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Chapter 05
What are you talking about?
“Isn’t it the parents who adopt, not the brother?”
“…Well, that’s true.”
“Anyway, it’d be nice if someone good comes along. But I’m going to wait until someone I actually like shows up.”
“Huh? You mean you’re going to choose your adoptive parents?”
“Of course. They pick us, so why can’t we pick them? Besides, we’ve already been abandoned once. We should be even pickier this time!”
Even though I knew how things worked in reality, I declared boldly. Bell looked like the world had just turned upside down, but then slowly, a smile spread across his face.
“Ha… Haha, ahaha! You’re right. If parents can abandon us, I guess we can reject them too.”
“Exactly! Now come on, scrub-scrub.”
“W-wait! What are you doing?! That’s my shirt!”
“I’m helping you wash. You still can’t lift your arms properly because of the rash, remember?”
Bell eventually stopped resisting and let me help. I made sure to clean behind his ears and even shampooed his hair.
I really gave it my all. After shaking the water from his hair…
Wow…
“You’re going to grow up to be really handsome!”
“…Grow up?”
“Oh, I mean, you’re already handsome! I just didn’t say it before because I figured you knew.”
“T-that’s not why I—”
“Oops, sounds like someone just arrived?”
From the hallway, we could hear the headmaster getting all flustered. It must be the count. A passing assistant spotted us and shouted:
“Get inside quickly! We need to make up the numbers!”
“Okay!”
In the end, I didn’t even get to wash and dragged Bell with me.
In the room filled with scruffy kids, today’s special guest—the Count—entered. With his distinctive goatee, the man visibly resisted the urge to gag as soon as he walked in.
“Urgh… Ahem! Children of God, I am grateful for the chance to show you my grace today.”
“Hello…”
Just like they were taught, the kids greeted him in voices as lifeless as the undead. The Count clicked his tongue.
“Looks like you’re all starving! Did you enjoy the fruit I sent?”
The children answered in unison.
“It was really delicious!”
“It melted in our mouths!”
Their voices, which had sounded on the brink of death moments ago, were now full of life. The headmaster held his forehead in frustration. The Count chuckled.
“I’m glad you liked it. I’ll keep sending you delicious things.”
“Thank you!”
“But today, I’ve come for a different reason.”
Gulp. The children swallowed nervously. Here comes the main event. The Count continued gravely.
“I’m here to take home the most pitiful child.”
The kids began groaning and coughing again. I watched the Count’s expression from behind Bell.
He pretended to be kind, but there was a strange annoyance in his gaze when he looked at the kids. He didn’t seem like a good person at all…
Then his eyes landed on us.
“Well, well. Young man, you’re quite the looker.”
Everyone turned to Bell. He looked flustered.
“Me?”
“Yes. What’s your name?”
“…”
“A little shy, are you? Stand up.”
Bell didn’t move. The Count was slightly patient.
“Ha ha, are you overwhelmed with gratitude?”
“…Please don’t mind me.”
“I must insist! I’m merely choosing the most pitiful child here.”
Huh? How is he the most pitiful? I scrubbed him clean with care! If anything, he looks like a noble’s son now! Even the headmaster looked confused.
The Count pointed at Bell’s neck.
“Look at that. His skin is all red. Must be some skin disease.”
“…!”
“He needs immediate treatment. Come now, stand up.”
“It’s not a skin disease.”
Bell covered his neck. It was just an allergic reaction to melon. Give it a few more days, and it would disappear. But the Count wouldn’t budge.
“Stand. I’ve chosen you.”
“…Count, please look around you. There’s a child coughing non-stop, and another whose face is blackened from organ damage. Compared to that—”
“Stand up! How long do you plan to keep me in this filthy place?!”
The Count’s shout echoed through the cramped room. It was like being struck. Some of the kids started crying, but the Count only looked at them like bugs.
“Headmaster, has anyone ever come looking for this child?”
“Uh, no. That one’s called ‘Bell.’ Apparently, he was abandoned by his parents.”
“Perfect. Let’s be off. The carriage is waiting.”
“Hey, the Count is calling you. Come now!”
Bell didn’t move an inch.
A flicker of annoyance passed over the Count’s face. His attendant stepped forward. With his bulky arms, the children parted like the Red Sea.
Just before he reached Bell, I stepped in and shouted:
“Mister, are you trying to take my brother?”
“Huh? Who’s this little one?”
“Count! Please don’t take Sol’s brother…”
I clung to Bell, pretending to cry. Bell looked at me like he had indigestion.
“Sol?”
“Brother! You said you’d stay with me! Don’t go!”
I hugged Bell tightly. I could feel his heart pounding like crazy. Please don’t pass out from high blood pressure at your age! I’m not even done with my nonsense yet!
“Don’t take my brother! Sol can’t sleep without him!”
“L-little girl…”
The attendant looked clearly flustered.
“Your brother is going to a better place, okay?”
“Don’t touch him! I’ll bite you!”
The attendant gave a nervous laugh and backed off. I clung to Bell even harder. His eyes seemed to ask:
‘Why are you going this far for me?’
…Good question. Why am I helping this arrogant kid?
Well, I think I know why. I made that speech about choosing our own parents. I can’t just turn around and say, “Oh well, guess you got picked. Good luck!”
I’m supposed to be the cool adult here. I should be able to protect one little kid.
I kept pushing the attendant’s arms away. He was starting to look irritated. The headmaster gave an awkward laugh.
“Hoho, these two are new arrivals, but it looks like they’ve gotten close already. Maybe look at someone else… They’re both pretty stubborn…”
But just then—
“Tch! Can’t even get rid of one filthy brat!”
With the Count’s curse, it felt like a bomb went off in my arms. The world tilted. My cheek hit the floor.
…The Count had kicked me. That bastard…!
Bell cried out.
“Sol!”
In that moment, the attendant grabbed Bell. The Count laughed.
“Well then, shall we be off?”
“Put me down! Hey, Headmaster!”
Suddenly, Bell called out to the headmaster. And not politely—he talked down to him!
The headmaster looked at him like he’d lost his mind. But Bell continued shouting:
“Headmaster, help me right now! I’ll repay you later!”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I’m not an orphan—I’m the third son of the Duke of Schlaeger! Listen to me!”
Schlaeger. Duke. Words I’d heard before, but ones that didn’t belong in an orphanage.
The headmaster and teacher looked stunned. But the Count didn’t.
Under his goatee, a sly smile curved on his lips.
“Kahahaha! Oh yes, I know. Young master Elver Schlaeger!”
Bell’s eyes went wide.
“Y-you know who I am?!”
“Of course. Did you think I’d believe that pathetic fake name ‘Bell’?”
“Then put me down!”
“You’re no young master now. You’re a filthy orphan. You’d best remember your place.”
“Ugh…!”
“Do you know how many disgusting orphanages I searched just to find you? It’s time you relearned who to be loyal to in my household!”
His eyes glimmered like he’d found treasure. That bastard had been targeting the Duke’s third son from the beginning!
He must have known about Bell’s melon allergy and spread melons around orphanages to track him by his skin reaction.
But the headmaster and teachers looked away, unwilling to get involved in noble affairs. No one helped Bell—no, Elver.
…No one but me.
Honestly, Duke, Count, whatever—who knows what kind of drama you’ve got going on. But I don’t care. I’ve got to save this kid!
I grabbed the Count’s ankle. He flinched.
“Get your filthy hands off me!”
His hand reached for the sword at his hip. Crap. Maybe I went too far.
But if I’d done nothing, I’d regret hearing Elver’s voice crying forever. I just can’t stand seeing kids suffer.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
…But I wasn’t the one who got crushed.
BOOM—!
A freezing wind howled like a wolf. The orphanage door was obliterated.
As everyone turned toward the gust that stung like a blade, a man in a gray coat walked steadily toward the Count.
A neat, silver-haired man. Probably mid-thirties.
The Count stammered as he said his name:
“D-Duke Schlaeger…”
The “Duke” replied in a voice full of authority and maturity that went beyond appearance.
“You should address me as ‘Your Grace.’”
“Guh…”
“Put my son down.”
His gaze landed on the Count. Deep blue eyes that shimmered like waves. Just looking at them was hypnotizing.
But the Count, in desperation, pointed his sword at Elver.
“Think I’ll hand him over? If you care for your son’s life—”
“You get no second chances.”
“…What?”
Something flashed in the air.
Just a moment ago, the Duke had been empty-handed. But now a blade of silver gleamed in his hand…
The Count’s body slowly tilted sideways. With a thud, blood pooled on the floor.
It wasn’t until then that I realized what had taken his life.
In the Duke’s hand was a sword made of ice. Blood droplets slid down the transparent blade.
As we—all the kids, the staff, even I—stood frozen in shock, only the Duke moved with cold precision.
“So much trash.”
One by one, the Count’s attendants fell to the ice blades. Then the swords vanished into thin air.
Only after witnessing that unreal scene did I remember who Elver and Duke Schlaeger were.
Elver was the male lead in To Save You.
Originally warm-hearted, his personality was destroyed by his cold-blooded father—only to be redeemed by the heroine.
And that cold-hearted father was none other than this man: Rattiger Alt Schlaeger.
The still-innocent Elver said, his voice trembling:
“Father… you didn’t abandon me?”
“As long as I got to you before someone else picked you up, that’s good enough, isn’t it?”
Oh, male lead, now I get why you turned out the way you did. If you burn the whole world down, I’ll understand.
The Duke held out a hand, soaked in blood and ice, to his son.
“Let’s go home, Elver.”
