As Lil savored the joy of having a family, Livian spoke.

“I’d like to have a little chat with my brother, so could you go stay with Louis and the others for a bit?”

Lil nodded and headed toward Louis. Wanting to share this joy with someone, Lil dashed down the hallway.

Ian worried that Lil, who had run off barefoot, might accidentally go outside, but he knew he had to talk with Livian. He could only pray that Lil wouldn’t get hurt.

“Lil is such a good kid. And smart too. It’s hard to believe she was locked underground.”

Livian sipped his untouched tea and began speaking.

“It’s probably thanks to her guardian spirit. It doesn’t have any special powers, but it seems to talk to her often.”

“I’m glad she had a guardian spirit. Otherwise, her heart might’ve broken.”

The two shared a heartfelt moment. In truth, it wasn’t a guardian spirit that had protected Lil’s heart — it was the memories of her past life as ‘Michiru-chan.’ It was just that no one realized this.

“Lil’s twin sister was chosen as the Saint of the Kingdom of Reiz, right? I looked into it, and it seems to be true. Lil didn’t know her family name, so finding the information was tough. The neighboring kingdom’s Saint is the silver-haired, blue-eyed Mireille Adams, the daughter of a marquis.”

Hearing that Lil was born into a marquis family shocked Ian. With such a high-standing family, he was furious they hadn’t treated her better.

“Ian, do you know how the neighboring kingdom selects their Saint? It’s apparently a high-ranking young lady with a skill useful to the country. The Saint’s skill is the ‘Eye of Truth,’ a skill that reveals lies.”

Both sisters had incredible skills. Because her sister’s skill was so valuable, Lil was likely deemed unnecessary. Ian felt conflicted.

“Lil is probably an identical twin. It’s best not to expose her too much. If people find out she has the same face as the neighboring kingdom’s Saint, it’ll cause trouble. I think it’s better not to take her to the royal palace, which is why I came here.”

Ian was grateful for his brother’s quick thinking. Livian had probably intended to adopt Lil as Ian’s child from the very beginning. As Ian’s adopted daughter and an ‘interpreter,’ no one would question her presence here.

“I’ll keep investigating the Saint. If possible, I’ll confirm her appearance. If they’re fraternal twins, it shouldn’t be an issue if Lil is seen in public.”

Livian was impressive. He had done this much research and chosen the best course of action right away after receiving Ian’s message.

“Thank you, brother. I’ll protect Lil here.”

“Honestly, since you threw away socializing and marriage to run off and become a Holy Knight, I expect you to at least do that much. Starting today, you’re her dad now — you understand that, right?”

Ian’s face showed his concern. Livian laughed at his worried brother.

“Well, just take your time and get used to it. There’s plenty of time.”

Meanwhile, Lil was telling Louis and Merlin that she had become ‘Lil Wilson.’ The two divine beasts rejoiced with her as she excitedly shared the news about her new family.

‘If Lil is becoming part of the royal family, will she need a guardian too?’

Merlin wondered aloud, though Lil didn’t quite understand.

‘A guardian is part of the Silver Wolf Tribe’s pact with the first king. Whenever a child is born into the royal family, a member of the Silver Wolf Tribe becomes their guardian.’

Louis’s explanation was clear. Normally, the third prince’s child, who wouldn’t inherit the throne, wouldn’t receive a guardian. But Lil was special. Merlin thought it best to consult the tribe leader and assign her one.

“Does that mean I can stay with a wolf too?”

Lil’s face lit up with excitement. Merlin decided to consult the tribe leader right away.

As Lil happily chatted away between Louis and Merlin, stroking their fur, Ian and Livian arrived. Their conversation seemed to be over, and Lil ran to them. She jumped into Ian’s arms with a bright smile. Ian lifted her up.

“Did you have a nice chat with Louis and the others?”

“Yes! They taught me about guardians!”

Lil answered energetically.

“Lil, now that Ian’s your dad, you don’t have to speak so formally anymore.”

In ‘Michiru-chan’s’ memories, family didn’t use formal language with each other. Lil glanced up at Ian, seeking confirmation.

“That’s right. Just speak normally.”

Lil beamed with joy.

“Okay, Dad!”

Ian felt like his heart had been struck by an arrow. Livian watched the two and felt relieved — things seemed to be going better than expected.

“Well then, Lil, I’ll be heading home. Oh, from now on, you can call me Uncle Livi.”

Livian left reluctantly.

“Bye-bye! Uncle Livi! Merlin!”

Lil kept waving until the two were out of sight.