The next morning. I slung my carrot-shaped bag over my shoulder and firmly held my father’s hand.

Father insisted that we must go together, saying the Senoa Temple could be dangerous.

What’s dangerous about the temple? I’m here! I thought, but…

Father spoke logically.

‘The temple and the Mirmod family are hostile, Sien. There could be people after your life. I’ll somehow negotiate, no, persuade them to get an entry permit in advance, so let’s go together.’

Convinced by my father’s seriousness, I had no choice but to come with him.

And thinking about it, it seemed better to have a guardian today. Of course, I’m essentially my father’s guardian, but still.

However, as soon as we arrived at the Senoa Temple with Father and Acid, I encountered a huge problem.

‘Why are those scary-looking men here!’

The saying goes that a leaky bucket leaks inside and out.

Scary-looking men wearing cute pins were surrounding the temple like guards, leaving no gaps.

It would be strange enough if just scary men were walking around,

But they were all wearing floral pattern clothes, with flowers in their hair and awkward smiles on their faces pretending to be innocent…

…It was creating an enormous sense of discomfort.

From what I heard from the maid sisters last time, the temple was supposed to be hostile to the Mirmod family, so we couldn’t stay long. Is this okay?

“Those men…”

“Yes.”

Men who looked easily over 2m tall were visible, tightly surrounding the temple walls. Their fierce expressions with awkward smiles were impressive.

I whispered to Father.

“What’s with the pins in their hair? Phew…”

“…Is it strange?”

“No…”

“It is strange.”

“No, it’s not strange…”

Strangely, when Father’s expression hardened after hearing my words, the men’s awkward smiles intensified.

Fortunately, those men couldn’t come inside the temple.

‘Before those men start trouble and expose me as a pushover, let’s get the test done quickly and get Ted out of here.’

I scurried into the Senoa Temple following Father.

The atmosphere felt quite different since the maid sisters were chased out of the temple last time.

As soon as we entered the temple, people appeared to greet us. Their expressions generally looked solemn and serious.

But…

‘Why isn’t Ted here? I thought he would be waiting.’

I cautiously moved my lips.

“Um, where is Sir Ted?”

When I blinked and asked, the priest swallowed regretfully.

“Sir Ted has gone to the priestesses’ tea party. He’s expected to be out all day, so it seems you won’t be able to meet him.”

It was clearly strange. Ted was the type of person who would drop any schedule to come out if Acid was coming.

I tilted my head questioningly.

“Why is he at a tea party?”

“He’s been assigned to escort the priestess.”

I was certain that for Ted, there could be no one more important than Acid.

Suddenly, I remembered the contents of the letter Ted had sent. The part about Gabrielle continuing to be in charge of escorting.

“…Um, perhaps Priestess Gabrielle?”

The priest’s eyes widened.

If my guess is correct, it would be something like, ‘How did you know that?’

“Yes, he went as Gabrielle’s escort. Since he’ll be out all day, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for another opportunity to meet him.”

The situation adds up.

It seems Gabrielle is also aiming for Ted as her knight, and appears to be hostile towards me.

‘I guess Gabrielle has also noticed Ted’s talent.’

I tucked my sideburns behind my ear and fell into thought.

But just then,

Acid, standing to my left, carefully opened his mouth.

“Um… Lady Sien.”

“Hmm?”

I looked at Acid. Acid carefully mumbled towards me.

“Didn’t you want to meet my brother?”

“Yeah, I did.”

But if he’s not here today, I can come tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then the day after.

I can just camp out here every day.

‘I’m very persistent, you know!’

But Acid, unaware of my thoughts, seemed a bit deflated. He carefully asked me,

“Then what should we do… Should we come back tomorrow?”

“What about the baby?”

“…Pardon?”

“Is it okay for the baby not to meet his brother?”

“I, I’ll… get the sacred power test first. Meeting my brother… can wait.”

I was glad Acid’s resolve wasn’t broken.

I patted Acid and said,

“Then it’s okay. You’re here.”

His words are right.

Today is not only to have Ted and Acid meet, but also for Acid’s sacred power test.

‘Maybe Acid has sacred power too…!’

Since sacred power is hereditary, Acid’s sacred power might be even more abundant than Ted’s.

I smiled brightly after finishing my thoughts.

But Acid’s face, seemingly weak to compliments, burned up like yesterday. That expression was like… a burning sweet potato.

***

In Acid’s mind, Sien’s voice rang like a bell.

“Then it’s okay. You’re here.”

“Then it’s okay. You’re here…”

“Then it’s okay. You…”

Sien… definitely said that.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words. Acid felt a beeping sound in his ears.

Whether it was tinnitus or something else, he wasn’t sure but…

…It was certain that his heart sank at those words.

It felt like a spring breeze was gently blowing in his heart. Acid’s mouth slightly opened and a sigh escaped at the wave of sensations he had never felt before.

“Baby?”

He was so flustered that he couldn’t properly hear Sien calling him with a puzzled look.

“Baby!”

Only when Sien blinked and brought her face close to his did he finally find words to answer.

“Y-Yes!”

It’s strange.

Looking into Sien’s green eyes,

All the worries about whether he could take the sacred power test and about his brother that had occupied him all night suddenly seemed pointless.

“Now we have to go for the sacred power test. Are you nervous?”

Even the nervousness he had felt about the sacred power test melted away like eggs stirred with chopsticks.

Acid nodded blankly.

“Yes, le-let’s go… I’m ne-nervous.”

“Really? I’ll give you strength!”

For a moment, Acid didn’t understand what she meant by giving strength. Then Sien stretched out her left hand to Acid.

“Here, your hand!”

A question arose whether it would be okay to hold Lady Sien’s hand.

He was just a commoner who used to beg, and Sien was a noble lady.

Thinking it might be disrespectful to dare hold her hand, his hand hesitated and was about to fall to the floor when…

“Ah, my hand hurts.”

Sien casually reached out her hand towards him. She didn’t give him time to hesitate.

So the boy carefully took the precious small hand extended in front of him.

Sien nonchalantly intertwined their fingers.

“Hehe, now let’s go for the test!”

“Yes.”

With every step walking alongside Sien, a nice baby scent tickled his nose.

‘I really want to protect her…’

Absorbed in his thoughts, Acid didn’t notice that Matthias, who had been silently observing the situation nearby, had narrowed his eyes.

He was just excited about the upcoming sacred power test.

Please, let it be something that could help Lady Sien… he hoped.

The ornate doors inside the temple came into view.

Acid walked firmly, putting strength into his body.

He had to straighten his back and be dignified.

Because he had Sien to protect.

***

The morning after Acid took the sacred power test, a small sketchbook letter was delivered in front of Delphia’s mansion.

-Sien-]

The crooked handwriting was clearly written by Sien herself.

This was Delphia’s first time being invited to such a tea party, and for the first time in her life, she was a little flustered.

Moreover, it was quite a docile and sudden letter. She thought it would take at least a month before Sien would show her face.

‘Sien Mirmod, isn’t she a child Matthias doesn’t particularly cherish?’

If she were truly a beloved and cherished daughter, he wouldn’t have allowed a tea party with herself. As much as Delphia knew about Matthias, Matthias also knew about Delphia. He would have tried to avoid encounters as much as possible.

“It could be a trap set by Matthias Mirmod. He’s vicious, he might even kill…”

“What’s dying to Matthias?”

The maid’s face turned pale.

“It’s fine as long as it’s interesting.”

Delphia grinned.

It was a smile completely oblivious to her own future.

***

At 2 PM that day, inside the Matthias mansion. Delphia, who entered alone, was guided by unusual maids to the reception room.

The reception room was decorated brightly like a formal tea party venue.

‘It’s quite well decorated.’

Inside the pink tea party venue suited for a girl’s taste. A little one about half her size scurried in front of her.

“Hello, sister!”

For the first time in her life, Delphia was slightly taken aback.

Looking at Sien, she suddenly realized that she had never directly encountered a child of this age so closely before.

‘What, she’s so small.’

…She looked so tiny that it seemed she might die if poked.

Moreover, no one had told her that Sien Mirmod was this cute.

She had glimpsed her through a welcome herald orb, but seeing her in person was a completely different level of cuteness.

First, the chubby cheeks.

They looked so plump and bouncy, making her want to put them in her mouth and go ‘purr’.

“Sit here… Hm? Why are you like that?”

Next, the way her words trailed off slightly… it was like a squished steamed bun talking. Yet her expression was quite prim.

“Ah, I want to touch…”

“Hm?”

“I want to touch those cheeks once. Won’t you let me touch them?”

Sien shook her head.

“No.”

Every time she shook her head, her puffy cheeks and neatly tied pigtails swayed from side to side. Delphia was the type to survive well even without laws, in a bad sense, but somehow she didn’t want to be disliked by Sien…

So, Delphia just stopped.

And she decided to enjoy this tea party prepared by this brazen little one, sitting on the sofa opposite Sien.

She wasn’t sure exactly what was prepared for today’s tea party though.

Half thinking ‘Surely this tiny tot couldn’t have done anything?’, and half hoping she had created some new event.

“Now, this tea has sour lemon in it.”

The little one gave proper instructions as if she were a lady who had finished her debutante.

“Is that so?”

Sien pointed at the table and said dignifiedly.

“Yes. Drink it!”

Delphia took a sip of the lemon tea without much thought.

Watching her, Sien raised the corners of her mouth and smiled brightly. It was a captivating eye smile even on second glance.

As she took another sip of tea without thinking, Sien showed her small front teeth and said,

“Um, that tea, Grandma gave it to me to give to sister…”

Thinking that by grandmother she meant Duchess Lucella, Sien tilted her head and said brightly,

“The silver spoon changed color. It might be poison!”

The change in the silver spoon’s color meant there was poison in the tea.

Delphia, who had been caught off guard, put down the teacup and grinned.

“I see, it might be poison. So, am I going to die now?”

Talking about poison so casually from the first tea party, without even being surprised. She definitely didn’t look like a four or five-year-old child whose specialty was throwing tantrums.

She seemed to fit in well with the villainous Mirmod family, which was even a bit cute.

Now Delphia was starting to like this cute little one willingly.

It might be the effect of the poison.

Did Sien not know there was poison in the tea? If she just found out now, how would she handle it?

A tingling sensation ran through her body as blood rushed anew.

Until now, she had only seen boring human specimens. Those typical, cookie-cutter humans had brought about a hatred for humanity in Delphia.

But Sien was different.

This tiny girl showed a lovable appearance to lower her guard, then devilishly poisoned her tea, and calmly passed a death sentence.

This whole series of actions was perfect, like watching a well-choreographed performance art.

“Ah…”

Delphia looked at Sien with an enraptured expression. Delphia’s eyes locked firmly with Sien’s.