20.
“Ah, I don’t want to work.”
Waves of blonde hair cascaded to her waist. The woman, eyes the color of a deep, crystalline ocean beneath long, sweeping lashes, folded a piece of paper into a plane and flicked it across the room with a bored sigh.
Viviana Papiope Dillum.
The Duchess of Papiope was known throughout the realm as the “Lively Mad Dog.” It was a moniker earned through her signature brand of volatility: if she decided she wanted something, no matter how nonsensical the endeavor, she would see it through to the bitter end.
It was the same temperament that had driven her to purge the elders and collateral branches of her own lineage to secure her title. It was the same stubborn streak that led her to declare she would never bear a child, opting instead to adopt an heir. Her life was a constant, cacophonous storm.
Perhaps that was simply the nature of the tempest she carried within her. Yet, ever since she had adopted her first child as planned, she found her now-settled daily routine stifling.
“I wish something interesting would happen.”
As if the heavens were listening to the Duchess’s whim, a sharp rap echoed at the office door.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
At her permission, her aide stepped inside, his expression grave with urgent news.
“Your Grace, word has reached us that someone has appeared at the Papiope Talent Training Center—a candidate who has shattered every record in our history.”
“Really? A talent has emerged? That is cause for celebration.”
“They report that the child’s ability is ‘Precognition.’”
The indifference that had clouded the Duchess’s eyes vanished, replaced instantly by a sharp, predatory interest.
“Oh! Now that is an ability worth getting excited about. I suppose my investment in that center is finally paying off. I was just sitting here, and good fortune came knocking.”
The Duchess leaned back in her chair, her eyes sparkling with renewed vigor.
“Wow, if I had precognition, I wonder if I could turn my life around, too?”
“I believe you meant ‘keep your life exactly as it is,’ Your Grace.”
“What?”
“After all, you already possess more than enough wealth.”
“You. I have dreams, too. I want to try changing my life around.”
“If you changed your life around from where it stands now, you would only end up in the gutter.”
“That’s harsh.”
“I shall correct myself.”
The aide efficiently steered the conversation toward the pressing matter.
“Ahem. Regardless, because ‘Precognition’ is such a superior talent, if other houses discover this Abilitator is within our grasp…”
“They would be desperate to snatch the child away.”
Silence descended upon the office, cold and heavy. The two sat in a momentary dilemma, weighing the risks of securing the child’s absolute loyalty.
It was the aide who broke the stalemate.
“Your Grace, I suggest that, as an exception, you adopt the child immediately.”
“No. We cannot make exceptions for the noble adoption tournament.”
The Duchess’s refusal was immediate and absolute.
“It would be a grave disrespect to Lucian, my first child who earned his place through the proper tournament, and to the staff at the training center.”
“…Since when have you concerned yourself with such trivialities?”
“Hey! I said it’s like that, so it’s like that. Stop talking so much.”
“I shall correct myself.”
As the aide retreated, the Duchess clicked her tongue, providing a sharper justification.
“Above all, the criticism directed at a child adopted as a mere ‘parachute’ would be substantial.”
“However, if we leave the matter as it is, we risk losing the child to another house.”
The Duchess narrowed her brows, an expression of genuine distaste flickering across her face. If the child had gone to another house from the start, that would be one thing—but once they were inside her cage, she could never endure the thought of them being pulled elsewhere.
“One month from now, I will hold the second adoption tournament. Tell the training center.”
“Pardon? Your Grace, that is not a solution. If another child wins, then ultimately—”
“If that child is truly brilliant enough to warrant my interest, they will be able to win the adoption tournament fair and square.”
The aide let out a long, weary sigh. He knew that once his master had set her mind on a path, no force in the kingdom could sway her.
“…Understood. I will make the necessary preparations for the tournament in a month.”
“Good.”
“I will leave the dossier regarding the child. Please review it when you have time.”
The aide bowed and retreated. Left alone, the Duchess idly flipped through the papers he had left behind.
“Tania, is it… She’s quite young, yet her records are abnormally impressive.”
*Can she use her precognition to cheat on tests?* The thought crossed her mind, though she quickly dismissed the concern. If she used such a rare gift to find the right answers, that in itself was a talent.
However, ironically, what caught the Duchess’s eye wasn’t the academic scores. It was a dilemma-inducing problem where the child had managed to save every single rabbit.
“…Well, look at this.”
Faced with a choice between sacrificing one pregnant rabbit or five old, sick ones, the girl had found a third way entirely.
The Duchess’s eyes sparkled with a thrill she hadn’t felt in years.
“Yes. If you’re going to be my child, you need at least this much unpredictability.”
✦ ✦ ✦
After securing the director’s permission to delay my entry, I turned to bid farewell to Rosemary and Raspi before heading home.
“Eat well, and stay safe.”
*Sniff.* “Hero, you really are coming back, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll just go get permission from my uncle and return.”
Rosemary wiped her tears, clearly anxious that I might never show my face again. The twin siblings stood side by side, their faces set with intense resolve.
“We will hold our ground here until the Hero returns. We won’t let those training center brats dare to look down on you!”
“I will make sure everything is prepared so that you can stay comfortably whenever you return.”
…I’ve become some kind of gang boss.
I chuckled to ease the tension, but the laughter died in my throat at Raspi’s next words.
“Tania.”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you once again for saving us. I would kill for you, Tania, if you ordered it.”
“…You don’t need to do that, so how about you just focus on adjusting here?”
“No. I don’t want to do anything that isn’t murder.”
*Crazy.*
Was he a bad seed? My mind raced, but then I noticed the corners of his mouth—usually set in a rigid line—tilted ever so slightly upward. A wave of relief washed over me.
“Oh my, that’s a pretty intense joke.”
If it had been anyone else, I would have taken it as a joke. But coming from someone who had slaughtered countless souls in the previous timeline, it sounded less like a quip and more like a statement of fact.
“You’d better not make jokes like that again. You have no talent for them.”
“But it was true that I would kill for you if you ordered it, Tania.”
“…What?”
I stared at Raspi, my eyes wide with bewilderment, when he offered a genuine, bright smile for the first time since we’d met. He pressed his lips to the back of my hand, a repeat of his earlier gesture.
“Take care. I will be waiting here for you.”
In that moment, I felt as if I were looking at an angel and a demon simultaneously.
I masked my discomfort, waved at the siblings, and exited the talent training center.
*I’ll have to keep a close eye on Raspi so he doesn’t go down the wrong path once I start the program,* I thought.
I couldn’t tell if the seed was good or evil.
*…Still, I’m glad everything ended well.*
Leaving the twins behind, I finally felt the tension leave my shoulders. Whatever happened inside those walls, at least they wouldn’t have to worry about the basic necessities of life.
It had been an exhausting day. I had braved an underground auction house, saved Rosemary, and sat for the entrance exam. Between the events of the day and the strain of using my ability, it felt as though I had lived through double the time allotted.
Reflecting on the whirlwind of the day, I finally reached my empty home.
The basket of food the lady next door had left was waiting by my door. As I peered inside, a rich, savory aroma drifted up. It was a cold meat stew. Seeing that the lady was tailoring the menu, it appeared my uncle had left behind quite a bit of coin.
Humming a tune, I hugged the basket to my chest and stepped inside.
“Hehe, this looks so delicio—”
“Where have you been, staying out until this late hour?”
The low, familiar voice—a voice that should not have been there—froze me in my tracks.