Chapter 10

In her past life, Maleta's younger sister had starved to death at the Rambuyet orphanage, so Ariadne had planned to show Maleta. If you don’t listen to me properly, I’ll leave you here. You’ll meet the same fate as your sister.

“I want to go where there are more people who are in pain and suffering. Is there anything I can do?”

“W-well, there is the volunteer work of bathing the sick...”

“Then I’ll do that.”

* * *

There was a reason the administrator had trailed off. What was called a bathing volunteer was, in reality, a gruesome task. In a long, isolated corridor, patients who seemed to have no hope of recovery lay on dirty straw. The shadow of death hung heavily over their emaciated bodies. There were no proper facilities, supplies, or personnel to care for them. Even if the orphanage, which was run on the budget of the queen, was underfunded, the situation was so terrible that it could be seen as a deliberate attempt to starve the poor to death.

‘This is why the administrator didn’t want to send me here.’

Unlike Ariadne, who was calmly lost in thought, Maleta’s face was pale with shock. It had been only two years since she was rescued from this chaos by Isabella. The memories of hunger, cold, and the fear of possibly dying were vividly resurfacing. Maleta frantically scanned the area, searching for a red-haired patient. What would she do if she found her younger sister, whom she had abandoned two years ago? Ariadne was also searching for the red-haired patient.

‘Is it her?’

Ariadne began to approach a small girl among the patients, and Maleta was startled.

“Miss, wait a moment...!”

Thinking she had to leave before meeting her sister, Maleta, pale with fear, grabbed Ariadne’s wrist. The bare skin of Ariadne’s wrist and Maleta’s hand touched.

- *Crackle!*

* * *

A sudden dizziness overwhelmed her, and as she thought a flash of lightning and a hazy cloud had momentarily swept through her mind, something ‘appeared’ in Ariadne’s head.

- ‘I can only take one. Which one of you should I take?’

It was Isabella. Isabella was standing outside the Rambuyet orphanage, where the not-so-sick poor were housed. In front of her stood a slightly younger and more ragged Maleta and a malnourished, freckled girl with the same red hair as Maleta.

- ‘Which one is smarter, and which one works harder?’

The malnourished girl pleaded with Isabella.

- ‘Miss, my sister and I have grown up together since we were young. We will work hard, so please take us both!’

Isabella’s expression was indifferent.

- ‘There’s only one spot. I’m not asking why I should take both of you, but why I should choose ‘you’.’

The young Maleta pushed the malnourished girl aside and knelt in front of Isabella. She prostrated herself on the ground, clasping her hands together, and pleaded earnestly.

- ‘Noble Miss! My sister has bad habits and an incurable cough!’

The malnourished girl, Sanza, looked at Maleta in shock. Maleta clenched her teeth and turned away from Sanza.

- ‘If you’re only taking one, it’s definitely me! She’s too young to be of any help and is as weak as a little mouse! I’ll work like an ox! Please take me, Miss!’

Isabella’s eyes showed interest.

- ‘You have ambition?’

- ‘I’ll work hard, Miss!’

- ‘Alright, I’ll take you.’

Isabella slowly turned and began to leave the Rambuyet orphanage with Maleta. Sanza, in shock that Maleta had left her behind, screamed.

- ‘Sister! Sister!’

Maleta’s voice, trying to calm her, could be heard from behind.

- ‘Shh! Stay still! When I get paid at that house, I’ll send you money! I’ll save up and get you out of the orphanage. One of us has to do well for all of us to do well. Understand? Wait patiently!’

* * *

“Miss, Miss?”

Maleta was shaking Ariadne’s shoulder in surprise. Ariadne, annoyed that Maleta had touched her without permission, slapped her hand away. Maleta, embarrassed, lowered her hand and asked again.

“Miss, are you okay? You suddenly froze and stiffened, which scared me.”

“How long was I like that?”

“It was very short, about 2-3 seconds?”

“Then it’s fine.”

What did I see? A memory from the past? Was it real, or not? It was time to verify. Ariadne pretended not to know Maleta and approached the red-haired girl lying among the poor, kneeling beside her. She gently wiped the girl’s forehead with a damp cloth and asked softly.

“How are you feeling?”

The face she turned over was that of a child, about twelve or thirteen years old. Despite being at an age when she should still have baby fat, her cheeks were sunken, and she looked emaciated. The freckled girl opened her light green eyes and looked alternately at Ariadne and Maleta.

“Has your family sent you any help since you came to the Rambuyet orphanage?”

The freckled girl frantically shook her head. Maleta’s expression grew darker.

“Do you have an incurable cough?”

The girl’s head-shaking became more intense. Maleta’s face was now as pale as if she had met the Grim Reaper.

“Maleta? Is this girl...?”

“That... it’s...”

The freckled girl, who had barely managed to nod, looked at Maleta with eyes filled with immense hatred and resentment, and with all her strength, grabbed Ariadne’s sleeve.

“Please... save me, save me, Miss...!”

* * *

“Even if you are the daughter of the Cardinal, special treatment is not possible.”

The administrator shook his head. This was his response when Ariadne asked for the freckled girl, Sanza, to be saved. Ariadne was the daughter of the second most powerful man in San Carlo, but this was just a facade. Her powerful father did not love her and paid no attention to her beyond the minimum investment required to use her as a tool. She had no money or power in her own name. Without money, she couldn’t even call a doctor.

“I understand. Then I will give my share of today’s food to that girl.”

The food allocated to Ariadne was just half a piece of dry bread and some clean water. Ariadne had Maleta soak the dry bread in boiling water to make a gruel and fed it to Sanza. That was all she could do. Ariadne felt a deep sense of helplessness. However, Sanza, who had been truly starving, gradually became more lively after just a little food, like a kitten found on the street regaining its color.

“Maleta. Come here for a moment.”

Ariadne, staying in the nuns’ quarters, repeatedly thought about the ‘vision’ she had experienced earlier. When she asked Sanza the questions from the vision, the answers matched, and Maleta’s shocked reaction suggested that the ‘vision’ was a real memory from the past.

“Try touching my wrist again like you did earlier.”

Maleta hesitantly touched Ariadne’s wrist again, but nothing happened this time. It seemed that touching skin to skin did not always trigger a vision.

* * *

After giving her share of food to Sanza, Ariadne quickly became pale. When she insisted on taking care of Sanza, the administrator sent her back to the food line, fearing that the compassionate noble lady might become attached to another poor patient and continue the bathing volunteer work in the long corridor.

‘I’m so hungry.’

Ariadne stood in the food line, staring at the soup, and swallowed hard. Normally, she wouldn’t have eaten the thin soup, but now even the oil floating on the surface seemed tempting. However, the soup had its designated recipients, and the poor in the orphanage were very serious about food. Without touching the soup, Ariadne finished the morning meal. She hadn’t eaten since the night before last. She leaned against the shade of a tree in the orphanage, trying to forget her empty stomach.

At that moment, an apple suddenly appeared in front of Ariadne.

‘Who?’

Looking at the hand, she saw a well-groomed boy with dazzling blond hair and fair features, dressed in court attire, holding out the apple.

“Do you want to eat?”

It was Prince Alfonso. He was much younger than the last time Ariadne remembered him, a fresh, young sapling. It felt surreal. He had already died at Cesare’s hands.

Ariadne reached out and took the apple. As their hands touched, she felt a warmth and shuddered. The past had truly returned. Her sin was still uncommitted, and it was alive and moving.

“I saw you looked hungry...”

He smiled slightly, showing neat white teeth. Ariadne, knowing he was a prince but speaking in a casual tone, replied. It was an instinct of a woman in her thirties who had experienced everything.

“Thanks.”

She wiped the apple on her sleeve and took a big bite.

- *Crunch!*

The apple was sweet. After three days of hunger, the sweetness on her tongue was almost unbearable. The juice was incredibly fresh. In no time, the apple was reduced to a core. Only then did Ariadne remember the prince in front of her. Embarrassed, she quickly made an excuse.

“I haven’t eaten in three days, so I’m grateful for this.”

She emphasized the ‘three days’ to cover her embarrassment, but Prince Alfonso, whether he knew or not, looked at her with kind eyes.

“I heard you were giving your food to a sick child.”

“Ah... it just happened.”

“I think it’s impressive. I wouldn’t be able to give up my food.”

Ariadne couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t realize it, but it was a charming smile.

“I’m the same.”

For some reason, it felt awkward to pretend to be good in front of Prince Alfonso. She wasn’t bold enough to act frail in front of a man she had killed.

“I gave up the orphanage bread because it’s tasteless. I wouldn’t have given up if it was good.”

Instead, she acted tough. Prince Alfonso, slightly surprised, asked.

“The bread at the orphanage is tasteless?”

“It’s completely dry. There’s no milk or butter, just the taste of flour and salt.”

“I see...”

Prince Alfonso smiled bitterly. It seemed the orphanage didn’t serve him the real orphanage food. She didn’t pretend to know he was a prince, and a moment of silence fell. It wasn’t the right time to apologize for killing him. Fortunately, the prince asked another question.

“How long will you be here?”

“Until tomorrow.”

If Isabella hadn’t been spiteful, Ariadne would have returned home yesterday, the third day. She wouldn’t have met Prince Alfonso today.

“Will you keep giving up your food until then?”

“Hmm, I was planning to eat today, but since someone gave me an apple, I think I can do it for two more days.”

Ariadne smiled. Prince Alfonso, looking a bit troubled, frowned and pulled a handkerchief-wrapped cookie from his pocket.

“I wish I had something more substantial, but this is all I have.”

Ariadne took the handkerchief-wrapped cookie. The corner of the handkerchief had ‘AFC’ embroidered in gold thread, the initials of Alfonso de Carlo.

“I’ll eat it well. Thanks.”

The tall, thin girl, taking the food with the handkerchief, made the golden-haired boy ask.

“What’s your name?”

“Ariadne. Ariadne de Mare.”

The afternoon sun, setting from its peak, shone brilliantly on the boy and the girl.