Published: August 3, 2025
I am Karlstedt, 37 years old.
I am the commander of the Ehrenfest knights order, the lord’s cousin, and his attendant. Normally, at this age, a guardian would no longer be necessary, and I would have long been relieved of duty, but it seems Sylvester still needs one.
After seeing Sylvester off as he returned to the lords’ council, Ferdinand and I took the necessary items from the now-empty room of the head priest and sealed it off so no one could enter.
Then, Ferdinand and I worked through the details and settings regarding Myne. It was problematic to simply use the story Sylvester had improvised on the spot as it was.
Sylvester came up with a plot where the lord resolves to adopt a daughter born with high mana resembling her mother. By separating her from the legitimate wives and giving her a secure status, he would protect his beloved daughter. However, the lord’s status isn’t so lightly conferred by mana alone. To become an adopted daughter, a certain level of achievement is required.
“Hmm… Shall we use the workshop matter? Let’s say she pitied the dreadful state of the orphanage and gave the orphans work and meals. That dedication and the new enterprise caught the lord’s eye.”
“Just hearing that, she sounds like a saint.”
Raised hidden away in the temple, troubled by the orphanage’s condition, providing work and food to orphans, possessing immense mana, and blessed by multiple gods—the girl sounds like a protagonist from a story.
“Ah, a saint, that’s good. If we craft a few touching stories along that direction, appointing her as head priest won’t seem unreasonable. Besides, most of it isn’t untrue. She did create a workshop to save the orphanage. The main aim was to read books in peace herself, but even now, she makes toys and picture books for the orphans.”
Ferdinand shrugged lightly as he spoke. I had heard about the workshop for the orphanage, but seeing her in person, she hardly looks like someone who accomplished such a feat.
Myne can also receive blessings, and as long as she only speaks according to the story, she should seem believable.
Indeed, if she just stands quietly, she looks too young to be called a saint, but she can appear as such.
Myne’s silky hair, the color of flowing night, is well cared for, shining with a gloss rarely seen even among daughters of high nobility, and held neatly with an unfamiliar hair ornament. Her golden eyes, like a moon reflecting emotions, are striking. Her facial features are refined, a promising child.
Perhaps due to frailty, despite her commoner upbringing, her skin is pale, barely touched by sunlight, and her small hands are soft and unblemished, unused to labor. Because Ferdinand educates her, her mannerisms are surprisingly refined for a commoner’s child.
“But…”
Ferdinand said, looking at me.
“The reasoning for her becoming the lord’s adopted daughter is fine, but hiding her in the temple out of fear of the legitimate wives’ bullying seems a bit forced.”
Ferdinand’s expression grew serious as he pointed this out.
“Elvira, the legitimate wife, won’t accept that explanation. She isn’t that foolish.”
“But it’s true that Elvira resented Rosemary.”
Rosemary was ostracized and scorned by both Elvira, the legitimate wife, and Tordeleide, the second wife. Her body, weak from the start, collapsed under the stress.
“That’s just what we heard from Rosemary, right? Have you properly heard both sides’ stories in detail?”
Ferdinand stared at me firmly as I naturally sided with the victim, Rosemary.
“...The root cause was the feud between Tordeleide and Rosemary’s family. But because Elvira, the legitimate wife with the greatest influence in the household, sided with Tordeleide, Rosemary lost her place.”
Things were fine while Elvira remained neutral. Her siding with one party drastically changed the situation.
“Why did Elvira side with Tordeleide?”
“She said it was because I took Rosemary’s side. But anyone seeing the snide remarks made would normally defend their own.”