“After going through the trouble of guiding me to the director’s office, all I see is evidence of ab*se…”

“Y-Your Grace…”

The director stumbled backward, but the duke only cast a disgusted look his way.

This was an opportunity. Trapped in the director’s office, Evolaine thought she’d lost her chance to meet the duke, but fortunately, she’d encountered him again.

If she let this slip away, no other opportunity would come.

Evolaine staggered to her feet. She brushed the dust off her worn clothes and tidied her appearance as best she could before addressing the duke.

“Hello, Your Grace. My name is Evolaine.”

“…Evolaine.”

The duke’s bored expression seemed to fade slightly as he rolled her name around in his mind. Evolaine decided to push forward with more courage.

“Please take me with you.”

“…”

Her words filled the director’s office with silence. But Evolaine focused only on the duke. He needed to find her interesting.

“I’ll give you what you want.”

What the duke needed and wanted most—Evolaine had the ‘talent’ to provide it.

“…And you know what I want?”

His gaze measured her worth. His attitude radiated cold calculation. But Evolaine didn’t back down.

“If you take me with you, I’ll be useful.”

“Useful…”

The duke glanced sideways at the director, who was already drenched in fear. Did he entrust this child with some treasure?

“Fine. I’ll take you.”

“…!”

“But you must prove your usefulness to me, just like you said.”

If you can’t prove it, you’ll return to this orphanage. The duke extended his hand to Evolaine with those words.

Evolaine looked back at the director with tense eyes before taking the duke’s hand.

“W-Wait a moment, Your Grace!”

“What is it?”

“That child… another person has already agreed to adopt her. Perhaps you could choose a different child…”

“How am I supposed to believe that?”

The duke pulled out a handkerchief from his coat and held it to Evolaine’s nose.

“She’s covered in bruises and has a nosebleed. This alone is enough evidence that you struck her directly. If another noble planned to take this child, her body should be free of injuries.”

“…”

Evolaine looked up at the duke gripping her hand tightly. This was the first time anyone had taken her side, and more than that, he’d reduced the director who had tormented her to groveling and making pathetic excuses. It was truly an exhilarating sensation.

“…What a pointless waste of time. Heron.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Prepare to transfer all the children to the orphanage in the Radelica territory.”

“Y-Your Grace! Anything but that…!”

The duke ignored the director’s desperate cries and lifted Evolaine into his arms.

“Whoa…!”

“Don’t be startled. You look tired, so get some sleep for now.”

The duke held Evolaine in his embrace and stroked her head.

‘It’s dirty… Why is he touching my hair?’

The more the duke stroked her head, the heavier her eyelids grew.

Evolaine’s fidgeting gradually stopped, and soft breathing sounds emerged. The duke adjusted his hold on her limp form.

“…She’s light. How old is she?”

“They said twelve. She looks ten at most…”

The duke silently boarded the carriage. He rummaged through the heating devices and supplies organized inside, then pulled out a blanket and covered Evolaine with it.

“…‘I’ll prove my usefulness.’ Those aren’t words you’d expect from someone her age.”

“…”

Heron agreed with the duke’s assessment. What kind of background had made this child grow up so harshly?

Soon the carriage carrying the two departed. The duke checked on Evolaine’s condition. She clutched the handkerchief tightly—the blood-soaked handkerchief.

The duke frowned and spoke to the coachman.

“We need to get to the castle quickly.”

She’d had a nosebleed, so seeing a physician was the priority.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Hurry inside.”

The duke carried Evolaine in his arms and rushed into the castle’s main building. Since Heron had sent word ahead, the physician had already finished preparing.

“Examine the child’s condition.”

“Yes, this way.”

After laying Evolaine on the bed, the physician began his examination. Her body was covered in bruises and wounds. Moreover, her back was riddled with torn wounds that appeared recent.

“Good grief…”

He clicked his tongue and placed his hand on Evolaine’s head. Though he worked as a physician, he’d been a mage before, so detecting with magic allowed him to assess her condition more quickly.

“Mmm…”

When he placed his hand on her head, Evolaine stirred. The physician gently restrained her from moving while examining her condition.

“How is it? Is she all right?”

“Her head is slightly… injured. The nosebleed was likely caused by that.”

The duke’s expression grew serious at the physician’s diagnosis. If her head was injured, treatment would be difficult. If that happened…

“However, her head’s condition is gradually improving.”

“What do you mean?”

“The child seems to possess a self-healing ability. I can sense it with my magic as well.”

She possessed self-healing abilities. He’d never heard of such an ability in the empire. Even rare spirit arts required reaching a high level to achieve self-healing.

‘Yet this young child has such a special ability…’

“…Keep this matter confidential.”

“Yes, the treatment is complete, so I’ll take my leave.”

After applying ointment to Evolaine’s wounds and wrapping them in bandages, the physician left.

“…”

When this young thing asked him to take her, the look in her eyes wasn’t about wanting to live. He’d only seen the desire to escape from this place.

Not adoption, but “take me with you.” “I’ll prove my usefulness.” His head spun. What would she have done if he’d refused such a proposal?

What if taking her led to even worse suffering?

The duke quietly summoned the head maid and instructed her to bathe Evolaine when she woke and bring her to him. The head maid nodded and carefully tended to her until she awoke.

* * *

She opened her eyes to a cold sensation. When she raised her hand to check, she felt a damp towel on her forehead.

“Oh my, you’re awake.”

“Wh-who are you?”

Evolaine backed away from the head maid defensively. Despite being glared at, the head maid didn’t raise her hand to Evolaine. She simply waited quietly. The head maid’s eyes held nothing but sympathy as she looked at her.

Why that look? Why are you pitying me?

“…I came to help you, miss.”

“Miss…?”

“Yes, miss.”

The head maid smiled warmly and extended her hand to Evolaine.

“You don’t seem to be feeling well. Nothing beats a bath for lifting your spirits. Shall we take a bath and have some delicious snacks?”

“…”

I don’t need this kind of kindness. The head maid waited patiently no matter how long she didn’t take her hand.

What a strange person. Really strange. Spellbound, Evolaine placed her small hand on hers.

“Now, raise your arms.”

“Raise… them?”

When she lifted both arms as the head maid instructed, the maid swiftly removed her clothes.

“Eek…!”

“…”

Evolaine shrank back at the sudden disappearance of her clothes. The head maid couldn’t say anything to her. Blue bruises covering her entire body and torn wounds.

Could anyone truly fathom this pain? Probably no one could.

“…The water is warm. Go in and play with the duck while I wash you.”

“Why… are you crying?”

At Evolaine’s words, the head maid touched her eyes. A wet liquid was flowing.

“Soap got in my eyes. When soap gets in your eyes, it stings and makes you tear up.”

“…”

It’s tears from the soap. So don’t make that strange expression.

Evolaine couldn’t understand the head maid crying at the sight of her body. But she stayed quiet because she liked the kindness of being treated gently and having her body washed.

After the bath, the head maid dried her off and dried her hair.

Once her hair was completely dry, she showed her some clothes. A pretty dress on a completely different level from what she’d worn at the orphanage.

“You’ll wear this dress. Do you like it?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Evolaine remained silent. Dresses were uncomfortable. Especially for training her ability, ‘Kelic.’

Evolaine spotted pants and a shirt among the clothes behind the head maid.

“Can’t I wear those clothes?”

“The shirt and pants, you mean?”

“Yes.”

The head maid tried recommending other clothes, but Evolaine was adamant. In the end, Evolaine wore the shirt and pants and headed to the duke’s office.

“I’ve brought her, my lord.”

“Come in.”

When the door opened, the pleasant scent of wood tickled her nose. The books neatly arranged behind the desk all looked thick.

When Evolaine entered, the head maid said she’d wait outside and left. Left alone in the office, Evolaine turned her gaze to the duke sitting at his desk.

“You’re wearing pants and a shirt.”

“Is that not allowed?”

Bold indeed. He hadn’t misjudged her.

“Evolaine, you said you’d prove your usefulness to me. In return, I brought you to this castle.”

When the main topic emerged, Evolaine swallowed hard. If she couldn’t prove herself to the duke, she’d return to the orphanage. She’d have to survive under the marchioness’s threats again.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then how will you prove it?”

Here it comes. Evolaine grinned. She wasn’t even trembling. This was the moment she’d wanted most.

“Your Grace… do you recognize this marking?”

Evolaine showed him the marking clearly engraved on her wrist—the mark of ‘Kelic.’ The duke’s eyes widened when he saw it.

“Don’t tell me…”

This was the mark of Kelic. Recently, rumors had circulated that the Marquis of La Voletta was spouting strange nonsense.

The mark hadn’t appeared on the marchioness’s two children, yet the marquis stubbornly insisted that Kelic had chosen its successor.

However, Kelic’s heir was always passed down. That was why the Marquisate of La Voletta had maintained its long lineage.

Then it could only mean it had manifested in an illegitimate child, not the two sons born to the legitimate wife.

But news of an illegitimate child being born in the marquis’s household had never been announced. She wasn’t even registered in the family records.

That meant…

“Haha! I’ve… met someone extraordinary.”

The duke couldn’t contain his laughter at this absurd turn of events. The illegitimate child the marchioness desperately wanted to eliminate stood right before him.

And with the mark of Kelic, no less!

“Evolaine. No, Evolaine La Voletta. From the looks of it, you know the meaning of that marking too.”

“…”

Her wary gaze was quite sharp. The duke liked Evolaine. Not just for the mark of Kelic, but Evolaine herself.

“The reason you dared make me a proposal lies in that marking.”

“…That’s right.”

“I see… What do you want?”

Perfect. Evolaine had finally reached the opportunity to voice what she’d wanted and hoped for all along.

“Please accept me as a knight squire.”

“You want to become a knight?”

“Yes.”

She would become a knight with the power to shake the empire. Even the imperial family backing the marchioness wouldn’t dare touch Evolaine—wouldn’t dare touch her.