The Monster Knight wants Parental Leave

Rushing back to the barracks, Lucia hastily swung open the door.

Although convincing the Emperor had not taken as much time as anticipated, the entire process had been considerably prolonged due to her utilization of him as a guarantor for the child’s birth registration.

‘I wonder how he’ll react when he finds out that the child he vouched for is a Saintess.’

While the Emperor’s direct involvement may have been minimal, Lucia held the belief that he bore some responsibility as he had been the catalyst for including the child in the plan to seal the Saintess prior to her regression.

A slight smirk formed on the corner of Lucia’s lips as she pictured the enraged Emperor in her mind.

Upon reaching her destination, Lucia hurriedly made her way to the bedroom where the child was likely to be found.

To her surprise, the bedroom was vacant.

The same applied to the reception room.

And even the kitchen.

Recalling the child’s voice emanating from the bathroom moments before she left, a sense of unease crept over Lucia as she realized the child’s absence.

‘Is she still in there?’

As the bathroom door swung open, Lucia’s eyes widened at the sight before her—a child desperately reaching out for something, precariously positioned at the slippery edge of the bathtub.

Startled by the sudden intrusion and Lucia’s presence, the child lost her footing and began to slip.

Reacting swiftly, Lucia managed to catch the child just in time.

Cradling the child in her arms, Lucia felt a mixture of relief and concern. The child slowly opened her tightly shut eyes and gazed up at Lucia, her eyes filled with surprise, as if unable to believe that she hadn’t plummeted to the floor.

While gently putting the child down, Lucia asked, 

“Why are you still like this?”

“……towel……”

The child murmured softly, curling up in the spot where Lucia had placed her down.

In an instant, Lucia’s eyes darted to where the towel should have been.

“Ah…” she uttered, a realization hitting her. The bathroom towel was inconveniently situated on a high shelf, far out of reach for a small child.

Adding to the predicament, the child remained unclothed, and it was well past noon. If she were an ordinary child, she might have caught a cold by now.

The weight of her careless oversight weighed heavily on Lucia as she noticed the child’s gaze from a distance.

Their eyes locked, and the child’s expression turned guilty and anxious, as if she had committed a grave mistake.

Beneath Lucia’s feet, tiny feathers and debris floated around the clogged bathroom drain, soiling her once gleaming black boots and creating the illusion that she had wandered into a mud pit.

The child continued to look at Lucia with trembling eyes, clearly concerned about having dirtied the surroundings.

However,

‘I need to take off my shoes quickly.’

Unfortunately, Lucia remained oblivious to the child’s emotions.

Doesn’t cleaning sometimes make things dirty?

Watching her shake off her shoes, the child finally failed to hold back her tears and sobbed.

It was a sudden outburst from Lucia’s point of view.

Lucia, flustered by the tears whose reason she couldn’t understand, thought, ‘Ah, I should have given her the towel first.’

In a hurried attempt to rectify the situation, Lucia grabbed a towel at random and swiftly wrapped it around the child’s trembling form.

However, the child, instead of stopping crying was moving farther away.

Looking at the child, Lucia blinked her eyes.

‘……Isn’t this it?’

Reflecting on her past, she realized that she had never truly experienced independent living from a young age.

Throughout her childhood as the daughter of a noble family, and even after severing ties and becoming a knight for the royal family, she had never lived alone.

Apart from her time spent on the battlefield, she had always relied on the assistance of maids to attend to her needs, continuing well into her nineties.

Consequently, Lucia found herself lacking in any life skills beyond her proficiency in swordsmanship.

As she retraced the steps of her life, a significant question loomed in her mind.

‘……Can I raise a child?’

Merely one day into regression, Lucia’s awareness of the gravity of her actions started to sink in.

A growing intuition whispered to her that this new path she had embarked on would prove to be far more challenging than all the accomplishments she had amassed during her ninety years of existence.

Seated across from Lucia at the dining table, the child wore Lucia’s smallest blouse, which hung on her tiny frame like an oversized garment. However, the child appeared completely deflated, devoid of any appetite.

Bread, meat, fruit, and a clump of green grass sat before her. 

Although hunger gnawed at her, the child made no move to touch the food placed in front of her.

Gazing at the child, Lucia couldn’t help but feel a tinge of despair. She had succeeded in rescuing the Saintess. She had willingly embraced the role of a mother. But now doubts arose.

Would this child even have a chance to grow up in good health before her awakening? Could she experience a semblance of a normal childhood? These questions loomed over Lucia’s mind, overshadowing her own lack of parenting skills.

Yet, amidst the contemplation of life skills and uncertainties, a more pressing reality surfaced.

‘How much does it cost to raise a child?’

In her previous life, Lucia had never concerned herself with money. After being estranged from her noble family without a single coin, she managed to live comfortably on the wages she consistently received, even hiring a maid. Following her early retirement, she accumulated wealth through war bounties, leading her to disregard the management of her granted title and fiefdom as mere inconveniences.

But her current circumstances were different.

For nine years, she had been estranged from her noble family, coinciding with a five-year special training period. Moreover, during the training period, all necessities were provided, eliminating the need for wages typically received by the Knight Corps as operating expenses.

While she would receive wages in the future, Lucia found herself penniless, devoid of any savings.

In this state, gazing at the child swathed in her makeshift clothing, another wave of despair washed over Lucia. However, she couldn’t ignore the fact that if she hadn’t saved the Saintess today, bringing her along would have been an impossible feat.

‘Yes. Positively. The documents were burned, my identity was not discovered, and no mission was assigned.’

With precisely 11 years remaining until the child reached the age of 16, the threshold of adulthood and her awakening, a formidable task lay ahead.

During this crucial period, the child would need to conceal her true identity using a control stone, she would need to assume the role of a knight in the royal family, gather vital information, identify the group responsible for sealing the Saintess, and gradually eliminate their influence.

However, amidst the weight of these responsibilities, a pressing concern nagged at Lucia’s mind.

‘I need to figure out how we’ll have enough to eat tomorrow.’

The training center where they resided was a secluded facility dedicated solely to rigorous training, completely cut off from the outside world. Even the maids who had previously attended to her had only made fleeting visits when there was no one around, never truly encountering one another. As a result, their services ceased upon the commencement of parental leave.

Although unfortunate, the timing of this predicament did possess one silver lining: neither the child nor Lucia was yet prepared to interact with strangers, making the absence of maids less burdensome.

‘She has to call me mom if I want to hire a maid. It’s hard to force her to call me mom. But I can’t even cook right now…’

A wave of worry etched across Lucia’s face as she mulled over her numerous concerns. In the midst of her distress, the child lowered her head and uttered softly, “I want to go back…”

Lucia questioned her own ears, stunned by the child’s unexpected statement.

“What did you say?” she asked, her confusion evident. Wasn’t it their plan to live together once they arrived here? However, upon reflection, Lucia realized that the child had never explicitly mentioned staying together.

Though flustered, Lucia managed to compose herself and calmly inquired, “Are you referring to the orphanage? Why would you want to go back?”

At Lucia’s words, the child sneaked a glance at the soiled white gloves resting on the table, then bowed her head once more.

In truth, the child didn’t truly desire to return.

Warm water and a clean, smooth bathtub—brief as it was, it held experiences the child had never encountered in her life. But more than anything else, what lingered in her mind was the tender moment when a woman who bore a striking resemblance to the mother in her dreams promised to become her mother. Was it all just another dream?

However, the child remembered.

The stern expression on an adult’s face. The long sigh that escaped while looking at her.

It all aligned with the depiction of adults when seeing the children who had made mistakes and been expelled from the orphanage. Unlike noble children, those from the orphanage were taught two essential skills alongside reading and writing: how to care for children and how to perform household chores and agricultural tasks.

Five years after the war’s end, children were adopted due to labor shortages. Powerless girls were adopted to serve as nannies or maids, tending to household duties and younger siblings, while boys were adopted as labor assistants. However, it wasn’t a conventional adoption process; instead, they were essentially sold to toil in filthy warehouses devoid of anyone’s presence.

In the presence of Lucia, who spoke of adopting someone as wretched as herself, the child, fully aware of her own position, comprehended the grim reality more clearly. She had made a mistake, and now she had to return, awakening from what felt like a dream.

Without a trace of deception in her gaze, the child answered Lucia’s inquiry, explaining the reasons behind her plea.

“……Here. Dirty. I’m not good.”

However, hindered by her limited vocabulary, the child struggled to express herself.

Upon hearing the child’s somber words, Lucia surveyed her surroundings.

“I see,” she murmured.

Indeed, this place was the training ground for the Imperial Knights. It was a rather austere environment adorned with decorative weaponry on the walls, devoid of ordinary sofas or furniture aside from the living room and dressing room. Furthermore, due to the events of the day, even the typically pristine floors were now marred, lending an air of dilapidation to the space.

As the child had pointed out, it was certainly not a suitable living environment for a five-year-old.

“You’re right,” Lucia admitted.

The child appeared utterly shocked, as if a stone had fallen from the sky and struck her. While she had anticipated that the adult before her would share her sentiment, hearing it spoken aloud made a world of difference.

Struggling to hold back her impending tears, the child’s delicate chin began to tremble.

Observing this, Lucia grew flustered.

Though she had merely agreed with the child’s observation, it seemed as if the child were on the verge of bursting into tears at any moment. Had she made some kind of mistake?

Lucia retraced the events that had transpired thus far. The child had only been in the bathroom of this accommodation, and the incident that led to her crying was…

Glancing at her own soiled boots, Lucia reconsidered the child’s words.

‘Could it be… dirty. Is it her?’

It was an unimaginable suspicion, but that was the only thing that made sense. She decided to ask the child.

“By any chance, is it because the bathroom got dirty……”

As soon as that troubling word came out of Lucia’s mouth, the tears the child had been holding back burst out.

“……Huaang! I, I did wrong……”

“……”

Lucia fell silent.

This was it—the truth had finally dawned upon her.

However, the misunderstanding that had already taken root proved to be a burdensome predicament for Lucia, who struggled with expressing herself. Should she reassure the child that she wasn’t dirty? Should she assure her that a maid could be called to address the issue? While these statements held truth, they felt inadequate. Lucia couldn’t fathom how the child would react based on their limited conversation thus far.

Stunned, Lucia found herself at a loss as the child’s anguished cries reverberated throughout the room.

She, the legendary Black Monster Knight, stood powerless before a weeping child.

And then, her trembling gaze fell upon the open bathroom door.

Following the trail from the bathroom to the front door, Lucia noticed the vivid imprints of very small footprints.

Her eyes widened with a newfound resolve, and she firmly addressed the child.

“Orphanage. I can’t send you there.”

The child, exhausted from crying, was taken aback by Lucia’s resolute words.

“I have to clean up, whether I send you back or not,” Lucia declared, gesturing towards the bathroom and the floor with a nod of her head.

“…!”

The child’s eyes widened in surprise, even ceasing her tears momentarily.

How absurd it felt to intimidate such a young child under the pretense of household chores. Lucia couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt, but intimidation came more easily to her than comfort. It was the best she could offer at this moment.

“Crying won’t solve this problem. Do you understand?” Lucia continued, expecting the child to cry even harder in response to her stern words. However, instead of crying, the child simply closed their mouth, fidgeted with their tiny hands, and wiped away the remaining tears.

This unexpected reaction caught Lucia off guard.

“This isn’t my house, so it’s important to keep it clean. Can you clean up by yourself?” Lucia asked.

In response, the child nodded eagerly.

To the child, Lucia’s words sounded like, “If you clean up, I’ll let you stay.” It was an invaluable opportunity for the child.

Curiosity finally getting the better of her, the child asked, “Where… this place…?”

“Strictly speaking, it’s part of the royal palace,” Lucia replied, her tone uncertain. The child was shocked by the revelation, recalling something Mia had once mentioned—the Royal Palace, a place akin to heaven where glamorous people gathered, free from worries about tasks or meals.

“I see,” the child said, her expression turning somber once again.

Despite Lucia’s promise to be her mother, she still felt distant to the child. Meeting Lucia’s gaze directly, the child pondered.

In the child’s mind, failing to perform her chores properly here meant losing sight of those beautiful and kind eyes. The thought of being separated from her newfound mother brought tears to the child’s eyes.

‘Don’t cry. A crying child is a nuisance.’

But the tears kept welling up.

For the first time, the child contemplated how to avoid being separated from someone. In her young mind, the only way to make amends was to clean more diligently than anyone else in this place.

If she could showcase her hardworking side, perhaps Lucia would smile at her as she did when holding her hand, instead of sighing or looking stern. Maybe then, she could stay a little longer, just a bit longer.

Suppressing her tears, the child tightened her resolve and nodded determinedly.

‘Oh, that’s a relief.’

Lucia, unaware of the child’s determination, decided to playfully tease her a bit more.

“It’s quite challenging. I wonder how long it’ll take to clean that wooden floor after the bathroom…” Lucia trailed off, feigning concern.

“No, don’t worry! I’ll try my best!” the child exclaimed, clasping her small hands together and hunching her shoulders.

Ah, how pure this child was.

A wave of guilt washed over Lucia, stabbing at her heart. She couldn’t help but let out a groan, the weight of her conscience growing heavier.

“…All right, remember this. My name is Lucia.”

“……”

“Let’s make a promise while you’re here. From now on, don’t talk about your time at the orphanage to anyone. And.”

The child kept nodding to Lucia’s words, no matter what she said.

“Did you forget? Look here.”

“……?”

Seeing the child mechanically nodding, Lucia locked eyes with the child as if to tell her the most important thing she should keep.

“It would be best to call me ‘mom’ as soon as possible.”

“……!”

Upon hearing her words, the child opened her already wide eyes like a rabbit, then lowered her head and mumbled.

Lucia thought she had a long way to go seeing the child’s reaction, but the child’s hidden face was now as warmly reddish as the sunset light pouring through the window.