kscans

Chapter 187 - Episode. The Cook in Your Castle

".....Chiihiro."

The man who called out the name of his lost daughter in a strangled voice was a giant, likely two meters tall. He gazed vacantly up at the clear autumn sky.

Looking back, those days had been like a dream.

A small child had appeared out of nowhere. A precocious, considerate, yet truly and utterly imperious little girl. She was cunning enough to observe and understand her surroundings, yet bold enough to leave things be. An innocent child, a bundle of contradictions who would laugh with a kyakkya as she wrapped the flustered adults around her little finger. His beloved daughter, who shone with a brilliance that rivaled the twinkling stars, had been lost in just a few short years.

"Chiihiro....."

Memories of the past resurfaced in Drago's vision, blurred by tears.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Chihiro. I'm indebted to Adonis-san."

The little girl, who had hastily stood up upon seeing Drago enter the kitchen, bowed her head with a gentle grace. Her movements were strangely composed for such a small child. As he watched her head lower in a leisurely manner, Drago felt a sense of wonder. It was a small head that made him want to reach out and pat it. But the motion was so fluid and natural, it informed Drago that this was a familiar, well practiced piece of etiquette.

At such a young age?

Then he looked at the vegetables the little girl had likely been peeling. The skins were cleanly removed. This, too, made Drago narrow his eyes. Skills like this depended more on experience and knack than on sheer strength. It was different from something like chopping, which required a certain amount of force to do it zakuzaku. The skins, peeled thinly as if tracing the surface, told Drago that the little girl was accustomed to this kind of work.

.....Perhaps Adonis's assumption wasn't wrong. What kind of parent would make such a small child handle a knife?

There were parents in the world who exploited their children. From her grubby appearance, she didn't seem to be receiving a proper upbringing. What's more..... Drago crouched down with a dubious look, met Chihiro's gaze, and stared intently at her face.

Isn't she younger than three? She's too small.

Though her greetings and demeanor were mature, Drago was on friendly terms with the church and the orphanage, and he had interacted with many children. Some were small due to malnutrition, but they all generally shared a certain innocent childishness. There were children who acted older and put on airs, but such pretenses were easy to see through. He didn't sense that from the little girl before him. It was true she looked a bit gaunt, but overall she seemed healthy. The whites of her eyes were clear, and he saw no signs of the abuse Adonis had feared. She had the healthy complexion of a well-raised child. If that was the case, then her small size must be appropriate for her age.

"How old are you?"

After a slight hesitation at Drago's question, Chihiro gathered the fragments of her memory and, based on her own knowledge, answered with the age she thought was probably correct.

"Umm..... Two, or three? Maybe."

As Adonis looked on in astonishment, a look of understanding crossed Drago's face.

In that case, this composure must be a result of her upbringing. She must be the child of a very good family. I don't know what happened, but her parents must be worried.

That was what Drago thought, but after hearing the little girl's faltering explanation, he doubted his own ears. He had her lead him to the room, and upon seeing its wretched state, he felt as if his head had been split open.

They locked a child in a place like this? There's nothing here.

The two adults stood speechless, dumbfounded as they surveyed the room.

It was a cold, sturdy room made of stone. A thick layer of dust had accumulated everywhere, and you could see the places where Chihiro had likely wandered around. Small footprints and handprints remained on the floor. She must have pounded on the door many times. The inside of the door was covered with countless small handprints and scratch marks. Drago felt an unspeakable anger at it all, and his face twisted in disgust.

.....I see. If you don't want her, then I'll take her.

Mentally cursing the parents of the unknown little girl, Drago decided to become Chihiro's father. It was a natural decision for Drago, who had a history of taking in Sasha, who had been in similar circumstances. He believed it was an adult's duty to provide children with a life where they could eat, play, and learn. When Drago was a boy, he had lost his parents at a young age and was on the verge of being homeless when the owner of a diner in the castle town took him in. He had nothing but gratitude for the owner, who gave him a job, gave him days off, let him learn and play, and trained him into a respectable cook. That was why Drago would not abandon a lost child. Just as the owner had done for him, he wanted to do everything in his power for them.

And so Drago took Chihiro in, but he never imagined that his life would become a whirlwind of chaotic days.

"Chiihirooo!"

Today, too, his daughter was flying through the sky, clinging to a honeybee.

The sight of her dangling her little arms and legs as she flew around sent a chill down his spine no matter how many times he saw it. He knew it was safe, but reason and emotion were two different things. Aaaah! That's dangerous, and Pochiko-san is so small too!!

The Bear Dad ran about in the royal palace courtyard. Watching him with an amused smile, Adonis also looked up at the sky, a little worried himself.

It was a lively scene that was becoming a part of their daily lives.

His beloved daughter, who had pulled off grand shenanigans involving the royal palace, the castle town, and even neighboring countries.

She would never return.

The Little One had been taken away after the incident with Castrato. The blonde little girl who had cried and wailed at the sight of Drago, then walked techitechi toward the inner palace with a smile. The countless memories that disappeared without a backward glance.

"Chiihirooo....."

Letting out a deep sob, Drago looked up at the sky and cried boroboro. Lost happiness. A lost daughter. A lost future.

He wept inconsolably, and his sorrowful wails cast a long shadow over the royal palace for a long time.

He did not yet know. That the daughter he thought was lost would return to him as his true daughter.

Don't underestimate Frontier, where only happy endings are prepared for kindhearted people. The current Bear Dad had no way of knowing about the greatest gift that would be presented to him in the days to come.

Even so, only the nature of his tears would change. The future where Drago would cry and wail remained the same.

"Chiihirooo!!"

Today, too, the deep sobs of the Bear in the Kitchen could be heard throughout Frontier.♪