Madame Brown didn’t know what Scarlet and Mr. Hong had discussed during their private conversation, but she was pleasantly surprised when she learned that Scarlet had decided to be adopted by Mr. Hong.
She had always believed Scarlet would flourish if she weren’t confined to the orphanage. Despite the limitations, Scarlet had managed to build a career as a novelist and had raised the orphanage’s profile through competitions and interviews with the local news. The orphanage now had more than enough funds to provide the children with a good life, and there was even enough to support some of the poorer orphanage she had connections with.
This sweet girl had even considered donating half of her book earnings to the orphanage!
Madame Brown wished the best for this remarkable little girl. Scarlet was intelligent, and if Mr. Hong had managed to persuade her to accept his offer of adoption, Madame Brown would respect her decision - with a few terms and conditions, of course.
“So, Mr. Hong.” Madame Brown said, placing the adoption agreement in front of him, “here are the details if you wish to adopt Scarlet. We’ll make regular visits after she moves in with you, and we might not always call ahead. We want to see the most natural conditions of our child’s living situation.”
“No problem at all.” Mr. Hong skimmed though the document and then tucked it into his bag. “I’ll prepare the supporting documents and return with everything in order next time. I’ll even send you a monthly report with pictures of Scarlet if that would put your mind at ease. For now, I’m off to find an estate agent to secure a better house.”
Noticing the puzzled expression on Madame Brown’s face, he added, “I’m currently living with my uncle in an apartment that’s suitable for two blokes but definitely not for a young girl. I’m planning to buy a house with a garden or at least a lawn, and it’ll be close to a library for her to visit...”
Mr. Hong shared his plans, and Madame Brown could see the sincerity in his eyes. He backed up his words with actions, settling all the paperwork and purchasing a new house within a month. He even provided a list of private tutors for Scarlet to choose from, according to her preferences. Madame Brown was very pleased.
On Scarlet’s last day at the orphanage, she said goodbyes to the children and staff before heading to the director’s office. She left most of her belongings behind, taking only her notebooks filled with novel plots. The staff could use her cloths and other items as spare in case, unfortunately, a new child arrived.
Madame Brown waited in her office with the adoption documents, and together with Mr. Hong, they would soon head to the relevant department to finalize everything with the necessary stamps and signatures. After that, she would officially become a member of the Hong family - if she chose to call Mr. Hong her dad.
On their way to the government offices, Mr. Hong asked from the driver’s seat, “Scarlet, would you like to keep your name, or would you prefer a new one?”
Scarlet hadn’t given that much thought. After a moment of reflection, she turned to Madame Brown, who was sitting next to her. “Why was I named Scarlet Smith? Most of the kids in the orphanage have your last name, so why am I Scarlet Smith and not Scarlet Brown?”
“Well,” Madame Brown began, “when we found you on our doorstep one summer night, you were wrapped in a scarlet scarf with a note that simply said ‘Smith’.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes, nothing else - no address, no phone number, nothing except the scarf. We kept it with you, but after a few washes, it became so worn out that we had to throw it away.”
“So, this is my only clue if I ever decide to search for my origins...But ‘Smith’ is a common surname, so it probably won’t lead to much.” Scarlet shrugged and then turned to Mr. Hong, “Can I add your surname to mine?”
“So, Smith will be your middle name?” Mr. Hong asked, “Scarlet Smith Hong...It sounds quite...red, doesn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“Well, ‘scarlet’ is, of course, red. And while ‘Hong’ might not be the same character, it has the same pronunciation as the word for ‘red’ in both Mandarin and Cantonese. As for ‘Smith’, it’s originally referred to a goldsmith or blacksmith. Metals need to be heated until they’re red-hot to be forged, don’t they?”
Come to think about it, ‘Akahime’ was my code name in my previous life because I had red hair due to my bond with the Harvesting Fox, known for its red coat...Too many red elements. Does that mean something? Scarlet wondered if Mr. Hong was thinking the same thing; he’d become somewhat superstitious after the jade pendant incident and finishing her book.
“Well, perhaps it means red is your lucky colour!” Madame Brown suggested with a smile.
Scarlet pondered this for a moment, then shrugged it off.
The adoption process went smoothly, and soon Scarlet followed Mr. Hong to their new home.
“Welcome home!” Mr. Hong announced as he showed Scarlet around. “Here’s the dining room, the kitchen, the bathroom, the storeroom, and the guestroom. Our bedrooms are upstairs - here’s mine, and here’s YOURS!”
The room was simple and plain but thoughtfully furnished with a desk, chairs, and a bed frame suited to her height. “I thought you’d like to decorate it to your taste, so I left it untouched. I also bought you a few clothes, but I reckon you’d prefer to choose your own. Want to go shopping now or later?”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Later,” Scarlet replied with a smile at the nervous man, “We should probably get our bank cards sorted first, and I expect that’ll take some time. Let’s just take it slow – no need to worry.”
Kyle Hong finally exhaled the breath he’d been holding, kneeling down to look Scarlet in the eye. “I know you’re an adult, probably even older than me in your previous life. But it’s still hard to remind myself that this little girl in front of me is actually a powerful adult...Anyway, you can call me Kyle, and I’m your family in this world now.”
“I know, and I can feel it.” Scarlet stretched out her arms and hugged the young man before her, “Actually, if you don’t mind having an overly mature daughter, I’d prefer to call you dad.”
“Of course I’d love that!” Kyle hugged her tightly in return.
He had been talking with Scarlet throughout the process of sorting documents, either face-to-face or over the phone. Naturally, he noticed something off about the girl. Perhaps her memories of her previous life had impacted her so deeply that she struggled to find her place in this world. It was as though she didn’t feel like she truly fit in anywhere within the orphanage, despite the fact that everyone there loved her. That might have been why she agreed to be adopted - to form a bond with someone in this world and to find a place where she could fully relax. And he was more than willing to be that bond, to protect her and help her in any way he could.
They spent a few days settling in, getting to know each other better, and adjusting to their new life together. As Scarlet began to feel more relaxed, so did Kyle. They eventually decided to invite Uncle Chan over for a visit.
“So, this is the girl you adopted!” Uncle Chan exclaimed as he arrived with a box of books, “I heard you’re interested in folklore and legends. I hope you’ll like these books! Oh, and here’s a red packet!”
Scarlet was touched as she accepted the books and carefully received the red packet. In Chinese culture, it’s customary for elders to give red packets to the younger generation as a blessing, whether they’re blood relatives or not. It’s a gesture of deep affection.
“Now that you’ve accepted my red packet, how will you address me?” Uncle Chan asked in a teasing tone, testing her out.
“Great Uncle?”
Uncle Chan thought for a moment, “Acceptable. Kyle, you really ought to teach her how to address us properly in Chinese. English is far too vague when it comes to addressing relatives.”
“Sure, I will.” Kyle replied with a smile as he welcomed Uncle Chan into the house, but he made a funny face at Scarlet, silently telling her to “just ignore him and do as you like”.
The TV was switched on, providing background noise as the three of them gathered in the kitchen, watching Kyle cook dinner. Scarlet mostly remained quiet while Kyle and Uncle Chan chatted.
“Have you told your parents that you’ve adopted a child?” Uncle Chan asked.
“No...I’ll let them know later.”
“Alright, if you say so.”
“By the way, I’m thinking about getting a stable job.”
“Sure, if that’s what you want. What kind of job are you looking for? Maybe I can help.”
“I’m not sure...Nothing related to law or medicine, as I know nothing about either. And not accountant - I’m not that good with numbers, and I suppose you need some sort of licence to become an accountant?”
“Yes, you do need a license. You’re certainly qualified to be a salesman or work in an office, but I don’t think that would suit you. Think about the skills you’ve acquired. You didn’t grow up learning nothing, did you?”
“Uhm...car racing? I’ve won a few Asian competitions. Wine testing? Cocktail making? Pub or club management?”
“No, I don’t think those are quite suitable for a dad’s occupation. Any others?”
“Piano? I’m quite good at piano –I've got a performance-level certification. My guitar’s not bad either.”
“Then why not become a piano teacher or tutor? You could do home lessons, go to people’s houses and teach their kids piano.”
“That sounds like a good idea...Hey, maybe I could even ask if I could bring Scarlet along!”
“Wait, why bring her along? Isn’t she supposed to be at school?”
“No, she’s skipped grades, so officially, she’s graduated from primary and should be attending secondary school.”
“...What did you say?” Uncle Chan was shocked and turned to see Scarlet quietly writing a series of sentences in a notebook. “You mean she’s a genius?”
“Well...you could say that,” Kyle replied, slightly struggling as he couldn't explain that Scarlet had memories from a previous life. “Don’t worry about her future - she’s been publishing novels since last year, and they’ve been quite popular in the children’s book section. She’s drafting her next book now, so don’t touch her notebook, alright? It’s a secret until it’s published.”
Uncle Chan mouthed a silent “wow”.
A few days later, Uncle Chan bought Scarlet’s book and asked for her autograph, which she carefully signed on the first page with her newly bought fountain pen, using a custom-made maple-coloured ink.
Life gradually improved as Kyle’s schedule filled up with booking from parents, drawn by his talent for teaching piano. Scarlet, too, began earning money, as she was remarkably skilled in caring for infants and younger children, even offering advice to parents. Her assistance was a great relief to many who couldn’t afford full-time nannies.
One day, after finishing her research, Scarlet made a decision.
“I want to go to Scotland.”
“Why’s that?” Kyle asked, glancing at the map in her hand and the stack of papers clipped together like a tiny book.
“I’m sure you’ve read my book, so you know about the concept of bonding with spirits, right?”
“Yes...Oh! So, you’re trying to bond with another spirit!” The pieces clicked into place for Kyle, who had always known Scarlet was searching for something, though he hadn’t known exactly what. “But why Scotland? Can’t it be any church or graveyard?”
“I’ve tried churches, but it doesn’t feel right. And I’m not about to go wandering around graveyards looking for someone else’s ancestors. I prefer something natural, something non-human.”
“Non-human?” Kyle noticed some words scrawled on the papers, “Legends? King Arthur? No, you said non-human...the sword? Excalibur? Oh, right, antiques are supposed to house spirits, especially those tied to strong beliefs. So, you’re going to bond with a sword’s spirit?”
“It does sound possible, but I’m not sure such a sword even exist, or if I could actually locate its spirit. Plus, it’s too famous, I’d prefer something more...subtle.”
“Huh?”
“Have you ever heard of the Queen of the Shadowy land, the teacher of all heroes in Celtic mythology?”
Scarlet noticed Kyle looked even more perplexed than before.