Since morning, after greeting others, Lil was now having her breakfast and lunch combined. The Holy Knights usually take care of chores right after waking up and eat around this time. Then they have dinner. They eat two meals a day.

Lil was thoroughly satisfied with the delicious meal for the second day in a row. This morning’s soup was packed with fresh vegetables and sausages. It was so delicious that Lil wanted to thank the cook, but they hadn’t arrived yet.

Apparently, the cook comes from the town in the afternoon, prepares dinner and breakfast, and then leaves. Lil was surprised to hear that they also take care of cleaning and laundry. Truly an all-purpose housekeeper.

After the meal, most of the knights went on a patrol through the forest. Today, Lil was staying behind with Ian. They waved as the knights on horseback departed.

Only Rosaline ran off toward the town to gather some daily necessities for Lil.

Until Lil’s shoes arrived, Ian carried her the whole time. Since walking barefoot was dangerous, Lil felt very happy with Ian’s kindness.

“What should I do today?”

Lil asked Ian while being carried. Lil’s job was to interpret for Louis and ask the forest if there were any disturbances. But since Louis wasn’t going to the forest today, she couldn’t do that. So what should she do instead?

“Well, Lil, you already asked the squirrels this morning if there were any problems in the forest, right? That’s enough for work today. The most important job here is to protect the divine beasts’ habitat. If nothing’s wrong, that’s good enough.”

Lil wondered if that was really all she needed to do. Sensing her inner conflict, Ian made a suggestion.

“Why don’t we study for the rest of the time? We don’t have textbooks prepared yet since everything’s been so sudden, so I’ll teach you about this country.”

Studying… ‘Michiru-chan’ had always said that was very important. For children like Lil, studying was practically a job itself. Lil decided to accept Ian’s suggestion. Even if her studies didn’t seem useful now, they might help her repay everyone in the future. That’s what Lil thought.

“Yes! I’ll do my best in studying!”

Lil clenched her fists with determination. Ian found her enthusiasm endearing.

Just as Ian was thinking about what to teach her, the visitor’s bell rang, giving Ian a bad feeling.

Turning back toward the entrance, Ian’s uneasy feeling was confirmed.

“What are you doing here, Brother?”

A man who closely resembled Ian was standing there, speaking in a theatrical tone.

“What do you mean? Of course, I came to see my adorable little brother.”

Like Ian, the man had a massive silver wolf by his side. Louis approached the wolf and began to speak.

‘It’s been a while, Merlin.’

‘Yes, since Ian became the Knight Commander, I suppose.’

The wolves seemed to have plenty to catch up on and were enjoying their conversation.

Meanwhile, Ian was clutching his head in frustration. Lil, unable to grasp the situation, was blinking in confusion.

“Is that child the ‘Interpreter’? Nice to meet you, I’m Livian Wilson. And this here is Merlin, my guardian. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Lil, nice to meet you.”

They shook hands. This man, who seemed to be Ian’s brother, didn’t seem like a bad person.

“I’ll get right to the point—I’d like to assess Lil’s skill. If she really is an ‘Interpreter,’ she’ll need to be placed under the protection of the royal family.”

“Please wait, Brother. Lil doesn’t know anything about this country yet.”

Ian didn’t want Lil to get dragged into political matters too soon. He didn’t want her future decided so suddenly.

“You’re still too soft, Ian. Do you understand what an ‘Interpreter’ means to this country? It’s a necessary step to protect Lil.”

Lil didn’t fully understand the conversation, but she knew Ian was angry for her sake.

“Um, Ian-san, it’s okay. I’ll take the skill assessment properly.”

Hearing that, Livian smiled kindly.

“Looks like Lil is more mature than you, Ian. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything bad.”

Ian made a sour face, clearly displeased. Livian smiled wryly at his brother’s overprotectiveness. Ian had always been kind, ever since they were children.

They moved to the guest room, where Lil’s skill was assessed. As expected, the result showed ‘Interpreter.’

Livian nodded and said to Lil,

“Lil, don’t you want to become a princess?”

Ian became angry at those words.

“Brother, Lil is smart. If you explain things properly, she’ll understand. Stop trying to manipulate her.”

Ian turned to Lil and began explaining.

“Lil, in this country, an ‘Interpreter’ is considered precious. It’s because the first king had that skill. The first king made a promise with the divine beasts who live nearby. The promise was that humans would protect the divine beasts’ habitat, and in return, the divine beasts would not harm the people. Someone like you, who can speak with the divine beasts, is incredibly important to the people who live alongside them. Do you understand so far?”

Lil thought about it. In short, being able to speak with the divine beasts meant she could help stop conflicts if they arose. ‘Michiru-chan’ had always said that being able to discuss things peacefully was important. Lil nodded.

“Many people will want your power. That’s why the king wants you to become part of the royal family to protect you.”

‘It’s to prevent her from becoming a pawn in power struggles,’ Michiru-chan said.

But Lil was worried about something else.

“…Can’t I just stay here?”

This place felt special to Lil. Even though she’d only been here for a day, she’d already made friends. She didn’t want to leave. The thought of living somewhere else frightened her.

“You can stay here.”

Livian said this as if it were obvious.

“You just need to become Ian’s child.”

Lil was thoroughly confused. Wasn’t she supposed to become the king’s child? Seeing her blank stare, Livian spoke again.

“Oh? He hasn’t told you? Ian is this country’s third prince.”

Lil was speechless. It was no wonder she’d never imagined Ian was a prince. Livian sighed deeply.

“Honestly, Ian, I know you hate the hassles of nobility, but you need to use your title properly. It’s also a way to protect yourself.”

Livian sighed again, as if scolding a stubborn child.

“Anyway, Lil, would you rather become Ian’s adopted child and stay here, or my adopted child and live at the castle?”

Lil’s answer was clear.

“I want to stay here!”

Lil looked at Ian, worried that becoming his adopted child would be a burden. Ian made his decision.

“Lil, will you be my daughter?”

“Yes!”

Lil was on the verge of tears. She was about to have a kind family—different from the father she barely remembered. This was the loving parent Lil had always wanted.

Seeing this, Livian smiled warmly. Watching his brother finally take responsibility was touching enough for Livian to decide he’d handle the rest of the complications himself.

“Alright, Lil. From today onward, you’ll be Lil Wilson. You’re a real princess now. If someone unpleasant comes around, just ignore them. You’re in a position where you can do that.”

Together with Ian, Lil signed the document that made it official.

It was a chaotic day, but by the end of it, they had become family.