I adopted a child.

Platinum blonde hair and golden eyes. Smooth hair, a delicate face, and a soft voice. A child who looked as if he were sculpted by a god.

Captivated by that appearance, I bid a high price and brought the child home.

His name is Declan.

He followed me as if I were his parent. Whether it was education or social skills, he absorbed everything I taught him like a sponge.

Declan always wore a faint smile, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up. He wore that same expression when being scolded, or even during a funeral for a family member.

I simply thought of Declan as a peculiar child. There was nothing else to criticize about him.

He followed me well, and there were no issues with his growth.

. . .

A few months after Declan's coming-of-age ceremony,

I was stripped of my title and exiled from the family for mysterious reasons. No matter how much I asked why, all I received were looks of contempt.

When I finally left the house, only one person remained by my side.

That person was Declan.

I thought of Declan as a grateful child. Even though I had been exiled for some unknown reason, he was a child who abandoned his own status to follow me.

Declan and I found a cabin deep in the mountains to live in. It was difficult to adjust at first, but thanks to Declan, who was skilled at housework, I eventually settled in.

Declan and I have lived in the cabin for about three to four years. At some point, Declan started telling me he loved me every day, and he would always go out to meet anyone who visited the cabin.

He follows me around like a puppy every day, and whenever I'm inside the house, I can faintly feel his gaze on me. No matter where I try to go, he questions everything and ends up coming along.

I'm starting to think that perhaps Declan is a much different child than I thought.