6 05-Family

The room had descended into silence.

Both Orzel and Hana didn't say anything and kept staring at each other.

Orzel could feel the tension, he never expected , that HE would get so tense just cause of a little girl.

He had been in countless situations, and he faced them calmly.

But this silence was nerve racking.

Hana, who was silent for a long time , finally said something.

But the response was not what he expected.

"What is an adoption?"

Hana said while looking at Orzel with her pure eyes which displayed some confusion and curiosity for the new word she just heard.

Orzel who heard her nearly fell of his chair.

He was speechless and forget his previous nervousness.

'I feel like an idiot know.'

'I should have expected this, but I guess the situation made me unable to think much.'

Orzel started thinking that he should start his mental training all over again to not feel dumb like this.

But before that he needs to answer Hana, who was waiting for him to say something.

"Well, Hana, by adoption I mean, that me and Hana will be a family."

"Family."

Hana was excited hearing that word, she might not know what it means completely, but she knew that they will be together.

Hana didn't have anyone to take care of her, previously her whole world was limited only to the dark walls of the carriage she had always been in.

She learned to talk some simple sentences by listening to the other slaves who were with her.

Hana didn't have a deep understanding about what a family was, but she knows it was something good and everyone in a family will be happy.

Hana was beaming from joy and had a bright smile on her little face, looking at Orzel with shining eyes.

Orzel was satisfied looking at her reaction, and was over his earlier anxiousness. He was calm now.

"Yes, We will be a family."

"More precisely, you will be my daughter and I will be your father."

"Fath..? Daddy?"

"Yes that works too."

"So what do you say, Hana?"

"Will you be my daughter? No, Please be my daughter."

Orzel said earnestly trying to deliver his feelings properly to the little girl in front of him.

"And being a family you would be able to eat delicious food every day."

"Food!!"

Hana was sold at that. For her food was good, a blessing, and if family could provide then it was good too.

Orzel was pretty down when his feelings lost to food, but he cheered himself up pretty quick.

"So, what do you say, Hana?"

Orzel asked again with a smile to make her at ease.

"Yes! Hana will be in a family."

Hana said in her childish voice while smiling, she was happy that she didn't get abandoned and was in a family now.

She couldn't ask for more.

Orzel listening to her was all smiles, one could tell that he was genuinely happy.

Hana was his first family member, his daughter.

He came in this world all alone, he had just himself to depend on.

He had made a few friends in his life but no one close enough to call them a family.

Hana was the first.

He was very much looking forward to his future with her.

"Then you will be my daughter from now on."

Orzel said while picking her up in his embrace, which he knew Hana liked from the glow on her little face.

"Yes, D-daddy."

Hana said in a flustered tone while clinging onto his shirt, a bit embarrassed but happy from calling him that.

Orzel felt as an arrow was pierced through his heart when he saw her cute reaction.

'Hana is really cute.'

"Then you would be Hana Demonio from today onwards."

"Demonio is our family name."

Orzel said to her who was still clinging on to him, not that he minded.

"Hana Demonio."

"Hana likes it."

Hana said with a happy smile on her face, she felt more closer to her new father after getting the family name.

Orzel was satisfied looking at her smile. He had decided, he would do whatever it takes to protect that smile on her face.

"Good, then let's celebrate your birthday now, shall we?"

Orzel said while making his way towards the door to go to the dining area with Hana in his arms.

"Birthday?"

"Birthday means you get to eat cake."

"Caake!!"

'Well she got that pretty easy.'

Orzel didn't mind her and knew he had a lot of things to teach her from now on.

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"Hmm! Hm! Hmm!"

Orzel made his way down with Hana who was humming a song, which Orzel had no idea where she heard it from.

The counter lady who saw them coming had her eyes brightened when she saw Hana properly for the first time.

Hana was already very cute, but after getting a proper bath and new clothes, she looked like a little angel now.

"Ohh, Your daughter is really cute."

The counter lady said with bright eyes looking at Hana who was snuggling in Orzel's arms.

"Yes, I know."

Orzel was all smiles hearing someone praise his daughter, It was his pride as a father.

"What's your name, sweety?"

The lady asked while looking at Hana in Orzel's arms.

"Come on Hana, Introduce yourself."

"Y-yes!"

"M-my name is Hana Demonio."

She replied while bowing her head a little.

Both Orzel and the lady felt as if they were being healed by Hana.

"She is a polite little lady, isn't she?"

The lady said while smiling, it was not a business smile but a genuine smile.

"Well, that she is."

"I was wondering if you have a birthday cake."

"It's Hana's birthday today."

Orzel asked which clearly surprised the lady.

"Ohh! You should have said so earlier."

"We do have birthday cakes."

The inn was famous for their baked products so they had many kinds of breads and cakes ready all the time.

"How much for the cake?"

"It's fine! It's on the house. Consider it a gift for little Hana."

The lady said looking at Hana who was already drooling at the mention of cake, which elicited a laugh from the lady.

"Then, please."

Orzel replied, who would reject free food, definitely not him.

He then made his way towards one of the empty tables.

The lady was speechless at Orzel's response. She had expected for him to hesitate a little, but didn't thought he would be so shameless.

'Well, It's for little Hana.'

The lady thought before ordering a waitress to get the cake.

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Orzel was now looking at Hana who was ruthlessly devouring the cake with her hands She looked like a squirrel with her mouth full..

'I have to teach her how to eat with a fork.'

Orzel was really excited at the thought of raising a daughter.

'Well, how hard could it be anyway?'