Chapter 3
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“A picture?”
One lady who had started the conversation smiled warmly and showed Adrien a photo of her sponsoree. In the small black-and-white picture, a curly-haired boy had a somewhat awkward expression.
“He sent me a photo. Everyone takes one when they enroll. If you pay a bit extra, you can get one or two more, apparently.”
“That’s right. I received one too. Sending photos to sponsors is quite the trend these days.”
One by one, the ladies pulled out photos of their sponsorees. As they passed the pictures around and chatted happily, Adrien merely gave a polite smile at the photo that reached her and flipped past it without really looking.
Later, at home, Adrien wrote a letter to her sponsoree for the first time ever.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
To Sammy Norah,
Hello, Sammy Norah.
I always read the letters you send me carefully.
But just so you know, you don’t have to try to give me anything just because the other children do.
I don’t expect anything from you.
Spend your time studying more and use the money to buy things that make you happy.
That’s all for now.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
It was exactly the kind of letter that would make a child cry, yet Adrien had no idea what she had done wrong.
Because she had written it sincerely. She hoped the child wouldn’t waste money trying to keep up with others.
It took her a whole hour to write those blunt six sentences.
Had Melonie seen it, she would’ve scolded Adrien, asking if she wanted to hurt the child, maybe even slapped her on the back. But, sadly, that never happened.
After that day, the usual five or six letters a year suddenly dropped to just two or three. Adrien didn’t mind. She thought it was for the best.
Maybe Sammy found writing letters a bother after all. Adrien believed she had lightened the child’s burden by speaking up first.
That was how indifferent Adrien was.
* * *
“What’s this?”
“A gift addressed to you, Miss.”
“You came all this way just to deliver this?”
“Of course. It’s fresh flowers. If I wait a week for you to return home, they’d all wilt.”
As soon as she turned twenty and became eligible to enlist, Adrien joined the special forces.
While others wished to delay as long as possible, Adrien wanted the opposite.
In fact, the entire empire quietly hoped she would become part of the special forces quickly.
The Brillante family was a noble line famed for producing outstanding espers, and Adrien was an immeasurable esper who surpassed even the highest Gold rank.
Espers wielded supernatural powers beyond normal human abilities. Their physical strength was also beyond imagination.
Because of this, the esper special forces were the most formidable, and individual members’ combat prowess was incomparable to regular soldiers.
Among them, Adrien was a standout talent in many ways.
“They must not have known who they were sending this to.”
Adrien was a soldier through and through.
Her cold demeanor, sharp mind, and distant personality made her nearly untouchable.
Those hoping to use her prestigious status to gain influence were quickly deflated by her icy gaze.
So suddenly receiving a bouquet—especially as a birthday gift?
‘Who could have sent this?’
Adrien chuckled softly at the boldness of the unknown sender.
She dismissed the family knight who brought the flowers and returned to her quarters. Amid the heavy floral scent, she found a small card.
[To my sponsor]
“…Sammy?”
Adrien moistened her dry lips and read,
[You told me to buy things that make me happy, so here is my answer.
From Sammy Norah]
“That’s amusing.”
If Sammy sent this, it wasn’t a birthday present.
But it certainly felt like she had received one.
No way Sammy knew it was Adrien’s birthday recently. Sammy didn’t even know exactly who her sponsor was.
Out of some shred of conscience, the sponsorship association protected the children by never revealing the sponsor’s identity—only gender and family name.
Some sponsors deliberately revealed themselves, of course, but usually for less pure motives.
Adrien preferred Sammy never learn her identity at all.
Yet, the timing of the gift was strangely perfect.
“…They must have spent a lot.”
Fresh flowers were a tremendous luxury, especially now, as winter approached.
Adrien buried her face in the bouquet and inhaled deeply. The strong fragrance was almost painfully stimulating.
Somehow, she found it hard to pull away.
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