The Fortune-telling Princess

Chapter 104

“No, Father.”

Camilla shook her head lightly, her face adorned with a gentle smile.

“The child wanted this too.”

Rio had not returned to the orphanage. Instead, Duke Sephra himself had decided to adopt the boy.

“At first, I thought about keeping him with me…”

But it was Arison who had approached Rio first, asking if he’d like to live in his home.

Others were shocked by the suggestion, but Camilla wasn’t surprised at all.

‘He’s always had a soft spot for kids.’

Especially for Rio.

Though Arison despised people hovering around him, he had never once shown displeasure toward Rio. In fact, he often lingered nearby, subtly looking out for the boy.

‘Kids are far more perceptive than we give them credit for.’

They instinctively know who dislikes them and who genuinely cares. The fact that Rio gravitated toward Arison rather than Petro made it clear.

If Arison had even slightly indicated that he didn’t like Rio, the boy wouldn’t have clung to him so affectionately.

‘Maybe they remind him of each other?’

Rio’s bright, wide-eyed expression did resemble Sier’s a little.

Whatever the case, Rio hadn’t turned down Arison’s outstretched hand.

The bond between them had deepened significantly since the recent ordeal. To Rio, Arison must have seemed like the heroic figure who had saved him.

“Even so, that boy living in his house…”

Duke Sorpel’s concern was evident. He couldn’t help but worry about the boy being placed in the care of someone as cold and brusque as Arison.

“Rio will do well there,” Camilla assured him confidently.

The boy was surprisingly sociable.

‘Hehe.’

Camilla chuckled inwardly as she remembered something Arison had said to entice Rio.

‘There’s an empty room at my place.’

At first, she thought he was bragging about having a big house.

Our house has plenty of empty rooms too! she’d nearly retorted but stopped when she realized what kind of room Arison meant.

‘It used to belong to someone else, but…’

It was his way of saying he would treat Rio like a younger brother.

“He’ll be fine,” she said, her tone filled with certainty.

That single comment was enough to convince her that Arison would take care of the boy better than anyone else.

****

“……”

“……”

The dining hall was eerily quiet, as though no one were there.

Both Duke Sephra and Arison sat at the table, but neither spoke a word.

They didn’t seem uncomfortable with the silence, though—it was a setting they were both well-accustomed to.

The servants stationed nearby mirrored this stillness, moving cautiously so as not to disturb their masters.

Tap, tap, tap!