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Chapter 5
When Duke Krytan declared that he would adopt Lepoña, every employee in the mansion reacted with visible shock.
That meant no one in this mansion had been informed of the adoption beforehand.
Yet the bedroom was perfect.
It was clearly a room that had been kept spotless, warmed, and prepared every single day for the return of the real young lady.
“To give me this room…”
Lepoña brushed a finger across the shelf. Though no one had been living here, there wasn’t a speck of dust.
“He must intend to raise me as a replacement and relieve his guilt over his missing daughter.”
Otherwise, there would be no reason to give such a fine room to a conveniently adopted child.
Or worse—it could be a strategy to indebt her emotionally, so that when she was eventually abandoned, he could say:
“We treated you well. You have no right to resent us.”
How long will I be able to stay here? One month? …Maybe six?”
Lepoña climbed into the rocking chair by the fireplace, curling her small body tight. She had learned the hard way that being noticed rarely brought good things; whenever she arrived somewhere unfamiliar, her instinct was always to hide.
“Hm.”
With her knees drawn up, she rested her cheek on them.
There was always the possibility of being thrown out without warning. Staying here long enough to find the heirlooms would be ideal—but that was unlikely.
I need to explore the mansion first and locate the heirlooms before anything else.
On the way to the bedroom, she had briefly scanned the mansion’s layout, and thanks to her short legs, she realized it would take more than a full day to inspect all of it.
The one fortunate thing was that her memory remained completely intact despite her younger body. She had forgotten nothing from her time being trained by the Pope.
Knowing precise methods to strike human vital points without significant physical strength was valuable information for a five-year-old body.
But right now, it’s safer to act like a weak five-year-old than a five-year-old who knows exactly where to stab to kill.
People never grow suspicious of someone they believe is weaker than themselves.
If I do anything strange or suspicious, the whole plan collapses. I cannot let anyone find out who I really am.
The House of Krytan was the Empire’s guardian of safety and peace.
If they discovered her identity, the duke wouldn’t hesitate to execute Lepoña on the spot.
She had survived years as the Pope’s spy by acting every day—this much was nothing.
And if I get caught while looking for the heirlooms…
Lepoña clenched her tiny fist with a solemn expression.
I’ll stab a vital point and run.
Survival was the only priority.
In a world overflowing with malice, surviving was the only victory.
She would do anything for it.
Even if she had to kill emotion.
Even if she had to ignore horrifying acts.
Just then, she lowered her gaze—
“Where is the child?”
A voice she didn’t recognize sounded behind her.
“I’m certain I ordered you to take her to her bedroom.”
“S-sir? She was definitely here just moments ago!”
The rough, grainy voice belonged to the Duke, and the trembling, timid one sounded like the maid who had fed Lepoña candy while bathing her.
Thanks to repetitive memory training since childhood, remembering voices and faces was effortless.
“I distinctly told the butler to warn that any sign of discrimination would not be tolerated. Didn’t you hear it?”
“I-I am sorry, Your Grace!”
His cold, rigid tone made the maid’s voice waver into a sob.
I must stay close and keep myself hidden well. I cannot be discovered by mistake.
Even as the Empire’s guardian, this man was rumored to be cold-blooded, without tears or mercy—and hearing him now, she could believe it.
“I clearly said she is my daughter.”
…Daughter?
“She bears our family name—she is now Lady Lepoña Krytan.”
Bearing the family name… and becoming the Lady of House Krytan?
“You didn’t perhaps disregard her and refuse to guide her to her bedroom, did you?”
Wait.
No way…
Is he… talking about me?
Still curled tightly inside the rocking chair, Lepoña’s eyes shook.
“N-never! I bathed the young lady, but there was no suitable clothing, so I left temporarily to fetch something for her to change into!”
“You left a five-year-old alone in a mansion she’s never been in before? What if she panicked, wandered off, and got lost or injured?”
“I-I didn’t consider that…”
“One of you should have stayed with her. And I stepped out only so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable while bathing. Did you mistake that for permission to abandon her?”
“T-the fault is mine, Your Grace…”
Lepoña quickly uncurled her body and sprang to her feet.
Because she moved too fast, the rocking chair toppled over with a loud crash.
Both pairs of eyes snapped toward her. Lepoña instinctively shot her tiny arm into the air.
“I-I’m right here!”
Ugh. Her tongue…
She had spoken too quickly from panic and her pronunciation got tangled.
Seeing their stunned expressions, Lepoña squeezed her eyes shut in humiliation.
The duke hurried toward her.
“Are you hurt?”
“N-no, I’m fine. But the chair fell and it broke—”
“That sort of thing is replaceable. Pay it no mind.”
It had felt luxurious and unbelievably soft…
So that’s how wealthy nobles thought.
“I came because it’s about time for dinner. I’d like us to eat together.”
Dinner.
Just imagining noble cuisine made saliva pool beneath her tongue.
But she had to endure.
She had emphasized earlier that she would not cost much. If she admitted hunger not even a day later, he might think she was a poor investment.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not hungry?”
“Mm-hm.”
“What did you eat today?”
To stay in this mansion as long as possible, she needed to remain unremarkable.
This is nothing.
She remembered the children who had been temporarily adopted by nobles and then returned because they were “too much trouble” or “required too much attention.”
“I woke up… and ate half an apple.”
“…”
“I told you I don’t cost much to feed. Really, it’s okay. You don’t have to take care of me.”
I’ll be quiet, barely noticeable—
just please don’t throw me out too quickly.
“Was that enough to make you full?”
“Yes.”
“Do you always eat like that?”
“Yes.”
The duke brushed the worn, frayed edge of her sleeve with a blank expression.
“In that case… this is serious…”
His muttering gave off a chilling feeling.
Did I say something wrong?
Lepoña mentally replayed the conversation.
Did he hate apples?
Or was it because she ate immediately after waking up?
“I dislike eating alone.”
“…Huh?”
“I wanted to eat with you. So this is rather inconvenient.”
Lepoña’s eyes widened.
Back when she lived in the residence arranged by the Pope, she had met adults like that—priests who could not bear eating alone because they were so lonely inside.
The great Duke Krytan… is like that?
The Empire’s protector…
A grown adult…
who couldn’t eat meals alone?
“Are you really not hungry?”
Would she be a cost-efficient child,
or a comforting companion for a lonely duke?
Long-term, the first seemed smarter…
“It will be delicious.”
Lepoña’s shoulders twitched.
“The head chef loves cooking so much that he always prepares large amounts. It ends up wasted every day. It’s unfortunate, really.”
“…I’ll… I’ll eat with you.”
At the duke’s sigh, Lepoña answered immediately.
Whenever someone sighed, bad things usually followed—it was instinctive.
“Good.”
The duke accepted right away—
and lifted her gently into his arms.
“Eek!”
Held against the towering duke’s chest, Lepoña shouted in surprise.
“I-I can walk!”
“You don’t know the location of the dining hall. What if you get lost?”
With her still in his arms, he left the bedroom and walked down the hallway.
Her legs didn’t hurt,
her view was higher,
and she could see much more…
but still—
Is this right? I’m mentally twenty. Should I really be carried like this? I walked over mountains and rivers to do laundry at five years old!
Her soft cheeks flushed red.
She had never been carried like this in her entire life.
“If you don’t hold on properly, you’ll fall.”
She immediately grabbed his collar with both hands.
He was so tall that falling would definitely hurt.
She felt a strange sense of defeat.
Is he… playing house? Pretending we’re father and daughter?
She thought the adoption and bedroom were the end of it—
yet this cold-blooded man was now carrying her through the mansion
and even insisting on sharing a meal.
Instead of struggling, Lepoña quietly observed the mansion.
If she ever needed to escape, she had to know where the openable windows, decorations, and pathways were. She mentally drafted a blueprint as they moved.
After surviving so long, assessing the structure of unfamiliar spaces came naturally.
“Though they aren’t home right now, Lepoña, you actually have two older brothers.”
“…O-older brothers?”
Right. The House of Krytan had two sons.
So I suddenly have siblings…?
And not just one—
but two.
“The eldest, Havelian, is temporarily teaching cadets at the military academy. The second, Pelens, is still in the academy. He should have graduated three years ago, but…”
“The academy?”
Lepoña tilted her head.
When she had gathered background information, she learned Pelens should already have graduated.
Both brothers were skilled Aura users, meaning their grades should have been excellent.
So why was he still there?
“They rarely return home, so you don’t need to pay much attention.”
That was actually better for Lepoña.
More eyes meant more obstacles in locating and stealing the heirlooms.
If she were truly five, she would have celebrated gaining a family.
But she wasn’t.
The adoption had been decided instantly
and still came with no explanation.
At best, she would be raised for a year or two
and then abandoned.
It’s fine. Nothing to be upset over. I never intended to stay that long anyway.
I’ll steal it and escape!
On the very first day of adoption,
Lepoña formed her grand plan.
