Stunned by Charlotte's sudden question, Sian replied stiffly, "I've never heard of that before..."

Taking a sip of tea, Charlotte remained composed. "During the extermination of Edrorian's army, the eldest son of Marquis Palaques was in charge of it, but he managed to escape and immediately sent a messenger to contact us. He called for a ceasefire, claiming it was for a greater good."

"Greater good?" Sian inquired.

"Yes, he claims that the one who destroyed the army was Nervrathan, The Insane," she explained.

"That's odd..." Sian was skeptical about what he heard. "At this point, he should still be hibernatin- ahem- I mean, there's a possibility that it really was him. After all, his title says it all, Nervrathan, The Insane. Whenever he wakes up, he does absurd things. These dragons are truly ruthless." He shook his head disapprovingly.

"Although the Marquis's son claims that a dragon attacked, no one actually saw one. All survivors reported almost the same thing," she added.

"And what was that?" Sian asked with apprehension.

"They say the attacker was a human with slightly brown skin, about 1.80 cm tall, slightly curly black hair, and wore a ragged brown mantle. The Marquis's son also mentioned that his eyes were light brown," she observed Sian closely, as if trying to discern his reaction.

Trying to appear nonchalant, Sian took another sip of tea and commented, "They really paid attention to every detail, even the eye color..."

"He said he had a Birdkin subordinate, of the hawk species," Charlotte continued to scrutinize him.

Ophilia unintentionally cast a suspicious glance at Sian. It was understandable since the description closely matched his appearance when she first met him. It was too much of a coincidence to ignore.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm 100% human, I swear on the honor of the Goddess Zenobia," Sian asserted, puffing out his chest.

However, Ophilia still seemed to harbor some doubt.

In an attempt to reassure her, he said, "All dragons can turn into humans. And according to some books, that description matches exactly his."

"The Marquis's son said the same thing," Charlotte confirmed with a knowing smile.

Looking at her anxiously, Sian inquired, "What did your investigations reveal?"

She took a sip of the now-cold tea and replied, "It's possible that it really was him."

"In fact, the moment I heard the description, I thought of him," Sian spoke confidently, as if his earlier anxiety was just an illusion. "But let's set the extermination of the army aside for now. Can we proceed with the adoption procedures?"

"Of course, given your sincerity and the information I already have about you, I will make an exception," Charlotte said. She then turned to the receptionist and instructed, "Margarida, could you please bring the child here?"

“Of course, My Lady.” Margarida bowed and left the room.

Ophilia's eyes filled with tears, likely from happiness at finally being able to see her daughter.

Observing this, Charlotte said, "I know you must be eager to meet your daughter, but I want to remind you that I won't force her to go with you. It's up to you two to convince her. If she's not ready now, you can visit regularly and build a bond over time."

"Just finding her is enough for me," Sian said with a confident smile. "I have several ways to convince her to come with us."

"In that case, I wish you luck," Charlotte replied.

"By the way, why is there such a large orphanage in a small town?" Sian inquired.

"The town is close to the border, and many children in the surrounding villages lose their parents due to the war. That's why the orphanage is large, even though Solaris has only five thousand inhabitants," Charlotte explained.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"But isn't it dangerous for the children to be in a place that could become a war zone at any time?" Sian expressed concern.

"You don't need to worry. We have a fortress nearby to prevent the army from advancing. Even if the fortress falls, we have enough time to evacuate the children," Charlotte assured. "Personally, I'd rather relocate them to another city, but my mother believes they should face reality since they won't be able to stay in the orphanage forever."

"It seems you really like children," Sian observed.

"Who wouldn't?" Charlotte said with enthusiasm. "Just look at their little arms and legs, they're so adorable."

"Absolutely," Sian agreed. "And the baby fat, it's so fun to hug and squeeze."

Charlotte chuckled strangely, "Fu fu fu, it seems we have some things in common."

"Indeed," Sian replied. "Though mine may not be as well-structured as yours, I've also built several orphanages in my duchy."

"Ku ku ku," Charlotte laughed in an even stranger manner, crossing her legs and covering half of her face with an open hand. "It seems fate has brought us together, my friend from a past life."

Smiling, Sian imitated her posture. "I don't remember a past life, but it's true that our meeting today feels like the work of fate."

She rose and lifted her cup. "A toast to our meeting today and to all the children in the world."

Sian also stood up and raised his cup. "A toast to that, and especially to my daughter whom I am going to meet today."

*Tinnnn*

The sound of their clinking cups resonated as they both downed their tea in unison.

"So, what else do you like about children?" Charlotte asked excitedly.

Sian and Charlotte continued talking excitedly about what they both liked about children. However, they were soon interrupted by a throat clearing, and they both turned their heads to the butler standing beside a black haired maid who hadn't been there before.

"It's understandable that you're both excited to meet someone with similar tastes, but I must remind you not to act like this in public," the butler said. "Although you have good intentions with children, others might interpret it differently."

"We might have gotten a little carried away," Sian admitted.

"True, we'll be more restrained next time," Charlotte agreed. "Anyway, Margarida is taking too long."

"The child probably went out to play by the river," the butler said.

"That must be it," Charlotte said composedly, picking up a cookie recently brought by the maid. "Do we have anything else in common?"

"What about cooking?" Sian suggested.

"I don't know how to cook, but I love to eat," Charlotte said excitedly.

"Everyone likes to eat," Sian said, taking a cookie. "But know what you mean. It's not just about eating, it's about appreciating all kinds of food. I don't really like to cook, but I do enjoy the end result, which is..."

"Delicious food!" They both said in unison.

"Ku ku ku, it looks like we still have a lot to talk about," Charlotte said. "Although I can't cook, my butler is an excellent cook. He made these cookies."

"While they're made with simple ingredients, they're still very good. But I know a way to make them even better," Sian said, taking out a white sauceboat from his magic bag and placing it on the table, next to the cookies.

Curious, Charlotte asked, "What's inside?"

Sian removed the lid, revealing a dark brown liquid. Ignoring the curious looks, he took a cookie and dipped it into the brown liquid before offering it to Charlotte, who instinctively opened her mouth.

"Munch Munch Munch... Hmmmmm... That's delicious!" Charlotte exclaimed with shining eyes.

Sian then took another cookie, dipped it in the brown liquid, and went to Ophilia, who looked a bit surprised but still tried the cookie.

"Delicious!" Ophilia exclaimed.

Observing the scene, Charlotte took a cookie and followed Sian's lead. She went to the butler, who seemed hesitant to try it, but eventually gave in. After tasting the cookie, the butler looked slightly surprised.

"Interesting, judging by the taste, Your Lordship is quite skilled as a cook," he commented, approaching the table. "With your permission."

Following the same pattern, the butler dipped the cookie in the brown liquid and brought it directly to the maid's mouth. The maid appeared nervous and wanted to turn away, but the butler was determined to make her try it. He held her mouth open with one hand, offering the cookie with the other before she could react.

As Sian observed the situation, he noticed a hint of jealousy on Charlotte's face, as if she wished to be in the maid's place. It reminded him of the famous love triangle mentioned in the Sacred Treasure.

The butler turned to Sian and asked, "May I know the name of this recipe and who created it?"

"It's called milk chocolate, and I acquired the recipe a few years ago. Finding the main ingredient was quite challenging," Sian replied.

"Could you give me the recipe and the main ingredient? I'm willing to pay for it," Charlotte eagerly requested, holding both of Sian's hands.

The butler sighed disapprovingly, seemingly unimpressed by his young lady's behavior.

"No need to discuss money. Consider it a favor among friends," Sian said with a smile, taking out a bag of cocoa beans, a small booklet of recipes, and a jug of chocolate from his magic bag.

Charlotte's eyes almost sparkled at the sight of the booklet filled with various recipes. "Are you sure you want to give me all of this?"

"Absolutely," Sian assured her.

Before he could say anything else, Margarida returned with the child they were waiting for.