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chapter 3
Right now, I’m five years old.
At six, Count Torto would adopt me, and at seven, my hair color would start to darken.
In other words, within the next two years, if I encounter Count Torto, my blonde hair would make adoption highly likely.
‘At least the chance of him finding me earlier than in my previous life is low.’
The Count couldn’t be sure of the illegitimate child’s fate until he found me and later until he found Raely.
-Do you have any memories of your mother?
-No…
-I see. I’m glad you’re alive, at least.
He had said things like this, which meant he wouldn’t have searched every orphanage in the country for a child whose fate was uncertain.
‘Then what should I do before the Count shows up?’
As a penniless orphan in this orphanage, I couldn’t just wander the streets.
After weighing several possibilities, I reached one solution.
└[Meet him and just kill him?]
Why are fairies’ thoughts always so violent…?
Not the unrealistic idea of using a five-year-old’s body to break through guards and handle a noble.
‘I need to catch the eye of another noble before the Count arrives.’
The nations on this continent had repeated wars endlessly, and the Develloa Empire, where I lived, seemed determined to end the long history of war by pushing through conquest.
Though the empire eventually won, there were side effects.
‘Many orphans lost their parents.’
The emperor thought that if orphans roamed the streets, the shadow of war would never disappear, and thus said:
-Actively support facilities that protect children.
With the royal family’s involvement, nobles also sponsored orphanages to appear favorable to the crown.
Sometimes, nobles who had lost heirs in war and had no suitable relatives would come to adopt children from the orphanage…
└[Ugh… I hate long world-building explanations. Too boring, I quit.]
Why do quit-fairies keep switching between boarding and leaving?
└[Quitting quietly is the proper etiquette ^^…]
└[This one says she’s leaving but keeps following. Ignore her.]
To summarize for the fairies complaining about boring explanations: even as an orphan, I could encounter nobles.
└[One-line summary thanks]
└[For a child-rearing story, adoption to at least a duke’s house makes sense]
‘No. Adoption isn’t what I’m aiming for.’
That wouldn’t be something I could achieve just by trying.
There was an easier way to connect with adult nobles: the guardianship system!
‘With a guardian, any adoption requires the guardian’s consent.’
It’d be a problem if someone took a talented child away just because they weren’t the biological parent.
Count Torto sometimes acted as a guardian for children with swordsmanship talent, so he knew this well.
‘Even if my parents or relatives appear, the adoption process already takes time, and adding a guardian extends it further.’
Months could easily pass. Plenty of time to prepare.
I didn’t need support—anyone could be a guardian.
Then even if Count Torto noticed me, I’d have time to respond.
└[Doesn’t the heroine try to find her biological family?]
└[There seems to be a birth secret coming]
I had secretly tried to find out, fearing expulsion from the Count’s house.
But where would detailed info on an ordinary child exist? Naturally, I found nothing.
└[Foreshadowing?]
└[The heroine is probably a princess or royal lady]
└[LOL so many heroines flash through my mind]
‘…’
The comment fairies, though often insightful, sometimes came up with extreme and absurd ideas.
‘Which country do these “heroines” live in to experience such strange things?’
Even I, who collected rumors for the Count, didn’t know. The fairies must have come from a very faraway land.
“Pretty flowers are blooming, I wanna show the madam….”
└[Ah, a lisping heroine here too]
└[She’s five years old, probably just turned five. Kids that age usually pronounce pretty well…]
└[My six-year-old nephew still had a lisp]
└[I wish child-rearing heroines would pronounce properly]
‘Do I really get scolded for biting my tongue?!’
Adjusting to a smaller body could make a small slip possible.
Yet every time my pronunciation faltered, the fairies scolded me to speak properly.
After the strict etiquette lessons in Count Torto’s house, this was the first time I got scolded over pronunciation.
‘So harsh…’
As I handed a flower I had picked in the backyard, my expression stiffened, and the noblewoman in front of me looked at me with concern.
“Are you okay, dear?”
“I-I’ve never seen an adult prettier than a flower, so my heart is racing, and I think I got the hiccups. Hehe.”
“Oh my…”
The noblewoman blushed slightly, seemingly pleased with my compliment.
‘Phew. Made a good impression today too!’
Meeting often like this might make her my guardian!
Recently, I’d been watching for noble carriages approaching the orphanage. Whenever one arrived, I would be the first to rush out and greet them.
Thanks to this, the miserly director even smiled.
“This orphanage seems very attentive in managing the children.”
“Of course, of course.”
“This ribbon was also bought by the director!”
“Funds provided by generous sponsors should be used for the children. It’s not about money, so it should be done.”
Even the miserly director could show a kind smile when money was involved.
By praising the nobles and winning their favor, I became the face of the orphanage’s goodwill, and the director often kept me nearby.
Thanks to that, I could confidently act as the children’s representative whenever nobles visited.
‘Hehe…’
I played the good child who appreciated even small gestures, while the director’s reputation as a caring orphanage head was enhanced. A mutually strategic relationship.
└[#BlackScreenHeroine]
Black screen heroine? My actions harmed no one, so that’s hardly black screen.
But unlike my open and welcoming attitude, the comment fairies evaluated visitors with strict standards.
└[Baroness? Baron isn’t quite enough]
└[Of course, adoption by a duke will happen, right?]
‘Not “of course.” A noble like a duke rarely comes here.’
Even if nobles visited occasionally, high-ranking nobles rarely came in person. They mostly sent representatives.
Yet the comment fairies kept obsessing over the “duke.”
└[Father, hurry! Our child is being kidnapped by Tart!]
Not Tart, Torto…
They hadn’t even seen him and called a random duke “Father.”
I shook my head at their logic, but stayed focused on my task.
“This is the playroom. There are picture books and dolls.”
I chattered like a guide while showing the room to the noblewoman.
└[Child labor scene, sob]
└[The heroine is good at her job, do more]
Was that meant to be sympathetic or urging?
“Thank you for guiding me.”
“No, I enjoyed it more. Goodbye!”
Phew. Another successful task today.
After seeing the noblewoman out, the fairies’ attention shifted to the other children.
Especially when I spoke with a boy, they kept saying:
└[You’re the male lead, right?]
I’m the heroine, the boy is the male lead.
Then he must be the male protagonist.
‘Can the male protagonist hear the comment fairies too?’
I asked the boy in front of me:
“Edin, have you ever heard the term ‘male lead’?”
“Hm? No.”
Apparently not.
While I wondered about the male lead, Edin fumbled with something in both hands and handed it to me.
He offered bread wrapped in paper.
└[Bread shuttle?]
…A word I’d never heard, but I could tell it had a negative nuance.
But Edin’s action was purely sincere.
“This was today’s snack, and you didn’t get any.”
“So you saved it for me?”
“Yes. You looked busy with the adults.”
“I’m fine. You eat it.”
“But…”
“You need to eat a lot.”
Though smaller than me, Edin was actually the same age.
Boys grow depending on nutrition.
Even Gerald, Count Torto’s son and once my older brother…
└[Huh? His name is Gaerold?]
No, Gerald…
