Book 2: Chapter 28: The Question of Adoption


    <strong>Scarlet</strong>


    The office is dead silent as I sit on one sofa facing three other sofas, where Belle, Allen, and Cynthia are sitting. And none of us say a word as we stare at each other for who knows how long.


    As soon as the Demonic Assault ended, I got a message from Allen  a group message at that, one with all four of us in it  telling us to go to his office in the Silver Association. So I quickly called a cab and headed straight here.


    Although the cab driver wouldnt stop peeking at me through the rearview mirror, likely surprised at seeing a Guardian taking a cab.


    Which reminds me that I should save up credits to buy a car. Preferably a magi-tech car to drive through the air-streets, which have a lot less annoyingws and danger to them as long as you use the navigation system in the vehicle.


    First Id have to get a license though.


    <strong>Should you really be letting your mind wander at a time like this? </strong>Tar asks, making me stiffen up slightly.


    Yeah, probably not.


    The conversation in the room met an immediate standstill after we all sat down, and Allen broached the subject of adoption for the first time with all four of us in the room. And while all three of them were clearly all for it, they also showed hesitation as they looked at me, likely wondering what I would say.


    So in the end, no one said a word.


    Scarlet? Allen asks, a pleading note to his voice, breaking the silence. Please. I understand that youre wanting to wait till youre a ss III Guardian to be cleared absolutely by the public of being a changeling, but youre already popr enough with the public that I dont think it would hurt to adopt you even when youre ss II.


    I purse my lips at the thought.


    He does have a point. No matter how distasteful I find a lot of the attention directed at me, it does help me a lot in this regard.


    After all, the more popr Guardians are often treated better by both the people in general and the government. Until they do something the people dont like that is and their poprity crashes.


    But that normally only happens with those people who are actually trying to get poprity in the first ce. The Guardians like me who arent bothering with the media or the popce at all are almost always liked. After all, theres nothing to really slip up and identally say or do when Im not putting up a front in the first ce and am just being myself. Assuming the popce liked us in the first ce that is.


    So at the rate things are going, I kind of doubt people would care even if my status as an orphan were toe to light after Im already ss II. In fact, I can see a lot of them not believing it, mostly because there isnt really much of a paper trail regarding orphans status as orphans in the first ce.


    Cant remember how all the paperwork for elementary through high school worked for an orphan, but thats for obvious reasons, seeing as I wasnt the one who filled them out.


    At some point during my line of thought, I ended up pulling my legs into the chair with me and hugging them to my chest. A bad habit that I always have when anxious and unsure, which the others clearly know about because I see them sharing nces with each other after seeing me do it.


    If youre ufortable, we could always still wait till you reach ss III, Cynthia says, pausing for a second before adding, or even ss IV if thats still too-


    No, I whisper, cutting her off with a light shake of my head. ss II is fine.


    All three of them have drastically different reactions. Allen, who had been clenching and unclenching his fist  a habit of his own kind of like my hugging my legs  suddenly freezes in ce, his jaw hanging open. Meanwhile Cynthia smiles brightly with a few tears beginning to leak down her face.


    Belle just jumps up from her seat with a loud whoop.


    After regaining hisposure, Allen clears his throat and says, In that case, well have the adoption during the summer between your first and second years of university. Is that alright with you?


    I blink once at that before tilting my head, lowering my legs back to the ground. Why then? Ill probably reach ss II during the winter break, or at least during next semester.


    Belles eyes bulge out at that, and Cynthia frowns without saying anything  clearly not liking the implication that Ive leveled almost a hundred levels within a semester and the danger thates with it  but Allen just coughs and says, Well, I shouldnt be telling you this, but-


    Cynthia cuts him off by saying, Ill be heading back to the front lines soon and wont be able toe back till the Spring at the very least. Allen also wants to get it done after the ss V Fracture that has been predicted to be happening by Purple at the start of the Summer, so that the higher ups would be more willing to take his contribution to it in mind when deciding on whether or not to let this adoption go through. Belle opens her mouth to object, but Cynthia just raises her hand and adds, You know very well why we will be having issues with getting this adoption to go through, but those issues arent the worst of it.


    Belle goes silent.


    Right. Because of White.


    This will be a bit of an uphill battle.


    Putting that aside for the moment, I really hope there isnt a blood lycan in this uing ss V Fracture.


    Im pretty sure there was one in thest one though, so there shouldnt be another in this one, right?


    There has never been two ss V Fractures with repeat noble n demons in them before, so why start now?


    <strong>You need to learn to stop jinxing things, </strong>Tar mutters rather darkly.


    Too bad. It helps me feel less stressed when I try to convince myself something I dont like wont happen.


    Then theres the fact that Im going to have to tell them about me being half blood lycan before this adoption happens because I dont want there to be any deception or anything when we be a family.