I open my eyes.
　The familiar ceiling comes into my view.


"Hey, I ......



　I don't know why I was asleep. It doesn't ring a bell, so I turn my head around.



　As I recall, I wanted to go outside, and the gardener's men invited me, and...
　I remember. I remember the gentle gardener grabbing my hand and pulling me back. He said something violent to me about bothering him. That he tried to take me away even though I didn't want to and resisted. --That the maid found out and pushed me away.



　When I got up, the spot where I had been hit throbbed, making me even more aware of the reality of what had happened. At the same time, my body shuddered.
　I was terrified.
　I wondered what would have happened to me if the maid had not found me. I thought and thought, and I was really afraid.
　How could that kind gardener... Or was he originally hired as a gardener because he wanted to help me? Or was it because I was pretending to be a godson?


　I want to see Master Ninaef. Because I felt that if I saw him, I would feel less anxious. With that in mind, I tried to get out of bed. But my body was throbbing with pain and I couldn't move any further.



　Just as I was thinking about what to do, the door to my room opened.


"Alice!　You're awake, thank God.



　The one who came in was the maid who had witnessed me being almost taken and called out to me. I was relieved just to see her.


"I'll go get Ninaev!


　And with that, the maid left in a huff.











　A few moments later, Ninaev arrived.











Alice, thank God you are all right.



　Ninaev smiled at me, as if he was truly relieved. I was glad to know that he was really worried about me.
　I had assumed that it was natural for people to be kind to me and worry about me until I became aware of it, but now I was happy just to be worried about me.



"Dear Ninaev: ......
Alice, I'm so glad you weren't kidnapped.
...... "Mr. Ninaev, why did he take me?
"......
Because I pretended to be a godson. ......?



　I asked the mute Mr. Ninaev fearfully. I thought that it was because I had deceived the gods that I had come to be in such a situation. But Lord Ninaef shook his head.



No.
Then why?
Because ...... Alice is so beautiful.


　Ninaev continued.




Alice is beautiful. She's so beautiful that I can tell you that she's going to be called the most beautiful woman in the world. Even as a person of the same s*x, I'd be shocked to see her. With a beauty like that, there are many who will try to take you with ill feelings. There are a lot of evil thoughts out there that want to take you or sell you into slavery.
"Malice ......
Yes. Alice has probably never been exposed to that kind of malice before. In the village where she was born and raised, Lerunda, the divine child, was by her side, and she lived a special existence. And since she was taken in as a divine child, she was strictly protected from malice. But you don't have that kind of protection here. You need to protect yourself. Alice needs to ...... know how beautiful she is and how much of a target she is. If you want to do someone a favor for all the trouble you've caused them, that's even more important.


　Ninaef-sama said.


　My appearance has the potential to attract such malice. That's why I have to defend myself if I have a wish to do someone a favor.



Is that why Mr. ...... Ninaev didn't let me out?
Yes, it is. Yes, that's right. Alice was a deceiver, and she was beautiful. Because of these two things, there was a great chance that she would be targeted if she went out. I was wondering whether I should dare to show you the reality or let you learn it gradually in the house for a while. ...... It was my fault for hiring that gardener. I'm sorry, Alice.
No, Mr. Ninaev has nothing to apologize for.
"Alice, now you know that there are people who have evil thoughts about you. And I'm sure you felt terrible. But the fact that you're out there means that you're more likely to encounter such people. Of course, the world isn't full of people like that. But there are certainly people who have definite bad intentions towards Alice. Do you still want to go out there? If you don't want to go out, I think that's an option. Though in that case you won't be able to fulfill Alice's wish to do someone a favor. ......



　Ninaef-sama asks.





　You said that if you go out there, you might be exposed to malice. Do you still want to go out there?
　I think about it.
　I was afraid they were going to take me. I was afraid of the rough words suddenly being thrown at me.


　But then I thought.
I want to go out. I've been so selfish, I want to ask you to do something for me.
　That's what I think.


　I'm scared, but I've been living my life as I please. That's why I wanted to become a person who can grant the wishes of those around me.
　Master Ninaev laughed at my words.


If that's the case, let's go out little by little while we figure out how to do it together. At least if you go around saying, 'I want to ask you a favor,' you might get into trouble.


　I nodded at Ninaef's words.


　---Sister, since you woke up...
　The sister of the godson girl wakes up. She was forced to make a choice, and she chose.