“You crazy librarian bastard!”

I was about to rush out in panic, seeing Noah who looked like he could fall at any moment.

“…! ……!”

But Noah maintained perfect balance on the shaky ladder, grabbed the desired book, and quickly came down.

Then he discovered me standing there with my hand uselessly outstretched.

“……?!”

Noah’s body instantly froze. His retreating steps were filled with terror.

‘This, this isn’t the time. Smile, smile!’

Barely managing to move my creaking head, I carefully lifted the corners of my mouth.

“Gasp!”

But as soon as I showed my smile, Noah ran away without looking back as if he’d seen a ghost.

Whoosh. It felt like a cold wind blew through my chest.

“……it’s, it’s okay. I expected this might happen.”

A dejected sigh escaped me.

‘Well, at least the kid didn’t get hurt.’

I didn’t know before, but Noah had really good balance. He could join the circus.

Anyway, having witnessed the librarian’s schemes, I couldn’t take my eyes off the situation anymore.

For now, to avoid frightening Noah, I followed more carefully from a distance.

After a while, Noah finally gathered all the books listed in the note.

With a grunt of effort, he lifted them until they were stacked high enough to hide his face.

‘Ah, that must be heavy.’

Wasn’t this errand too much?

While I was thinking, Noah arrived at the desk where the librarian was.

The librarian quietly clicked his tongue after looking Noah up and down. Then suddenly he smiled.

“You just need to process these, right? Oh, but I think I dropped my quill pen. Is it not by your feet?”

“……”

Just as Noah bent down at the librarian’s words.

The mountain of books that had been piled on the desk waiting to be processed tilted toward Noah.

The librarian had pushed them!

Wobble!

The avalanche of books, massive compared to the child’s small frame, came pouring down toward Noah.

Noah froze the moment he looked up.

I couldn’t think anymore.

“No!”

I burst out from between the bookshelves and threw myself over the child with all my might.

At the same time, crash! The books collided with my entire body. Every single one was a thick hardcover!

‘Aaagh, f*ck!’

It hurts so much!

But I couldn’t move my body that was covering the child like a roof.

The last book dropped to the floor with a thud.

Only then did I open my eyes that had been squeezed shut from the pain.

The sight before me left me speechless.

Through the unkempt gray hair.

“……ah.”

There were Noah’s eyes, sparkling like fresh summer greenery.

Those clear, wide eyes had my image reflected in them.

A gasp of admiration unconsciously escaped my lips.

“Your eyes are really pretty.”

“……!”

The child’s eyes grew even wider.

Just then, the librarian hurriedly came running around the desk.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

That snapped me back to my senses.

In that moment, anger surged up and my reason flew away.

I jumped to my feet.

“What am I doing? I’m saving a child, you bastard!”

Slap!

I struck the librarian’s cheek hard.

Then I grabbed his collar and yanked him close.

“I saw everything you did. And you call yourself an adult and a librarian?”

“……huh.”

The flustered librarian stared at my face for a moment before suddenly sneering.

“Well, if it isn’t Lady Calliphe?”

“……”

“You’ll regret this, you know? This position was given to me directly by Young Viscount Caiman. He looks upon me favorably, you see. While you, on the other hand, now… you know?”

Ah, now I understood clearly. All these people who fearlessly looked down on me were connected to Young Viscount Caiman. How scientific.

“Would you let go of this?”

The now confident librarian tried to remove my hand from his collar.

In response, I gripped even tighter and refused to let go.

He twisted my thin arm mercilessly in anger.

“Let go while I’m asking nicely!”

“Ugh…!”

The pain was intense enough to make me groan.

This was exactly when I needed a synchronization message about Calliphe’s role, but no system message appeared.

However.

‘You dare touch me? Let’s see this through to the end! Yeah!’

I was completely pissed off right now.

Right now, I was a woman who, like the original Calliphe, led with her fists rather than words.

“A noble lady would have at least one self-defense weapon. Do you know what that is?”

Still gripping his collar, I raised one foot with all my might. Then, putting weight on my heel―

Crunch!

“Aaagh!”

“It’s a high heel, you bastard!”

And I was wearing killer heels!

The librarian screamed in pain and hopped on one foot.

It was a satisfying sight, but the movement pulled me forward since I was still gripping his collar.

“Ah!”

‘We’re going to fall together!’

This bastard could crack his head open for all I care, but I couldn’t.

I pressed hard on his shoulders to use him as a cushion. The staggering librarian fell backward.

“What, what is this!”

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Finally, the librarian’s back hit the desk.

With me pinning him down by the collar.

The librarian was shocked.

“Damn it, even after doing this!”

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, something silver flashed in the corner of my vision.

‘Huh? Is that?’

As the librarian fell onto the desk, he knocked into some books, causing an object on top to bounce up like a seesaw.

Spinning, spinning, spinning, the object rotating rapidly in the air was headed straight for the librarian’s face. More precisely, toward his cornea.

Or rather, it would have.

[‘Performing Calliphe’s role.’]

Snap!

If my hand hadn’t caught that object just in time.

Looking at it now, the sharp silver object was a paper knife.

“Huh, huugh.”

He completely froze at the near-fatal accident that had stopped paper-thin from happening.

I leaned closer to him with a smile.

The paper knife tilted with me.

“Ah, aaah! My lady! Please, please!”

“What’s that? Bark some more.”

“Please, pl-please spare me. I was wrong. Hic, huugh. Waaah. Mommy……”

The crying librarian soon fainted.

But I still held the knife pointed at him. My heart was pounding with anger that hadn’t yet subsided.

However.

I’ve been feeling someone’s gaze for a while now.

Who’s watching me?

I sharply snapped while glaring in that direction.

“What are you looking at? Get lost.”

“……!”

The ‘someone’ who froze at my glare was none other than Noah.

“S-sorry……”

The startled Noah tried to run away again.

“Ah, no, don’t leave! Stay there!”

“……!”

My urgent voice came out sharp.

Frightened by it, Noah pressed his arms tight to his sides and stood at attention. His deeply bowed head was trembling.

‘Oh crap, oh crap!’

I bit my lip hard and spoke in the gentlest voice I could manage.

“…Ahem. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“……?”

“Are you hurt, anywhere?”

After staying still for a moment, as if processing what he’d heard, Noah slowly raised his head.

Through the messy hair, green eyes filled with doubt and disbelief were visible.

“Why…?”

“Hm?”

“Why suddenly, are you asking? You’ve never……”

The rest of the words – ‘done that before’ – trailed off along with his gaze.

It was heartbreaking, but also gave me hope. Maybe this was the moment to show my sincerity.

I gathered my courage.

“I know I’ve neglected you until now. And because of that, you’ve suffered. Seeing you almost get hurt just now made me think a lot.”

“……”

“You can relax now, Noah. No one can bully you anymore.”

“……”

The more I revealed my true feelings, the hotter my face became.

Did he understand? I watched Noah’s reaction with anticipation.

And then…

“……”

Rustle. Noah quickly backed away.

His eyes seemed to say, ‘Why are you suddenly acting like this? What are you planning now?’

‘Oh no.’

Only then did I realize.

‘Is it backfiring because these kind words aren’t like Calliphe?’

Well, it made sense for him to be wary since I was acting out of character. If that was the case, I had to painfully change my strategy.

“You… abandoned me anyway…”

“That’s right.”

“……”

At my clean admission, Noah pressed his lips together. The wall in his heart seemed to grow even thicker.

“However.”

Click.

Stepping forward, I lifted Noah’s chin with my index finger.

Looking straight into the child’s eyes, I spoke seriously.

“Since I picked you up, I’m the only one who gets to bully you. I will never allow anyone else to lay a hand on you.”

“……”

“Even a stray dog deserves responsibility when you pick it up.”

Let alone a person.

“……”

Noah’s eyes wavered.

Through his hair, something different from suspicion flickered briefly in those green eyes.

But it was only for a moment.

Biting his lip, Noah bowed so low his crown showed and ran away.

Even forgetting the books he’d gathered for the errand.

I rubbed my face with both hands.

“Is this right?”

That harsh words reassured the child more than gentle ones.

It was all Calliphe’s legacy.

Besides, I wasn’t in a position to just criticize Calliphe.

‘I only thought about my own survival, not knowing how Noah was living.’

The child was smaller than expected and looked shabby. And somehow terribly hungry. Not just for food, but for everything.

The more I thought about Noah’s appearance just now, the firmer my resolve became.

“…I’ll protect you.”

Since I’m the one who picked him up.

At least until the original guardian from the novel appears, I should be Noah’s protector.

Until then, I’ll try to survive well together with Noah.

Then, as if it had been waiting, a new system message appeared.

[Hidden Route Quest activated!]

[Reduce ‘Noah’s’ filial piety to 0.]

[Success Rewards: Complete synchronization release, Registration as Noah’s ‘temporary guardian’, Hidden ending quest unlocked]

[‘Noah’s’ filial piety has increased by 1.]

[Current filial piety: -99]

Huh?

Noah’s filial piety toward me?