After cutting off the hair that had grown all the way down to his hips—dry and split at the ends from lack of care—the little one's faintly bluish-silver locks were finally transformed into a short cut that reached just to the nape of his neck. Together with a straight, perfectly neat fringe, the style matched so well with Beicha's soft, almost girlish face that it made him look unbearably adorable, the sort of cuteness that made one want to pinch his cheeks.
And when he tried on boys' kimonos or other traditional Japanese outfits in various styles while inside the Wakaba estate… his adorableness overflowed even more, to the point where the tall butler who had personally carried out this transformation couldn't help but beam until his smile was as wide as a flying saucer.
What's more, after the haircut was finished, the little one also received several kisses on his cheek and forehead from the young master's tiny lips, because the boy loved his new hairstyle so much.
However, once that troublesome hair had been dealt with, Beicha quietly returned to a state of self-imposed hibernation to tend to his health alone.
Until, two or three days later, the residence that was truly his within the mansion was finally completed. Thus, the boy was moved to live there permanently, accompanied by a personal maid and several attendants whom she had personally selected (?) to manage the residence.
Their duties were strictly to look after Beicha's living quarters—nothing else. This was unlike Mao, the maid from the Matsuda family, whose sole responsibility was to follow and care for the little boy and nothing further.
As for this new residence itself, if one were to ask whether it suited the little one's tastes, the answer would be that it pleased Beicha quite a lot.
His residence included a beautiful garden, a real playground (though the boy had already resolved that he would never play there unless absolutely necessary to show off his cuteness, as he had no interest in such things at all), and—most importantly—even a private onsen bath inside.
Moreover, this new residence was located slightly apart from the main building, to the left, positioned correctly in line with seniority as the home of the family's second child, right next to his elder brother's residence. This meant Beicha would always have to pass through two connecting corridors, whether directly by way of his brother's usually empty residence, or by taking the detour behind it.
Along the way was also a medium-sized garden to enjoy, one that greatly pleased the boy.
This garden was carefully designed with zones of stone, sand, and trees, crafted in the style of a traditional Japanese garden—so reminiscent of the gardens from Beicha's past life. At its center stood a bright red bridge spanning a large koi pond, which even extended beneath the corridor he had to pass every day.
Because of this, the little one unknowingly made this place one of his favorite landmarks in the Wakaba estate.
Not only did it offer scenery that was beautiful and soothing to behold, but the koi themselves were extraordinary: they were "Fortune Koi," a rare type of monster that was immortal—never aging or dying unless slain—and notoriously difficult to breed.
Yet the Wakaba estate housed more than twenty of them, spread across several ponds with about six to seven koi each. Among them was even an S-rank koi… a sign of incredible wealth and extravagance.
As for their true benefits—they were many and varied.
Normally, these koi emitted an aura of luck around themselves, causing anyone within their range to enjoy increased fortune. This manifested in the form of higher success rates in training and the creation of various things—thus allowing the family to grow stronger at a faster pace.
Moreover, the Wakaba family often took advantage of another benefit beyond the aura itself. From time to time, these koi would spit out pearls. Those pearls, when ground into powder and used as special ingredients in potions, cooking, or even forging items, would grant those products the chance to exceed the rank they would normally have reached on their own.
It was an invaluable buff indeed.
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After settling into his new residence, Beicha had now lived within the Wakaba estate for half a month. Slowly, he grew accustomed to everything around him. Outwardly, his relationship with Mao seemed warm and close.
But throughout those two weeks, his biological father, Wakaba Ryo, had never once appeared before him. Because of this, Mao had begun to give up on her initial plan of using the boy as a bridge to approach Ryo, and instead calmly devised a new one.
That plan: destroy the boy and frame Polles, in order to ruin her.
Thus, whenever Mao took him for a walk, the boy often found himself "coincidentally" witnessing scenes designed to leave an impression.
For example, gossiping maids would speak loudly within earshot while pretending to whisper:
"Isn't it annoying having to take care of this lowborn illegitimate child? Even if Miss Mao told us to treat him well, I feel disgusted cleaning things after he's used them. Who knows if his whore mother's filth might rub off on me?"
"True. I can't believe the master brought someone like him into the house. It's like turning a beggar into a swan. I don't know how the mistress can stand it."
Or:
"Hey, did you hear? The main house is preparing for a banquet. Is the master really planning to introduce the illegitimate child in front of the Wakaba elders and their important retainers? What is he thinking?"
"No idea. He doesn't seem to love the boy at all."
"Maybe he's hoping the kid awakens the family's bloodline powers. After all, no Wakaba descendant has ever been talentless. But if he awakens with nothing useful, he'll surely be cast out."
Such words reached Beicha's ears again and again—always staged, always timed when Mao was nearby.
Of course, the boy could not possibly understand all those complex terms. Without guidance, he would have ignored them. But Mao never failed to "interpret" them for him, with a face full of sorrow, hugging him tightly as if pained.
"Poor young master… don't take it to heart. They don't really mean it. Even if you're an illegitimate child… even if the master hasn't visited you once since you moved here… it must only be because he's too busy. There's no way he dislikes you."
Her words planted poison in his heart.
"Why, Sister Mao? Why is Cha an illegitimate child? Why does everyone say Daddy doesn't like Cha? I don't understand…"
Mao hugged him tighter, her voice dripping with false compassion:
"My poor boy… don't worry. At least I will always love you, as though you were my own son."
Beicha wept loudly, acting perfectly, though inside he cursed her a million times.
In the end, with such a little child to use as a scapegoat, incidents like these occurred so frequently it could be said they happened almost daily.
Thus, on the surface, Beicha had no choice but to appear increasingly depressed for Mao to see. He obeyed her completely, even refraining from confiding in Butler Ken about what he was going through.
After all, she had told him that if he spoke to the butler, the man would only grow worried and might report it to Ryo, which would anger his father further.
Therefore, having already been led to believe that his father neither loved nor liked him, the little one did not dare speak up.
Instead, he simply played along with the game, waiting for the right time—knowing that revealing anything now would not eliminate Mao, only make her more suspicious. Unless, of course, he could find a way to report it to someone other than the butler…
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"Ah!? Huuu… Little Cha met an angel already!?"
However, after wandering for so long in search of someone suitable to complain to—
At last, one day while he was strolling alone (?) in the garden during the time when Mao had gone off to welcome his father, who had just returned from a Hunter Association mission to report matters about him… Beicha suddenly and quite unintentionally encountered a beautiful person in the garden.
"Haha, little one, I'm not an angel. You didn't see wings on me, did you?"
Moreover, the beautiful person before him—handsome and lovely as if carved little by little by the hand of a god—spoke in a voice that was so gentle, and kindly helped the little boy who had run into him and fallen, slowly lifting him back to his feet.
He looked like such a genuinely good person that even the child, whose soul was that of an adult, became flustered, his face flushing red. After all, this man was even more handsome than his own useless father!
"You're not? Uncle, you're not an angel? Even though you're this handsome, how can you not be an angel?? Don't tell me you're hiding wings somewhere??"
The small face tilted left and right in shy curiosity, while the tiny fingers fidgeted against each other as he spoke.
Indeed, this man was every bit as good-looking as Beicha had said—jet-black hair tied loosely into a ponytail that fell to his mid-back, captivating sea-blue eyes, and facial features clearly showing mixed Eurasian heritage, leaning more toward Asian traits.
From the front, he looked strikingly handsome and kind, like a benevolent prince. But from certain side angles, his face took on a soft, beautiful allure instead—something hard to fathom.
And when all of this was combined with his casual kimono, slightly open at the chest to reveal a pale neckline… this person became even more mesmerizing, able to completely capture the gaze of anyone who looked upon him.
"Haha, thank you for the compliment, little one. But you're like an angel too—a little angel."
"Ah… Uncle's so handsome!?"
And then, the beautiful uncle smiled warmly, lifting the small body into his arms. Beicha's tiny face was brought so close to the other's flawless skin that he widened his eyes in surprise before ducking his chin to his chest, blushing furiously.
"Do you dislike being carried?" The tall man, holding the small body that now had gained some weight, carried him to a bench in another corner of the garden and sat down beside him, asking gently.
"N-no, it's not that I don't like it at all, Uncle! You're this kind, how could Cha ever dislike you?"
The small face shook side to side rapidly, like a rattling drum, before raising both thumbs up in affirmation. Even if he did momentarily freeze when he caught sight of the man's name and true identity—
For in truth, this angelic beauty was none other than the story's final boss: Paules di Zenmore… the legal wife of his own father.
"Hehe, staring so hard your eyes are turning red. Does my face look that strange to you?" Paules gazed at the child before him with fondness.
For a fleeting moment, he found it hard to believe this boy had been born from the seed of that stone-faced man. This child was so lovable, so endearing—it was clear even from space that he hadn't inherited even a shred of his father's personality. And from what he'd heard, not from his mother's side either.
"Mm, Uncle doesn't look strange. It's just that you're so handsome, so Cha has to look at you longer, hehe!"
The mischievous child lifted his tiny hands to cover his mouth, laughing impishly, his round eyes crinkling with joy, making him even more adorable.
"Such a sweet talker, this kid. But you don't have to stare so long—you'll have plenty of time to look at me, since I live in this house too."
The man spoke gently, though he still hesitated to properly introduce himself—worried that his true status would be too difficult and sensitive for the boy to understand right away.
Thus, Paules, who had come today with the intention of getting acquainted with the new family member, decided it best to let the boy grow used to him first before explaining his real status.
"...Uh."
But what he hadn't expected was that his words would instantly dampen the boy's mood. The child drew his knees to his chest like a little ball, gazing up at him with pitiful puppy-like eyes, as if fearing abandonment.
"Did I say something to upset you? I didn't mean that you couldn't look at me—I just meant I like you too, and since we live in the same house, you'll definitely get to see me often."
Having raised only stoic sons who resembled his husband all his life, Paules now found himself awkwardly flustered, unsure how to handle the situation.
"Sob! That's not it, Uncle. Cha knows what you mean—Cha's not dumb. B-but Cha's just scared."
The small trembling voice spilled out, with tears brimming in his eyes. But deep down, the little rascal's mind was already filled with schemes. Because finally, after so long searching, someone worthy had appeared for him to file his complaint to!
"Scared of what? Scared of me?"
A slender, beautiful hand rested gently on the boy's head, stroking comfortingly.
"No, Uncle… I'm not scared of you. I'm scared of not seeing you again, because Cha… hic! Cha's an illegitimate child who's going to be abandoned. Waaah!"
The boy sobbed loudly, burying his small body into the beautiful stepmother's chest.
"Calm down, little one. Shhh… Tell me slowly, why do you think you'll be abandoned? And that word—'illegitimate child'—where did you hear it? Tell me, and I'll explain the truth. I'm sure there's been a misunderstanding. A sweet child like you would never be abandoned."
Paules' eyes narrowed dangerously as he rubbed the boy's back, coaxing him gently. Because he knew well that these words hadn't come from the boy himself. And in this household, even he, the legal wife, hadn't thought to harm the child. So who dared presume to overstep him this way!?
"Sob… Cha heard it from the older siblings. Everyone said it, except Sister Mao who likes Cha. They all said Cha's a bad child because Cha's mother was bad. They said Daddy doesn't like Cha, Daddy never comes to see Cha. And they all said Cha will be abandoned. Cha's scared, Uncle… Cha doesn't want to be left alone. Cha can't live outside."
The boy poured out his grievances, making clear that everyone in his wing of the house had said such things.
"I see… There, there. Calm down, little one. Listen to me—you can't be abandoned. You're the child of this house's master, which means you're also a master of this house. Who could possibly drive you out of your own home, hmm?"
For a brief moment, an S-rank Solo Hunter accidentally let out a dangerous aura, even as his hands and voice continued to soothe the boy. Meanwhile, the cunning child who sensed his stepmother's growing anger secretly smirked.
"Really? B-but isn't this house Daddy's, not Cha's?" The small face tilted in confusion.
"It's yours too. You're Daddy's son, so this house is also yours. Even Daddy can't throw you out."
Paules promised with complete seriousness. For he couldn't believe that anyone would truly dare cast out this boy after he had already been brought back.
Even if Beicha was indeed an illegitimate child, he bore no fault. Nor was he an unwelcome presence in this household—especially since everyone here already lived so separately.
"Cha can really believe Uncle? Can Cha really trust you?"
The cute little face, cheeks beginning to plump with baby fat, lifted up hopefully to meet the older man's eyes.
"Didn't you call me an angel? Then how could an angel ever lie?"
Paules replied with a smile. Remembering how someone else had been called "Uncle" by this same child on their first meeting, he found Beicha even more endearing.
"Hehe! Thank you, Uncle. Cha really likes you—Cha's angel uncle who's the best."
"Ah…"
And then, the young master of the Wakaba family was caught off guard—when the child planted a big smacking kiss on his cheek, something his own real son had never done. Truly, Beicha's childish charms worked wonderfully.
"Hehe…"
Meanwhile, the little one who had gotten to file his complaint and sneak a kiss from his beautiful stepmother was very satisfied. His previously dull daily life now seemed far less boring—teasing others like this was rather fun.
Still, this time, the boy chose only to accuse the other attendants of his wing. He hadn't yet planned to get rid of Mao along with them.
For he knew it would be better to wait until she overstepped against someone she truly shouldn't, rather than wasting such a chance now. Otherwise, at best, she might only be sent away for work, not removed entirely. After all, he himself might not be important enough yet to eliminate someone from such an old, trusted retainer family.
So for now, what Beicha truly wanted was to first get rid of those underlings—then later see how Mao would react.
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📌 Beicha: "Cha wants a new mommy! Where can Cha file a request… //pouts"
So… who here has already fallen for the beautiful stepmother? Hands up! 55555555
Chapter 6 END