LMHS 26

Chapter 26

Elysion’s plan to persuade Tania and switch back to an adult point of view was overturned in an instant.

If what she had wanted so desperately existed here……

Then he would help her achieve everything she desired, right here.

Having made up his mind, Elysion strode up to Tania and greeted her.

“Hi, Tania.”

Tania, who had stiffened when she noticed him, blinked in flustered surprise.

“……H-how do you know my name?”

Elysion answered calmly, without a hint of hesitation.

“Your story’s spread all over the talent institute right now. You looked exactly like the rumors described, so I thought I’d call out to you just in case.”

“A-ah…….”

Tania gave an awkward smile and avoided his gaze.

Since it was rare to see her flustered like this, Elysion looked at her with an expression of amused interest.

“My name’s Elysion. You can call me Sion.”

“Mmm, Sion.”

“Tania, are you planning to participate in the adoption competition tomorrow?”

At Elysion’s question, Tania’s complexion visibly darkened.

Seeing her expression, Elysion became certain that Tania had been aiming to be adopted by Duke Papiope.

And that she felt a great sense of guilt toward him because of it.

But Elysion himself didn’t mind at all.

As for adoption, he could simply go to the Tower Master, who had always regretted not discovering him earlier and missing the chance to adopt him……

And even Duke Papiope, who had been his adoptive mother in the previous timeline, would ultimately become his mother anyway once he married Tania.

In the first place, the reason he had been able to enter the talent institute at all was thanks to Tania.

So he could gladly yield that trivial position of being adopted by a ducal family.

After a long pause, Tania finally spoke, tightly gripping the hem of the dress she was wearing.

“Yeah, I’m planning to participate. I guess we’ll be competitors.”

“Competitors? Well, I don’t know about that.”

Elysion lifted the corner of his lips in a meaningful smile.

“Tania, rather than some stiff relationship like that, I want to be on good terms with you.”

“……Huh?”

“So don’t feel pressured. Just come.”

“……Mm?”

“Then, see you tomorrow.”

With that, Elysion left before Tania could respond.

In the end, living in his original adult point of view was no longer an option……

But instead, his heart felt more at ease than ever.

✦ ✦ ✦

After going to the talent institute and successfully sneaking back home before Uncle Aiden returned,

I lay down on my bed and整理ed my thoughts about what had just happened.

“So the adoption competition is tomorrow.”

The schedule that had seemed so relaxed had suddenly been pulled forward.

“……I wanted to spend more time with Uncle.”

Thinking that tomorrow would mean saying goodbye to this house too made my chest feel tight.

How was I supposed to explain this to him?

“First, I should be honest and tell him that I’m participating in the adoption competition tomorrow.”

It would tear apart the heart of the uncle who had offered to adopt me, but there was no helping it.

And one more thing.

“Elysion…… for a moment, I thought he remembered me.”

When he called my name, he had clearly looked startled too.

Just like how I had been surprised when I saw him become younger.

“He really was different from the start.”

It was easy to see where that handsome face came from.

His features were so distinct that I could recognize him as Elysion immediately.

“Come to think of it……”

At the time, my body had stiffened so much that I couldn’t think clearly, but Elysion had also seemed to freeze for a long moment when he saw me.

And he said he wanted to be on good terms rather than be competitors.

“Why?”

Was it simply because I had done well on the entrance exam and gotten into the talent institute?

Could it be…….

Did he fall in love with me at first sight?

Thinking back, even in the previous timeline, Elysion had shown strong affection and tried to get close to me from the very beginning, despite having no prior connection to me.

I was in the middle of piling up these rather plausible speculations when I heard someone entering the house, and I jumped up and ran out.

“Eek! Uncle, you’re back?”

I charged forward with my arms spread wide.

Uncle naturally lowered himself so I could cling to him, and I ended up dangling from his neck.

The arms supporting me were remarkably steady.

“Tania, if you run like that, you might fall.”

“But I missed you so much.”

“Is that really it? Or is this what you wanted?”

As he said that, Uncle held up a large chunk of meat wrapped in paper.

“Hehe, that too.”

Uncle looked at me with gentle eyes, then told me about what had happened at the trading company.

“I asked the guild master, and it’s true they need a mercenary, but he told me to focus on taking care of you for now. He said he’d ask again if it really became urgent.”

“I see.”

Phew, thankfully it seemed the guild master uncle had noticed something and covered for us.

“Uncle, I have something to tell you.”

“All right.”

I lightly tapped his shoulder, asking him to put me down.

“It’s important.”

He stared at me as if telling me to speak while still in his arms, but when I tapped his shoulder again, he finally set me down on the floor.

“What is it?”

“Uncle, um…… please let me participate in the Papiope Ducal House’s adoption competition tomorrow.”

“An adoption competition……?”

Uncle quietly frowned, looking as though he couldn’t understand.

“Setting aside how you found out that the competition is tomorrow, I know that only children affiliated with the Papiope Talent Institute can apply.”

“Well, actually…… when you went to quit the mercenary group, I took the entrance exam. I even have the acceptance letter.”

Pushing aside my nervousness, I unfolded the crumpled acceptance letter I’d kept in my pocket and showed it to him.

“H-here…….”

“…….”

Uncle slowly took the letter from my hand and read it, tracing each word. His eyes began to tremble.

The first emotions reflected in his eyes were surprise and joy.

But soon, a mix of feelings crossed his face, and sorrow surfaced.

After reading it all, he looked at me with a complicated expression.

“Perhaps I…… became an obstacle to your talent blooming.”

“No! Uncle, you’ve treated me more than well—!”

“No.”

He cut me off firmly, neatly folded the letter, and handed it back to me.

“No matter how much attention I give you, it wouldn’t be enough to let your talent fully bloom. And with results like these…….”

Uncle looked at me with a guilt-ridden expression.

“You were destined to live as a noble. And yet you ended up meeting me…….”

“Uncle! Why would you think something like that?!”

I called out to him in shock, but his resolve didn’t waver.

“Make sure you participate in the adoption competition tomorrow. I’ll take you to the talent institute.”

He bent down to meet my eye level and firmly grasped both my shoulders.

“If you don’t win the adoption competition, you can come back to me, or you can enter the talent institute.”

It was what I had wanted, yet when his permission was finally given, I clamped my mouth shut, at a loss for words.

I was deeply grateful—and deeply sorry.

But Uncle, as if to comfort me, brushed my disheveled hair back.

“Tania, don’t worry about me and do whatever your heart tells you to do. The only thing I worry about is you. Live for yourself.”

They were unbearably kind words—words that made it even harder for me to leave him.

✦ ✦ ✦

The next day.

Just as he’d said, Uncle took me to the talent institute.

I couldn’t take my eyes off his retreating figure for a long time.

Uncle Aiden.

The person who protects me, and at the same time, the person I must protect.

“……This too is a relationship no different from family, isn’t it.”

Yes, this was enough.

Even if I became a duke’s daughter and could never call him “Dad” again, it was enough.

I’d already absentmindedly called him Dad before……

And I’d already heard him call me “my daughter,” so in a way, it was a more successful life than before the regression.

[Overlaying the current point of view onto Viewpoint 2.]

I moved on, erasing without regret the point in time when Uncle had first offered to adopt me.

To become a duke’s daughter, I’d need at least two save slots.

Backups were essential for important matters.