Chapter 12

* * *

"Things are already tough enough, and now those brats are causing a commotion!"

The director shouted in a hysterical voice.

Karsen and some of his group had fallen into the lake and developed severe hypothermia.

After the corporal punishment ended, it was unusually quiet.

'How could their bodies be fine after falling into the lake in this weather?'

She wanted to just leave them be, but soon the Duke of Schuetz would visit the orphanage.

She couldn't show him dying children, so the director had to scrape together all the money she had to send for a doctor.

The director glared at the departing caregivers and the group, then abruptly turned around.

Her eyes met Ellie's, who was looking at her.

Ellie quickly wiped the smile from her face and hurried away.

'She was smiling?'

The director frowned slightly.

It was a very faint smile, but she definitely saw it. A clear mocking smile.

Then, something came to mind.

"You were the one who led us to the warehouse!"

Karsen had shouted this.

At the time, she had found it too troublesome to care, but now, seeing that face, it bothered her.

"Hmm."

The director took out the key and checked the mana stone.

Counting them, she realized one was missing.

'They were definitely all here a few days ago.'

The last person to clean the storage room was Ellie.

'Could that girl...!'

She strode into the bedroom.

Opening Ellie's desk drawer, she saw the red stone hidden deep inside.

It was her mana stone.

Ellie had secretly taken it just in case.

The director's face darkened.

'How dare she steal my things?'

Frustrated, the director stormed out of the bedroom.

* * *

After finishing her work, Ellie returned and gently placed her hand on the damp cloth on Damian's forehead.

The cloth was not just lukewarm but hot.

'How high is his fever?'

If it were any other child, they would have already lost their senses. Ellie marveled slightly at Damian's stamina as she stood up.

"Where are you going?"

Damian immediately grabbed her.

"The cloth has gotten warm. I'll go get a fresh, cold one."

"Don't go... "

Damian pouted and whined.

"But your fever is so high."

"Still, I don't want to be alone..."

Damian whined like a spoiled child.

It was a bit of a dilemma, but from the way his eyes were drooping and his voice was slurring, it seemed sleep was coming over him.

Being alone when you're sick is the most miserable thing.

'Since he'll fall asleep soon... it should be fine for a little while.'

Ellie plopped back down beside him.

When she touched his cheek, she could feel the intense heat.

Maybe because her body temperature was lower than average, Damian's heat was more noticeable.

"Feels cool..."

Damian mumbled, rubbing his face against Ellie's hand.

His flushed face and tightly closed eyes made him look like a typical child.

The expressionless face she had first seen was nowhere to be found.

'An innocent and gentle child like this...'

When Ellie stroked his cheek, Damian let out a contented sigh. The breath on her hand was hot.

After a few minutes, Damian's breathing became steady.

The cheap fever medicine from the orphanage seemed to be working, and he had fallen asleep.

Ellie quietly stood up to wet the cloth again.

That's when it happened.

"What are you doing here?"

"......!"

A sharp voice descended from above, and Ellie's body stiffened.

"What are you doing here?"

The director looked at Ellie with displeasure.

Ellie answered calmly, without panicking.

"Damian is sick, so I was taking care of him."

"Is that so?"

The director raised an eyebrow.

"Then did you take this for Damian's sake?"

The director said this while holding out what she had in her hand.

It was the fire mana stone Ellie had stolen.

Holding even a small stone like this had the effect of warming the entire body.

She had kept it just in case, thinking of Damian curled up alone in the forest.

'I thought one missing from the inside wouldn't be noticed. I was too complacent.'

Ellie maintained a calm expression as she replied.

"I don't understand what you're saying. I've never seen that-"

"I knew your body carried the cheap blood of your mother."

The director's sharp words pierced her.

"How can you be so shameless after stealing? Did you inherit that from your mother?"

Ellie bit her lip. She had to keep pretending she didn't know, but when it came to her mother, she couldn't control her expression.

The director sneered, "I thought so," and grabbed Ellie's arm.

"I was just going to check on you since you were being so quiet. How dare you repay kindness with theft?"

The director raised her hand. Ellie involuntarily squeezed her eyes shut.

But no pain came. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Damian... "

Damian stood in front of her. He had taken the hit, not her.

"What... what is this?"

The director, caught off guard by Damian's sudden intervention, stammered uncharacteristically.

"Why are you getting involved...?"

"Don't hit her."

"What?"

"If you hit Ellie... I won't let you."

Despite his feverish state, Damian didn't back down.

At that moment, the director remembered what the owner and creditor had said.

"That kid, once he bites, he never lets go. If things go wrong, he'll probably attack without discrimination."

Recalling the owner's words, she hesitated for a moment.

If the Duke of Schuetz saw this child, he might question the orphanage's management.

"Let's talk about this later. I'll hold you responsible for this later."

"Teacher, what about Damian?"

Just as the director was about to leave, Ellie grabbed the hem of her dress.

"What?"

"Damian has black hair and blue eyes. What about Damian, teacher?"

"It's the Duke of Schuetz. Do you think I'll show him a child like that?"

The director laughed bitterly.

"Who would want to embarrass themselves?"

"But...!"

Just as Ellie was about to protest, Damian, who had been blocking her, swayed.

"Damian!"

Ellie quickly scooped Damian up. His body was burning hot, and his breath was scorching.

"Rest is the priority for a sick child."

The director sneered.

"Take good care of him."

With that, she turned and left.

It was clear she intended to show the Duke of Schuetz only the other children, not Damian.

Ellie bit her lip.

"Ellie..."

Even as his consciousness was fading, Damian was still looking for Ellie.

"It's okay. It's okay, Damian."

Ellie murmured to herself as she held Damian close.

The only child who had stood up for her.

She didn't want this child to suffer the same pain as her.

Ellie whispered with a trembling voice.

"Definitely... I'll help you meet your family."

* * *

"Welcome, Your Grace."

The caregivers lined up in front of the orphanage and greeted the Duke of Schuetz as he stepped out of the carriage.

Erhardt scanned the surroundings with a detached gaze.

The orphanage was located far from the bustling city. Surrounded by fields of grass, it would be difficult to leave without a horse or carriage.

'One could say it's a good environment for the children... but...'

It could also be seen as a way to keep the children from leaving.

Moreover, he had received a report about this place.

Thinking about the state the children might be in, his expression darkened.

Ante, who had come out to greet him, asked.

"Where is the director? I sent a message in advance."

"Oh, yes. The director hasn't returned yet."

Erhardt's frown deepened slightly, and the teacher nervously offered an excuse.

"Ah, since the message was sent so urgently, it took a bit longer to inform the director. She's on her way back, so please wait a moment."

Erhardt let out a slightly exasperated sigh, but his irritated expression eased a bit. The teachers breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where are the children?"

"Excuse me?"

"I asked where the children are."

The teachers were taken aback by his directness.

Usually, when nobles adopted, they would first talk to the director and then choose a child to their liking.

But Erhardt showed no interest in the director.

He was only looking for his friend's son.

"The children... they are over there..."

The teachers hesitated to answer.

The director was likely in her office, intimidating the black-haired, blue-eyed children.

They couldn't say the children were in the office, nor could they reveal where the other children were.

'This is a mess.'

Erhardt frowned, noticing the teachers' confusion.

Ante, standing behind the duke, glanced around as if he understood.

"Fine. I'll find them myself."

"Y-Your Grace...!"

The teachers desperately tried to stop Erhardt, but his chilling gaze made them back down.

If they upset the Duke of Schuetz, their lives would be in danger.

Leaving the trembling teachers behind, he strode inside.

The orphanage was eerily quiet, without a single laugh. A subtle tension mixed with the cold air.

It didn't look like a place where children lived.

"The worst."

He muttered.

"I agree, Your Grace."

"Surely they didn't lie to me."

"Since we contacted them first, they wouldn't dare to lie."

"If it turns out they were lying about having the child, deal with it immediately."

"Understood."

As he turned a corner with Ante following, something happened.

"Ah!"

Something collided with his body.

Erhardt didn't even flinch, but the person who hit him fell weakly to the ground.

"Ouch, it hurts..."

A small, blonde girl was making a pained face.