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Chapter 15: At Least Give Me a Photo!

Through the example of putting himself in her shoes, Garren apologized once more. Janice accepted his apology.

"Don't ever call me that again."

"Okay."

Garren agreed. Janice looked satisfied.

He had plenty he wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut. Comparing himself to the old couple would only leave him hurt, and more than anything, he had no confidence he'd win.

He'd thought they'd grown a little closer through the cleaning—but apparently, that was his misconception. Garren wore a glum expression. Just then, Janice suddenly spoke.

"What was my birth mother like? My mom is such a good person!"

"..."

"My dad is a really good person too."

He wasn't sure whether she wanted to talk about her adoptive parents or was curious about her birth mother. Garren's lips twitched, then closed again. Janice continued.

"It's just, well... that's all. She was just a really good person, and she loved me so much, and..."

She seemed to need someone to listen.

"Did she love you a lot?"

"Yes! Really. A whole lot. So much that if I were born again, I'd want to be my mom and dad's daughter for sure!"

The child chattered on. Every word was filled with longing, affection, and tenderness.

He'd thought she'd shaken off some of her sadness while cleaning the house—but it turned out she hadn't shaken it off at all; she'd just buried it.

They say that just talking to someone can lighten the burden of sorrow. Garren silently kept pace with Janice's words and listened to her stories.

Common tales spilled from Janice's mouth—how her mom made her clothes herself, how she'd run away because it hurt when her mom scrubbed her back during baths, how her mom would secretly slip her candy when she didn't want to take her medicine.

"Lucky you."

"It must have been nice."

"They sound like wonderful people."

Meaningless agreement flowed from Garren's lips. But Janice seemed happy with just that. The child who had been glum all day smiled for the first time.

It was a little sad that the reason wasn't him, but Garren was relieved just to see Janice smile.

"But Mister, do you remember when you said mean things about my mom and dad? You were really mean."

"Me?"

It was news to him. Garren asked, startled.

He'd certainly jumped up and said she wasn't his daughter. He'd even asked if she might be his father's child. That must have hurt Janice. But he hadn't insulted her adoptive parents.

Garren denied it, and Janice made a triangular-eyed face at him. It must have been festering in her heart—she remembered every small word, every single particle.

Listening to her, Garren recalled it too.

―I'll acknowledge that she carries Roman blood. But what matters is the environment and the hands that raised her. Who are the people who brought her up? She doesn't seem to have grown up in wealth.

―Money isn't everything. They were good people.

―It's not about good or bad. It's about proper upbringing and education. I can't let someone unqualified bear the Roman name.

It was an insult if you called it that, but if not, it wasn't quite one either. But if Janice thought it was an insult, then it was.

"My parents are good people. They had proper culture and education. They even lectured at the Academy."

Janice said in a voice full of grievance. It seemed the disparagement of her parents hurt her more than how he'd treated her.

"My mom and dad were smart, they were kind even to a kid like me, they did a lot of good things..."

Janice, on the verge of tears, talked about how wonderful her parents were. Garren regretted his thoughtless actions.

"I'm sorry."

A somewhat belated apology reached Janice.

No one would be okay with having their parents insulted. And in fact, it had been Garren's fault.

Whatever the circumstances, the Bakers were Garren's benefactors. Garren sincerely apologized once more.

Janice looked happy.

Garren realized that those careless words he'd spoken—words he could barely even remember—had been a long-standing knot in Janice's heart. He apologized, apologized, and apologized again, so that the knot in her heart could be untied.

"I'll forgive you just this once. You know you mustn't do it again, right?"

"Got it. Thanks. I'm sorry too."

"As long as you understand!"

Janice, who had been doll-like throughout, only wore a human expression when talking about her adoptive parents. Garren realized anew just how large a presence the Bakers were in Janice's life.

His heart ached a little, but Janice was happy. That was enough for him.

They finished cleaning the house and only returned home as dusk fell. The old couple came rushing over, worried.

"Grandma! Grandpa!"

Janice, who had been wearing a gloomy expression all day, put on a lively facade in front of them.

"Oh my, our little puppy! Our lark! Did you eat?"

"No, I haven't."

"You wretch! You unfilial brat! How dare you starve our lark!"

It was Janice who'd said she didn't want to eat. She said it was getting too late and Grandma and Grandpa would worry, so they should hurry home. Garren felt drained. He'd only followed Janice's wishes, and now he'd suddenly become the worst villain in the world.

Garren wore an aggrieved expression. The old couple scolded him. Janice giggled.

After hearing Garren's apology, she seemed to feel a little better—but still, until just before coming home, she'd looked gloomy. She was probably forcing a smile because she didn't want the old couple to worry.

Only seven years old, yet Janice was far more mature than the twenty-five-year-old Garren.

It seemed the child had grown up because she had no parents to rely on. Garren found that sight painfully bitter.

---

―By the way, what was my birth mother like?

―...

―Ah! I forgot you lost your memory. Sorry.

It was a question Janice asked as if it had just occurred to her, after talking extensively about her parents. She'd probably felt bad talking only about her adoptive parents and wanted to ask about her birth mother, but unfortunately, Garren also knew nothing about her.

Garren looked for the graduation album. Since she was supposedly his classmate, she should definitely be in it. But to his surprise, she wasn't. Garren went to Fernando.

"Of course she's not there."

"Why?"

"She dropped out."

"Why?"

"Because she was pregnant."

Fernando looked at him as if to say where in the world is there an idiot this big and answered.

"Chloe got pregnant with Janice when she was eighteen. It takes two more years to graduate—how could she attend the Academy? She couldn't give birth while going to school. And besides, our Academy was an all-boys' school!"

"...Ah!"

Though it's co-ed now, when they attended, the Imperial Academy was all-male.

Listening to Fernando, Garren suddenly grew curious.

"What kind of person was she? Why did she disguise herself as a man to enter the Academy? How on earth did I get close to her?"

The answer to the first question came easily. But regarding the second and third, Fernando said he didn't know either.

"Aren't you a friend? She entrusted Janice to you when she was born!"

Garren asked if there must be a reason someone who secretly cross-dressed and attended the Academy contacted only Fernando.

But Fernando truly didn't know about that part either. Even up to the moment Janice was entrusted to him, Fernando had doubted whether he was dreaming.

"Are there any others? Anyone else who knew her?"

"How could there be?"

If there were, she wouldn't have entrusted Janice to Fernando.

He guessed she was a lone wolf with no relatives to turn to. If not, Janice would have grown up with her maternal family instead of being passed to Fernando.

"Well, there were some rumors like that."

"What kind of rumors?"

"You know, the usual things. Poor, orphan, scholarship student. Roughly that."

In fact, Chloe's entry into the Academy hadn't been well-received either.

Though the constitutional monarchy had been established and it was no longer an era where royals were royalty, the Academy they attended was still a school for the upper crust—mostly nobles.

The only exceptions were the sons of merchants wealthy enough to have saved the empire.

Most of the students had known each other since childhood. So Chloe stood out all the more.

"Well, she was diligent. Had a delicate face. Her hair... ah! That's right? She looks like Janice. She has red hair."

None of Garren's family had red hair, so Janice's red hair must have come from her maternal side—yet Fernando looked as if he'd just realized it now.

"How stupid."

Garren openly chided his friend. But Fernando was the only one who could provide information. He did his best to squeeze Fernando dry.

"What about a photo?"

"None."

"Find one!"

"How can I find a photo that doesn't exist!"

"Then at least draw a portrait!"

Fernando's art grade was D-minus. Normally it would have been an F, but his attendance was perfect, so the professor had given him a special D-minus.

"Bastard!"

"Didn't you know I'm a bastard? Stop talking nonsense and at least give me a photo."

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