SIDE:
Druid’s Decision, Part 2
DRUID’S PERSPECTIVE
“What a relief. I guess handling this wasn’t a waste of time after all.” Lord Foronda pulled a document out of his bag. I looked it over and saw it was an adoption form.
So he got it ready for me. And what’s more…
“Um, the guarantor names…isn’t that a massive number of signatures?”
Two signatures should be enough, so why are there eight? And why is the first one Lord Foronda, for that matter? A lord as a guarantor…isn’t that beyond incredible?
“These eight signatures are the ones who fought for a place and won.”
I feel like they could have whittled down the list even more… But the names I saw on there were all the type of people who wouldn’t take no for an answer. And they were all heroes, to make it even more incredible.
“All the people in Ivy’s circle are extraordinary, aren’t they?” I remarked.
“They sure are. Seeing the row of guarantor signatures really hammers it home.”
“Yes, and you’re among them, Lord Foronda.”
He chuckled and sipped his wine. “Ah yes, Ivy’s future father…might you consider one of my sons for her future husband?”
“Absolutely not! Ivy is still way…way too young to even think about that.”
“Damn. Rejected…”
“It’s not worth cursing over…”
Besides, I’m not even sure that I’ll be her father yet. That’s right…I’m not sure yet. I’ll talk to Ivy about it tomorrow, and if she feels the same way, then she’ll be my daughter and… Oh no, now I’m nervous. I think she’ll say yes. She did ask me about families. But she might just have been asking out of simple curiosity…
“Ha ha ha ha! Come on, man, don’t chicken out on me now.”
“I know I shouldn’t be nervous, sir. But when I think about having the talk, I just… Oh no, oh no…”
Arrrgh, now I really am nervous. If she says no, things will definitely be awkward between us. Would we be able to keep traveling together like that? Stop it, she hasn’t said no yet. And I think we’ve been building a good relationship together. So it should be okay…I hope…I’m sure.
“Pfft! Don’t worry, man. You look scared—hee hee!—to death. Ha ha ha!” Lord Foronda laughed into his liquor, then poured more into my empty cup. I nodded slightly and gulped it down. “All right, I think we’d better call it a night. Ivy did warn us not to drink too much.”
“I feel like we already drank too much…”
There were four empty liquor bottles on the table, one more than when we started.
“You think? I could keep going.”
“You hold your liquor well.”
“Guess I do. Arrrgh, but I’d better head out… What a hassle.”
What exactly is a hassle?
Then there was a knock at the door. “Excuse me, Lord Foronda, but somebody’s come for you.”
“Yes, thank you. Tell them I will be out momentarily.”
Whoa, his tone went back to normal. He sure gets into character quickly.
“Certainly, my lord.”
Lord Foronda looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. “The world of the nobility is full of hassles. They’ll chew you out for saying one wrong word.”
“It does sound like I’d rather not be part of that world,” I agreed. “Well, thank you for everything today.” I bowed deeply to him in true gratitude. He’d helped me commit to my next move.
“I’ll be eagerly awaiting some good news,” he replied.
“I hope so.” It all depends on how Ivy feels.
“I’m sure it will be okay.”
I walked him to the inn’s front door, then Chikar and I tidied up the conference room together.
“Thank you so much for letting us borrow this space,” I told him.
“Oh, of course. For Lord Foronda, I would happily loan this room out anytime.”
He really does respect Lord Foronda. Well, based on the rough way most nobles treat us travelers and adventurers, I can understand why. Things seem to have improved quite a bit over the years.
After we finished tidying up the room, I returned to our own room where Ivy was already in bed. I quietly opened the door, and Ciel and Sora looked at me.
“I’m back… Sorry I woke you up. You can go back to sleep.”
The two gave me a little wiggle, then closed their eyes again. I sat in a chair and looked over the document Lord Foronda gave me. It was an adoption application, written on magic paper. The only blank areas were the places where Ivy and I would sign our names. Everything else was already filled in. If we signed our names, turned it in, and got it approved at the national registry office at the village watch station, the state would recognize us as father and child. Since we had a nobleman in our list of guarantors, the application would surely be approved right away.
“Agggh…I’m so nervous I can’t sleep.”
“Hm? Huh? Did I fall asleep?”
I’d been up all night until the sun rose, but apparently I had drifted off a little.
Urk!
Since I’d fallen asleep in my chair, my body was stiff all over.
“Arrrgh…”
“Mr. Druid? What… Were you drinking until morning?” Ivy yawned and sat up in bed. Since I was already awake, she assumed that I had been up all night drinking. I had definitely done that once before.
“No, we broke up the party in the middle of the night,” I assured her.
“Did you? Then…are you okay? You look exhausted.”
Do I really look that terrible?
“I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“I want to talk to you about something…is that all right?”
Agh, I should have waited until after breakfast!
“What’s wrong?”
Ivy sat in the chair across from me and peered into my eyes.
“Lord Foronda gave me some news last night…about your parents.”
“What?!”
“They were arrested as accomplices in the murder of their fellow villagers… They’ll be imprisoned for life.”
“Oh.” Ivy nodded curtly, then fell silent.
Hearing her parents are murderers must be a shock to her. Maybe I shouldn’t bring up the adoption today? No, this is a perfect opportunity for it… Phewww, calm down, Druid.
“So…I want to propose something.”
Huh? Did Ivy shake a little just now? Is she scared? No, why would she be scared?
“Um…would you like to become an official family with me? You know, state-recognized?”
No, I was supposed to ask if she wanted me to adopt her…so she could be my daughter… But I’m so nervous I’m messing it up.
I looked at Ivy, feeling wretched…and, for some reason, she was crying.
What?! She’s crying? My mind went blank. Was she against it that much?
“It’s okay if you hate the idea.”
Oh no. Now I’m gonna cry.
“No…I don’t hate it! Would we be a real family?”
“Of course.”
“But I…”
Ivy’s not acting like herself.
“Ivy…please, what’s wrong?”
Why does she look so upset?! She doesn’t seem to hate the idea of being my daughter…so why?
“I… I’m the daughter of murderers, aren’t I? So I might cause problems for you.”
What?! I-Ivy, what the hell are you saying?
“Ivy…it’s not like that. Yes, your birth parents did commit crimes, but they had nothing to do with you. Besides, those bastards think you’re dead.”
A child should never have to pay for the sins of their parents. Ivy’s a victim, too; those bastards tried to kill her. And I’m sure some people out there might speak ill of her for it, but those people are scum. She should just ignore them. And if they try to come at her, I’ll protect her.
“What?! They think I’m dead?”
“Yes, Captain Oght made a false report saying that.”
“Oh…did he? I didn’t know.”
I scooted next to Ivy and smoothed her hair. I didn’t think learning her parents had been arrested would hurt her so much. She was truly kindhearted.
“Ivy…you don’t need to pay for their crimes.”
Ivy slowly nodded her head…then she glanced softly at me, opening and closing her mouth several times without speaking.
“What is it?”
“What you just said…did you mean it?”
“Of course I did. Please, won’t you be my daughter?”
A soft smile filled Ivy’s face. It was a kind of smile I’d never seen on her before…and it was truly beautiful.
“Hee hee! I’d love to.”
“Oh, thank God!!!”
“Err… Mr. Druid?!”
I melted into a puddle of relief on the floor next to Ivy. She jumped out of her chair in shock and anxiously peered at my face.
“I was so scared you’d say no… Ahhhh, what a relief.”
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