I was an orphan.

From the moment I can remember, my mom and dad were already gone. Whenever someone asked me to make a wish, I would pray and say, “Please give me a family.”

But, no one wanted to adopt me until I was eight.

“We live in an era where people eat their own children. How much food have you been eating? You should be grateful for staying in an orphanage.”

That’s what the director used to say. He’s not wrong.

It was a time of war. Countless people were dying in the battlefield, and bodies of starving people piled up on the streets every day.

Still, I didn’t give up.

A dream of being loved by moms and dads and playing with brothers. A dream of living a happy and prosperous life.

“The director wants you to come to his office.”

“Me?”

So for the first time in my life, my heart thumped when the Director said he was looking for me.

Maybe he wants to talk about adoption?

I rushed to the director’s office. However, instead of there being a couple who wanted children, there was a nobleman.

A nobleman?

I was inwardly disappointed. The aristocracy didn’t adopt commoners. But, for a moment of disappointment, I was surprised by the director’s terrible appearance. It seemed that he was threatened with a sword by the noble.

“You’re the one…”

Inside the cage, a water bird was blinking.

“…I’ve come to ask you something. Can you hear what the Spirit of Water says?”

I saw the bird’s eyes.

I wasn’t surprised when I saw a bird made of water for the first time. I could even hear the voices of fire, earth and wind.

The bird told me.

I nodded.

“Yes, I can hear it.”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe that the Baby of the Prophecy I’ve been looking for many years has really been in an orphanage.”

At that moment, surprisingly, the sword shone. The nobleman who saw it shed tears.

His eyes turned to the director. The director was shivering in the corner in fear.

He had a pale face and a crumpled shirt that was caught by the nobleman earlier. In addition, he was wearing a shirt only because his coat was drawn with a sword.

The director’s thigh was wet, showing half a circle. He wet his pants.

The director shouted in surprise at the eyes of the nobility.

“S-Sorry, I didn’t report it! I really thought it was just a child’s lie.”

“Hold him! It’s an imperial order.”

“Hiii!”

The director was seized in a moment. I also stiffened.

Said the Spirit of Water in the cage. No one but me seemed to have heard what the Spirits had said. There were only three people in the room.

The nobleman saw me again with a sword in his hand.

“This kid, won’t be here this time.”

The nobleman almost gnashed his teeth.

For a moment, I was reflected in the nobleman’s eyes. I had a clear face, was small and thin, and was wearing old clothes I got from my orphanage sister.

Another look of mourning passed over the nobleman’s face. But he held back his anger and stood up to see me for the first time.

“Let me introduce myself to you now. I am Count Daruan, loyal to the Great Imperial Hasfelt Family.”

I stayed still. It was mainly because I couldn’t understand the situation.

It was embarrassing. First of all, I’ve never heard of any respect.

But, the first person who treated me with respect was much older than me and a great aristocrat.

Even if I didn’t get a proper education, I knew the strictness of the status system.

“Excuse me, may I ask for your name?”

The aristocrat tried to laugh as kindly as possible. But, a big body and smile rarely fit together.

“Adele… It’s Adele.”

“Adele, that’s a good name. The last name will be added soon.”

“Last name?”

Does that mean that I’ll have a family?

I really wanted to ask, but held it in because calm and quiet children get praised. Besides, I was too young to judge the situation.

Is he my family?

When I blinked calmly, the aristocrat looked at me with a slight surprise.

“First of all, please bear with me for one more day. It’s a shabby place. I’ve been told that keeping secrets is a top priority.”

You want me to bear it?

I’ve lived here for eight years.

But, the nobleman seemed genuinely sorry.

“Do I have a family?”

Oh, I couldn’t stand it after all.

As soon as I said it, I regretted it. He hesitated for a moment, but he still had a friendly face.

My face reflected in the eyes of the nobleman. Pink hair, blue eyes, and a body too small to be eight. The nobleman spoke slowly, but firmly.

“”Yes. Tomorrow, right away. No, I’m coming to pick you up as soon as the sun rises.”

The spirit beside him kindly added. I nodded, making eye contact with the nobleman.

I’ve always had to be on the lookout for the director.

No, all the children in the orphanage did that.

Whoever upset the director had to stay in the solitary room all day. There were no clean rooms, except for the room where the director stayed in the orphanage. But, the solitary cell was especially dirty, and there were many bugs.

Sometimes, I was stuck in the solitary cell, too. The reason was simple. For example, I didn’t avoid the director’s eyes.

Also, I was always hungry. Even moldy bread wasn’t given properly, so I was constantly hungry.

Still, everyone in the orphanage tried to look good to the director.

Because the director’s words were important to meet good adoptive parents.

But, after the aristocrat visited, it was different. I didn’t need to clean the orphanage, which I always had to do, and I didn’t have to bake cookies to sell them on the street.

Even all the orphanage children ate meat soup this evening.

Meat soup! Except for the day three years ago, when the director was very happy to succeed in the late marriage, it was something we had never eaten.

[A reward for secrecy; a reward for secrecy.]

The director kept muttering. Then I checked myself periodically. I thought it was all a dream, because it was so unrealistic.

It didn’t make sense for a nobleman to cry while holding me.

I was daydreaming until the next day. That’s why I didn’t say hello to my best friend, Madeleine.

“Look over there. Someone’s here.”

“I guess he’s adopting someone!”

“It’s the record book! Every time any of us got adopted, the director took that register and went out to the gate!”

At the sudden uproar, I raised my head. At that time, the first day I saw my father, I was avoiding the sun in the shade under the tree. The gate of the shabby old orphanage opened slowly.

Kiiiggh.

And a very big and fancy carriage came in, which is the first one I’ve seen.

The carriage was engraved with a black eagle’s pearl. The carriage stopped. And soon a very noble-looking man in a black uniform got off. I could see the director running away. I couldn’t breathe for a moment.

What is it?

The director bent over, said something, and soon looked around. And our eyes met. I lowered my head in a hurry.

I used to be locked up in the solitary cell because I made eye contact with the director.

But, it soon became quiet.

“…..?”

The children, who would’ve talked a lot due to a strange atmosphere, were also quiet.

I managed to have some courage in the wake of the ensuing silence. I decided to slightly look up. I slowly raised my head and saw him.

The man who stood in front of me.

My older sister at the orphanage looked numb.

“…You’re so handsome.”

I blinked at the man.

“She’s the one?”

“Yes, Duke.”

A strange man whom I had never seen before.

Black-haired, blood-like red eyes. A man of appearance whom one will never forget at first sight.

The atmosphere was frightening.

Please give me a family. Even though I begged, I had never imagined to live with a man this young.

“This is going to be my daughter.”

Just now, I was called ‘this’.

The man, called the Duke, was arrogant and confident. The tall height was daunting and charismatic. He was too young to be someone’s father. And most importantly, there was no wife who would be the mother.

I didn’t even see what I had imagined to be brothers and sisters. Five knights with swords were watching here from behind the man.

“I have a daughter while being unmarried? Who made the decision to stop me from getting married?”

I could feel the eyes of the children. Madeleine, in particular, stood far away with her eyes wide open as if surprised.

A sense of reality struck me at the moment.

Daughter.

My heart throbbed.

But, I just couldn’t be happy.

So far, it’s been so different from the parents who came to adopt a child. First of all, he was a nobleman and had many knights, and most of all, he had no guidance from a mother.

Moreover, I was reminded of the Duke’s life.

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Towards me, I was sure, the one who he had never seen before.

He wants to kill me.

But, what did I do wrong?

The next moment, the man who was probably going to be my father pushed a knife into my neck.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“…”

“One stroke of the sword and you’ll die instantly as such an extraordinary being.”

I don’t know what he’s talking about. I had a hard time just by standing still.

“Are you going to kill me?”

The Duke’s sword roared. As if the sword has its own will.

The knight next to him said something. The knight’s name was Michael, as I learned on the first day.

“Your Grace, she is the baby of the prophecy.”

The Duke remained silent for a long time with a very unpleasant face. It was a judgment whether to kill me or not.

“Yeah, I can’t kill you.”

He withdrew his sword with a straight face, and the knights approached. I reflexively wrapped my neck with both hands.

“…”

I was breathing heavily. The surrounding area was a perfect stillness.

There was no one in the Empire who was unaware of the Duke. No, the whole continent. The Duke is called the god of war. Althought it wasn’t used to cut me, his sword was cast in front of my eyes.

I managed to compose myself.

It was the words I couldn’t understand since yesterday. A baby of the prophecy. An adoption of the Duke. This is an incomprehensible development.

I think he will kill me if I follow him.

‘Is that really my dad?’

I wanted to grab anyone and ask, but everyone was afraid of him.

I knew by instinct. That man is a tyrant.

“My … are you my family?”

I don’t know if I want an answer, or I wanted him to say no. I looked up at the Duke and asked. He answered right away.

“Yes, I am the Duke of Alcibiades, who will be your adoptive father in the family register.”

Still, the Duke’s words were too difficult for me to understand at the time.

“You will now be called Adele Alcibiades. Of course it won’t last long.”

Is he saying I’m going to be dismissed soon?

The words were all I could think of.

‘It means a temporary family.’

A child who had been adopted with envy often returned to the orphanage within a few months. They said they were dismissed. I remembered those children who were seriously hurt and couldn’t even eat properly.

‘Am I going to be like that?’

The nearby knight took my side.

“You have to be kind.”

“Yes, that’s right. The Imperial family will be angry if you profane her ears, Your Grace.”

“I don’t want to stand here like this, let’s go inside and talk for a while.”

….the Imperial family? He just said the Imperial family.

The Duke looked at me firmly and turned his head. The director understood and took the lead.

“Haha, Princess. Even though the Duke sometimes does that, he is a warm-hearted man.”

The knight tried to soothe me with a gesture of heart. In front of me there were knights with a flimsy smile. They all looked alike, although they all had different features. The only thing I can remember most clearly now was the Duke.

The Duke, no, I should call him my family.

No matter how short it may be, I have a family in this world.

‘But it was real.’

Soon we arrived at the director’s office.

“Your Grace, you can sign here.”

“Is this all? That’s a simple form.”

The Duke lifted the papers and said that. On the wall above the chair where the director sat, there was an Imperial flag hanging. He shot his attention to the ground as if he was displeased. The name of the empire, Hasfeldt, was engraved on the flag.

The Duke gracefully moved the pen. I stood far from the door and watched the Duke’s back. The Duke put down the pen as soon as he finished writing on the paper.

The director raised his head and gestured at me.

“Adele, you should write your name here, too.”

The director suddenly handed me a pen as I approached with hesitation.

The atmosphere of the knights who followed became chilly, and so was the Duke sitting opposite the director. I haven’t lived long, but I knew from my wits that the Duke’s judgment had been twisted.

“This is the Princess now. A middle-class commoner, a director of an orphanage is not the kind of person who can talk to her in that manner. Of course, the adoption papers have not been passed yet, but still!”

A knight with a sword took a step forward, growled like a beast. The director was surprised and looked at my face.

I was a little surprised and scared at the same time because I vaguely realized that my status had changed.

“My lady, you can write your name down here. Go ahead, Princess.”

Now even the director was respectful to me.

A princess, now I am a Princess. I couldn’t get used to it no matter how many times I heard it.

I didn’t want their voice to get louder because of me, so I rushed to write my name with a pen that I grabbed awkwardly. I can’t read, but I knew how to write my name.

“Adele, just two letters.”

「Adele 」

I wrote the name three times in the part pointed out by the director. The pressed ink slowly dried and melted into the paper.

‘I wrote it down.’

The Duke’s signature had dried up under the part where I wrote my name. Unlike my unpleasant handwriting, it was an elegant and perfect cursive style. I was in a strange mood.

Are you sure this man is my family?

“Are we done?”

“Yes, Duke. One will be kept by Your Grace, one will be kept by our orphanage, and the other will be submitted to the Imperial court by us.”

The director said with a grim smile.

“Pick it up.”

The Duke looked down at the paper and ordered it, then rose from his seat. I hesitated and stepped back. He brushed past me indifferently.

The top of my head didn’t even reach the Duke’s waist. The Duke quickly reached the door without even acknowledging me.

“I have something to do in the Morita estate, so I will stop by for a while. Take this one to the castle first.”

“Your Grace, what about your guard?”

“The escort of this child will be more urgent than my own. There will be many people aiming for that child. No matter how secretly it is, it is a place with many ears. Don’t let anyone hurt her. I won’t tolerate that, at least when it’s my responsibility.”

“Of course, Your Grace. I will risk my life to protect the Princess.”

….at the risk of your life?

‘I just had a sword on my neck before.’

I couldn’t figure out how things were going. Just like other orphans who have been adopted so far, I have only pretended to be wholesome in front of my decided parents.

The duke made eye contact with me before closing the door. The cold, blood-red eyes.

There was no goodwill towards me in there. A man’s eyes told no lies.

His dark black hair showed off its notoriety on the battlefield. I was left in a daze. No matter how hard I think, it seems that I became the Duke’s daughter.

….Why? Really?

“Um, the reward, hehehe, when is … kugh!”

It was the director’s voice that suddenly stopped. While frowning, the knight silently took a gold coin pouch out of his arms. The clattering of gold coins was thrilling.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, Sir Knight!”

“….let’s go, Princess.”

“Oh, it’s such a honor to have a Princess comes out of our orphanage.”

The director was delighted with the pouch in his arms.

It seemed that I was the only one here who was afraid of drastic changes. One good thing was that the knights sided with me. Although they stayed still when the Duke pointed a sword at my neck, anyway.

“It will take a little while for the Duke to finish his work.”

The knight told me.

I soon climbed onto the carriage. It wasn’t technically ‘climbed‘, but I was lifted up in the arms of a knight like a princess. Anyway, the inside of the carriage was heavenly. I was alone, so I poked the cozy cushion to my heart’s content.

The carriage was steady and calm. I lay slouched against the cushion. And soon, I fell asleep.

***

< Hello. >

“….Hi.”

It was the fire spirit that woke me up. The spirit was blazing in the air.

I blinked blankly and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. My eyes were mixed up.

I’m still in the carriage. The carriage door was not opened. The lizard-like spirit whispered to me.

< Don’t be scared. >

“…I’m fine.”

The spirits always appear in front of me suddenly. And they talk to me.

I didn’t remember when I heard the spirit for the first time. Just at some point, the spirit was my friend.

It was a spirit who guarded me even in a solitary room. Thanks to this, I was able to sleep comfortably without shivering from the cold.

It would be nice if the spirits showed such kindness to other children who were put in solitary confinement, but I don’t force them. The spirits must have their own will.

< We’ve arrived. >

The spirit soon disappeared. I slowly got up with my disheveled hair. Soon the carriage stopped, and someone knocked on the door. I stayed quiet and the door opened.

“This is the Duke Alcibiades’ residence, where the Princess will be staying. Did you fall sleep?”

“…yes.”

Behind the open door, a knight was standing on the carriage steps. The knight was dressed nicely. But what caught my attention was the wide spectacle that unfolded behind the knight.

It’s huge and enormous. And it was super gorgeous.

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The dazzling marble, which anyone can see as luxurious, shone in the sunlight. I’ve never seen such a pretty building anywhere. And it was really high.

My mouth opened wide on its own.

“Wow….”

“I’ll help you get off first, Princess.”

As I did when I climbed, I was held in the arms of a knight when I went down.

It was an amazing sight to see the land shinin on. And at the same time, I was a little embarrassed. Until now, my appearance was still as dirty as I was in the orphanage.

‘In the orphanage, we were clean, though.’

This place is too fancy. Among these sparkling and pretty things, I didn’t belong like the ugly duckling in the fairy tale.

I bit my lip. There were so many people. Almost all of them are adults, althought often mixed with children. They were lined up on both sides of the red carpet with a smile on their faces.

“You can walk through this red cloth. We will follow.”

I hesitated, but the knights waited patiently.

“….”

I plucked up my courage and walked forward. In each step I took, people on both sides bent over.

“Greetings to Princess Adele.”

“Welcome, Princess!”

“I greet the Princess.”

I don’t understand, but people already liked me. I haven’t done anything yet.

My head was dizzy from the pouring greetings.

“There are too many people.”

“You’ll be greeted slowly one by one, and their names and faces will be learned later.”

The nearest knight answered kindly. The walk on the red carpet ended long after.

There were a lot of buildings in the castle. I naturally entered the building that appeared as soon as I reached the end of the carpet. Perhaps it would take a long time just to memorize the geography of the buildings.

This extraordinarily white building had a very high ceiling with a large chandelier. And there were so many stairs.

‘There is also a fountain in the building.’

I held my breath because this luxurious building didn’t feel real. At the fountain, the water continued to trickle with various lights.

Fountain? I could barely see it in the park. And I’ve got to make time for that….

‘Madeleine will love it if she sees it.’

That’s right, Madeleine. Ah. I felt guilty that I only remembered Madeleine now.

‘What should I do? I didn’t even say goodbye.’

What is Madeleine doing now? I should have told my best friend. No matter how much I suspected it was a dream….

I became nervous at the thought that I had been swept away by a completely strange environment.

‘But it’s only a temporary family. I’ll be back soon.’

I recalled the Duke’s cold face. I couldn’t ask anything, but something was definitely wrong. Why would an unmarried Duke need a daughter?

When I go back, I must apologize to Madeleine.

I didn’t know what the baby of the prophecy was, and I didn’t know why the aristocracy respected it. I would say that I didn’t think I’d have a family.

‘I’m not going to brag about the fountain.’

Madeleine might be upset. Madeleine likes dandelions like her name, so let’s pick flowers and give it as gifts. Then she might forgive me. I’ll give her a warm hug.

Thinking so far, I finally felt better.

After a while, the first two people approached me. Both were women, one looked older than the Duke, and the other looked about the same age as the eldest sister in the orphanage.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Noel, the head maid of Duke Alcibiades’ household. It’s a great honor for me to serve the Princess.”

“Hello, Princess. My name is Sarina, I will attend the Princess.”

“….hello. My name is Adele.”

In my honorifics, Noel frowned for a moment, but her expression soon became calm.

“First, I’ve prepared the bath water. Sarina will be attending the Princess’ bath.”

‘Do you also need to help in the bath?’

I was wondering for a moment, but I nodded silently. I’m full of things I don’t know, so I’ll just do what she tell me to do.

Then I heard the voice of the knight from behind.

“We’re leaving now.”

I turned around.

I don’t know much, but it was the five knights who risked their lives to protect me. If you receive something, you must express your gratitude. I bowed my head.

“Goodbye, sir knights.”

“It’s Michael. That over-courteous title is … I’ll correct it later.”

It was the knight who made the Duke sheathed his sword before. He continued his words.

“I’ll introduce the other knights to you formally tomorrow. There are so many names that the Princess can be confused with.”

Michael’s words smirked the other knights.

“Don’t let the Princess be confused.”

“But why is Michael the only one?”

“Have a comfortable night, Princess.”

Michael bowed his head without paying attention to them.

But I was too surprised to answer.

‘The mad dog Michael.’

No matter how poorly educated someone was, theye knew the nickname. Michael’s name was that famous.

When I went out on the street, adults often fainted Michael’s name. With considerable fear. Or disgust. Women sometimes have their faces full of joy.

‘Is he really that person?’

“I … just one.”

“….?”

“I would like to ask.”

I thought he would be gone soon, so I grabbed Michael.

I said one, but I actually had a lot to ask. What is the baby of prophecy. Did the Duke really become my family. Why are you saying that you will risk your life to protect me.

But that was not what I wanted to ask the most.

‘Am I going to be abandoned again?’

Michael looked at me oddly. There was a moment of silence when our eyes met.

Violet eyes … it’s pretty.

“…Children should go to bed early. It’s late, so I’ll officially visit you tomorrow. I’d like to have the question delivered then.”

When I thought his eyes were like jewels, Michael answered.

A flat and calm refusal. The refusal was so familiar that I remained silent.

“Then.”

“…”

Michael and the knights made some strange moves as they bent down. After a while the knights left the building, Sarina said.

“Let me take you, Princess.”

I nodded my head.

***

It was more dreamy than a dream.

It was the first time I experienced it, saw it for the first time, and did it for the first time.

Sarina’s bath was dreary. It was strangely hard, but….

When I was in an orphanage, I used to wash myself in the running rain or in the stream. Now she soaked my body in blue water floating beautifully with red rose petals and washed away the dirt with a mysterious medicine.

‘It’s soft.’

The water was soft. The bathtub was too big for me. The bathroom is bigger than the bedroom I used to sleep with the other children.

I was an orphan, but now I’m as fine as a doll.

My hair is shiny and combed, and the soft cloth covered my body. When I finished washing up and changed my clothes, I saw a little girl standing in the mirror.

Even though my cheeks and eyes, which were heated up with heat, remained the same, I was a little more lively. And I wore a dress with lace and fancy designs.

‘Is it really mine?’

It’s the best meal I’ve ever had, who used the be meat stew, I was given a soft bread and soup for dinner. I’ve never tried such a soft bread before.

Oh my god, what a soft bread! The soup was full of things that I’d never seen before (I learned about shrimp for the first time) and the texture was good and delicious.

“This is the pajamas the Princess will wear.”

“Well, please let me change.”

“…have a good night’s sleep.”

Sarina raised her eyebrows to see if she did not like something, then she bowed her head and stepped back.

The moon. The closed door. The window was open, so it was not stuffy. The highest 5th floor room. A cool breeze blew into the room. The bright scarlet light shook.

I was alone now. Among the enormously spacious bedroom, enormously large bed, and the insignia of the blue sky.

I struggled to change my clothes because I didn’t even know how to take off my dress. When I finally threw the dress over my body, the hair Sarina combed became messy.

“Um, ah—”

I’m scared.

The pajamas were easier to wear. held back my tears, tucked my arms in, and buttoned them.

Why? Why? The tip of my nose was hot. My eyes were dim.

After changing my clothes, I went barefoot under the bed. Surprisingly, the floor was too soft. It’s a black carpet. I don’t know because I don’t have a mother, but maybe it’s like this warm and soft in her arms.

“I’m scared.”

< Don’t cry. >

The wind spirit on the windowsill spoke. It looks like a blue fairy. I wasn’t surprised because the spirits used to appear without notice.

“I’m not crying.”

< You look like you’re about to cry. >

“If you soothe me like that, I’ll really cry.”

< Don’t cry. My friend. >

“I miss Madeleine.”

I blinked my eyes. Eventually, a drop of tears stained the carpet.

Madeleine is my friend. I spend every day with Madeleine. We played together. We read books together and ate together.

The Duke had the upper hand in everything compared to the orphanage, but I was heartbroken.

It didn’t feel real. I didn’t think it was all mine. I suddenly felt like someone was going to take this pajama, too.

I’m getting kicked out after a good night’s sleep, right?

One day or two nights? Three nights? I couldn’t count more than that because I didn’t know the number.

< That, >

“I’m sad.”

< Madeleine will be happy that you have a family. Friends are like that. >

“I’m sorry.”

< Something good has happened to you, you shouldn’t be sorry to anyone. >

The wind spirit was kind.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, and approached the door bravely. Surprisingly, it took some time to get to the door from the bed.

Michael told me to go to bed early, but I also wanted to ask. I didn’t think about how to find him this late at night.

‘I have a question for Michael.’

I picked up my tiptoes and managed to grab the large doorknob. Then I hopped and pulled the knob inside. The door opened slightly, and a bright light in the hallway seeped in.

But I couldn’t move further. It was because there was a conversation near the door.

“Now the Duke is completely blocked off the shot.”

“Well, I won’t deny it.”

“Who would want to have an eight-year-old daughter as soon as they get married? No matter how great the Duke of Alcibiades is.”

I heard the conversation between the two maids. It was the voice of Sarina who complained most intensely.

‘Sarina?’

I flinched and stiffened.

‘8-year-old daughter.’

Because the person she was pointing at was so clear. It was me. Suddenly today, the Adele from the Panaso Orphanage became the Adele of Alcibiades.

“No matter how much Hasfeldt’s Imperial family is, they can’t do this to the Duke. Do you know how old His Grace is? He is only 25. But the eldest daughter is 8 years old? Someone might think that the Duke is an Imperial’s loyal dog.”

The Imperial family. When I think about it, even the knights and the Duke became very bitter when they talked about the Imperial family. I  held my breath inadvertently.

I’ve never experienced such a situation. I mean, an unintended eavesdrop.

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“Sarina? What happened? That’s a little harsh…… I understand you’re upset.”

“What happened? …. was gone, so I wondered if I would get a chance.”

< Adele, you’d better stop listening. >