Published: August 3, 2025
“...Hm. ...Myne. Hey, are you listening?”
Startled as my shoulder was shaken, I looked up at the high priest. He pressed his temple with a grimace, looked down at me, and pointed at the stone tablet with a tap.
“Seems like you haven’t made any progress at all?”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
After apologizing, I resumed calculating. When I finally paused the stylus with a click, a sigh escaped me.
...Lutz, what should I do?
To somehow resolve Lutz’s current situation after running away from home, I think the best way is for Lutz and his family to face each other sincerely, exchange their feelings, and reconcile. The problem is that they’re completely misunderstanding each other because each side keeps their true feelings locked away.
Maybe I think this can’t just be left as it is because I’m blessed with a family. If being with family is painful, maybe it would be better for Lutz to live apart. But that’s the difficult part.
“Myne, you’ve stopped moving your hand.”
“Huh? Ah, this part’s done.”
“Then, take this…”
“Yes.”
If it’s just about breaking the deadlock, I think adoption by master Benno is the quickest solution. I could focus on work, gain a strong backing in my job, and not have to worry about daily life. But adoption can’t happen without parental consent, and this time Benno clearly said he wouldn’t intervene.
I also considered setting up a meeting for a serious discussion, calling Lutz’s parents, Lutz, and Benno to talk properly. But I doubt everyone would come just because I said, “Let’s all speak frankly.”
Besides, if the conversation heated up and Benno or Lutz’s father started losing control, I wouldn’t be able to calm things down. No matter how I look at it, I don’t see any hopeful future.
“...I really am completely useless...”
“Exactly. Your opinion is correct.”
“Huh?”
Startled that my muttering was answered, I looked up to see the high priest glaring at me with a fierce expression, then nodding sharply toward the bed.
“Myne, come here.”
“Um, high priest, is your work all right?”
“Maintaining the calculator comes first. Come.”
“...Yes.”
The word “calculator” felt like a terrible way to put it. Silently grumbling in my heart, I followed the high priest into the room.
Inside the cluttered room, I pushed things on the long bench to the side and secured a spot to sit.
The high priest brought his chair, sat down heavily with irritation, and glared at me. He becomes a bit emotional here, and his eyes were twice as sharp as before.
“What on earth have you been thinking? You’ve been sighing gloomily for some time now.”
“...It’s none of your concern, high priest. Sorry. I’ll try a bit harder.”
If I said I was worried about Lutz and couldn’t focus on work, I’d probably get a long scolding. Trying to show I was reflecting and end the lecture quickly, the high priest rested his cheek on the chair’s armrest and stared at me with an annoyed look.
“Since your work is delayed, it is not unrelated at all.”
Yes, you’re right.
I gently averted my gaze from his narrowed golden eyes. Since I’m called thoughtless, it’s better to say as little as possible.
When I kept silent, the high priest sighed softly, stood up, and suddenly pinched my cheek.
“Say it clearly. If a child is sulking and whining, you would be distracted and your work would not progress, right?”
Though his attitude treating me like a calculator was tough, apparently he was concerned. I looked up at the high priest, who spoke in a roundabout and hard-to-understand way.
Come to think of it, the high priest was educated as a noble. I’d heard that after the political upheaval reduced the number of nobles, many nobles in the temple moved by marriage or adoption. Maybe the high priest knows a lot about adoption.
“High priest, do you know of any way to proceed with adoption without parental permission?”
The high priest raised one eyebrow lightly in surprise at my question.
“What’s this? Have you decided to separate from that family?”