Hello, Readers! I am celebrating my birthday with extra chapter updates, so please enjoy this special chapter release of 4 bonus chapters! 🥳

(Lurelia’s Birthday Bonus – Update 2/4 🎉)

♡ To all readers who purchased these chapters before my Birthday: I can’t express this enough – Thank you for your support. (*ˊᗜˋ*)/ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ*

“I should go to sleep too.”

Rodi got up, brushing herself off.

“…..”

After Gemvil completely disappeared down the stairs, the corridor where she stood alone felt strangely large and quiet.

Even the rustling sounds she made seemed loud, and they seemed to grow louder at night.

“…I’m not scared at all.”

I’m going to become an amazing person here and get rich too.

I won’t be frightened by something like this.

Thump.

“Eep!”

Rodi, suddenly tensing up, dashed to her room and grabbed the doorknob.

Then she slipped inside, peeking out just her face, and clutched her thumping heart.

‘A ghost?’

Thump, thump.

The heavy footsteps coming up the stairs grew closer, and a large figure appeared again.

It was Gemvil.

“Gemvil, why are you back?”

Gemvil, who had already reached her, sighed briefly as if he’d expected this, then grabbed Rodi by both sides and lifted her up.

“Whoa!”

Then he roughly pushed the door open with his foot and strode inside.

“Now, quickly.”

“I’m going to sleep!”

Despite his rough handling, Gemvil gently placed Rodi on the bed and pressed her forehead, telling her to lie down.

Under his heavy hand, Rodi couldn’t resist and obediently lay down.

With a thump, he threw the blanket over her, and in the bed large enough for an adult, only Rodi’s small face floated above the covers.

“Close your eyes.”

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Sleep anyway.”

Though she felt tired as if her body weight had doubled, falling asleep was another matter.

Usually, Rodi slept well even in new places, but today felt somehow unfinished.

She didn’t want to sleep, worried she might miss something new if she closed her eyes.

When Gemvil covered her eyes, everything went black.

“But why aren’t you going home, Gemvil?”

“I’m busy.”

“Should I help?”

Gemvil chuckled at how her mouth kept moving despite her eyes being covered.

“Sleeping is helping. Sleep.”

“But I’m not sleepy…..”

Before she knew it, Rodi had drifted off to sleep without realizing when.

When she woke up the next morning, Gemvil was nowhere to be seen, and the door was quietly closed.

***

The weekend arrived.

Several days had passed since she came here.

During that time, an official safe with Rodi’s name appeared, and several uniform-style clothes appeared in her wardrobe.

She no longer had to wear old clothes or old leather shoes.

Yesterday, she even asked Padrid to use some of the gold coins to buy shoes and clothes to send to the orphanage.

Hoping that Jeno and Berry would get to wear new clothes someday.

Thus, Rodi was gradually blending into Cheiles, showing remarkable adaptability.

And today, Rodi was particularly excited.

She heard that there would be a party in the banquet hall this evening, as promised with Lexiard.

And even better news was that Lexiard would be staying here from today.

“Hey, mouse dropping.”

“It’s Rodi.”

Rodi replied sullenly.

There was someone dampening her good mood.

It was Eclise, who hadn’t shown himself all week except for the first two days, calling her by strange nicknames like mouse bell, mouse dropping, squeaker, and so on.

While asking what she had learned and various other things.

“Why do you speak formally to them but informally to me?”

Rodi glanced at Eclise.

“That’s.”

The person Eclise gestured to was Bender, who had just greeted them and left.

“That’s what.”

“I was told to return what I get! Door for door! Mouth for mouth!”

Rodi answered as if it were obvious.

Eclise laughed softly.

“You mean an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

“Same thing.”

“Different. Someone taught you.”

“Don’t know. Can’t remember. Some mister said it while passing by. Said you won’t lose out that way.”

“What a terrible disciple, forgetting the true teacher who showed you life’s direction.”

“No!”

Though she denied it with all her might, she couldn’t possibly remember the face of someone she’d merely heard while begging.

Just that they seemed to be someone dressed all in black except for their face…

Rodi tried hard to remember but gave up.

“Mouse bell.”

“It’s Rodi.”

“Do you really not remember anything from before the orphanage?”

“Nope.”

Rodi answered halfheartedly while eyeing Eclise’s pocket eagerly.

She could see interesting snacks inside.

Today, more than anything else, Eclise kept asking about this topic.

But Rodi couldn’t remember.

“Jeno said he remembered things from when he was little.”

“He did.”

Seeing Rodi constantly eyeing his pocket, Eclise took out a snack from inside his jacket and waved it.

Eclise had specifically brought it knowing that Rodi was crazy about food and became much easier to handle when there was food involved.

Rodi’s gaze fixed on the snack like a cat spotting a toy.

Her mouth opened into a triangle shape as she concentrated.

“I don’t remember.”

“Try to remember.”

Rodi stretched out her hand.

But Eclise’s hand holding the snack rose just as high.

There was a separate reason why Eclise was asking so persistently.

It was to find out the source of Rodi and Lexiard’s power.

He needed to know so he could eliminate it if necessary.

When he rescued Lexiard, the entire place had burned down, making it impossible to find information.

Even after tracking for quite some time, he couldn’t find the information he wanted.

Every one he found had died, and all documents had mysteriously burned, leaving nothing behind.

These strange powers which clearly weren’t magic.

Eclise was persistently questioning Rodi, hoping to find some answers to his frustration through her.

He knew all of Rodi’s records from the orphanage, but there were practically no records from before then.

It meant they didn’t even know who Rodi’s parents were.

So the only way was to find out through Rodi’s mouth and memories.

Fwip!

The small hand reached out again. But it was futile.

“Too short.”

“Boss, give me that.”

The small hand fluttered in the air.

While the information was the most important thing, teasing her was fun too.

“You should say ‘please.'”

Rodi’s small brows furrowed.

“Lexiard is right. Boss is bad. The worst bad leader.”

“So you won’t eat it?”

“…Please!”

Rodi held out both hands properly and shouted.

The snack she’d never seen before gave off a strong fruit scent even through the bag.

Though she could now eat fresh fruit freely every morning, she couldn’t give this up.

After quite a struggle, Rodi finally won the snack from Eclise.

When Eclise handed over the whole bag, Rodi’s hands moved quickly.

The fruit from the package was a snack made by repeatedly soaking it in honey and drying it until it became thin and long.

Rodi’s eyes sparkled like stars as she tasted the snack.

Her cheeks, which had become quite plump from eating so well in just a few days, wiggled.

Eclise watched intently while resting his chin on one hand.

It hurt his pride that he couldn’t find information about this ability when there had never been information he couldn’t find before.

“Boss, eat this.”

While lost in thought, Rodi suddenly held out one of the snacks.

“What’s this? You’re sharing your food with others? I must be special after all?”

“No, that one’s really bad. Boss eat it all. I’ll eat these!”

Rodi clutched different snacks and munched away.

Now looking at it, unlike the colorful others, the snack given to Eclise was black and even smelled like herbs.

There was a tiny bite mark visible at the top of the snack in his hand where she had tried it and spat it out.

Eclise lightly knocked her head in exasperation.

“Ow! Why did you hit me!”

“That wasn’t hitting. It was a tap.”

“Violence is bad! You’re like the orphanage director.”

“What?”

“I’m telling Jin.”

“Hey, I’m above him. He’s someone I hired, like you.”

“Jin and Padrid said adults should never hit children.”

“You just won’t stop talking.”

“Ekision said never to back down anywhere. Said it ruins Cheiles’s image.”

“Ha….. What have I brought in.”

Eclise rubbed his temple.

“Hm?”

“Eat without spilling.”

“Okay.”

The crumbs that fell on her clothes quickly disappeared into Rodi’s mouth.

“And if you remember anything I asked about, come running to tell me right away.”

“Okay. Boss, want this then?”

Rodi held out a red stick she had carefully chosen.

Her face looked exactly like she was trying to make peace, making Eclise smile.