IBDEML 24

 Chapter 24

In the dim dawn, Megan carried her luggage and looked at Sunflower Orphanage where the children were still sleeping.

‘Please leave before the children wake up. Teacher and this orphanage do not suit each other.’

Watson’s words from yesterday were still vivid.

Megan bit her lip tightly, feeling helplessness rising inside her.

She also heard that Anna would return to work starting today to fill the empty spot after Megan left.

Then the discipline room that had been closed would open again, and the children would get hurt again.

What worried her the most was Lopez.

The child was still young, but bravely stepped forward even in situations that should be handled by adults.

Because of that, Medina was not kidnapped, and Chester and Klein were not seriously hurt.

Would that righteous child quietly listen to Anna when the discipline room opened again?

Definitely not.

‘Should I have at least told them to stay quiet?’

She wanted to leave the children behind in what was clearly a hell.

But her feet would not move.

However, she had to leave.

There was nothing she, who was powerless, could do here.

‘I should have found evidence…’

But Carrington kept interfering, so she could not find any proof.

Even though she knew crimes were being committed, she had to watch without evidence.

Megan, who had been staring at the orphanage gloomily, finally sighed heavily and turned around.

At that moment, someone jumped out from the bushes.

It was Lopez, with a large bandage covering half of her face and bandages wrapped around her right hand.

“Lopez?”

“S-sensei. No, teacher.”

Lopez’s pronunciation was slightly unclear because her cheek was pressed, but it looked cute.

However, Megan could not simply smile.

Her heart hurt too much knowing she had to leave such a child behind.

“Why did you come out instead of sleeping more?”

“Teacher likes children, right?”

At the sudden question, Megan blinked slowly.

She looked down at Lopez quietly for a moment, then a soft smile spread across her face.

“……Very much.”

It was not because of any special reason.

It was simply because children should be loved.

Megan herself had grown up in an orphanage and was raised with the love of the director.

Because of that affection, her childhood was not unhappy.

So she wanted to become someone like that for the children.

‘But…’

As she reconsidered her current situation, the corners of her eyes became wet with bitterness.

Lopez observed Megan.

Megan had a childhood similar yet different from hers, but they shared the same dream.

Her love toward the children was sincere, and Lopez, who read that, finally made up her mind.

‘This is the best way.’

She stepped toward Megan and took out a thick document from her bag, handing it over while pleading earnestly.

“Teacher, please protect the children.”

……Unfortunately, her pronunciation became blurred at such an important moment.

04. Period of Idol Denial (3): Strange but Addictive

It had been one week since Megan left.

‘It should be about time.’

Anna had returned to work at the orphanage.

Since Megan left without even saying goodbye, the children’s mood had become very low.

The same was true for the three boys in Class 3.

The only adult who took care of them was gone, so they must be sad.

I kept looking out the window.

As soon as Anna returned, Class 3 became a place no one paid attention to.

While Class 1 and Class 2 were busy with classes, only we were idle.

“You’re looking like that, but the teacher won’t come.”

“Speak more casually.”

“I don’t feel comfortable.”

Good.

I thought we had gotten a little closer because I took care of them, but there was still a line.

I’m not comfortable? Thanks for at least omitting the subject.

While thinking about how to reply, the twins who had been quiet suddenly stood up and shouted.

“Lopez is getting embarrassed!”

“Why are you talking like that!”

Thanks to them pointing out something that could have been passed naturally, I became embarrassed.

But smiling gently at the kind twins, I turned my gaze back to the window.

Miles and Rodney stood beside me and watched outside together.

“If you keep looking like that, will Teacher Megan come back?”

“We were abandoned, right? They said Class 3 children will be sold to bad people, Teacher Anna said that.”

I spoke, thinking about how to deal with Anna who was throwing garbage as soon as she arrived.

“We are not abandoned. Teacher Megan wanted to stay with us in a better environment, so she left for a while. So she will come back soon. Don’t believe what Teacher Anna says. She is a liar and a bad person.”

I felt a little guilty saying this to the children, but I had no choice.

I wasn’t trying to sow discord—Anna was truly bad.

“Really?”

“I never lie.”

“You lied before and called her a witch.”

Bill, this bastard…

At that moment, I heard faint hoofbeats outside the window.

I suddenly opened the window.

The hoofbeats grew louder, and soon a carriage appeared with dust flying.

The clean white carriage was decorated with star patterns, as if trying to make children feel safe.

The number of knight escorts riding beside it was greater than what I remembered from the novel.

Soon Megan stepped down from the carriage that stopped in front of the orphanage.

‘She’s here!’

Rodney and Miles also noticed Megan and waved.

“Ah! It’s Teacher Megan!”

“Kids!”

I hurriedly called the three and stood them in front of me.

Then I rubbed charcoal on their faces, which I had prepared beforehand.

“Ugh! What are you doing!”

One good thing in this world was that children’s welfare was quite good.

There was even a department that managed children intensively.

‘Children must be protected.’

The temple and the imperial family were constantly in conflict, but they shared this belief.

So the director who trafficked children would never be forgiven.

It was literally child trafficking.

I remembered the many jewels in the director’s secret safe and smiled quietly.

“Kids, if those people ask about orphanage life, tell the truth, okay?”

“What kind of things?”

“Hmm, are you studying well these days?”

“No!”

“Do you eat well?”

“They give food, but don’t give snacks like other classes.”

“Why are you in Class 3?”

“Because I am bad at studying and have low value!”

Hearing Miles and Rodney answering faithfully, I nodded satisfied.

“That’s enough. It’s not hard, right?”

“Yes, but what about the director…”

“You can ignore that person. Really. Don’t be afraid.”

Looking at their hesitation, I said confidently.

“I am the witch, so I am stronger!”

Only then did the three children’s faces visibly relax.

Hearing that the inspector had come to the orphanage, Watson and Carrington hurried down the stairs.

“You say Teacher Megan is with them?”

“Yes. And the knights she brought are more than usual, which is worrying.”

Arriving at the entrance, the inspector was already inside the orphanage.

It was the head inspector of the inspection department, Jack, with neat clothes and hair combed straight back.

‘Why is that person here…?’

Watson barely kept her face from twisting.

“Inspector.”

But he ignored Watson, who approached him kindly, and looked around the building with sharp eyes.

“I heard there was an unpleasant incident here recently…”

Watson clasped her sweaty hands together, pretending not to know, to hide her anxiety.

“What? That can’t be. As you know, we manage the orphanage very strictly. Just looking at the high adoption rate…”

Jack cut off Watson’s long speech coldly.

“Do I have to recite everything one by one?”

“……”

What does he know?

Watson felt her smiling face twitching.

She quickly tried to guess his intention, but Jack did not give her time and spoke.

“Teacher Megan.”

The director flinched at that name.

Megan, who had been hiding among the knights, slowly walked forward.

Seeing her cold, stiff face, Watson licked her dry lips and stuttered.

“T-Teacher, why…?”

“Did you think you could hide it?”

Watson did not know what she meant and could not answer carelessly.

‘I clearly hid the director’s records thoroughly. Then what is she relying on?’

Kidnapping incident?

That was treated as a simple attempted kidnapping, so there was no weakness to be used.

‘Yes, there is no evidence.’

Watson decided to act shamelessly.