“Is he the type who never wakes up once he falls asleep?”

Even though it was almost an hour, there was no sign of him waking up.

“He seemed to be sensitive, but how can he sleep without even tossing and turning?”

As I stared at his motionless face, mischievousness slowly took over.

Poke.

“Pretty.”

I poked his cheek with my index finger, and it wasn’t just funny, it was also…

“This suits you well.”

Very well, in fact.

His cheeks were soft and squishy, and the texture was nice.

‘…Something funny.’

Using both index fingers, I made a double pretty sight, and I also made a V-shape with my index and thumb to put under my chin.

“Oh.”

Not bad?

This time, I made a circle and pretended to fry an egg on his cheek.

“Pfft…!”

So cute.

The face of the sleeping child was truly angelic.

It was adorable, but somehow it made my heart ache.

Such a little baby.

“Even like this, he doesn’t wake up. No one would know if I took him away.”

Although I felt a bit regretful leaving him like this, time was running out.

“As expected, the child shouldn’t have a single worry like this. From now on, live like this even when you’re awake.”

After giving him one last stroke, I opened the iron-barred window and went out.

‘Huh?’

Somehow, the back of my head tingles for some reason.

Could it be?

I quickly turned around to check, but the child was still lying there.

With eyes tightly shut.

‘Maybe it’s just me?’

I tilted my head in confusion, then suddenly shrunk my shoulders at a thought that came to me.

‘Could there be a ghost inside the cell?!’

Eek, don’t think about it, don’t think about it!

It’s not scary at all!

I ran and ran and escaped from the prison.

* * *

After a month, spring was in full swing.

And good news kept coming to me.

First of all, Count Candor had secured the position of head of the Council of Elders.

As he confidently asserted, it was an overwhelming victory.

The Black Gold business was also doing well.

They had established paper companies overseas, and the upper management was also set up.

They even had a facility that could awaken sleeping mana stones to produce black gold.

Since they used an abandoned factory instead of building a new one from scratch, progress was fast.

They had also completed hiring staff to work in the production facility.

‘In other words, we can now start the production line in earnest.’

And once we have enough inventory, we can start marketing!

Just thinking about how to sell it already made my heart race.

‘Come to think of it, I’m now the owner of a factory, a mine, and an upper management company!’

Even without adding up all the mansions and estates that Nicholas Tarenka had bequeathed to me, it was quite an achievement.

‘A five-year-old baby who has succeeded like this…!’

Gah, being reborn in another world is the best!

I dedicate this glory to all the heroine sisters in romance novels!

And to my commenters, cheers!

It’s a bit funny, but since I commented the most, I was chosen to be reborn.

Everything was going well.

‘But the problem is…’

It was the child who was locked up in the underground prison.

Since there weren’t many opportunities left to use my abilities, I reduced my visits to see him lately.

Instead, I delivered a basket along with a letter.

As expected, he didn’t write a single line about how well he ate.

But seeing the empty basket still warmed my heart.

You’re eating well, aren’t you, oogoo oogoo.

As the number of available ability uses decreased, I became anxious, but I tried to remain calm.

Opening someone’s heart is not that easy.

I’m not forcing him to eat like I used to.

‘I also need to decide on a name.’

I pondered over it every day.

But as time passed, even the options that seemed okay felt mediocre, so I couldn’t decide.

Did my mother also struggle when choosing my name?

Thinking about it made my heart warm and tingly.

It was a sensation different from when I felt sad, even though my nose became stuffy.

Then, I heard a knock at the door.

“Count Candor has arrived, miss.”

“Already? He came so quickly!”

After hearing Anna’s words, I quickly got up from my seat and rushed to the lobby.

“Oh dear, if you run like that, you might trip, miss!”

The employees shouted, but I didn’t listen.

When I arrived at the central staircase, which overlooked the lobby, I saw Count Candor.

It wasn’t always a welcoming sight when Count Candor arrived.

My gaze scanned around Count Candor’s surroundings.

And then…

“Brother!”

The boy with shimmering, water-like hair raised his head at my call.

Rosy cheeks, glowing skin, sharp gaze.

The traces of the inhuman experiments that were heavily present when I first saw Brother had disappeared from his face.

‘Yeah, looking good.’

I thought that even though Count Candor could be gruff, he would be a good father to him.

That’s when it happened.

“Brother?”

“Brother?”

Ares and Ixion approached me with bewildered faces.

“Why is that guy your brother?”

“I thought Ruru was my little sister.”

Both of them had intense gazes.

Ixion was openly frowning, while Ares was smiling brightly, which was even scarier.

“No, it doesn’t mean he’s my brother… It’s just that he’s older than me.”

“Why are you calling him brother again? Do you think that guy can be your brother?”

“Was I not enough?”

No, listen to what people are saying!

He’s just an older brother who is older than me in our family!

‘And I still don’t know my brother’s name! It’s awkward to call him anything else!’

I asked Count Candor about Brother’s name before,

“It would be better for you to hear it directly from my son.”

“Huh?”

“He doesn’t show it, but it seems like he wants to tell you himself.”

That was the answer I received.

I also understood that sentiment well.

When I found out my name and age, I would tell everyone, “I’m Ruatisha. I’m four years old.”

“It’s not like that. It’s just a way of addressing him.”

I descended the stairs with trembling lips.

When I arrived in the lobby, Brother placed his hand on his chest and bowed to me.

Perhaps it was because he was a half-water nymph, but even though it was nothing special, his movements were as fluid as water.

“It’s been a while, miss.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while! How have you been?”

“Thanks to you.”

My shyly smiling Brother turned to Ixion and Ares, who were bristling with fur, and spoke.

“How dare I become the young lady’s older brother.”

“I know.”

“She only called me that because she didn’t know my name.”

“Well, if she knows your name, she won’t call you that anymore.”

Ares had a smile on his lips, but his gaze was cold.

“Of course.”

Brother turned his head back to me and looked at me again.

“Young lady, my name is… Azul.”

Brother’s voice trembled slightly. His reddened cheeks revealed how overwhelmed he was.

“Oh, I see, Azul. Azul Candor. It’s a good name!”

As I smiled widely, Brother… no, Azul, who also smiled faintly.

“It’s nice to be called by my name.”

“Yeah!”

I felt the same way when I found out my name.

It was incredibly, incredibly wonderful.

Just being called by my name all day long would be great.

“Then, Azul! Let’s go to the eastern garden. The spring flowers are in full bloom now, so it will be different from before!”

Since it seemed like a place of reunion for the two wealthy individuals, it seemed like a good idea to have a conversation there.

Azul nodded with a smile.

But…

“Huh? Why are Ixion and Ares here?”

“I have something to do in the eastern garden.”

“I want to get a dessert with my little sister. Can I join you?”

Hmm, I’m a little worried.

But if I say I don’t want to do it here, he’ll get sulky, won’t he?

Because he is very weak against my refusal.

I deliberately smiled and replied.

“Ares is always welcome!”

“What? I want some too.”

“Ixion says he has something to do.”

“The business is to get you something that looks like you.”

What on earth looks like me?

Anyway, I headed to the eastern garden with the Candor family, Ares, and Ixion.

There was a fancy tea table set up in the gazebo.

The three-tiered tray was filled with desserts that were enchanting just to look at, and the table was decorated with small spring flowers.

Even though Ares and Ixion had just joined us, chairs and cups were already prepared for them.

As expected, our employees are really good at their jobs.

They’re all not normal, so it’s a problem.

Tea time was very peaceful.

The desserts were sweet, and the tea with lots of milk and sugar was fragrant.

The garden, which the gardeners had worked tirelessly to decorate, was very beautiful.

If I stayed still, the scent of flowers wafted in the air which made me smile.

It couldn’t have been better than this because there were people I’m happy to see here with me.

Although Ixion and Ares occasionally bickered with each other, even that was enjoyable.

“My father had a saying that he exchanged with my mother a long time ago. When they had a child later on, they decided to name the child together.”

Azul told the story about his name.

Although he had a calm attitude, his slightly reddened cheeks revealed how excited and thrilled he was.

“Then Azul’s mother also came up with the name together. It’s a precious name that Azul’s parents decided on while waiting for Azul even before he was born.”

Azul opened his eyes wide and smiled shyly.

“You always say warm words, miss.”

“It’s true.”

Hmm, I should give that kid a good name too.

“So, Count Candor, what were you thinking when named your child Azul?”

“You ask about every little thing.”

“Why is that a little thing? How did you come up with it, huh?”

“Oh, well, it’s just ordinary.”

“Hey, ordinary? Tell me more about it. Azul is curious too, right?”

Azul nodded slightly and looked at Count Candor.

Unable to resist that gaze, Count Candor opened his mouth.

“If the child resembles Daphne, then a name that encompasses the sky would surely be fitting. Even if we take away her beautiful blue hair and blue eyes.”

Count Candor’s gaze toward Azul was tender.

“For her child, that name seemed fitting. And it matches my thoughts well.”

Hmm, it’s quite a touching story.

No wonder I feel a lump in my throat…

Even in my past life, I was a loner.

I should have made time for romance despite being busy with life.

“Ahem.”

Count Candor, who had been talking non-stop, stopped speaking with a cough.

It seems like talking about love in front of his son is embarrassing.

But it’s kind of interesting.

“Um, excuse me, miss.”

Azul, who had taken a sip of tea, cautiously opened his mouth.

“If you allow it, may I become your assistant?”

My assistant?

“Of course! I still have a lot to learn, but if I can be of use to you later… “

“If Azul joins us, then I welcome him!”

I smiled widely and took Azul’s hand.

“Are you sure you want to accept someone like me so quickly?”

“What’s wrong with Azul? You have a special ability as a half-nymph and half-human!”

Of course, he had a great ability to control water.

“And if you learn under Granpa Candor, you will be good at administrative work.”

Above all else—.

‘Blue, right!’

Perfect name and hair color!

Without even looking at the documents, you’re automatically hired!

Red, green, pink, yellow, and even blue.

‘Everyone’s here, my loyal helmet army!’

I was happily imagining my collection when it happened.

“Miss!”

The butler rushed over from the other side of the garden.

It was Orca, my personal butler.

She was always quiet, so seeing her rush like this was a first.

I immediately stood up.

“What’s the matter?”

Orca came running like that, but she hesitated to speak once she arrived.

Could it be something that shouldn’t be heard by others?

Then she wouldn’t have rushed over like this, right?

Sensing my questioning gaze, Orca spoke up.

“…The young lady’s slave has collapsed. It seems to be a life-threatening situation.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. The health of a prisoner being punished in the prison is not something I would normally report, but I thought you would consider it important.”

“Okay, well done. Thank you.”

I left only those words and ran towards my instincts.

I didn’t even bother to tell my guest Azul that I had to go and save him.

‘He collapsed, and it’s a life-threatening situation?’

Even if I reduced my visits, the last time I saw his face was a week ago.

He was healthy and full of energy back then.

His body was still recovering.

Why?

Why?

“Haah, haah, haah…”

When I arrived at the entrance to the underground prison, it felt like my lungs were about to burst.

But that didn’t stop me.

I was anxious.

I didn’t want to see something I didn’t want to see beyond this point.

“Cotton ball.”

Ixion grabbed my shoulder.

“Ixion…”

“I thought my little sister might roll around like this.”

“Ares.”

Ares smiled mischievously.

The two of them tightly held my hand.

“Shall we go then?”

“Yes!”

I entered the prison with the two of them.

Contrary to my expectations, there were many people inside the prison.

Even Dad was there.

Why?

Such questions faded away as they approached me.

My eyes caught a glimpse of a tiny child, hidden in the crowd.

“…!”

In that instant, not even a scream came out.