Late evening.

The people who had been cleaning the annex left, promising to return tomorrow.

Someone who had been hiding finally peeked their head out.

It was a child whose hair had turned gray from being covered in ash and dust, the unkempt strands falling down to the bridge of their nose.

After looking around carefully, the child confirmed no one was there and scurried to the back wall of the annex.

That’s where their secret door was.

It should appear once they cleared away the pile of grass used as camouflage.

At least, that’s how it should be?

“……!”

It’s blocked from the inside!

The secret door that had always been open was now blocked with stones from the inside of the wall.

“…? ……??”

The confused child tried pushing against the stones.

They didn’t budge at all.

Using more strength, trying again.

“……Inhale, phew.”

Even holding their breath and using all their strength made no difference.

“Hmm, hmmm.”

Not knowing what to do, the child fidgeted with their thin hands while pacing in place.

The stones blocking the secret door weren’t properly set. As though they were placed temporarily, they wobbled ever so slightly.

But it seemed like it would take an adult’s strength to push them.

Though knowing they couldn’t do it with their own strength, the child couldn’t easily leave the spot.

There were things they had left behind when they had to hurry out when people suddenly flooded into the previously empty annex.

Something they had worked hard to draw.

Something really, really important.

That’s when.

“Who’s there? Huh? A child?”

It was a worker who hadn’t yet left the annex.

Those thick, muscular arms would surely be enough to open the secret door again.

But.

“……!”

The child ran away without even looking back, as if their bottom was on fire.

Because for the child, adults were neither someone to ask for help from nor someone to trust.

Adults were dangerous and irresponsible.

They were beings that could never be trusted.

Just like Calliphe.

* * *

In just a few days, the gloomy annex transformed into an elegant mansion.

It was thanks to the mages who helped with the work.

While mages were considered rare talents outside, in House Offensa they were merely skilled workers.

The head of Offensa has been serving as Archmage for four generations now. That’s amazing.

“What a waste, such a waste. If I were the beloved youngest of the ducal family, I’d inherit everything.”

Clicking my tongue, I turned my head to the left.

The opera glasses I was holding moved along, magnifying the distant passersby.

I’m currently searching for Noah from the terrace.

As soon as I moved to the annex, I started looking for Noah without having to worry about others’ eyes.

I wanted to figure out Noah’s routine so I could approach naturally.

“Black hair, green eyes, cute little thing…”

Is Noah even in the ducal residence? How is it possible not to see even a glimpse?

Even considering that they might not look particularly neat, my searches kept coming up empty.

“Ah, my eyes hurt from straining too much.”

I put down the opera glasses and looked at the notebook on the table.

It contained information about ‘My Little Noah’ that I had written down before my memories could fade.

“The guardian can raise Noah’s various stats to see different endings.”

<Marino> had four guardian candidates of different social status. There were special endings that could only be seen depending on which guardian the player chose.

For example, the Pope ending could only be achieved by choosing the Saint guardian.

So usually, people would just take turns playing as the four guardians, but.

‘For hardcore players like me, there was something more important.’

A special stat in <Marino>.

The filial piety stat.

‘Because <Marino>’s hidden ending could only be seen by raising Noah’s filial piety to 100.’

But no matter which guardian you chose, Noah, who had been through so much in the ducal family, wouldn’t easily open their heart.

The filial piety increases from friendly conversations or allowance were too minimal.

Because of this, no matter how well you played, if the filial piety was low, you couldn’t avoid Noah’s rebellion and running away events.

‘That’s why the special potion for raising filial piety was essential.’

Once the filial piety was raised through items, Noah wouldn’t cause sudden events and would become obedient.

But even with the potion, filial piety could only reach 80.

In the end, even I, who had collected all other endings, couldn’t see the hidden ending.

‘It just doesn’t make sense no matter how I think about it. There must be a hidden way to raise filial piety. Ah, I should have done all collect.’

After clicking my tongue in regret at leaving this one flaw, I shook my head.

“It’s not like I’m a guardian anyway, so what does filial piety matter?”

Making Noah filial isn’t my job, I just need to remove the death flags.

I recalled the information I had gathered from other servants.

“Noah was supposed to go to the library around lunchtime today, right?”

I headed toward the nearby library within the Offensa estate.

* * *

As befitting a family representing magic, House Offensa possessed an extensive collection of magical texts. Adding general books to that, they had two libraries just within the family grounds.

This was my first visit to the library since possessing this body.

Yet my body found its way there like an automatic navigation system.

It was a sensation ingrained like habit.

“Did Calliphe use the library often?”

Even without trying to remember, the path to the other library immediately came to mind.

‘…Don’t tell me she wandered through all the ducal family’s libraries?’

Wow, really?

Maybe she was looking for a way to overcome her magic incompatibility.

Well…

‘When she was young, unlike now, she was called a magical prodigy and received all the expectations.’

Before losing her mother in an accident, that is.

‘Oh. Is that the library?’

While lost in these strange feelings, I arrived at my destination.

I could see the large, solemn entrance doors ahead.

That’s when,

“Who do you think you are, crawling in here? You dirty ash-covered thing!”

With a violent shout, the door opened and a small child was roughly thrown out.

A child with messy gray hair and dirty clothes.

Since there was no way a child from outside could get in here, they must be a young servant working for the ducal family.

‘Throwing a child like that, that rotten bastard?’

Frowning, I tried to approach to help the child.

That’s when a name struck my ears like lightning.

“How dare a mere servant step foot in the library. Do you still think you’re under Lady Calliphe’s patronage? Know your place, Noah!”

……Noah? Did they say Noah?

Good heavens.

That gray-haired little fluffball.

‘Was the protagonist I’d been searching for all along!’

While I stood there stupidly frozen, Noah, who had fallen to the floor, got up casually, appearing to not hurt at all. Then they took out a note from their pocket and handed it to the librarian.

The librarian picked up the note with just their index finger as though they were handling something dirty, and after checking its contents, their expression softened.

No, more precisely, they broke into a malicious smile.

“Ah~ So it’s an errand from Baron Colven.”

Baron Colven…

‘Ah, the swordsmanship teacher Calliphe assigned to Noah.’

Someone she hired right after bringing Noah in, to maintain the image of an exemplary patron.

‘But it was just for show, so she probably hired some third-rate swordsman.’

I set aside my thoughts for now and focused on the conversation between Noah and the librarian.

“Well, you should have said it was an errand from the start. You really do ask for punishment, don’t you?”

“……Yes.”

“And there you go speaking informally again. Didn’t I tell you you’re not under patronage anymore?”

“……Yes.”

“Hah, forget it, forget it. What’s the use of talking to an idiot? Quickly go get just the book you need and come out. Touch any other book and you’ll get a beating. Understand?”

“Yes.”

Noah quickly entered the library.

For some reason, the librarian watched the child’s retreating figure with an unpleasant smile.

‘This doesn’t feel right.’

After waiting a moment, I followed the child with silent steps.

* * *

The child kept alternating between looking at the note and the books on the shelves.

They could have just moved on to the next shelf if the book wasn’t there, but they repeatedly checked thoroughly before finally scurrying to the next section.

That’s when I, who had been hiding behind a book on the opposite side of the shelf, slowly lowered it to reveal my gaze.

‘Their hair is so overgrown it completely covers their eyes.’

The already thick hair looked like a ball of fur. No wonder it was hard to find them when you can’t even see their eyes.

The child, Noah, spent a long time searching for the book written on the note.

It was so frustrating to watch that I wanted to find it for them.

‘But let’s be patient.’

Just being a passerby whose paths occasionally cross. This distance is just right.

“Ah.”

Noah finally let out a short exclamation.

It seemed they had found the book at last.

‘Hooray! Well done!’

But the angle of the child’s head as they looked up at where the book was located didn’t seem right.

‘It’s way too high!’

I would barely reach it even on tiptoes.

Watching Noah look around helplessly made me itch to step in.

‘Couldn’t a passing person offer help? It’s not like helping means getting attached. Right? This is just human kindness. Right?!’

Just as my increasingly bloodshot eyes were about to explode.

“Looking for a stepstool?”

Somehow knowing, the librarian appeared with a ladder.

“I asked if you need this.”

Nod.

“Use it properly.”

Nod.

“Not even answering now, you little thing. You’ll be punished for this, you know?”

The librarian left with an unpleasant snicker.

Noah was a tough child, regardless.

As if the librarian’s words hadn’t registered at all, they set up the ladder and stepped on it with an unchanged expression.

When Noah had almost reached the top of the ladder,

Creak.

“……!”

Noah’s body swayed precariously along with the ladder!

‘Wait, that ladder…!’

One of its legs was broken!

‘That crazy bastard of a librarian!’