novelraw Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Episode 5
Looking at Rosaria, who had stuck herself right next to her, Flora turned her gaze back to the book.
Not that she could concentrate.
Was Rosaria not a tenacious person, but a strange one?
'Hmm, she's a bit weird. Only towards me.'
Dadrently, after seeing the other orphanage children clinging to Flora, she even requested Mrs. Finny to forbid other children from approaching when she was with Flora.
'Really. This popularity is uncontrollable.'
Flora, annoyed by Rosaria clinging to her as if telling her not to read, pouted and bluntly asked.
"Rosaria, what do you like about me?"
"Just everything? Maybe the fact that you seem unattainable is what I like most."
Even to a question that should be embarrassing, her answer was calm.
"You're a Hermannus, but you can't have me?"
"If you were an ordinary orphan, I could have you... but Flora, you said your dream is to conquer the world."
Rosaria firmly held Flora's hand, met her eyes familiarly, and smiled softly.
World conquest.
To be precise, the plan to regain the Great Demon's power and annihilate humanity.
She had said that in front of everyone when Mrs. Finny once asked what her dream was.
The children's eyes shone as they declared they would become Flora's subordinates to conquer the world, and the adults cheered her on, telling her to do her best.
The Young Lady of House Hermannus, Rosaria, was no different.
After hearing Flora's dream, she seriously told her to do her best and even brought books as gifts like 'World Conquest: You Can Do It Too With This Book' or 'How to Conquer the World with 5 Minutes of Meditation a Day', books that looked suspicious but were intriguing.
"Instead, if you conquer the world, then you can have me, right?"
"Uhm. That's a bit..."
"See, that's what I really like."
But aside from that, Rosaria was a little, no, very peculiar.
Everyone wants me, but she says she likes that Flora is the only one who avoids her.
Looking at the eccentric Young Lady, Flora had to try hard not to frown.
"Speaking of which, I heard the supply of Shalias has increased lately."
"Yep. Because watering them is fun."
Shalias.
Just as she was about to talk about the excellent supply of ornamental plants that brought new wealth to the orphanage after Hermannus, someone rushed hurriedly into the library.
It was Lian, the orphanage's only staff member.
"Flora! Someone is looking for you right now, I think you need to come out immediately."
"Okay?"
Lian greeted Rosaria, whom she had just noticed, but still tapped her feet impatiently, urging Flora.
"Just who is this guest that they dare interrupt my time with Flora?"
At that, Rosaria spoke in a sulky voice, but it had no effect on either Lian or Flora.
"I'm sorry! But, but...!"
And for good reason, because the words that sprang from Lian's mouth were shocking.
"A person claiming to be Flora's biological father has come!"
......What?
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Today was not a noisy morning that started with the usual voices of children.
She woke up alone in a quiet room, washed her face and brushed her hair diligently by herself, and put on her favorite white dress.
She ate breakfast deliciously and gave plenty of water to the Shalias she was growing.
The rare free day, which happened once a month, where the children played amongst themselves without Flora, started off well.
〈I have a feeling today's luck might be a bit good.〉
She hummed happily, dreaming of a wonderful day.
It should have been a perfect day like this!
After seeing Rosaria off, the moment she opened the director's office door, she saw a familiar man.
His old clothes from last time were gone, replaced by neat attire today.
But perhaps because of his bear-like physique and the eyepatch over his right eye, Athanas still looked ferocious despite his clean appearance.
"Ajeossi, why are you here...?"
"We meet again."
He had said he would visit the orphanage again, but she didn't think that meant he was coming to see her.
And of all times, to appear in this situation where her biological father was said to have come?
Flora sensed something strange and turned to look back, but the director's office door was already firmly closed.
And then the unwelcome words came from Mrs. Finny's mouth.
"Flora. This gentleman says he is your biological father."
"Wh-what?"
At the absurd statement, Flora froze on the spot.
That can't be?
Flora definitely had no parents... right?
Flora tried to recall her memory from when she first opened her eyes after being born.
It was a cold, snowy winter day.
A woman, bundled up tightly in cloth, left the bundle wrapped around Flora right in front of the orphanage and left.
Without looking back, without hesitation.
There was no man who seemed to be with her.
At the time, she thought it was a woman who had lost her husband in the monster attacks from the Demon Forest that had caused great damage to the village, and who felt she couldn't raise the child alone, so she abandoned Flora.
But was that not the case?
Then what was Athanas, who claims to be her biological father, doing when the woman abandoned Flora?
Moreover, why did he come looking for her so late?
Wariness clouded Flora's eyes.
She belatedly realized that Athanas's golden eye, which didn't resemble her in any other way, was exactly like hers.
"Director."
Flora quickly moved to sit beside Mrs. Finny, avoiding Athanas.
Mrs. Finny seemed intimidated by the man who had suddenly appeared claiming to be Flora's father.
'Well, even Mrs. Finny would be scared facing such a fearsome-looking man.'
"Do you have any proof that can prove Flora is the daughter of a Duke?"
She wasn't.
Mrs. Finny was strong even in front of a scary-looking person.
"Gasp."
Flora belatedly caught the man's identity from Mrs. Finny's words.
That scary-looking man's status is that of a Duke.
So he wasn't a holy knight?
Flora hid her body behind Mrs. Finny's back to keep from frowning.
'A ducal house? Then... surely, surely not.'
"When the child was abandoned in front of the orphanage, there should have been a round amethyst pendant necklace left there."
"......"
"It's a jewel that resembles the child's mother's eyes. I heard she gave it to the child, a gift I had given to her directly."
Flora's small hand gripped Mrs. Finny's hem tightly.
No, right? It's not, right?
But contrary to her hopes, Mrs. Finny took a small box out of a drawer, and inside was the exact necklace the Duke had described.
"Nersha, no, the child's mother said if she had a daughter, she wanted to name her Flora."
Nersha.
That was definitely the name of the person he said came to mind when he saw Flora during their last meeting.
"That's correct. There was a note inside the bundle with the name Flora written on it."
Mrs. Finny clenched her trembling hand into a fist and raised her voice as if angry.
"But it's strange. Why would a person of your status, a Duke, abandon a child? And I don't understand your intentions for coming to find her now!"
"That's not it."
"Pardon?"
"Ever since I learned of the child's existence, I have been searching."
Athanas stared at Flora with a gloomy expression.
"I searched relentlessly."
His eyes were filled with longing and affection.
Reading the deep emotion, Flora secretly furrowed her brow.
"I traveled all over the Empire. For a girl named Flora, with pink hair like her mother's."
Meaning he had finally reached this place.
At Athanas's earnest words, Mrs. Finny let out a cough.
"I understand what you are saying, Duke. But I, I do not wish for Flora to be hurt."
Mrs. Finny gently stroked Flora's tender cheek.
Flora read the fear clouding the two eyes that met hers.
'She's afraid? Afraid that my biological father will take me away?'
It wasn't just a feeling of dislike.
Despite his appearance, Athanas's polite attitude had even slightly softened Flora's initial irritation, so why would the good-natured Mrs. Finny harbor such feelings?
'He said he's a Duke, so why is she so wary?'
"...I can tell from looking at the child that you, Madam, have taken good care of Flora."