Chapter 47
Chapter 47: A Black Pot
Charlotte was seventeen this year, right at the age when girls easily develop rebellious psychology during adolescence.
She hated kids.
Especially those crying, whining kids—annoying to death.
But as clergy under church institutions, Charlotte always played the role of a gentle, caring big sister in public. Even the most annoying little brats had to be soothed and calmed, because Sera had once said that if you couldn’t even do that, you couldn’t be considered a qualified law enforcer.
However, when this adorable girl she’d just brought back started wailing in front of her, Charlotte immediately lost her composure. She felt like something soft in her heart had been pierced by an arrow.
Pink eyes were misty with vapor, tender eye sockets slightly red and swollen.
The girl’s tearful appearance was both cute and pitiful.
Thinking that she was the one who made her cry, Charlotte felt terrible guilt. She held the girl’s soft little body in her arms, and that faint sweet fragrance from her neck and hair drifted into her nostrils.
Fragrant and soft, more comfortable to touch than a silk pillow.
How could such a wonderful creature exist in this world?
Whether because she was tired from crying or Charlotte’s coaxing skills were effective, the little pink strawberry in her arms gradually quieted down, only occasionally sniffling.
Charlotte smoothed the girl’s disheveled bangs and gently wiped away her tear tracks with a handkerchief.
This look of biting her lower lip with a face full of grievance and tears at the corners of her eyes, combined with her slightly flushed round little face, was practically tempting someone to give it a good squeeze. Fortunately, Charlotte’s willpower was strong enough to resist, or she’d be treated as a perverted weird sister.
“Big sister isn’t a bad person and won’t hurt you.” She continued gently comforting while helping the little pink strawberry wipe her tears. “Don’t cry anymore, okay?”
The girl hung her head and sniffled quietly again.
“Mm.” She nodded obediently.
Actually, it was because Funis had figured things out.
Since she couldn’t reveal herself, she might as well use this appearance to act like a little girl matching her looks, temporarily staying by Charlotte’s side to observe her adopted daughter’s recent living situation while also understanding what the Temperance Academy’s branch establishment in Gray Cloud Fort was all about.
Being comforted by Charlotte wasn’t a first or second occurrence—this strong, brave girl would probably always be the one comforting others.
But being coaxed and cajoled like a little girl by her own adopted daughter using this unprecedentedly gentle tone was somewhat inexplicably embarrassing. In just a few minutes, Charlotte had painted various pictures to try to soothe Funis’s sadness—fragrant fried bacon, sweet chocolate cake, pretty dresses adorned with ruffles and lace…
This method of using material temptations to divert attention when coaxing children—who exactly did she learn this from?
Funis suddenly remembered she used to coax stubborn Charlotte this way too, dangling her favorite things in front of her eyes. No matter how stiff her backbone was, it would soften after a while.
Oh, so it was from me.
Never mind then.
But being reunited with her adopted daughter was better than anything. After figuring this out, Funis felt much more cheerful. From a certain perspective, this could also be considered a kind of happiness.
Only she always felt Charlotte’s condition wasn’t quite right. Her usually clear sea-blue eyes now seemed somewhat dazed and confused, and her tendency for physical contact seemed particularly strong—after hugging her, she didn’t want to let go.
“Cute little girl, what’s your name?” Charlotte used her gloved palm to wipe away the teardrops at the corners of Funis’s eyes.
Cute… little girl?
Funis immediately got goosebumps all over.
It was one thing for Cessya to say this, but now even Charlotte was playing along. If she really knew this “cute little girl” was her missing father from a year ago, Sera’s majestic image built over forty years would probably collapse on the spot.
Funis wanted to find a strawberry cake to smash her head against. It was simply too embarrassing.
As for the name…
“Se… Seli…”
She deliberately made her voice tremble, trying to perform as if she was still unsettled.
She couldn’t use Sera.
It was also best not to use Funis.
She needed a third identity now—neither law enforcer nor witch, just a girl in distress. This name naturally floated up from her mind.
Seli.
Common everywhere, completely unremarkable, perfectly suitable.
“Just Seli? What’s your surname?” Charlotte asked gently.
“Surname… I forgot… some amnesia… forgot many things…” Funis’s eyes became misty with tears again.
Charlotte took a deep breath and covered her mouth, her eyes also slightly moist. “I’m sorry, Seli… I didn’t know… Did I make you feel pain again?”
Plan successful.
Her adopted daughter’s slightly excessive kindness was so easy to manipulate—it would never arouse any extra suspicion.
Just as Funis was feeling pleased with her acting skills, she suddenly heard Charlotte say viciously: “These evil witches! To conduct such cruel experiments on such a small girl, torturing someone into amnesia!”
Funis was stunned.
Wait, was there some misunderstanding here?
Although she had indeed been kidnapped by a witch and subjected to extremely evil human modification, being tortured into amnesia… uh, she had indeed lost many memories… it seemed there really wasn’t a misunderstanding?
No, that’s not right!
Could Charlotte think that alchemy laboratory was built by witches, and the missing girls were all abducted by witches? Could Charlotte be treating her as one of those missing girls?
Thinking carefully, from Charlotte’s perspective, this reasoning was quite logical. After all, she had no understanding of what the Black Rose Society actually was.
Cessya on the Golden Rose was inexplicably shouldering such a big black pot. Funis couldn’t help clear her name for the moment and could only add insult to injury to continue building her cover story.
“Wuu wuu! They’re all bad women, especially the leader—she’s particularly bad!”
Funis threw herself into her adopted daughter’s soft chest, whimpering and complaining.
Sorry, Miss Witch!
Sorry, sisters of the society!
Sorry, my dignity and integrity from when I was male!
To successfully gain Charlotte’s trust, Funis had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure—lying and playing pitiful to earn sympathy, while explaining her general background. Her specific identity and past could all be glossed over with amnesia.
“Good girl, little Seli~” Charlotte gently stroked the girl’s head. “You’re safe now. I won’t let the witches hurt you anymore. If even one bad woman comes, big sister will beat her away for you, okay?”
Funis’s expression wasn’t great, but Charlotte couldn’t see it.
She thought of a possibility.
Gray Cloud Fort was only so big—hiding from a Sequence 3 Extraordinary was simply unrealistic. Cessya would come looking personally.
Continuing to stay by Charlotte’s side would harm her. Funis had to find an opportunity to return to the Golden Rose early and cut off this possibility.
“Hm? Why is it all wet?”
Just as Funis was pondering, Charlotte suddenly noticed a large water stain on her dark green dress.
A certain little pink strawberry was struck as if by lightning, not daring to move at all.
But playing dead couldn’t solve the problem.
Charlotte soon discovered the source of these water stains. Funis, sitting on her, was wearing only underwear, and those undergarments were already soaked through and still seeping outward.
“Seli, did you… wet yourself?”
Very carefully asked.
The atmosphere became extremely awkward for a moment