TGBGS 3

Chapter 3

“…I’m lovable?”

“Of course. To my eyes, you’re the most lovable child of all. May I take a closer look at you for a moment?”

At the word lovable, my chest felt ticklish. My mood instantly lifted, and I beamed up at him.

“No one’s ever said I’m lovable before. It feels all tingly right here.”

I placed both hands neatly over my chest, where my heart was, as I spoke. A warm feeling spread through me.

“And I’m f-fine. My bottom went flat, but it doesn’t hurt enough to kill me!”

“Your bottom… went flat….”

The man covered his mouth with his hand and bowed his head deeply.

Did I say something wrong?

“N-no, it’ll puff back up after a while! So it’s f-fine.”

“It’ll puff back up later… ahem, I see. That’s a relief. You fell, yet you didn’t cry—what a brave child you are.”

“Ariel doesn’t cry over stuff like this. It’s sad to be useless, but a flat bottom puffs back up, so….”

“Ahem—ah, I see. So your name is Ariel. My name is Kishan. If you’ve lost your way, I can guide you.”

I hesitated for a moment. It wasn’t that I’d lost my way—I’d been chased out.

I had walked as hard as I could, yet I hadn’t even made it halfway down the corridor.

If I tried to leave the ducal estate with these short legs, it might take me all day. On the other hand, this wonderful man named Kishan standing before me had long, sturdy-looking legs.

“Handsome, cool mister, could you take me to the front gate?”

“…Handsome and cool.”

The man muttered under his breath, staring blankly at me.

The corners of his mouth twitched. Since he didn’t say no, it seemed like he would gladly do it.

“My legs are really short, so it’s super hard. Could you hold me in your big, wide arms?”

When I reached out my hands toward him, Kishan naturally lifted me into his arms.

Cradled against his chest, my view became much higher. No—if I fell from here, my bottom wouldn’t just go flat, it might disappear completely.

I desperately wrapped my arms around Kishan’s neck. The corners of his mouth lifted even higher than before.

“Ariel, may I ask why you came to the ducal estate? If there’s an adult with you, I can take you to them.”

“There isn’t. Ariel came alone. I came to meet the duke, but I was useless, so I got kicked out.”

“…You came to meet His Grace?”

“I asked him to raise me, but he said no.”

Kishan’s face twisted, and his gaze toward me grew complicated.

“Ariel doesn’t have anywhere to go or a home, and I don’t have any power, so he said no and told me to come back when I grow up.”

“His Grace chased you out… haah. How difficult it is to gain a small, adorable daughter. How could he treat a child like this….”

Muttering to himself, Kishan rubbed his face with dry hands.

“Ariel has nowhere to go…. But useless, unnecessary Ariel has to leave.”

“What are you saying? No! You can stay here! Children are lovable no matter the reason! If His Grace won’t accept you, then I will take care of you myself.”

“Really? Then Ariel can stay here?”

Kishan let out a sharp snort and nodded vigorously. Still holding me, he headed somewhere else.

Sniff, sniff.

I smell something yummy!

Still in Kishan’s arms, I turned my head and looked around. My eyes widened, and my nose flared.

Saliva pooled in my mouth, and soon my stomach let out a growl.

Startled, I hurriedly covered my belly with my hands and glanced around nervously.

It felt like Kishan lowered his head to look at me, but I pretended not to notice.

So embarrassing!

People bustled about, preparing food. Among them, a fluffy loaf of bread, freshly baked and still steaming, caught my eye.

I stared at the bread, mouth hanging open, unable to look away.

Kishan walked toward it and spoke to the woman standing nearby.

“Miss Lily, may this child have some of that bread?”

“Oh my, Sir Kishan? Of course. I’ll cut some for you.”

Lily sliced the bread onto a plate, glancing at me as she did so.

After cutting it into small pieces, she smiled brightly and handed over the plate.

When I looked at Kishan, he gave a small nod.

“Thank you. I’ll eat well!”

Chomp.

Grabbing a piece of bread, I took a big bite. Soft bread melted in my mouth, rich with buttery flavor.

My eyes widened, and it felt like my nostrils expanded.

“It’s yummy!”

Chomp.

As I stuffed another piece into my mouth and chewed happily, Lily couldn’t take her eyes off me.

“Sir Kishan, who is this adorable child? Just look at her eating—her cheeks are all puffed up!”

Lily stomped her feet lightly and hurried over to me.

Still completely absorbed in my bread, I ate with both hands.

An adorable child….

At those words, my face flushed shyly.

“My name is Ariel.”

“What a cute name. Eat slowly. Here, there’s some warm milk too.”

Kishan gently set me down.

I sat on the chair Lily prepared and drank the milk.

Taking a bite of bread and then a sip of milk made everything melt together in my mouth, doubling the deliciousness.

“She’s a guest who came to see His Grace.”

“And who came with her? She’s so cute and lovable. The way she smiles and eats just makes you want to give her everything.”

“…Well.”

Kishan faltered at Lily’s words, unable to answer right away.

“Ariel came alone.”

“…Alone?”

“I came to see Duke Elphiers, but I got kicked out.”

The people in the kitchen stiffened, their eyes shaking violently. Shock was written all over their faces.

“My adoption was rejected. So I said I’d come back when I grow a bit more.”

Lily covered her mouth and looked at Kishan. At the same time, the others fidgeted, exchanging uneasy glances.

“Could His Grace possibly have…? No, surely not.”

“Mind your words, Lily. Until we confirm the truth, refrain from saying anything irresponsible.”

The adults’ expressions grew grave, much like Kishan’s earlier. It seemed the idea of a child being turned away had deeply unsettled them.

“It’s my fault. I don’t have any power, and I came too early. Children who aren’t helpful aren’t welcomed.”

Even though Kishan said I could stay, nothing had been decided yet. I could still be chased out at any moment.

“My goodness….”

“A child not being welcomed just because she’s not helpful… what on earth did His Grace say?”

“So… Ariel can’t stay here, right?”

I looked at them with a downcast expression.

Lily smiled gently, crouched beside me, and wiped the corner of my mouth with a handkerchief.

“Of course you can! You absolutely can! Even if His Grace doesn’t permit it, there are plenty of places for Ariel to stay! Isn’t that right, Chef?”

“That’s right. Lily’s correct. You can stay as long as you like.”

“But the duke is the owner of this place.”

“If everyone speaks up together, His Grace will allow it. So don’t worry—just eat your bread.”

Hearing their words, my heart eased a little.

Thinking I wouldn’t be thrown out right away, I relaxed and kept eating.

Philip, the head chef, told me he had worked at the ducal estate for over fifty years. He said he had three sons and had always wanted a daughter.

“Then… should Ariel be Uncle Philip’s daughter?”

He had lived in the ducal estate far longer than Duke Elphiers himself.

He had even served the previous duke—by seniority alone, Philip was practically the boss.

If I became his daughter, wouldn’t that mean I wouldn’t be chased out?

As long as I could stay in the ducal estate, it didn’t matter whether I became Kishan’s daughter or Philip’s.

“Why are you still here?”

But my small wish was quickly crushed.