Hmm?
Abel was a bit confused.
Although this girl looked somewhat familiar, he couldn’t quite remember who she was right away.
But if he said that out loud, wouldn’t it sound a bit like something a “scumbag” would say?
A childhood engagement?
Was there such a thing?
Why didn’t he have any impression of it at all?
“Elfi! Mind your manners. It was fine when you were little and didn’t know any better, but now that you’re grown up, how can you be so rude to Young Master Abel?”
Fortunately, the old butler immediately scolded the maid’s behavior.
He stroked his beard, looking full of authority.
The old butler was a veteran who had served the Noct family since Grandfather’s generation—a true pillar through three eras!
He held the second-in-command position in the marquis’s household without question, handling most daily affairs on behalf of the family.
His loyalty and ability were beyond reproach.
During the time right after their parents passed away when they were young, it was thanks to the old man’s maneuvering that the Noct family avoided falling apart.
As for Elfi—oh, he finally remembered!
She was the butler’s granddaughter.
Since she was around the same age as him, she used to play with him and his brother when they were kids—a childhood friend, sort of?
It was just that her appearance had changed so much from his memories!
“Elfi? I remember you being all chubby, like a little round ball, right?”
Abel even gestured a round, plump shape, which made the maid secretly annoyed.
She pouted and muttered softly, “I-I’ve slimmed down already! I have a good foundation!”
“Young Master only remembers the chubby me—I’m afraid you’ve forgotten our childhood promise, haven’t you?”
As she said this, she looked at Abel with eyes full of expectation, which actually put him in a bit of a bind.
He glanced toward his brother Julius for help, but the latter was looking up at the sky with an expression that said, “You’re on your own.”
Abel looked at Elfi.
In the original game, this character actually existed too, but unlike those glamorous heroines, she was just an R-card—something you used a bit at the start and then tossed aside.
You could often see her bustling around in the knight order’s headquarters in the main city, but in the actual plot, she was basically a non-entity.
Most of the time, she blended right into the background, instinctively ignored by all players.
As for her feelings toward the protagonist?
He remembered a few of her affection lines went something like—
“In this world, I can’t see any hope at all, but as long as I’m with Young Master Abel, I’ll still look forward to tomorrow.”
“If Young Master Abel were gone, I wouldn’t mind restarting the entire world! Er, of course, just my own world!”
She was one of the few girls in the card pool who clearly expressed deep infatuation with the protagonist, but her model and stats in the original were just too ordinary!
That’s why Abel hadn’t remembered who she was right away…
“No way! Abel has already promised a future with me, and besides, how can a childhood promise be taken seriously?”
With a slightly childish voice ringing out, Sutis jumped out, positioning herself between them and glaring at Elfi like a little cat protecting its food!
It was only then that the maid, whose eyes had been solely on Abel, noticed the existence of this little girl.
But after just one look, her face turned deathly pale!
“W-wait, this child, could it be…”
Green hair, just like Young Master Abel’s! Thinking about how he’d been traveling abroad for several years, Elfi instantly imagined an obvious plot in her mind!
Sutis hummed, clearly noticing the change in Elfi’s expression.
Hmph, got it now? When it comes to beauty, you can’t beat me! Give up on that idea!
Just as she was thinking this smugly, she heard Elfi’s voice rise with a hint of tears—
“She—she’s Young Master Abel’s child?!”
Those words left everyone present a bit stunned, and Sutis nearly tripped.
Abel came back to his senses and rubbed his forehead.
“I’m only 19 years old, and this kid looks about 12 or 13 already—does that mean I had her when I was 6?”
Elfi thought about it, and yeah, that did make sense.
However, Sutis interjected, “Where do I look 12 or 13? I’m only 3 years old, quack!”
Abel then realized the issue—she wasn’t human, but a combat angel developed by the church based on an ancient bug-fixing program.
How could her age be judged by appearance?
“3-3 years old?!”
Elfi’s face looked even worse. She thought about it—Abel really had been away from home for several years!
There were humanoid races on this continent whose growth patterns were completely different from humans.
It wasn’t impossible for one to grow this big at 3 years old!
So, this child really was Young Master Abel’s?
She felt like she’d been struck by lightning, a sense of grief and anger surging up as if she’d been abandoned by a scumbag.
Family, who gets it? Waiting for your promised love for over a decade, only to find out he’s already started a family outside and even has a kid—that kind of despair feels way too real!
Elfi’s mind was a bit off due to the despair.
“…Young Master Abel, I’ve overstepped. A mere maid like me actually dared to hope for your love.”
Her tone calmed down, but the tears welling in her eyes betrayed her.
“I’m sure your wife, this child’s mother, must be a very beautiful and noble person. I’ll bless you both.”
Abel rubbed his forehead again. He stepped forward, flicked the maid’s forehead, and stared straight into her red eyes.
“What on earth are you thinking? I told you, she’s not my child! She’s…”
At this point, Abel got troubled—how should he introduce Sutis?
This time, Julius decided he’d watched enough of the show.
He came over, patted Sutis on the head, and said, “She’s an orphan my brother took in while wandering outside—consider her a little sister. From now on, it’ll be up to everyone to take care of her! Because she’s been through a lot, she’s pretty mature for her age, so just listen to what she says but don’t take it too seriously.”
As he said this, he winked at Sutis.
Being clever despite her size, she immediately understood— the fewer people who knew her true identity, the better.
She didn’t refute it right away, but her expression was a bit displeased.
Siblings? It’s not impossible! But Sutis craved a closer relationship! Just like what Sister Sephilia said!
It was only after hearing Julius’s words that Elfi’s face cleared up.
A charming blush flashed across her cheeks as she stepped forward, grabbed Abel’s hand, and looked at him with sparkling eyes.
“Then, Young Master Abel, does our promise still count?”
Abel felt a bit overwhelmed by the girl’s intense gaze.
They’d often played together as kids—he couldn’t say for sure that there weren’t some messy promises like that!
More importantly, he couldn’t find a reason to reject Elfi.
After all, she wasn’t one of those “SSR-level overpowered” beauties.
Agree to her?
Reject her?