CH 5

I stared blankly at the old sack again and again.

I thought about the possibility that it was simply a coincidence, but the missing daughter that the Duke was looking for was Elodie.

‘What do we do.’

I had a momentary conflict.

No matter how good the Duke of Vanice upheld himself until his daughter died, it was true that I was reluctant because he was this world’s last boss.

But…

It was not a human thing to deliberately hide Elodie from her father, who loved and cared so much for her.

“……Elodie.”

After a brief, but not light contemplation, I called Elodie with a trembling voice.

“Come here.”

As soon as Elodie ran over, I pointed to the old sack.

“Read this.”

“…….”

Elodie said nothing for a moment, and then she lowered her head.

‘Oh, damn.’

I bit my lip.

At the age of six, even children who grew up in ordinary families could not read properly. And yet, I was a fool myself for thinking that Elodie could read the text.

Furthermore, she was even disappointed. I know I was wrong, but Elodie wouldn’t think so.

“I will read it to you.”

I opened my mouth as if nothing had happened.

“Elodie Vanice. She was 2 years old at the time of her disappearance. She has silver hair, red eyes, and a star-shaped dot on her left calf. Anyone witnessing or protecting the child should contact the Duke of Vanice.”

“……What are you talking about?”

Elodie asked back in a trembling voice.

“You have a star-shaped dot on your left leg too. And this old sack has been rolling around in the warehouse for years. So…….”

I took a breath.

“Maybe, we can find your real parents.”

“…….”

“I think the Duke of Vanice is your father.”

Elodie’s face turned pale. I also became nervous at the same time.

She didn’t look happy at all.

‘I wonder if she has any bad memories left from him.’

Suddenly, Elodie shook her head violently.

“I don’t have a dad. This……It’s just a sack. Elodie only has Ariah!”

Tears welled up in her big eyes and were about to fall like a waterfall. I quickly pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped the corners of Elodie’s eyes.

“Oh, my, Elodie…….”

I sighed and hugged the child. No, Elodie entered my arms first. I patted her on the back and slowly opened my mouth.

“Elodie, do you remember anything? About your real Father?”

Instead of answering, she just squirmed in my arms while shaking her head. The hem of my skirt got wet as she buried her head in my arms to cry, but I didn’t care.

Rather, it was just fortunate that my dress was made of a soft material.

“You know.”

I continued to talk, trying to reassure Elody as much as I could.

“This is a bag of flour distributed throughout the continent.”

“…….”

“It means that this lot child article has spread not only to our Tariyan Empire but also to other countries. Who would have done that?”

“D-Duke.”

“Right.”

I nodded.

“It’s clear that Duke Vanice loved Elodie very much. That’s why he’s looking for you so desperately.”

“……T-The Duke may not be Elodie’s father.”

“Yes, he might not be.”

I stroked Elodie’s head.

“So what? If it’s a mistake, it’s okay to say that we are sorry. If he’s really Elodie’s father, then your family is looking for you. As a business owner myself, I’m talking about this as if it was a lucrative business.”

“…….”

Elodie twisted her body, pulled herself out of my arms, and lifted her head. Her face, covered in tears and runny nose, was pitiful to see.

“You know. If the Duke is really my dad…….”

Elodie licked her lips.

“…..Are you going to keep living with me?”

Heavy emotions fell heavily on my heart. It wasn’t until a moment later that I realized that the feeling was a deep sense of responsibility and guilt.

“……I’m sorry. I can’t live with Elodie in the Duke’s manor. Instead, Elodie can live with your real Father. It’s not that you don’t like it, right?”

“No, I do not want.”

Elodie answered right away without thinking about it.

“I will live with Ariah!”

Elodie’s shoulders trembled as if she was barely holding back a loud cry. I hugged Elodie. The trembling child’s fears, worries, and affections were conveyed as they were.

“Even if Elodie lives in the Duke’s manor, that doesn’t mean I will disappear. If Elodie wants, she can come to the cafe anytime.”

“……Is it okay if I come every day?”

“As long as the Duke allows it.”

“Ariah will give me permission, too?”

“Of course.”

I replied vigorously.

“I would be so happy if Elodie visits often”.

“……Really?”

“Really.”

I nodded my head. Fortunately, Elodie was no longer trembling or crying.

“You know.”

Elodie slowly opened her mouth.

“If Ariah wants it, I want to know if the Duke is really my dad. But, if not…….”

Elodie’s voice had a hint of hesitation.

“Can I continue living with Ariah? Until am all grown up?”

“…….”

I forgot what to say for a moment and looked at Elodie. It’s only been a month since I’ve properly known her, but she’s already occupied a big place in my heart.

A child who didn’t even have a name, but when I gave her the name of Elodie, she would want to say it aloud repeatedly. She gets along well with people she sees for the first time, but at night she’s a kid who must sleep next to me.

“Oh, Elodie…….”

I opened my mouth, trying to hide my reddening eyes.

“I promise. If your real parents don’t show up, you can live in our house until you become a grandma.”

Elodie hugged me tightly.

I also gave strength to our hug. Thinking that I might understand why the Duke of Vanice went mad at the loss of this adorable child.

***

In conclusion, I did my best to find Elodie’s father.

When there was no reply to the letters sent to the Duke, I closed the cafe for more than a week and even went directly to the Duke’s residence to meet him with Elodie.

Unfortunately, we were kicked out at the doorstep.

“Lady, aren’t you looking down too much at the Duke’s family? Yes, the eye color and hair color were the same. But what of it? Little girls with the same eye color and hair color are a dime in a dozen in this Empire!”

Perhaps it was because there were so many scammers who had come with the same repertoire, we were coldly kicked out by the gatekeeper who guarded the Duke’s manor.

The same was true for showing the star-shaped dot on her calf.

“I admit that’s a rare characteristic…still, it’s for the Lady to go back. There were more than one or two children who had similar points. I’m also saying this for the little lady’s sake.”

I frowned at his self-imposed way of speaking. Because I realized that no matter what I said, this man would never let me in.

But I couldn’t go back like this. I came here at the cost of closing the cafe for ten days, to get Elodie to meet her biological father who loved her so dearly.

‘I have to find another way.’

The first thing that came to mind was to wait in front of the Duke’s manor with Elodie.

If the Duke or someone similar to a fairly high-ranking person appeared, I was going to ask them to check Elodie just once.

At first, it seemed like a pretty good plan. Until I realized that no one was going through the front door while we stood there for three days.

‘People are living inside…….’

At night, the Duke’s manor was lit up brilliantly, and someone moved back and forth inside.

‘Is there another entrance?’

I gave up on the main gate and searched the boundaries of the manor in search of another entrance, at the risk of being detained because I looked suspicious.

However, no one stopped us as we circled the walls of the residence.

‘Oh…… !’

My eyes got bigger.

A small hole could be seen through the overgrown weeds. I hurriedly plucked them out. It would be difficult for an adult like me to go through, but it was a hole that a child could easily pass by.

‘Now, the problem was…….’

Elodie must go inside and find the Duke by herself.

Can this little, fragile and terrified child do it?

Unsurprisingly, Elodie showed a reaction that was not much different from my expectations.

“I, I, I can’t. I don’t want to! There’s no Ariah, and I have to go alone…….”

“I’m really sorry I can’t go with you. But I’m not moving a single step from here. I’ll be cheering Elodie from this spot.”

Her eyes widened.

“But, Ariah is not going with me. I can’t do it alone. I don’t want to do it alone…….”