Chapter 19

As night fell, Sir Clark rushed to our home.

Ori ran up to Sir Clark the moment she saw him, clinging to him and saying something.

Sir Clark, with a puzzled look, held his hands out to the sides while still being embraced by Ori, sending a pleading glance towards Jeffrey and me.

I approached and gently tried to pull Ori away, saying, "Ori, it's rude to cling like this."

Ori sharply slapped my arm away and glared at me with a sharp look, clearly filled with disdain.

(Ah, that was the look from back then, I see,) I realized.

"Ori, let go of Sir Clark. It's impolite."

This time, I spoke with a firmer tone. Even if she didn't understand the words, she should have understood the meaning.

But Ori, still clinging and sobbing, spoke rapidly to Sir Clark. As he listened, Sir Clark's brows furrowed, and a look of disgust began to show on his handsome face.

Eventually, Sir Clark grabbed Ori's shoulders with both hands and forcibly pulled her away. He spoke to her sternly, then approached Jeffrey.

"Uncle Jeff, she can't be trusted. It's something to think about keeping her in this house. I think it's better to move her somewhere else."

"What do you mean? What did Ori say to you?"

"I don't want to say. It's something unbearable to hear. She's dangerous. I'm sorry, but I'm going home now."

With that, Sir Clark bowed to me and Nonna and left. Nonna watched him go with a stunned expression. I put my arm around her and encouraged her to go inside.

But Nonna pushed my hand away and went to Ori. It seemed that my arm was destined to be pushed away tonight.

"Ori, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Without even looking at the worried Nonna, Ori muttered something and went inside.

Shocked, Nonna's face lost all expression. I comforted her and decided to talk in my room.

"Nonna, what happened? What did she say to you?"

"Ori said 'I hate you' in a small voice. Was she talking about me? Did I do something to her? Why does she hate me?"

Nonna, who rarely cries, was now shedding tears and her voice was trembling. As I stroked her head, my heart ached more than when it happened to me.

I had experienced Ori's attitude many times in the training institute and the noble society I infiltrated for work.

Because I got better grades than her.

Because I was close to the young master she was after.

Because I was more popular than her.

I was resilient and confident in my efforts, so I could handle the bullying and insults. But Nonna had never experienced such negative feelings.

"You haven't done anything wrong. I think Ori is envious of you."

"Father and I both want to help Ori."

"Yes, but if Ori were more cunning, she wouldn't have acted like that. It's better that she's still childish."

Nonna wouldn't understand this.

If Ori were more cunning and devious, she could have smiled and used us while hating us. The current Ori is still better.

I put my arm around Nonna's slim body and rested my cheek against her golden hair.

"I wish I could raise you in a beautiful world. But you're twelve now. It's time to learn that the world isn't always beautiful."

"What do you mean?"

"At twelve, you have to attend gatherings for noble children. Since both you and I are of commoner origin, it will eventually become known. There will always be people who will mock us. Compared to Ori, the spoiled young ladies you'll meet will be much worse."

"I don't want to go to such places."

"Not going is one option."

"Are there other options?"

"Well, I can think of at least three. Do you want to know?"

Nonna, with her tear-stained face, thought for a moment and nodded.

"I want to know. More options are better, as Mom always says."

"Hehe, that's right. First, if someone is mean to you, cover your face and cry loudly. The other person will panic because they'll be caught. You'll be seen as a weak crybaby, though."

"I don't want to do that. It's embarrassing."

"Then the second option is to pretend you didn't hear and completely ignore it. But I don't recommend this. The other person will just get more confident. There's no need to let them walk all over you. The third option is to immediately counter with something that will make the other person back down. This requires preparation to find their weaknesses."

"Do you mean to investigate all the participants? What did Mom do?"

I hesitated to tell my precious Nonna about my darker side, but I decided to endure and teach her.

"At the training institute, we lived together all the time, so I usually ignored them. When I had to, I used martial arts to silence them. No one could match me, male or female."

"Wow."

"In the case of nobles, I gathered as much information as possible about the participants beforehand and was ready to counter with something that would make them back down immediately."

"Wow, you did that?"

"There's no point in enduring endless bullying. It's a waste of time to be unhappy."

"I see. I understand. I'll use that method."

"But don't forget. There are many wonderful people like Lady Eva and Lady Yorana. Try to be friends with them."

"Okay."

Nonna, who had been crying just a moment ago, regained her energy.

"I want to protect you forever, but that's not possible. One day, you'll leave my side and go out into the world. I want you to be strong then. I don't want you to get sick from bullying or be unable to leave the house."

"I want to stay with Mom forever. Is that not possible?"

Worry appeared in Nonna's eyes. My chest tightened, and my nose stung.

"Well, I want to be with Nonna forever too, but fledglings must eventually leave the nest. It's for the best for both parents and children."

"Hmm, is that so?"

I've only known Nonna for six years, but the time we've spent together has been so intense that I feel like she's a part of me. But Nonna has her own life. She is a different person from me. One day, I'll have to let her go. And that day isn't far off. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry.

"You know, I always want to praise myself for speaking to Nonna that day in the square. I've been able to live with such a wonderful, beautiful, and hardworking child."

"Yep. I'm glad too. I'm glad Mom spoke to me."

"Also, because of Nonna, I met Jeff."

"Mom, why do you think Ori said she hates me?"

"You'd have to ask her. But, perhaps—"

I hesitated to speak. I didn't want to criticize someone based on assumptions.

But if my guess was correct, we might all have been deceived by sixteen-year-old Ori.

"Perhaps?"

"No, never mind."

That night, Ori disappeared from our home.

There aren't many places a sixteen-year-old girl who can't speak the language of this country can go.

Jeffrey asked the Second Knight Regiment to search for her, and I asked Zahar to gather information about Ori. It would likely reach Hector, the head of the underworld.

But it was difficult to find any leads on her.

After that, Sir Clark told Jeffrey and me what Ori had said that day.

"She said she was being bullied by Nonna. She said the teacher made her do so much cleaning and laundry that she had no time to sleep. She wanted help and to be taken to your home."

"Oh my. What a ridiculous lie."

"Teacher, did you also hear that Ori was mistreated in Subarts?"

"Unfortunately, now it's hard to tell what's true and what's not."

There are people who work hard and hard, only to fall and give up, but there are also a certain number of people who are destined to fall. How do pure and innocent hearts change over time?

That day, Jeffrey was very kind to me.

"Don't worry about Ori. I've seen and heard much worse."

"Is that so? Then why do you look so sad?"

"I didn't realize I looked like that. I know all too well that kindness isn't always returned in equal measure."

Jeffrey didn't say anything more and stayed by my side. Leaning on him, I wished, (Life is sometimes bitter and sometimes sweet. May the day come when that girl who ran away from this house learns to empathize with others and finds happiness.)