered like that.

‘Ah, is this hand a magic hand…?’

The touch felt so cozy and stable that the child fell asleep again.

***

The next morning.

Violet looked at the child who was still asleep.

‘Cute.’

“She really looks a lot like Adrian.”

As Violet thought so, she gave the child the pink teddy bear to hold in her arms. She then covered her with a blanket carefully and kissed the child lightly on the forehead.

“Sleep well.”

As Violet changed her clothes and came down the stairs, she saw the butler running in hurriedly.

“Young Miss! The temple’s paternity test result sheet has arrived.”

“In a day? As expected… Fortunately, I donated a lot!”

Violet quickly opened the document envelope that was handed over by the butler and took out the documents.

Her heart was pounding and shaking.

Violet calmed down her heart and then checked the documents.

And a while later…

“…As expected.”

Violet smiled as she looked at the last phrase.

The probability that the two people are related by blood was confirmed to be 99.9%.