The grand doors opened.
Children entered the Rowland Estate.
Some looked nervous.
Some looked excited.
Some stared at the massive mansion with wide eyes.
Arianne couldn’t blame them.
The Rowland Estate was ridiculous.
The main hall alone was larger than most apartment buildings she remembered from her previous life.
Expensive chandeliers hung from the ceiling.
Marble floors reflected the light.
Servants moved with perfect coordination.
Everything screamed money.
An unreasonable amount of money.
Arianne glanced at her father.
Then at the guests.
Then at the mansion.
Maybe her farm dream wasn’t ambitious enough.
Perhaps she should aim for a farm and a small castle.
A blue screen appeared.
[Financial Requirements Exceed Current Capability.]
Arianne stared.
“…Rude.”
The system vanished.
Coward.
Meanwhile, the charity event continued.
The director of Saint Aurora Orphanage stepped forward.
A middle-aged woman with neat brown hair and gentle eyes.
She thanked the Rowland Family.
She thanked the sponsors.
She thanked the guests.
Everyone applauded.
Arianne noticed something.
The children were standing in groups.
Small groups.
Comfortable groups.
Friend groups.
Everyone belonged somewhere.
Except one.
Leon.
He stood near the back.
Quiet.
Unnoticed.
Just like before.
Arianne frowned.
How was he this good at becoming invisible?
It was almost a superpower.
Then Leon looked up.
Their eyes met.
Arianne froze.
Leon immediately looked away.
Interesting.
A small blue screen appeared.
[Recognition: 16%]
Arianne blinked.
“Wait.”
It increased.
She hadn’t even done anything.
The system remained silent.
Arianne narrowed her eyes.
No.
Something was definitely wrong with this system.
Across the hall, Fiona was speaking with several guests.
Smiling.
Greeting people.
Answering questions.
The perfect daughter.
Arianne suddenly realized something.
Fiona had been working since morning.
Maybe even earlier.
Yet she hadn’t complained once.
Not even once.
Arianne looked at her sister again.
For the first time…
She felt a little guilty.
The original novel had made Fiona seem flawless.
But nobody became perfect without pressure.
Especially not a child.
The thought didn’t last long.
Because the system suddenly flashed.
[Additional Seed Signal Detected.]
Arianne froze.
Not again.
A small map appeared.
Three glowing dots.
One was green.
Leon.
The other three remained gray.
Unknown.
Unidentified.
Waiting.
Arianne stared.
Then something strange happened.
One of the gray dots moved.
Her expression changed.
The dot wasn’t outside the estate.
It was inside.
Very inside.
As in…
Inside this building.
Right now.
Arianne slowly looked around the crowded hall.
Guests.
Servants.
Children.
Sponsors.
One of them was a Seed.
One of them could become someone important enough for the system to track.
And Arianne had absolutely no idea who it was.
The dot moved again.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Then stopped.
Arianne’s eyes widened.
The marker had stopped only a few meters away.
Someone was standing behind her.
Arianne slowly turned around.
And found herself staring directly at a girl she had never seen before.
Silver hair.
Pale blue eyes.
Simple orphanage uniform.
And an expression that looked completely bored.
The girl blinked.
Then spoke.
“You’re blocking the dessert table.”
Arianne froze.
“…What?”
The girl pointed behind her.
Sure enough…
Arianne had accidentally parked herself in front of an entire tray of miniature cakes.
The girl’s expression didn’t change.
“Move.”
Arianne immediately stepped aside.
The girl grabbed three cakes.
Then walked away without another word.
Arianne stared after her.
The system appeared.
[Seed Candidate Detected.]
Silence.
Arianne looked at the girl.
Then at the screen.
Then back at the girl.
“…The cake thief?”
The system offered no correction.
Which somehow made it worse.
Arianne had many questions.
Most of them involved the system.
A few involved Leon.
And one involved why a future world-changing powerhouse was currently carrying three miniature cakes.
The silver-haired girl walked across the hall without the slightest concern for elegance.
Or manners.
Or social expectations.
She looked completely uninterested in everything around her.
Which was impressive.
Considering she was currently standing inside one of the wealthiest estates in the city.
Arianne glanced at the system.
[Seed Candidate Detected.]
That was it.
No name.
No rank.
No explanation.
The system was remarkably committed to being useless.
Arianne sighed.
“At least tell me something.”
Nothing.
Of course.
Meanwhile, the silver-haired girl had already claimed a corner table.
And was eating cake with alarming efficiency.
One bite.
Two bites.
Three bites.
Gone.
Arianne blinked.
That was the fastest cake disappearance she had ever witnessed.
A second later, the girl reached for the next one.
Arianne suddenly understood why the dessert table needed protection.
“Miss Arianne?”
She turned.
A servant stood nearby.
“Your father is looking for you.”
Arianne immediately became suspicious.
Parents rarely looked for children during public events unless something unfortunate was about to happen.
Or something extremely boring.
Sometimes both.
She reluctantly followed.
The main gathering area was filled with guests.
Business leaders.
Hunter representatives.
Sponsors.
People who smiled while secretly judging everyone around them.
Arianne recognized the type instantly.
Her father stood among them.
The moment he saw her, he gestured for her to come closer.
Arianne obeyed.
Mostly because escaping would be difficult.
“Father?”
Mr.
Rowland looked down at her.
Then nodded.
Good.
That was apparently the entire greeting.
Arianne waited.
Eventually he spoke.
“Behaving yourself?”
Arianne almost laughed.
That was the first question?
Not:
How are you?
Not:
Are you enjoying the event?
Just:
Behaving yourself?
The original Arianne’s reputation truly was impressive.
“Yes.”
Mr.
Rowland studied her.
For a moment, Arianne wondered if he expected a different answer.
Then he nodded again.
“Good.”
Conversation complete.
Arianne was beginning to understand why family dinners were probably awkward.
A guest approached.
Mr.
Rowland’s attention immediately shifted away.
Arianne quietly escaped.
A successful tactical retreat.
Back near the refreshment tables, she spotted Leon again.
This time, he wasn’t alone.
Several orphanage children stood nearby.
Talking.
Laughing.
Leon wasn’t speaking much.
But he wasn’t sitting by himself either.
That was new.
A small notification appeared.
[Recognition: 17%]
Arianne stared.
“Seriously?”
She hadn’t done anything.
Again.
The system remained silent.
Arianne was beginning to suspect Leon was doing all the work.
Which felt unfair.
Then the silver-haired girl reappeared.
Like a ghost.
Or an extremely food-motivated assassin.
She stopped beside Arianne.
Holding another plate.
Arianne looked at the cakes.
Then at her.
Then back at the cakes.
There were somehow more of them.
“…How many have you eaten?”
The girl considered the question.
“Not enough.”
Arianne nearly choked.
That was a terrifying answer.
The silver-haired girl looked toward the crowded hall.
Her expression remained indifferent.
Almost bored.
Then her eyes landed on Leon.
For the first time…
Her expression changed.
Just slightly.
Arianne noticed immediately.
Interest.
The smallest trace of interest.
Then it vanished.
The system flashed.
[Seed Resonance Detected.]
Arianne froze.
Seed what?
The silver-haired girl suddenly looked at her.
Directly.
Arianne felt a strange chill.
Not danger.
Recognition.
As though the girl had just realized something.
Then she spoke.
“You’re strange.”
Arianne blinked.
“What?”
The girl pointed at her.
“You feel different.”
Silence.
Arianne’s heart skipped a beat.
The system remained completely still.
Which somehow made things worse.
Could she tell?
Could she sense the Spirit Gardener ability?
Could she somehow see through her?
A thousand possibilities flashed through Arianne’s mind.
Then the girl continued.
“You keep staring at people.”
Silence.
Arianne stared.
The girl stared back.
“…”
“…”
Arianne slowly looked away.
Fair.
That was fair.
The silver-haired girl nodded.
Then returned to eating cake.
Apparently the mystery had been solved.
Arianne wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or offended.
Before she could decide…
A new notification appeared.
[Seed Candidate Compatibility: High]
Arianne froze.
Then looked at the girl.
The girl looked back.
Still eating cake.
The system glowed.
[Recommendation:]
A pause.
[Do Not Lose Sight Of This Seed.]
Arianne felt immediate concern.
Because every time the system sounded serious…
Her life became significantly more complicated.
And somehow…
She had a feeling the cake thief was about to become a problem.
A very large problem.