I adopt the male lead

chapter 1

"children grow up fast" Karina mumbled the word like a spell. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to stand the situation.

“Do it again.”

Karina bit her lip. The scene of abuse under the mask of education was unfolding right before her eyes.

“Roland, don’t you see why I’ve fed half a cent like you?”

Lord Lenque’s harsh voice echoed in the hallway. Karina clenched her fist to contain her anger, her fingernails dug deep into her hand palm. She’s been trying to turn a blind eye. Lord Lenque, who has no blood or tears, collects and raises the children of his dead sister. The reason was to make a double-edged archwizard who only followed his words.

Karina looked at Roland, now only eight years old, and Melissa, seven years old.

Roland closed his eyes tightly and was chanting a silver spell far beyond the level of a child his age. Melissa was next to her brother Roland with a pale, sick face. In just a few seconds, the light from Roland began to light up everywhere, embroiling the darkness tightly with gold, admiring even in serious circumstances.

Roland’s magic was amazing.

But…

‘Something’s weird.’

Karina has seen so much magic. Both good and bad magic.

Now this is…

‘He’s going to make a mistake!’

It’s a big one, too.

She looked at Lord Lenque in the hall, he had a cold smile around his mouth. Karina had a hunch, the fact that even Roland’s failure is his plan. If he fails in magic and hurts both himself and his sister, he will learn magic more desperately. At that very moment, Roland’s mana warped, the light dotted and the sound of a huge explosion.

And…

Karina moved her body reflexively. A painful groan was coming out of her mouth, hugging the two children. Bitter pain came upon her.

But instead of taking care of her wounds, Karina grasped the two children in her arms.

“Shhh.”

The children’s stiff bodies were released from Karina’s arms, the two children clung to her neck as if Karina is their lifeline.

“It’s all right, it’s all right, miss… everything will be alright.”

Naturally, Lord Lenque didn’t let her slide.

“Karina, what the hell are you thinking?”

Lord Lenque caught Karina up with an absurd face, blood gushed from the injured left shoulder.

“Get in there and heal.”

“Yes, master.”

Karina went out with her head down quietly.

This is the third time she has gone against Lord Lenque in public. If Karina’s biological father had not been Lord Lenque, she would have died and been buried in the mountains.

Yes. Karina is Lord Lenque’s daughter, she’s an illegitimate child who has never called him father.

Lord Lenque treated her as a maid at the very least, and Karina never considered him a father too but was receiving some special treatment. For example, not turning a blind eye to help Roland and Melissa. But Karina was not unaware of his true innermost thoughts.

‘Someday I’ll be a hostage like Melissa.’

Melissa was also born with wizard talent, but unlike Roland, she was not a big valuable candidate.  Lord Lenque even banned Melissa from using simple magic. Melissa was just a hostage to control Roland.

She was punished instead whenever Roland went against Lord Lenque’s planting.
Naturally, Melissa fails to withstand the harsh abuse and dies within a few years.

Karina will automatically take over the position of being Lord Lenque’s hostage to control Roland. Karina seems to survive until Roland, who has become an adult, avenges his uncle.

How does she know?

Karina in her previous life was an ordinary reader who enjoyed reading Roland the fictional book. The very memory held back Karina from taking proper action. Thanks to the harsh training from his uncle, Roland becomes a great future archwizard expert.

It wasn’t just that.

Roland saved the empire from the disaster that engulfed the whole world. Roland himself in the novel thought that the reason he was able to do that was because of the education from his uncle.

Every night, the urge to pick up Roland and Melissa and run away raged in Karina’s heart. But if Roland didn’t become an archwizard because of her impulsive behavior, who would save the world from extinction?

Karina is simply not confident of the consequences.

“Come here, young master.”

Karina called Roland and gave him a long piece of bread in his small hand.

Young master Roland Lenque was eating excessively well, but it was bread for Melissa, who was starving.

Lord Lenque thought of Melissa only as a tool to develop Roland’s ability, and he didn’t even take care of her basic food and clothing.

“Th-thank you.”

Half of her heart was numb.

It has already been a year since the brother and sister, who grew up in an orphanage without knowing their parent’s names or last names, came to this mansion.

Up until the first time he came to the mansion, a boy of that age who was running around like a child disappeared somewhere and only a timid Roland remained.

‘At least, Melissa…’

Karina swallowed a groan in her heart.

If Melissa was the only one who fled, Roland would quickly collapse without being able to endure the harsh teachings of Lord Lenque.

But Melissa dies within a few years if got left in the state. Shouldn’t Melissa get away with it before things get worse?

Lord Lenque’s purpose is Roland, so she and Melissa may have escaped.

“Karina.”

“…?”

Karina escaped from her thoughts. Roland was hesitating to say something.

“Tell me, young master. Do you need anything?”

Roland rarely asked Karina to do anything other than food for Melissa, so she wanted to hear it as much as possible if Roland wanted anything.

“Well…”

“What is it?” Karina urged an answer.

There was nothing good about being in the sight of Lord Lenque or his magic servant after a long stay here

A tiny voice came out of Roland’s mouth, with his head down.

“Can I call you mom? J-just once…”