Chapter 4
Did I trust Adrian too much? Right. This is a main quest, so it couldn’t be this easy.
After spitting out everything in my mouth, I asked the child.
“I’m not asking just in case, but with certainty…”
The child, who had been looking at me with surprised eyes as I spat out the food, tilted her head.
I pointed at the soup with my finger and asked.
“Did you… put poison in this?”
“Poison…?”
“Yes. Poison.”
When I nodded in response, the child turned pale and shouted.
“There’s no poison! It’s true we kidnapped you, sister, but… we won’t kill you…”
It was fortunate if it wasn’t poison, but… that was also a problem in its own way.
This soup’s taste couldn’t be explained unless it was poison.
“Really not?”
“It’s not poison… it’s just soup…”
When I didn’t withdraw my suspicion, the child reached out, took my soup, and started eating it. As if trying to prove it.
After eating a few spoonfuls of soup, the child looked up at me. Her big eyes were brimming with tears.
“See… I’m perfectly fine…”
As soon as she spoke, tears rolled down from the child’s eyes.
“Waaah-!”
Soon the child began crying loudly while holding the spoon.
Flustered, I jumped up and approached the child. Getting closer was good, but there was one problem.
I don’t know how to comfort children…
While I was floundering, the child’s crying began to get louder.
I was about to break into a cold sweat at this difficult situation when a tactless system window appeared before me.
[Congratulations! You have achieved a suspicious accomplishment!]
[You have committed an act beyond common sense by making your kidnapper cry despite being a hostage.]
[You have received a title as a reward.]
[Suspicious Title ‘One Skilled at Role Reversal’: You have earned this title by making your kidnapper cry despite being a hostage. Special Effect: None]
This damn system has no tact and is no help at all.
I quickly pressed the X mark on the right side of the window to close it and gently stroked the child’s head.
“Stop crying… Sister is sorry. Okay? Cute… um…”
What should I call her? Calling her a young kidnapper didn’t sound right.
In the end, I chose to mumble through it.
“Little one. As if I’d put something like poison in it!”
When I glossed over it, the child muttered.
“Kay…”
“Huh?”
“It’s Kay…”
Ah, her name…
“Kay. I was really just joking. If you cry like that, you’ll get a fever. Okay?”
As I slowly patted the child’s back, her crying gradually subsided.
The somewhat calmed child wiped her face with her sleeve.
Then she slowly looked up at me and asked in a small voice.
“Do you really believe me?”
“Of course. I believe what Kay says. Your leader also said he has no intention of killing me…”
“That’s right. We won’t kill you, sister. So don’t say such things again… My heart hurt so much…”
“I understand. But…”
My eyes turned to the soup. I wanted to ask about the taste of that soup that really seemed poisoned.
But if I brought up the soup topic again, Kay seemed like she would burst into tears, so I held back.
“Let’s eat for now.”
“Yeah… Sister, you eat too. You won’t say strange things again, right?”
“…Yeah.”
The clattering sound echoed inside again. I wanted to pay my respects to Kay, who was eating the soup as if nothing was wrong.
I didn’t have the courage to put this terrible taste back in my mouth. When my hand stopped, Kay also stopped eating and looked at me.
“Sister, why aren’t you eating the soup? Perhaps…”
Kay narrowed her eyes. I waved my hands and glanced toward the kitchen.
I couldn’t see the cook, but wondering if they might be nearby, I spoke very quietly and honestly.
“It’s too tasteless to eat.”
“Tasteless?”
Yeah… It really tastes like poison…
I swallowed the words I wanted to say and nodded. Then Kay calmly ate the remaining soup and said.
“Broccoli soup originally tastes like this. Sister, don’t nobles eat broccoli?”
“We eat it… we do… Wait. So it originally tastes like this? It’s not just strange today?”
“Yeah! This soup has always been like this. It is a bit unique compared to other foods, right?”
It wasn’t a taste that could be described as unique.
To think they fed this every time. It was clear abuse. Child abuse at that. This couldn’t continue.
“Um, Kay…”
“Yeah?”
“Could I perhaps use the kitchen?”
Ashley Ort had no cooking experience, but I thought my past life probably did.
Of course, I couldn’t remember, but it would probably be better than this ridiculous cooking.
“Sister, you know how to cook too?”
Kay looked at me with sparkling eyes. I wasn’t certain, but I nodded, meaning I knew how.
Then the child made a “wow” sound, paused for a moment, then became dejected.
“I’d like that, but… I have to ask.”
“Ask who?”
At my question, the child answered with an expression asking why I would ask such a thing.
“The leader, of course.”
“Haha… Right. It would be the leader.”
“But…”
Kay poked at the remaining bread crumbs with her fork, trailing off her words. She seemed uncomfortable speaking directly to Adrian.
I boldly shouted toward Kay.
“Sister will ask!”
“Really? But sister, you’re scared of the leader.”
Scared? I like him too much, that’s the problem.
“I can close my eyes tightly when I speak!”
“Then you won’t be scared?”
“A little less scary. So sister will be brave and try to ask.”
“Sister, but…”
I smiled broadly at Kay, who still looked worried.
“Don’t worry too much.”
“That’s…”
“Should I go ask now? While I have courage.”
“Hmm…”
“Is now inconvenient? Then later…”
“No, no.”
Kay extended her hand to me. It seemed like a gesture to hold hands, so I gently took her hand.
When the small, soft hand entered mine, I felt strangely warm.
“It’s a bit far! The leader cast magic throughout the mansion. You might get lost, so you have to hold hands tightly.”
A gentle smile naturally appeared at Kay’s kindness.
After going around and around the same corridor, we finally arrived at what appeared to be Adrian’s room.
I didn’t feel like we’d walked much, but I was out of breath and panting. Then Kay tugged at my hand and asked.
“Sister, you’re not actually human, are you?”
Is this the merciless cruelty of young children without malice? I was slightly hurt by Kay’s words. Not human…
Ashley Ort certainly didn’t seem to have normal human stamina, but even so, saying I wasn’t human was too much.
“I’m human, you know…”
Whether Kay couldn’t hear my words, she made her own conclusion and shouted about my identity.
“I think sister must be a fairy!”
“Huh?”
Am I that pretty? A fairy.
Well, no matter how stupid things Ashley Ort did, quite a few people followed her around because of her face… so it made sense that she’d be called a fairy.
Even though it wasn’t my face, my shoulders somehow lifted with pride. Kay, who was watching me, cheerfully explained the reason.
“I heard fairies are weaker than humans.”
“Oh my. Really?”
“And they don’t know much about the human world!”
Interpreting this… she’s saying I don’t know anything…? Even this young child thinks I look lacking…
When I made a sad face, Kay patted my arm.
“It’s okay. Sister is the prettiest person I’ve ever seen.”
I really wanted to cry. It seemed like she was saying Ashley had nothing useful except her face.
But since I also had no memories of my past life and only remembered the novel’s contents, I felt even more depressed thinking I wasn’t much different.
Completely unaware of my feelings, Kay approached the door with a bright face.
“Should I call the leader?”
Saying that, Kay headed straight for the doorknob, which startled me. I stopped Kay and knocked on the door.
“You have to knock.”
“Ah, right.”
Not long after knocking, the door slowly opened.
“Leader!”
Through the door crack, I caught a glimpse of Adrian’s face without his mask. It was such a small gap that only a tiny part of his right face was visible, but feeling like I shouldn’t look, I averted my eyes.
Meanwhile, Adrian closed the door and went inside.
Not long after, Adrian came out wearing his mask, running his fingers through his disheveled hair and asking.
“What’s wrong? Coming all the way to my room? And with Lady Ort too.”
At those words, the child took my hand and positioned me in front of Adrian.
“Sister said she has something to say!”
Adrian’s eyes widened slightly, then quickly regained composure and asked me.
“What business do you have? If it’s about the threat letter…”
“Ah, it’s not about the threat letter…”
I took a deep breath. Now that I was about to speak, I felt a little nervous. But I had to say it. This was about food, one of the basic necessities of life.
Let me say it straight…!
“Leader, the food is too tasteless.”
