Chapter 54 Adoptive Father
"You're my adoptive father?" Nami couldn't continue. This was too surprising for her, and she didn't know how to feel. Should she be happy or sad?
"Yes," Levi answered calmly, as if it were no big deal.
Nami stared at him, barely blinking. He could understand why she was so shocked by his confession.
"That means it's been almost seven years since you became my adoptive father? But why didn't you tell me?"
"I was just waiting for the right time to tell you."
"But does anyone else know?"
"So far, only my parents and my former tutor, Mr. James Norton. You still remember him, right? He's been by my side since I was little. My decision to become your legal guardian was also based on his advice, despite my initial hesitation.
"Then why did you do it? I mean, what made you want to be my foster parent? You've always known what I'm like, right? Nobody likes me because I'm considered a troublemaker, that's why—"
"That's why."
"What?"
"You're such a troublemaker."
"So you think that too, don't you? Why don't you just be honest?"
"It's natural that you're such a troublemaker. Your body isn't designed to live like a normal human being. You're too strong and too fast for anyone to keep up with you. Your physical strength is equivalent to the strength of 100 adult elephants, or nearly 1,000 times that of an adult man."
"Are you kidding? There's no way I'm that strong."
"It sounds impossible, but it's the truth. That's why I can't blame you if you accidentally cause trouble. Besides, as your legal guardian, it's only right that I take responsibility for—"
"No, Levi! You shouldn't be the one responsible. I'm the one who caused the problem, so I—" Her words trailed off, and without realizing it, tears were streaming down her face.
She didn't know what she was feeling right now. It felt like a mixture of emotions. She was happy that she had the same opportunity as her friends at the orphanage, being adopted by a family and becoming their child. She used to think that no one would want a child like her.
That made her wait for that moment to come, until she grew up without ever experiencing a loving family.
Seeing her cry, Levi sighed as he walked over to her, who was trying to hide her tears by covering her face with her hands. But a warm light suddenly entered her head as Levi's gentle hand stroked her head.
"Don't cry!"
"I'm not crying!" She tried to deny it, though her sobbing voice couldn't lie.
"You know I'll always be by your side, right?" Levi said. Her tears stopped, and she slowly lifted her lowered face to see his face right in front of her.
"Levi?" She was stunned to see Levi's gentle smile, something she rarely saw. Levi was a very cold, stiff, and serious person. Laughing and smiling were very rare, almost never, things he did.
"I want you to do the best you can. But if in the end you're not happy and want to go home, go ahead! I won't stop you, I just want you to believe in yourself and stop blaming yourself for things you can't control, do you understand?"
Nami hurriedly wiped away her tears, very happy that Levi had rarely been this gentle with her.
"I understand, thank you, Levi, I-I mean, Dad-"
"No! Don't call me that!" Levi immediately rejected Nami's intention to call him "Dad."
"Why? Aren't you my adoptive father? That means I can call you Dad, right?"
"No!"
"Th-then what about Uncle?"
"No! Don't call me Dad, Uncle, or anything else. Just call me by my name, understand?"
Nami couldn't help but laugh when she saw Levi's face flush red, as if he were holding back embarrassment. He looked uncomfortable being treated like a parent.
"Hahaha...Levi, you're so funny. You're only five years older than me, but you're already my adoptive father, hahaha..."
"That's not funny!"
"Of course it's funny, shouldn't you give me your surname?"
"Your identity documents already have my name written on them. However, I leave the decision to use my surname to you. But for now, I don't think it's necessary. When I adopted you, I asked the head and the administrators of the Everdeen Orphanage to keep this a secret from you and everyone else. So far, ERI hasn't shown any signs of interest or curiosity in you, but I think they already know from someone who works with me that you are under my care."
"But Levi, why do you care so much about me? I mean, what's made you put up with me so much all this time?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know? But you know that I'll never be able to repay you for all your kindness, and I don't know if I can make you proud of me. Because I've always felt so useless."