The Obsessive Male Leads Want to Eat Me Alive - Chapter 38

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 38
There’s a massive problem with this adoption petition!
‘That prince seemed to have a rotten character…?!’
Of course, there was something far more pressing than the fact that my ‘prospective father’ had a character as withered as rotting corn silk.
I asked urgently.
“Mimosa, but… isn’t the prince unmarried?”
“Under imperial law, even unmarried individuals can adopt children if they have the proper environment to raise them.”
I was aware such a law existed, but it was almost never applied in practice.
Think about it—who would be mad enough to take in an unrelated daughter as an unmarried man?
‘And that madman is right here?’
I tried to stay composed and asked again.
“But ma’am, the prince and I don’t have that much of an age difference, do we?”
“A fifteen-year age gap or more allows for adoption as a daughter. The prince and you are exactly fifteen years apart.”
Of all the timing!
I swallowed hard while staring at the documents.
Gerard had the environment to raise me, an impeccable reputation, and even cleared the age difference threshold.
He was practically the perfect father.
Status, wealth, honor.
A man possessing all of it. If I became Gerard’s daughter, I would become nothing less than a ‘daughter of the imperial family.’
‘I was an orphan in my past life, but in this world I’m imperial royalty…?’
This setting is rather intriguing.
‘Being royalty might be wonderful. Though not quite as wonderful as owning a bakery.’
Then Mimosa spoke to me.
“Since the prince wishes for a swift adoption, it seems he’ll come for you within three days of completing the procedures.”
“…Only, three days?”
That’s far too short, ma’am.
The time I had left to spend in this Forest was absurdly brief.
Three days was barely enough time to exchange warm farewells with each of the children one by one.
The first thing that came to mind was the promise I’d made with Sisrain just yesterday.
“Let’s never part, and live together happily for a long, long time.”
“Yes, Sis. Let’s be together for a long, long time.”
Three days was nowhere near a long, long time.
If I left now, what would become of Sisrain?
Sisrain was in such an unstable state that he’d committed arson with unclear motives during just his first socialization training session.
Heinrich would surely feel disappointed too, once he learned of this.
The more I thought about it, the more my heart ached, and I bit my lip.
‘What could his intention be in adopting me?’
At this point, I couldn’t help but question the prince’s motives.
It couldn’t be because I’m an Awakened One. He wouldn’t know about that.
‘Or did he notice that I witnessed him harming the High Priest? Could it be because of the cigarette case…?’
The elements that had been nagging at my mind—I posed questions to myself, but soon I firmly rejected those assumptions.
‘That can’t be it.’
If they thought I’d discovered their secret, they could simply dispose of me quietly. Why would they go through the trouble of adopting me as a daughter?
And placing a witness in a position destined to become the future Empress makes no sense whatsoever.
The fact that the cigarette case is in my possession—they’re definitely unaware of it.
Considering how obsessively they clung to that cigarette case in the original story, they would have sent an assassin by now, not an adoption application.
In the blink of an eye, I was lost in thought before Mimosa, my mind racing through countless possibilities.
“Congratulations, Anette.”
At the voice from across the room, I lifted my head sharply and looked at Mimosa.
Mimosa smiled warmly at me.
“You’ve gained the finest of fathers.”
* * *
‘Is he truly the finest of fathers, madam?’
The man who, upon hearing that his grandson’s wedding is in just a few days, would casually strike the High Priest across the head?
I rested my chin in my hand and gazed at the blackboard.
Petesh was conducting a special lecture on the theme of “Our Future Dreams.”
“Well then, shall we have each of you present your ‘future dream’? Who would like to go first?”
“…!”
The moment Petesh finished speaking, Shasha shot her hand up with a flourish, her fluffy pink hair bouncing with the motion.
Her hand movements were so dazzling and exuberant that everyone couldn’t help but stare.
“Shall Shasha present first?”
“Yes! When I grow up, I want to be a ‘fabulous lady’!”
“…A fabulous lady, that’s certainly a wonderful aspiration.”
Petesh’s gentle eyes beneath his brown hair widened with warmth as he added kindly.
“Everyone listen? Your future dreams don’t need to be grandiose. Simply speak of who you wish to become. Like Shasha here. Does everyone understand?”
“Yes, sir!”
As the children answered enthusiastically, the teacher smiled with satisfaction and turned to look at me.
“Now then, shall our Anette present next?”
I smiled brightly and spoke.
There was no hesitation in my presentation of my future dream.
Lulu, I do have a dream.
“Yes, I want to become a bakery owner!”
For some reason, I could almost see Um hearing this and tearing at his red hair in anguish, crying out, “No, please, anything but more talk about bread!” But well, that wasn’t my concern.
Fortunately, Petesh smiled brightly at me.
“Anette will surely become a bakery owner who makes wonderful bread.”
“Thank you so much!”
‘Though I won’t be able to run a bakery if I’m adopted by Gerard.’
As the adopted daughter of an unmarried prince, I’ll live a life that would turn the Imperial Palace upside down with scandal.
While I was thinking such cynical thoughts, a small child raised their hand with effort—though it barely reached above their head, looking like a carrot in a sugarcane field.
It was Julian, with his large sky-blue eyes.
Fortunately, Petesh caught the potato-sized hand before it could escape.
“Shall we hear from Julian next?”
Julian sprang to his feet with enthusiasm and declared loudly.
“My future dream is to be a balloon! Because I can fly through the sky!”
“…I see.”
Petesh’s expression grew slightly troubled. The gentle teacher with chestnut hair hesitated for a moment before smiling and speaking.
“‘Future dreams’ means what Julian wants to become when he grows up—a job or profession, you understand?”
“Ah, yes! Yes!”
Julian nodded his small head vigorously, as if finally understanding.
“Then, shall we try again?”
“My future dream is to be a bean bug!”
I nearly burst out laughing and had to bite my lip to contain myself.
“Because they make circles round!”
“…I see, well…”
Petesh struggled for words, gesturing helplessly before finally laughing.
“I see! That’s quite a wonderful dream indeed. Everyone, let’s applaud.”
Clap, clap, clap.
With applause to quickly lighten the mood, Petesh selected the next child.
“Then, next would be… you there, shall our Heinrich share his dream?”
“…?”
Heinrich had been occupied with something else entirely, but now he lounged back in his chair with an insolent tilt of his eyes.
Then he announced his dream in a most unruly and straightforward manner.
“To marry my sister.”
“…!”
My goodness, is that truly his entire future aspiration?
That’s hardly an appropriate dream to declare before everyone, you little rascal…!
Unlike me, whose face had flushed with unexpected embarrassment at his unexpected declaration, Heinrich remained arrogant and beautiful, his arms crossed confidently.
Petesh spoke with forced cheerfulness.
“Well, that’s something for later… The future dreams we’re discussing now should be like ‘becoming a fine lady’ or ‘becoming a baker’—professions or roles you aspire to become.”
The smug little chihuahua with crossed arms immediately revised his dream, his violet eyes gleaming.
“Then, ‘Anette’s husband.'”
“…!”
Good heavens, have mercy.
My face burned crimson beside the confident Heinrich, and I hid myself behind my textbook.
That future dream requires my consent!
Heinrich wore a brazen, shameless expression before belatedly glancing at Sisrain with a frown.
Like a cat hissing at a beast that had dared encroach upon its territory.
“So you get a different dream, you beast. The ‘husband position’ next to my sister is sold out!”
“…”
“Did you hear me? Why aren’t you answering?”
Sisrain cleanly ignored him.
A sort of built-in noise cancellation, one might say.
He didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow—so thoroughly did he shut out Heinrich’s voice that anyone watching would have sworn they heard nothing at all.
In many ways, his composure was equally impressive.
Petesh watched Sisrain sitting quietly before posing his question softly.
“Our Sisrain must have hopes for the future as well, yes?”
I could sense the carefulness in his tone—different from how he’d addressed the other children.
Understanding why, I felt a pang of sorrow.
‘He thinks there might be none.’
Sisrain was a melancholy boy, somewhat peculiar—one who had hidden away in the Cave to escape everyone.
His life had been too gray, too colorless to dream of any future at all.
To that careful question, Sisrain lowered his long lashes and opened his mouth slowly.
“I….”
In those crimson eyes, countless thoughts seemed to flicker past in an instant.
Then the boy continued, his voice still young and tender, as though unveiling something precious beyond measure.
One syllable at a time, with utmost care.
“…to become someone excellent and of great standing.”
“….”
“More than anyone else.”
Having finished speaking, the boy met my gaze quietly. His ears had flushed crimson.
Like crabapple fruit ripened in April’s spring sunlight.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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