At a distance, a little girl was sitting at a table with a group of three won.
Although she was seated with them, she didn’t look included at all.
Even the won seed indifferent to her presence. They kept her there like an accessory —attached, but unnecessary.
And for so reason, that thought didn’t quite settle well with Adelyn.
She didn’t like that little one getting neglected like that.
Especially, not when the girl kept staring at her with those pretty eyes, as though she were trying to say sothing.
"What’s wrong, Adelyn?" Freya asked softly when she noticed Adelyn hadn’t touched her food.
Adelyn turned back and paused for a second before shaking her head.
"Oh, nothing, I was just looking at sothing."
She didn’t explain further.
Picking up her fork and knife, she was about to cut into her steak when she couldn’t resist another glance.
She lifted her gaze again.
Those doe-like eyes still hadn’t left her.
Adelyn watched her for a mont, trying to understand why the child was staring at her so intently.
And ... then she noticed sothing that kind-of felt like a reason.
The plate in front of the girl —set untouched. Unattended.
Her eyes darted to look at the won who were with her. They seed too busy to notice that the little one hadn’t had even a single bite.
Her fingers tightened around her fork and knife. But when her eyes t again with the girl’s, it softened. And her lips slowly curved into a gentle smile.
Keeping her gaze on the little one, Adelyn slowly and deliberately gestured toward the napkin on her own table.
The aning behind her slow movent was confusing, yet very clear.
The little girl easily understood and followed the motion. Her small hands carefully picked up her napkin.
When she looked back at Adelyn, Adelyn demonstrated, spreading her own napkin neatly across her lap.
The girl copied her, then looked up again —this ti smiling.
Adelyn smiled back.
She had never thought herself as particularly patient, but with this little one, she didn’t even realize how naturally it ca.
Slowly, she demonstrated how to hold the fork and knife properly, guiding her to press down and cut the steak with asured elegance.
And just like before, the child mimicked her movents as though learning from Adelyn felt instinctive.
Even Adelyn was impressed.
She had never seen a child so perceptive. Nor had she ever tried to guide one like this before.
Once the steak was cut, the little girl lifted her eyes again, staring at Adelyn with clear excitent —seeking approval.
Adelyn gave her a thumbs-up, then gestured for her to eat.
"Wow," Alia exclaid. "You even know how to manipulate kids into obeying you. No wonder making us agree wasn’t difficult at all."
Adelyn pursed her lips.
"What manipulation? I just taught her how to cut her steak. She has been struggling with it this whole ti."
Freya turned and briefly glanced at the girl.
And so did Alia.
"Umm ... why do I feel like that little one looks pretty familiar?" Alia murmured, flicking her gaze back and forth between Adelyn and the little girl. "She looks like yo—"
"Don’t stare at her like that," Adelyn frowned instinctively. "She won’t eat if you do?"
Both Freya and Alia turned to her, puzzled.
"How do you know?" Alia asked.
Even Freya’s gaze narrowed slightly at that.
Adelyn paused. She was confused herself.
"I an it generally," she explained after thinking for a while. "People feel uncomfortable when soone stares at them while eating." Her gaze flicked back to the child. "She is still a kid. She might also feel self-conscious too."
Adelyn was very sure, but only that explained. So, she believed it.
Freya thought for a second and nodded in agreent.
"Thank goodness," Alia sighed, "Otherwise, I almost had a heart attack thinking of another possibility."
"Another possibility?" Adelyn asked.
Alia hesitated.
"The way you spoke so surely ... it almost felt like you knew her closely ... too closely."
Closely.
Adelyn didn’t need to ask to know what that ’closely’ suggestively ant.
She closed her eyes briefly, then smiled faintly enough to show that she was almost pissed.
"You sure have an illogically wild imagination, Sister Alia. Don’t you?"
Alia knew she jumped too quickly to such a scandalous conclusion —but could she be blad?
She looked back at the little one. Even from such a distance, the side of her face looked so much like ....
"Aish ... my fault." Alia accepted. "I just misread. You sounded so sure of her behavior that it was easy to think you two are connected. After all, being so sure of such details isn’t very common."
Adelyn felt speechless.
When she turned to look at Freya, she saw her expression a little intense.
"Sister Freya," she called out softly, just enough to gently snap her out. "You want to say sothing to ."
Freya nodded.
"Adelyn," she said carefully, "There is one more thing that I want to make clear to you."
She paused, then continued,
"I don’t believe in interfering with anyone’s private life, not even yours, so I haven’t ntioned this in my conditions. But it would be better if I warn you about sothing."
Adelyn nodded in understanding. She didn’t interrupt, but rather let Freya continue.
"The industry doesn’t forbid relationships —but they co at a cost. One that can easily damage both reputation and career. Especially in the starting phase. Especially in a situation like yours."
Adelyn understood what she was intending to say.
"I understand, Sister Freya," she said. "Don’t worry. I am not involved with anyone romantically. And I don’t plan to be anyti soon."
"My focus is my career. I won’t do anything that puts it at risk."
Freya visibly relaxed when she heard her put it like that. "If that’s so, it’s better."
"Even I will force myself to believe you on that," Alia said. "Your career is too important to gamble with."
She then turned to Freya.
"Since we have signed her, it’s ti we approach the company and ask them for resources. They had said as long as we bring a talent who is ready to sign under us, they will allow us to resu."
"That won’t be easy," Freya replied seriously, shaking her head. "They won’t give us a chance until we prove her potential."
"But they said —"
"It was their trick to stall us. I never believed it."
Alia frowned. "Then how do we proceed?"
Freya’s eyes hardened with resolve. "We do it ourselves."
"Ourselves?"
Freya didn’t explain further. She just nodded.
Alia’s frown deepened, tension flickering across her face —but she didn’t doubt her.
If Freya said there was a way, there would be.
Her only trouble was putting all their confidence in Adelyn.
What if Adelyn didn’t prove to be the right choice?
However, when she looked at Adelyn, sothing about her felt very right.
Now, only ti will be able to tell ...
After they finished the dinner, Freya paid the bill.
As they headed out, Freya paused and turned to Adelyn. "Where are you staying?" she asked.
"I —" Adelyn began, when sothing small slipped into her hand.
She froze.
Before she could look down, a soft voice called out —
"Mama!"
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