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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: A Name and a New Home
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There was a name they used to call the boy at the orphanage. But it was no different from slapping a random label on some stray animal.
He felt like he'd once had a real name, but he couldn't remember it.
One thing was crystal clear, though: back when he was much younger, someone had called to him in a gentle voice, using a name.
"Do you not have a name, by any chance?"
"……."
"That's perfect."
Kaleo flashed a bright smile.
"Now we can pick out a really cool one for you."
"……."
"Anyway, welcome to the Dayamor mansion. Let's get along great from here on out."
"…From now on?"
"Yep. From now on."
Kaleo held out his hand.
"You'll be living here with us from today forward."
Kaleo led the boy into the drawing room.
Solles, who had arrived first and was waiting patiently, stood up from his seat.
"Father, what about Nini?"
"She's asleep. I think she was crying because of a fever."
"I'm sorry. I should've kept a closer eye on her..."
"You're doing more than enough, Solles. And Nini pulls all sorts of sudden stunts. This isn't on you."
Kaleo pulled Solles—who looked utterly crestfallen, as if it were all his fault—into a light hug, then introduced the boy.
"This is the kid who'll be living with us from now on."
"With us?"
Solles's eyes went wide as saucers.
"I'll explain everything once Nini wakes up. Right now, the grown-ups need to have a little talk. Sorry about this, but could you keep this kid company?"
"Yes, Father!"
Once Kaleo had left, Solles guided the boy to sit beside him.
Sweet fruit drinks and chocolate cookies were set out in front of the two boys, now side by side on the plush, cushy sofa.
"Here, have some of this."
Solles slid the glass of drink toward the boy.
The boy glanced around warily for a moment before taking a cautious sip. The sweetness stabbed straight into his brain and soothed his throat, making his eyes fly open wide on their own.
A smile bloomed across Solles's face as he watched.
"Tasty, huh?"
"Yeah. I mean, yes."
"I'm Solles. Ten years old."
"I'm eight."
Unfortunately, the boy was far smaller and scrawnier than your average eight-year-old.
But rather than dwell on that, Solles nudged the plate of chocolate cookies his way.
"Try the cookies too. They're my little sister's absolute favorite. You met her earlier, right? The one who burst into tears right in front of you—that's her."
The boy nodded.
"Her name's Nibelria, but everyone calls her Nini. She's little, so she gets into all kinds of mischief, but she's super cute and sweet."
The boy nodded again.
"You got a scare earlier, didn't you? When Nini started bawling out of nowhere."
"A little."
"She doesn't cry much, so even I was thrown off. Nini usually leads with her fists before the waterworks."
The two of them each grabbed a cookie, getting along like old pals.
Solles chomped into his with gusto, while the boy watched him for a beat before quietly setting his back down.
"I don't have a name."
"Huh?"
"I don't have one."
"Then we'll just come up with a new one!"
Solles echoed Kaleo's exact words from moments ago.
"I don't know why, but I like you already. Feels like I just got myself a little brother. Don't get me wrong—I love Nini to bits—but, well, I've always wanted a baby bro too. Al hyung and Rubens make me jealous sometimes."
"…?"
"Oh, right, you wouldn't know. Al hyung and Rubens are the sons of the duke who brought you here. They're brothers."
Boys aged twelve and eight, respectively.
"Rubens is your age, so you two can be friends."
Solles beamed, thrilled as if it were happening to him.
"……."
The boy felt lightheaded, adrift.
It was like being trapped in a dream too blissful to last—waking up would shatter him. Like he'd tumbled headfirst into a vat of warm, sugary bliss and couldn't pull himself out.
"Oh yeah, want Rima to name you?"
"She'll give you a real good one!"
And so, on the way to this place...
The girl the Degladis Duke had picked up from the orphanage alongside him—the one who'd insisted on sticking a name on him—hers was already wiped clean from his memory.
The Degladis Duke had been staying at his estate with his family but had returned to the capital just recently.
On the journey back, he encountered a messenger bird from the Dayamor family.
A note was tied to the bird's leg. It was from Muniel, and the message was short and to the point.
Drop by this orphanage and bring back one child.
[Blond hair, red eyes, around eight years old, boy, really handsome.]
The final detail seemed utterly useless for spotting the kid, but the duke followed orders anyway.
And sure enough, there he was: blond hair, red eyes, eight years old, and genuinely stunning.
In an orphanage full of scrawny, malnourished children thanks to the dismal conditions, this one's standout beauty shone like a beacon.
But the duke hadn't brought just the boy.
He'd also taken the girl standing next to him—the one with the eye-catching pink hair.
"I study and I serve! I'll pay you back big time, mister!"
Her speech sounded like her tongue hadn't quite caught up, but the gutsy way she planted herself in his path, begging to come along? Admirable.
So he decided to sponsor her personally.
For deeply personal reasons, of course—and that pink hair? Huge factor.
In fact, that very girl had ridden in the same carriage to the Dayamor mansion just earlier.
But before they could disembark, Nibelria burst into tears, sending them straight back to the Degladis estate.
Thud. Thud.
"When's Father getting back...?"
Rubens Degladis let out a massive yawn while idly bouncing a ball off the wall and snatching it mid-air to kill time.
"It would've been awesome if he'd brought us along to the Dayamor place too. Been dying to see Solles and Nini. Right, hyung?"
Al, who had been quietly absorbed in his book, replied with a smile.
"Totally. Wonder if Nini's grown a ton."
"How old is she now? Five?"
"Four. Turned four just this past early spring."
"Whoa, still that little?"
Rubens jolted in surprise and took a ball straight to the chin on the rebound.
"Ow! Uh, anyway, so she's still basically a baby..."
Rubens mumbled, blinking back the tears threatening to spill.
"She won't throw a fit over the birthday gift being late, right?"
"I kinda love how brutally honest she gets about stuff like that."
Al let out a chuckle, reminded of the little girl next door.
The last time he'd seen Nibelria, her pudgy baby cheeks had half-buried her features, giving her that roly-poly puppy vibe.
Even if she stubbornly insisted she was a cat.
'Her habits are pretty feline, though.'
Wary around strangers, socking you if she didn't like something, wearing her heart on her sleeve.
'And sleeps like one too.'
Al shut his thick half-read book with a decisive snap and set it on the side table.
Then he yanked the door open.
"Eek!"
A girl with pink tresses stood there.
The fairly pretty little thing flinched hard and stumbled back.
"What? Hunting for the bathroom?"
Al asked with a grin. His eyes—arrogant and intimidating far beyond his twelve years—flashed a deep crimson.
"Felt your stare the whole time I was reading. Came out 'cause it was bugging me. So, what's with all the lurking outside the door?"
"I-it's just..."
The girl clasped her hands innocently at her chest.
"Sorry. Rima was only..."
"……."
"Being alone got boring... and scary..."
"……."
Al studied Rima for a moment, then broke into a smile.
"Got it. My bad. You're a guest—I should've rolled out the welcome mat. I'll have some snacks and books sent over. You read at all?"
"A-a bit..."
"Cool. Read up and hang tight then. We'll chat again once Father gets home."
"W-wait...!"
Rima scrambled to keep talking, but Al shut the door first.
Rubens, who'd watched the whole thing, scrunched his nose.
"Dude, hyung—that was cold."
"I think the one spying on our chat takes the cake."
"She said she was bored and scared."
"Rubens."
Al tilted his head.
"Catch what she said earlier?"
"Huh? That she can read?"
Al nodded along with Rubens's reply.
His little brother might look like a total wild child who lived for fun—and he kinda was—but he had a sharp read on situations.
"Kid's got talent. That orphanage? Total dump, dirt poor. No way they had bandwidth to teach reading."
"Right? Impressive stuff."
An orphanage half-starving its kids teaching literacy? Doubtful.
So where'd she pick it up?
Self-taught? That screamed top-tier smarts. So why the baby talk worse than the four-year-old next door?
'...On purpose.'
Faking the childish slur.
'Though it could all be lies.'
That'd be suspicious in its own right.
Al's lip curled into a sly smirk.
"You hate her or something, hyung?"
Rubens ventured carefully.
"Father sponsored her himself and everything."
"Nah, don't hate her."
Al settled back into his seat and flipped open his book.
"She looks entertaining. I'll let her slide."
"Bro, your face was straight-up vicious."
"Runs in the family—Father's side."
"Father pulls off evil smirks fine, but yours is a whole different vibe!"
"Mother then?"
"...Father it is."
Rubens resumed bouncing his ball off the wall, while Al dove back into his book.
The steady rhythm of thuds helped him sink right in.
Rima slipped back into her room, dodging the servants' watchful eyes, then slumped against the door and slid to the floor.
'Whoa, that was terrifying...'!
She clapped a hand to her chest. Her heart hammered like it might punch through her skin and ribs.
'Kid's barely twelve—how's he that scary?!'
Panting raggedly, it took her ages to settle down.
"Ugh, whatever..."
She hauled herself up and scanned the room.
It was a guest suite, grand and opulent to match the mansion itself—spacious, lavish, the works.
Furniture, bedding, drapes—all in tasteful muted tones that'd suit anyone, screaming luxury at first glance.
But Rima heaved a cavernous sigh, like it was all a huge letdown.
"If I'd known it'd play out like this, I should've started with the heroine being the duke family's long-lost daughter. Then again, no way I saw me transmigrating into my own novel coming."
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