Adopt 178

Episode 178
“They say that a child born under the Star of Heroes, chosen by its light, bears a mark upon their body. I had my doubts—but Leon Blanche has that very mark recorded in the prophecy, right on the back of his neck.”

A curse rose to the tip of my tongue, but I managed to choke it back.

There was no use in denying it.

Mikhail had clearly finished his investigation and was merely informing me of the truth.

In this moment, the man before me was not my childhood friend Mikhail, but Crown Prince Mikhail Zenos Fondrich.

I composed my expression, answering with incredulity,

“A single spot is supposed to be a sign? That’s hardly substantial evidence. And a prophecy, you say? All prophecies are the property of the Temple. The Temple would never allow the royal family to possess one of their books.”

All prophecy—so-called fate—begins and is strictly managed by the Temple.

If the crown prince thought Leo to be the Star of Heroes based on the contents of a prophecy, all I had to do was deny the existence of that prophecy and reject his assertion.

But the crown prince was not so easy an opponent.

“Of course, it’s not a prophecy officially recognized by the Temple. In fact, the Temple doesn’t even know it exists…”

The silence that followed was tense. And, as expected—

“But, isn’t there a royal in the bloodline who was so beloved by the gods, he had no need of the Temple’s recognition?”

At the prince’s words, I could not hide my dismay as my hands clenched into fists.

A royal favored by the gods.

I instantly knew whom he meant.

“The Temple never speaks of it, but the first king possessed the power of foresight—the gift of seeing the future.”

In the end, every question led back to the same root: the first king.

The continent’s savior—and a tyrant who murdered half his own people.

A prophet who foresaw the kingdom’s destruction seven hundred years later—and a black magician steeped in forbidden arts.

Which was the first king’s true face? There was no way of knowing.

All I was certain of was that I must not admit the truth of the prince’s words—not if I wanted to protect Leo.

So I revealed my final hidden card.

“But was the first king not one who strayed from the proper path?”

One who strayed from the path.

To the unknowing, it would seem a reference to the first king’s violent rule; to those who knew the truth, it pointed to his dabbling in black magic.

Sure enough, the crown prince’s gaze grew cold and heavy.

“Your Highness, I know more than you realize. For the sake of our cooperation and any future relationship, this is where we should leave things.”

“The first king may have practiced black magic—but he was not mad.”

“Oh? After slaughtering half his own subjects? Unless his son killed him and seized the crown, he might have wiped out his people entirely.”

“Belinda, I won’t let you cross that line any further.”

It was the first time. The crown prince had raised his voice at me with true authority.

For the first time, he displayed all the grandeur of royalty.

I glared at him, then executed a graceful bow, one befitting a subject before a royal.

“Yes, command as you wish. How could I ever defy Your Highness’s word? After all, you are the scion of the first king’s blood.”

“Don’t mock me like that. I only…”

Behind the prince’s mask, I could see Mikhail’s true face: guilt, shame, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

In that instant, I couldn’t help but think of Mikhail’s future.

As Lady Cherry said, he truly was a wise ruler.

In some future, even knowing what destruction lay ahead, he had stained his hands with the blood of his only childhood friend to save his kingdom.

Knowing it would haunt him with a lifetime of regret.

Mikhail pressed a hand to his forehead, his voice coming out as if in self-justification.

“I don’t mean to force a child to bear every burden. I only want to give you time to prepare for the worst, if it comes.”

I knew. Even in , he was just one among many who sponsored the Star of Heroes.

Not once had he mentioned the heavy duty Leo would have to shoulder.

Even so, despite noble opposition, he continued to swell the ranks of the Royal Divine Knights.

As though preparing for war alone.

Knowing this, I spoke.

“Mikhail.”

Fatigue layered like strata in his face as he looked at me.

I could not begin to imagine the weight of duty and fear he bore.

But Leo was far too precious for me to pity Mikhail.

“I believe that child is special. But that’s because I love Leo—not because of some… heavy destiny he is supposed to carry. Leo is still just a twelve-year-old, an ordinary child.”

“……”

“So if that mad king truly saw the future—if there’s proof the world will end in six years, bring it to me. Until then, I won’t believe a thing.”

With those words, I left my seat.

---

After that, I heard nothing from Mikhail for a while.

My own thoughts were in a tangle.

The truths I alone knew lent new weight to Mikhail’s words.

The existence of a game called .

Its ending, and a future six years beyond that no one but I could predict.

When I faced Mikhail at the banquet, all I could think of was protecting Leo.

But if what Mikhail said was true… I no longer knew what the right decision was.

If, in protecting Leo, I cause him to lose his true place in the world, what would be the point?

Lost in thought and unable to focus on work, I found myself simply gazing out the window.

“Lady Belinda, it’s nearly tea time.”

I hadn’t noticed Leo enter—it startled me as he poked his head in and spoke.

How had time flown this way? Already, it was nearly time for the evening tea I so enjoyed.

Instead of immediately getting up, I gazed at Leo’s face and, on a sudden impulse, spoke.

“Leo, your hair’s really grown.”

“Has it?”

“Mm, should I cut it for you?”

And then, as if on cue, we both burst out laughing.

We recalled the time I’d once offered to cut his hair, and Leo, misunderstanding, had burst into tears.

With that, I pulled my work chair over and sat Leo down as if it were a salon.

When he was nine, Leo needed several cushions piled up to sit high enough in this chair.

Now, at twelve, he was tall enough to sit easily, needing only a single cushion or none at all.

Snip, snip.

I trimmed Leo’s hair with practiced ease. As I gathered his bangs to trim them last, my fingers lightly bunching his hair—

“Lady Belinda, you’re troubled by something, aren’t you?”

“No.”

The answer leapt out before I even had time to think.

Leo stuck out his lips in a pout and grumbled,

“I’m not a little kid anymore, you know. Maybe I could help you solve whatever it is…”

He didn’t like being treated as a child, it seemed.

But the truth is, Leo—

“To me, you’ve still got a long way to grow. You need to spring up like a weed and get to be Lady Cherry’s height.”

Knight’s height…?

Whether he was picturing Lady Cherry, who stood a head taller than most, Leo’s face suddenly took on a serious expression.

He looked so adorable that I lifted his bangs in a bunch, kissed his pale brow as if it were a dandelion fluff, and said,

“Yes, for now, just focus on—on growing up tall and strong…”

As I spoke, I snipped the scissors.

Snip—

“…!”

I blinked, gazing down at Leo’s bangs, now cut on a sharp upward slope.

“Just focus on growing tall…?”

“Uh, r-right… Just on growing… tall…”

Calm down. It’s not ruined yet. If I just even out the length, I can fix this.

Carefully, I crossed the blades of my scissors, trimming again.

Snip, snip.

Hmm, let’s try a bit more off the right.

Snip, snip.

Now a little on the left.

Snip, snip.

“You’re cutting much more than usual today.”

“…”

“…Lady Belinda?”

“…”

After a long moment, I quietly stepped aside in silence.

Leo was finally able to see his reflection in the mirror.

“……”

“……”

A long, heavy silence fell.

Right then, at the perfect moment, there came a light knock, and Terry entered the study with a cheerful face.

“Master, your tea is getting—”

Terry trailed off, staring at Leo’s bangs, now as short as chestnut burrs, then burst into laughter.

“Puhaha, whoever did this is a real artist—”

Her eyes darted to the scissors in my hand.

As if donning a different mask, she immediately stifled her laughter, then began to clap soullessly.

“Amazing. A true original. So much personality.”

At Terry’s reaction, Leo covered his face with both hands and muttered,

“How can I ever show myself at the Academy now…”

A very trivial remark.

But in that moment, I couldn’t stop myself from laughing, as all my worrying seemed to melt away.

Leo’s words sounded just like the greatest worry a normal child could have in his life.

Why make things so heavy and hard?

What I needed to think about for Leo was not the fate of the world six years from now, but his very next day at school.

As I ruffled Leo’s hair, I spoke in consolation,

“Indeed. Our little chestnut—how will you face the Academy tomorrow?”

“You’re so mean!”

Leo shot to his feet, covered his bangs in both hands, and ran from the study.

Only after the sound of his footsteps faded did I speak to Terry.

“Terry, bring me pen and paper.”

Right then, I sat down and hastily wrote three letters.

“Where shall I send them?”

“One to the Temple, one to the Mage Tower, and the last to the Royal Palace.”

Then, as if to seal a resolution, I pressed my seal deep into the wax on each envelope.