Adopted The Main Villains

Chapter 3 – Seras (1)

‘Hmm?’

‘Go away, can’t you see I’m reading a book?’

‘Won’t you play with us? It would be fun if we all played together.’

‘Then go play with the other kids, just leave me alone.’

The director definitely said she was very shy with strangers.

Is she this rude to someone she’s meeting for the first time?

Is she rude because she’s shy?

‘Seras~ Let’s play together~ The weather is really nice today!’

‘Are my words not making sense to you?’

‘Seraaaas!!! Let’s go!!!’

The girl next to her grabbed Seras’s arm and started pulling.

But Seras, on the verge of losing her temper, doesn’t hold back.

‘I said go away!!!’

‘Okay, fine.’

Pushing Seras any further would only hasten her outburst.

So it’s probably best to give up at this point.

‘Let me know if you want to play, I’ll include you anytime.’

‘That will absolutely never happen.’

‘Alright, just tell me if you get hungry.’

‘Tch…..’

I tried to pat Seras’s head but was stopped, so I went outside the orphanage.

Once outside, the children seemed excited and started calling for me while jumping around everywhere.

‘Mister! Mister! Let’s play house!’

‘No! Mister is going to play tag with us!’

The children kept pulling me around as if it had been a long time since an adult had visited.

Although I enjoyed playing with children…

With about a dozen kids trying to grab my hands and pull me around, my energy was quickly draining.

At times like this, calmness is needed.

Calm down… calm down.

Because excitement is the furthest thing from composure.

‘How about we all play tag first, then play house?’

Perhaps it’s thanks to my part-time job at a playroom where many kids came when I was on Earth.

I know what to do with these children.

First, decide the order of games, and if there are opinions about the order, mediate them well.

The downside is that since they’re kids, they all want to speak first.

‘Okay!’

‘Then who’s ‘it’ first?’

‘Let’s do rock-paper-scissors to be fair!’

Fortunately, once I set the order, the children began deciding how to play according to that sequence.

Tag was about who would be ‘it’ first.

Playing house was about who would take which role and how to play it.

Even after those two games ended, it was the same.

If there was a big problem.

‘You woman!!! Go fry some meat!!!!’

‘Do you think I came here just to fry meat!!!!’

‘Um… uh… this is quite uncomfortable…..’

‘If you’re uncomfortable, fix your posture. Why are you complaining to me when it’s your viewing posture that’s uncomfortable.’

‘I… I like you!!!!’

‘Waaaaaah!!!!!!!’

‘Liking someone can sometimes be harmful to that person.’

Their behavior is a bit rough.

When playing tag, they’d say things like they’d be buried if caught, or asking for more time promising to pay back money.

These weren’t really appropriate things for children to say.

Still, seeing the children having fun makes me smile without realizing it.

‘Children, it’s dinner time. Come in and eat.’

At the director’s words, all the children ran to the orphanage.

Likewise, I also went inside the orphanage.

Once inside, the children busily began setting spoons and forks.

I also went into the kitchen to help the director.

‘Why are you coming in here when you could be sitting over there.’

‘I wanted to help you.’

‘Then could you move those dishes with food on them?’

‘Understood.’

I carried the plates with delicious food to the dining table.

The children had finished setting the tableware and were all seated at the table.

I could even see Seras trembling slightly.

It seems she doesn’t skip meal times.

While carrying the dishes to the table, an idea occurred to me.

A way for Seras to open her heart to me without going berserk.

If I use that method, I’ll need to stay at the orphanage longer, but since Siren is at home, it shouldn’t be a problem.

‘Is this the last one?’

‘Yes, it is.’

‘Understood.’

I headed to the dining table with the last plate.

My plan begins in the hallway between the kitchen and the dining table.

There’s a long corridor leading to the dining area.

That’s where my plan starts.

‘I didn’t expect to use this here.’

I took out the dagger I had brought just in case.

With this, I made a small wound on my arm and let blood drip into the dish.

I stirred it with the spoon I was holding so no one would know blood had been added.

‘Perfect.’

I brought that food directly to Seras.

‘It’s really delicious, so eat a lot.’

‘……’

I tried speaking to her once, but Seras ignored me.

Just then, the director came out and announced the start of dinner to me and the children.

At those words, the children began eating their meals deliciously.

‘Mr. Caesar, please eat too.’

The director handed me a plate filled with food.

I took the food and sat down next to Seras.

‘Enjoy your meal.’

‘Get lost.’

Even after hearing her tell me to get lost, I just sat next to Seras.

‘Enjoy your meal.’

‘…….’

When I asked again, Seras seemed to have decided to just ignore me.

But then.

‘Huh?….’

As Seras took a bite of the food, her already large eyes seemed to grow even bigger.

‘Looks like it’s delicious.’

At those words, Seras looked at me.

With eyes as if she had tasted something that shouldn’t be possible in this food.

‘I’m jealous of Seras, being able to eat such cooking every day.’

At these words, Seras glared at me, but I ignored it and finished all of the director’s cooking.

And so dinner ended, and I headed to the director’s office for a moment.

-Knock. Knock. Knock.

‘Come in.’

‘Hello.’

When I entered, the director greeted me with two steaming cups of tea.

It seemed she already knew I would be coming.

‘How was your day spending time with the children?’

‘It’s quite exhausting.’

‘Everyone feels that way at first.’

‘Still, it’s enjoyable.’

‘I’m glad to hear that.’

The director wasn’t showing it, but she had an expression as if she wanted to ask me something.

‘You look like you want to say something.’

‘Ah, is it that obvious on my face?’

‘Yes.’

‘This is the first time Seras has eaten all her food. Usually, she’s a child who takes just a bite or two and leaves. Excuse me, but did you do something to the food?’

If I denied it here, it would weigh on my conscience.

I couldn’t exactly say ‘Actually, Seras is half-vampire so she needs to be fed blood! Otherwise, she’ll kill everyone!’ in this situation.

So here, telling a lie would be better.

It’s a white lie, the kind they teach about in school ethics classes.

‘I didn’t do anything. I guess she just had a good appetite today.’

‘…Is that so?’

‘Yes.’

‘I understand. But what brings you to the director’s office?’

‘Would it be alright if I stayed here for at least one more week, even if I can’t stay longer?’

‘Of course. That would be perfectly fine.’

‘You understand the reason without me having to explain, right?’

The director silently nodded.

As soon as I received permission, I stood up from my seat.

‘Thank you. I’ll be going now.’

After getting permission, I left the orphanage.

I immediately went to Siren, who would be alone.

This was to inform her that she needed to be alone for a while and that I would be staying in Eastwell temporarily.

‘Siren.’

‘Master, you’re here?… You’ve returned more intact than I expected.’

She seems to think I’m doing dangerous work every day, like at the slave market last time.

The reason she’s so eager to teach me spatial magic well is probably just so I can escape better.

But I feel a bit sorry to tell her this.

‘Siren, I came because I have something to tell you.’

‘I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m ready to love anyone yet.’

Cutting me off with a knife, our Siren is really something.

But she’s barking up the wrong tree, completely the wrong tree.

‘It’s not a confession, don’t arbitrarily set this as 0 for normal conversation and 1 for confession.’

‘Who was it that planted a kiss on our first meeting?’

‘Don’t change the subject, let me get to the point.’

‘Go ahead.’

‘I think I’ll need to stay in Eastwell for at least a week, possibly up to a month.’

‘Is that so?’

Siren seemed not to have expected me to say this.

Her actions showed slight signs of bewilderment.

‘So please watch over this place alone. I’m asking you.’

‘I will.’

‘Thanks. I’ll come whenever I have time.’

‘Alright~. Be careful.’

‘Alright.’

As soon as Siren finished speaking, I moved to the orphanage in Eastwell.

I entered the orphanage very quietly.

It’s 9 o’clock now, but for the children of the new country to grow tall, they need to sleep early and wake up early.

But there are always bad children who don’t sleep at this hour.

‘Hey.’

‘Huh?’

‘What did you do to the food earlier?’

Seras was waiting for me without going to sleep.

I was almost touched thinking she had been waiting for me until I arrived.

But thanks to the talk about food, my feelings of being touched crumbled completely.

Well, it’s an obvious conversation, but it can’t be helped.

‘I didn’t do anything?’

‘Don’t lie, there’s no way food would taste like that.’

‘Really. I didn’t do anything.’

‘You’re ly-.’

‘And isn’t it late now? You should go to bed.’

‘This is annoying.’

‘Why are you scared? Want me to sleep with you?’

‘No thanks!!!’

‘You’ll wake the kids. Be quiet.’

‘So annoying…..’

At my words, Seras quietly fumed as she went to her room.

Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to know that my blood went into the food.

‘Tomorrow’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be delicious.’

Seras ignored my words and closed the door.

‘Have we gotten a bit closer?’

I felt good because it seemed like we had gotten closer.

And so the next day came.

***

‘Is it delicious?’

‘……’

The breakfast menu was bacon and mashed potatoes.

I didn’t forget to sprinkle a little blood on the food.

But this time, since mashed potatoes can change color easily, I had to use a very small amount so that the color wouldn’t change.

It’s inefficient to make a wound and sprinkle blood like this at every meal, but I don’t mind if it helps us get closer.

‘Damn……’

It’s so delicious that she’s scraping the plate clean.

‘Wow! It’s the first time I’ve seen Seras eat everything!’

‘Did she usually leave some?’

‘Yes! Usually I eat about two spoonfuls and go back to my room!’

So that’s why she’s thinner than the other children.

Kids at this age need to eat a lot to grow well.

‘Then Seras needs to eat more.’

‘Don’t worry about it.’

‘You need to eat a lot to grow taller.’

Seras is 10 years old.

As I just mentioned, compared to other kids, she has no fat and is short.

If she continues growing like this, she’ll definitely be 150cm at age 20.

The novel also consistently described her as small.

I need to keep feeding her.

That way she’ll grow taller and put on some weight.

‘Mister! Mister! Let’s play again!’

‘Sure, let’s play together today too. Seras, do you want to join us?’

‘Get lost.’

‘Alright.’

Something in my intuition was telling me to take Seras outside today, but forcing a child who doesn’t want to go isn’t a good thing either, so I just decided to go out.

About three hours later.

I regretted not bringing Seras along, even forcibly.

‘Haa….. Haa…..’

‘Damn it……’

For some reason, a berserk Seras appeared before everyone.