Chapter 9

* * *

A few days later.

The director sighed as she looked at the ledger in her hand.

The orphanage's finances were deteriorating day by day.

With so many children, and now even debts.

'Should I sell something?'

But the only thing of value was the mana stone.

The mana stone was a very expensive mineral, condensed with mana.

People without mana used mana stones to cast spells.

However, the mineral itself was expensive, and there were few mages who could infuse mana into the raw stone. Therefore, mana stones were often traded at very high prices.

The director's hobby was collecting mana stones. There were so many rolling around her office that one could easily trip over them, revealing her extravagance.

'How did I collect so many...'

The director gritted her teeth as she looked at the display case containing the mana stones.

Eli was diligently polishing the display case. The director's face twisted into a grimace.

'If only she wasn't the daughter of a thief, I could pay off all these debts.'

The more she thought about it, the more her blood boiled. She turned her gaze back to the ledger, determined to find a way to make money.

Knock knock.

At that moment, her niece Malen entered with a knock.

"What is it?"

"I have some information about the matter you inquired about earlier."

Malen approached her and began her report.

"As you mentioned before, the number of nobles wanting to adopt children has indeed decreased."

"That's absurd. Why would the demand suddenly drop?"

"Perhaps it's due to Duke Schuetz. He's reportedly investigating every adopted child in the empire thoroughly."

At that moment, Eli's hand paused as she polished the display case.

Unaware of this, the director and Malen continued their conversation.

"Ah, I heard he's looking for the dead duke's son. Of course, he can't be alive."

The director, who had been about to dismiss the matter casually, hesitated.

'Wait a moment.'

The son of the deceased Duke Cleyder was said to have black hair and red eyes.

No other details about his appearance were known. But.

'This could work...'

After deep thought, the director looked at Malen and said,

"Malen, spread the word."

"About what?"

"That there might be the Duke Cleyder's child here."

"Excuse me? But..."

Malen hesitated. Having worked together for a long time, she could sense what her aunt was thinking.

'She must be planning to deceive and sell another child.'

Duke Schuetz had inherited the Cleyder merchant guild and was the only duke in the empire.

'He would likely pay any price.'

But it was also very risky. Not just anyone, but Duke Schuetz.

If she sold a fake child and it was discovered...

Malen swallowed hard. Already, a chill ran down her spine as she rubbed her neck.

"What are you doing? Didn't you hear me?"

At the director's urging, Malen lowered her hand.

She should have tried to dissuade her.

But seeing her aunt's fierce expression, it was hard to speak up.

"...I'll try to pass the message along."

In the end, Malen could only respond this way.

The director nodded with satisfaction. Malen left the room to spread the news.

Unbeknownst to her, someone was watching her.

* * *

As soon as she finished cleaning, Eli rushed to her room.

'Soon Duke Schuetz will come.'

Duke Schuetz was the only key to saving Damian from this place.

She couldn't tell Damian, "A family will soon adopt you," but her joy was hard to suppress.

"Damian."

Eli entered the room.

A few children were already there, having finished their tasks.

But Damian was nowhere to be seen.

'Where could he be?'

Eli scanned the room with a puzzled look.

The children's expressions were not good.

The faces that had seemed brighter than usual were now overshadowed by darkness.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"It's... "

One of the children hesitated before answering.

"Carson came back... "

"What?"

Eli's expression darkened.

Blinded by a brief period of peace, she had forgotten something important.

Eli quickly left the orphanage.

Outside, the night was quiet, and snow was slowly falling under the moonlight.

Where could he be?

The director and teachers were still inside, so he was likely outside.

Eli hurried to the back of the orphanage.

There was a small lake there, and Carson often pushed children he didn't like into it.

And it was winter.

In such cold weather, if he pushed someone into the lake...

Given Damian's nature, he would likely not resist and just stand there.

Eli bit her lip. Her breath, spreading in the cold air, seemed to mirror her worry.

* * *

Thud!

With a loud noise, Damian's body tumbled to the ground.

Blood trickled from his split lip. Despite the pain, Damian did not move.

"Do you know what kind of trouble you've caused me?!"

Carson growled, his voice filled with anger.

He had been locked in a room for days without food.

All because of this pathetic boy lying before him.

He couldn't understand why. Why would Eli lie and take the side of such a child?

Carson blamed everything on Damian. He didn't consider that he had been the one to torment Damian first.

"Maybe you think you're special because Eli pays attention to you, but you're nothing."

When Carson mentioned Eli's name, Damian's eyes sharpened.

His glare was like a cold blade, making Carson involuntarily shudder.

"What, what are you going to do with that look?"

A rough sound echoed.

Even his own group whispered, "Isn't this a bit much?"

Damian clenched his fists. The grass in his hand, frozen by the winter air, crunched.

His red eyes, visible through his disheveled hair, were menacing.

"Don't just take it lying down."

Suddenly, Eli's words echoed in his mind.

Just as Eli had said, he was about to retaliate when...

"Ellie is weak and pays attention to weak and insignificant people. You're just one of them!"

At Carson's words, Damian's movements halted.

His eyes flickered like a candle in the wind. Noticing the small crack, Carson sneered.

"Ellie is weak for people like you. She just pays attention to you because you're weak. It's not because you're special!"

"Just, because I look weak."

At that moment, the first words Eli had ever said to him came to mind.

'Because I look weak.'

Just because she felt sorry for him.

A phrase he had heard countless times during his days as a slave. A familiar insult, as common as violence.

But why...

Did his heart feel like it was sinking into a swamp?

The light in Damian's eyes faded. His eyes, now like ashes, stared meaninglessly into the air.

"Know your place."

Carson, sneering, grabbed Damian's collar. Damian's body rose weakly.

"Being a slave, you're acting too proud... You think staying in the same place means you're equal?"

Carson dragged Damian towards the lake. The edges of the lake were frozen due to the cold weather.

"Let's cool your head here."

Carson loosened his grip on Damian's collar.

Just as Damian's body was about to fall into the lake...

"Hey!"

A sharp shout interrupted them.

Damian's eyes, which had been clouded, flickered briefly.

"What are you doing?!"

Eli's cheeks were slightly flushed, as if she had been running without a break.

"El, Eli?"

Carson, slightly taken aback by Eli's appearance, stopped and stammered.

"What, what are you talking about! I'm just trying to teach him a lesson!"

But that didn't last long. Carson quickly changed his attitude and shouted back.

"Who needs to be taught a lesson?!"

Eli's voice was even louder than Carson's arrogant tone.

"I was going to see how far you'd go, but are you out of your mind? Are you crazy, you?"

Her harsh words left Carson and everyone else speechless.

"How, how can you say such things..."

"Your actions are far worse than my words!"

"Your actions... "

Carson was momentarily stunned. Hearing insults from a child he liked left him dazed.

Still, feeling the need to vent, Eli turned her gaze to Damian.

Her sharp eyes made Damian involuntarily shudder.

His eyes, which had lost their light, regained their original shine as they focused on Eli.

"Come here, Damian."

Eli called out to Damian.

Damian hesitated.

"Ellie is weak and pays attention to weak and insignificant people. You're just one of them!"

"Just, because I look weak."

Carson's words and Eli's words kept echoing in his mind.

"Ellie, how can you... to me..."

As Damian hesitated, Carson muttered, as if he had just been rejected.

'All because of this kid!'

Blaming everything on Damian, Carson loosened his grip. Damian's collar was still in Carson's hand.

"!"

Damian's body tilted towards the lake.

Damian involuntarily closed his eyes tightly.

Splash!

A sound like breaking glass and a loud splash echoed.

But he didn't feel the cold or the water. Damian slowly opened his eyes.

"Ahh!"

Carson, who had fallen into the lake, was flailing with a blue face.

"You should have stopped when you had the chance!"

Eli was already standing in front of him.

Before Carson could push Damian into the lake, Eli had kicked him.

"Cold! Save me!"

"Carson...!"

The other children rushed to the lake.

They seemed to want to help, but they only extended their hands, unwilling to enter the water.

"Let's go, Damian!"

Eli grabbed Damian's hand and left the scene.