Chapter 5

Chapter 5 (5/247)

I stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from my mother.

I had a very common face with brown hair and brown eyes, giving off a gentle impression.

However, perhaps because of my hair and eye color, the face and atmosphere I saw in the mirror were completely different.

Somehow, my eyes seemed a bit small, and my nose a bit low.

At first glance, I wasn't pretty, but if you looked closely, I could be considered a bit cute.

When I returned to the guild, the officers who saw the portrait I was holding commented that it really looked like me, and I laughed, saying, "Is that so?"

In my heart, I felt as if I had just discovered myself.

But still, a strange discomfort lingered.

So, I impulsively asked the Master, who happened to be passing by.

"Master, do you see me as having brown hair?"

"......"

He didn't even answer.

Though I couldn't see his expression clearly, he probably looked exasperated.

At the time, I felt embarrassed by the question and quickly left.

Strangely, now I was very curious about his answer.

* * *

"Onee-san?"

"......"

"Onee-san!"

"Ah, sorry."

I found it amusing that I was distracted by the child's light compliment, but my cheeks still felt hot, so I kissed Diana's soft-looking cheek.

Diana burst into laughter, tickled.

I was amazed at how Diana, who was doted on by the Duke of Elard, the master of the Principality of Velus, and even the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, was so adorable.

It was also surprising to see her lying on an old orphanage bed, receiving the overprotection of her five older brothers, the courtship of notable young nobles, and even the knight's vow from Jack, one of the three great knights of the empire.

"By the way, Onee-san..."

"Hmm?"

"Ano mo ya?"

Diana asked, wiggling her small finger.

Her finger pointed to a mysterious red bead necklace hanging around my neck.

"Oh, this."

It was something I had been wearing since I was abandoned in front of the orphanage, and I had never taken it off.

"Isn't it pretty?"

I had long cherished it, thinking it might be something left by my parents.

"Umm..."

Diana, with her cherry-like lips, stared at the bead without blinking.

Suddenly, the mysterious light inside the bead seemed to be spinning rapidly.

"Huh?"

I hesitated and quickly grabbed the necklace.

"When did this break?"

A sorrowful voice escaped my lips as I noticed a crack in the necklace.

I had never shown it to anyone, not even the director, for fear it might be taken away.

I had always kept it close, but I didn't know when it had cracked.

"Well, it's useless now."

The necklace was precious because it might have been an important token to meet my parents.

But after ten years, nothing had happened.

Though I had carried it all my life, it now seemed useless.

However, I didn't want to throw away the only valuable thing I had, so I put the necklace inside my clothes with a bitter smile.

* * *

"Onee-san, are you hungry?"

While eating, Diana, who was stirring a thin soup with almost no solids with her spoon, tilted her head.

"......What did you say?"

"Da, Da-na! I'm hungry. Let's eat quickly."

"Umm!"

I tried to avoid the curious looks of the other children and quickly tore off a piece of the hard bread.

Fortunately, Diana didn't think too much about it and started chewing the bread I gave her.

"Good, you're eating well. You need to chew properly."

I was very proud to see her eating so happily, even though it wasn't the usual white, fluffy bread or luxurious food.

Especially, her white, chubby cheeks moving as she chewed were very cute.

She looked like a baby bird opening its mouth to receive food.

The problem was...

"Is there more?"

The appetite of the small, cute 4-year-old was much stronger than I had expected.

Diana, who had already finished her soup, turned her head and looked at my soup and bread.

Seeing her sparkling eyes, I couldn't bring myself to say there was nothing left.

"Here, eat this, Da-na."

Thinking that, though she was hungry, I was an adult and could naturally endure, I pushed the bowl towards her.

However, I overlooked one important fact.

Even though my mind was that of an adult, my body was that of a weak, immature child.

"Huff... Huff..."

I felt like I was about to die!

A few hours after the meal, I was really struggling to breathe.

I felt very foolish for having ambitiously carried a water bucket, thinking I would do the laundry and fetch water.

I never imagined my physical strength would be so weak.

'Come to think of it, it was ominous from the moment we entered the forest.'

I felt out of breath after just a few steps.

I couldn't even feel the mana in my body, and I thought I would collapse if I used magic here.

"Onee-san, water! Water, please!"

While my vision was spinning, the energetic Diana was jumping around, pointing at the lake.

After finally reaching our destination, I wanted to collapse and rest, but I forced myself to go to the water and drink.

Then, I carefully gathered my clean hands and brought them to Diana's mouth.

"Here, Da-na. Drink the water."

Diana, who must have been thirsty from the journey, gulped down the water.

After she had drunk her fill, I sat her on the soft grass by the lake and instructed her.

"Stay here while I do the laundry."

"Umm! I'll stay here!"

Diana, nodding obediently, started mimicking the other children in the orphanage yard, who were playing by crushing grass.

Seeing her, I smiled and took a deep breath.

The cool water and the fresh air of the forest made me feel much better.

Then, I looked at Diana's dress with determination and started scrubbing it vigorously.

After a while, when the laundry was almost done, I wrung it out forcefully and shook it, making a "giggle" sound.

Diana, who had been playing alone and was probably bored, had come over, and water droplets splashed on her face.

Feeling proud of her reaction, I shook the clothes a few more times, and she burst into laughter without tiring.

As I laughed along with her innocent expression, I suddenly heard a sound.

"Da-na, shh."

I put my finger to my lips and whispered, and the clever child followed, putting her finger to her lips and saying, "Shh."

Praising her, I slowly turned my body in the direction of the sound.

* * *

"Ha!"

Sure enough.

As expected, the source of the shout was Jack.

To think he was training his body from such a young age, something I never knew because we weren't close in the past.

I quietly hid behind a tree and observed Jack, who was practicing sword swings with a branch.

It was a rare opportunity to see the training of one of the three great knights of the empire.

'Even without proper training, he has no bad habits and is very honest.'

Though he was young and no one was making him, he maintained a proper posture, which felt almost stubborn.

Is it this kind of determination and talent that made him a Swordmaster later? I marveled inwardly.

After all, being born with mana is a blessing.

Mana is not only essential for magic but also for manifesting 'aura.'

I heard that the amount of mana in the body is greater in nobles than in commoners, and even more so in prestigious families and high-ranking nobles. In that sense, Jack and I were blessed with rare talents.

"Huff."

At that moment, Jack stopped his movements and sighed, looking annoyed.

I flinched and pressed myself against the tree, holding Diana's shoulder.

My talent is optimized for hiding, so I was confident that Jack, who was still young and couldn't properly control his mana, wouldn't notice me.

* * *

'Is that how you hide? You're not a fool, but hiding just your body is not enough.'

Jack, slightly turning his head, was exasperated.

The dress, which had been washed at the nearby lake, was fluttering beside the tree, not fully hidden.

Sighing at Lya's clumsy appearance, Jack spoke.

"Since you're hiding, come out. I can see you."

"......You knew I was here?"

Lya, who had slowly come out from behind the tree, asked in a flustered voice, and Jack involuntarily frowned.

Yesterday, she suddenly acted boldly and surprised people, but today, she was back to her usual foolish self.

'How does she plan to survive in this harsh world?'

"I knew from the beginning."

"Ah! S-Sorry."

"......"

Her reaction, even covering her mouth in surprise, was foolish.

Jack sighed deeply again and, noticing Lya's small hand, frowned.

Lya is a girl and two years younger, so it's natural for her hands to be small, but...

'They're too small.'

He was suddenly dissatisfied with Lya's thin and small body, even among the orphanage children.

Even if she ate well, it wouldn't be enough, and she was so kind that she foolishly shared her food.

"Why did you give everything to that kid today?"

Jack's sudden, harsh question made Diana, who was standing beside her, open her eyes wide in surprise.