That’s when it happened. The bell on the door jingled, and a familiar voice was heard.

“I hope this old lady isn’t here too early?”

An elderly woman, who maintained an upright posture despite her advanced age, opened the door and entered.

“Welcome!”

I answered cheerfully as I hurried back to the counter. She was a valued regular customer who was responsible for my daily morning sales.

Despite her reputation for being haughty and eccentric, to the extent that rumors circulated about her being a fallen noble, I had a fondness for this elderly lady. She would enjoy her breakfast at my café every morning, and before departing, she’d purchase an abundance of freshly baked bread and cookies.

“I just finished breakfast, so it’s fine. What would you like today?”

“Hmm……”

The old lady pondered for a moment.

“The usual sandwich and a cup of coffee. Make it sweet. Mix milk and cream.”

“Understood. Please have a seat, and I’ll bring it to you.”

As the old lady was turning around languidly, she noticed Elodie. Her voice became unusually friendly.

“Who’s this little miss? Where are your parents?”

Elodie’s eyes darted around nervously. I quickly answered on her behalf.

“She’s a child who’s come to live with me. Her name is Elodie.”

“Hmm.”

The old lady narrowed her eyes and looked at Elodie. Although Elodie was visibly shrinking, she maintained a polite demeanor.

“Elodie… That’s similar to my granddaughter’s name.”

“You had a granddaughter?”

I blinked. I had never heard her mention even a child, let alone a grandchild.

“I did.”

The old lady answered simply and then leaned towards Elodie.

“No need to be so tense. If the little miss doesn’t mind, this old lady was feeling bored, so would you like to play with me?”

“…H-how?”

Elodie spoke for the first time in a trembling voice. The old lady winked at Elodie.

“It’s nothing special. It’s a game I often play alone, but it’s much more fun with two people.”

The old lady took out a small notebook from her handbag. Then, she started drawing a grid with a pen in the notebook.

“First, the little miss will make a mark in one of these squares, then I’ll make a different mark. Then it will be the little miss’s turn again.”

Fortunately, Elodie seemed interested and was listening intently.

“The game ends when one person manages to mark five in a row with the same shape.”

I smiled to myself.

‘It’s Gomoku.’

Soon, Elodie and the old lady were seriously engrossed in the game, and I focused on making the sandwich the old lady had ordered.

“I won!”

Elodie’s excited voice rang out.

“The little miss is quite good, I see.”

The old lady’s chuckling laughter filled the café. I smiled quietly to myself as I greeted the incoming customers. For some reason, the work felt less tiring than usual.

***

A month passed. Both Elodie and I went through several trials and errors as we adjusted to each other. It would be a lie to say that only good things happened during that time. But the most important thing was this: Elodie was an incredibly kind and lovable child.

“…Aria, can’t I learn your work too?”

To the point where she wanted to help me in any way she could, like this.

“Oh my, Elodie, you’re too young for work. When you grow up, I’ll teach you even if you don’t want to, so you can help me all you want then. Okay?”

“Okay……”

Elodie lowered her head with a glum face. I pretended to be nonchalant as I pulled out the odds and ends from the storage room.

It had already been 5 years since I opened this café. The materials that had accumulated bit by bit over that time were becoming unmanageable. I had hoped there might be something useful, but unfortunately, junk was just junk.

I sighed involuntarily at the thought of having to call someone to throw it all away. That’s when an old empty sack suddenly caught my eye. My eyes widened automatically. It was a sack printed with a picture, name, and personal information of a missing child.

‘So they have these in this world too.’

The child in the picture looked about one or two years old. A cute baby with silver hair, red eyes, and chubby cheeks stood out.

‘……?’

I blinked. The writing below caught my attention.

<Elodie Baniche

Age 2 at time of disappearance. Silver hair and red eyes. Star-shaped birthmark on left calf. If you have seen or are sheltering this child, please contact the Baniche Ducal family.>

I vividly recalled bathing Elodie. My initial concern, mistaking it for a bruise, had given way to relief upon closer inspection of her left calf, revealing a star-shaped birthmark.

I slowly turned around. It was clear. The ‘Elodie’ I was taking care of was…

None other than Elodie Baniche, the only daughter of Duke Baniche, the final villain.

I took a deep breath. Duke Theodore Baniche. The man who would cause a terrible massacre recorded in history 7 years from now. But I had never worried about him. Why?

Well, if I just waited, the female and male protagonists would take care of him anyway. If I tried to deal with the villain myself, I’d only end up getting hurt.

‘……What should I do.’

As is often the case in compelling narratives, Duke Baniche wasn’t portrayed as a one-dimensional, purely evil villain. His backstory was one that could evoke sympathy: a young father driven to madness, secluding himself in his mansion following the untimely death of his beloved only daughter. This tragic setup made him a figure worthy of pity.

Duke Baniche, consumed by grief, became convinced he could resurrect his deceased daughter through the forbidden arts of dark magic. The crux of the problem lay in the various nefarious deeds he committed in pursuit of this goal, though he was careful to keep his actions below the threshold that would alert the Imperial family. His descent into darkness culminated in a desperate attempt to summon his daughter’s soul from the afterlife—an act that threatened to annihilate the entire capital. This final, catastrophic scheme led to his ultimate downfall at the hands of the protagonist couple. But…

‘That daughter is Elodie.’

I felt something drop deep in my chest. I stared blankly at the sack again and again. I considered the possibility that it might simply be a coincidence, but no matter how I looked at it, the missing daughter the Duke was searching for was Elodie.

‘What should I do?’

I was momentarily conflicted. Although Duke Baniche was said to have been normal before his daughter’s death, the fact that he was the final villain of this world made me hesitant.

But deliberately hiding Elodie from a father who cherished and loved her so much wasn’t something a person should do either.

“……Elodie.”

After a short but by no means light deliberation, I called Elodie with a trembling voice.

“Come here.”

As soon as Elodie came running over, I pointed to the sack.

“Read this.”

“……”

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

‘Oh no.’

I bit my lip. At six years old, even children raised in ordinary families often can’t read properly. I felt foolish for assuming Elodie could read.

Moreover, I felt resentful. I knew I had made a mistake, but Elodie wouldn’t think that way.

“I’ll read it for you.”

I opened my mouth as if nothing was wrong.

“Elodie Baniche. Age 2 at time of disappearance. Silver hair and red eyes. Star-shaped birthmark on left calf. If you have seen or are sheltering this child, please contact the Baniche Ducal family.”

“……What does that mean?”

Elodie asked in a trembling voice.

“You have a star-shaped birthmark on your left leg too. And this sack has been lying around in the storage room for a few years. So……”

I took a breath.

“We might be able to find your real parents.”

“……”

“I think Duke Baniche might be your father.”

Elodie’s face turned pale. I also became nervous. Elodie didn’t look happy at all.

‘Could it be that she has some bad memories?’

Suddenly, Elodie shook her head vigorously.

“I don’t have a dad. This is…… just a sack, isn’t it? Elodie only has Aria!”

Tears welled up in Elodie’s big eyes, on the verge of falling. I quickly took out a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped Elodie’s eyes.

“Oh, Elodie……”

I sighed and hugged Elodie. No, Elodie burrowed into my arms first. I patted Elodie’s back and calmly opened my mouth.

“Elodie, do you remember anything at all? About your real dad?”