TVBDS 09

Chapter: 09

After swallowing down the heat that kept rising inside me over and over again, I finally managed to open my mouth.

“Use this to buy some medicine and apply it.”

“……”

I searched through my pocket and held out whatever coins I could grab.

Bastian didn’t move an inch. He only stared at my face.

His blood-red eyes, as if filled with blood itself, looked directly at me. His sharp gaze contained not a single trace of emotion, and a chill ran down my spine for a moment.

Since he showed no reaction, I forcibly shoved my wallet into Bastian’s pocket.

“Go quickly.”

Then, when I lightly pushed him away, Bastian finally flinched as if waking from a dream.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared through the crowd.

Without saying a single word of thanks.

“Y-you! Miss! What on earth are you doing?! To a sewer rat like that who doesn’t even deserve mercy!”

The baker belatedly began shouting angrily.

“How I spend my own money is my business, isn’t it?”

“Ugh…”

On his dissatisfied face, I could practically see the unspoken complaint:

‘This is why children who know nothing about the world…’

I knew this wasn’t a fundamental solution.

But no matter how grand and magnificent the plan I had created for him was, if I turned away from Bastian standing right in front of me, then who exactly was that plan for?

Words of pity and sympathy alone couldn’t fill an empty stomach.

I knew that fact better than anyone.

‘Sorry, Adelaide. My situation isn’t very good either… But it’ll be resolved soon! Stay strong!’

‘I can’t lend you money, but I’ll pray every day that your family rises again.’

‘I’m disappointed in you, Adelaide. I can’t believe you turned out to be such a materialistic person!’

The painful memories that surfaced made my stomach twist uncomfortably.

That was when—

“Adelaide? Are you alright? Your face is completely pale… What on earth happened here?”

Uncle Guillaume finally appeared after pushing through the crowd and asked for an explanation.

He must have been completely distracted by the toys, because he was wearing a ridiculous hat on his head and carrying a toy carriage and soldier dolls in his arms.

After hearing the situation, Uncle Guillaume clicked his tongue once and patted the baker’s shoulder.

“Adelaide didn’t do it with bad intentions, did she? In any case, you sold the bread, so you didn’t suffer any losses. So let’s just let this go.”

“Sigh… I understand. But please make sure to warn the young lady properly. There’s no need to show mercy to people like that.”

The baker glared one last time in the direction where Bastian had disappeared before finally returning to his workplace.

“Adelaide?”

“…Yes, Uncle Guillaume.”

“We’ll talk about the details once we get home.”

Still, you did well.

Uncle Guillaume added in a voice so quiet that only I could hear.

“However, next time, don’t step in yourself. Call an adult instead. You almost got hurt.”

“I’m sorry. That was money my parents gave me to buy toys…”

Uncle Guillaume’s large hand gently rested on my head.

“I’m not scolding you for that. I’m worried about you. I’ll buy your toys. Since you did something kind, you deserve a reward.”

I silently nodded.

“As expected, we need a nanny.”

At my muttered words, Antoine stopped sucking on the toy soldier he had bought last time and stared blankly at me.

“Antoine, spit it out.”

“Te!”

Ah, what a good boy.

Seeing how well he listened to his sister, Antoine was definitely an angel.

What kind of angel, though…

Hmm…

An angel from a garbage dump…?

‘He’s an angel, so it’s understandable that he’s a little bad at cleaning up his toys!’

I let out a deep sigh and started organizing the toys scattered all over the place.

This was the toy soldier we bought that day.

That was the bamboo flute from the East that Uncle Guillaume brought a few days ago.

On top of that, wooden blocks that seemed to constantly target people’s feet like landmines were scattered everywhere.

The servants worked hard to organize everything every hour, but Antoine could turn the playroom into a disaster zone in an instant.

The reason was simple.

He was bored.

Playing was fun for only a day or two.

Playing near the fountain and watching ants had become boring as well.

We needed new stimulation and endless dopamine.

I had begged Mother, saying that if we didn’t have a nanny, couldn’t we just go out with a maid instead?

But Mother was firm.

‘No! Something like that happened not long ago… For the time being, let’s just play together at home with Mother, okay?’

When Mother, whose face was pale enough to look like she might collapse at any moment, said something like that, I couldn’t keep insisting.

Please, let us find a good nanny soon.

Just as I was offering up yet another prayer, it happened.

“Adelaide, Antoine. Are you here?”

“Mother?”

The playroom door opened, and Mother entered with her pale face.

Mother wasn’t alone.

A stranger followed behind her, and Antoine and I could only stare at each other.

“Miss Bobbins, these are my children. My eldest, Adelaide, and Antoine.”

A woman with glossy black hair elegantly tied up like a bird’s feather stared at us with eyes the color of lapis lazuli.

She looked to be in her late twenties or perhaps older, but because of her clear skin and straight posture, “lady” seemed more fitting than “madam.”

“Hello.”

I didn’t know who she was, but since Mother had personally brought her here, I should greet her first.

I urged Antoine, who was hiding behind me shyly and refusing to come out.

My little brother hesitated before following my lead and bowing his head.

“Hello…”

His tiny voice contained not even a trace of confidence.

“From now on, instead of Madam Severine, Miss Camille Bobbins will take care of you in Mother’s place. So you must listen well, okay?”

It wasn’t even a particularly long sentence, but seeing Mother close her eyes and breathe heavily made my heart sink.

As expected, she still hadn’t fully recovered.

“Miss Camille isn’t a noble, but she completed her studies at a girls’ academy and spent time as the companion of Countess Roan, where she learned culture and elegance. So always behave politely and learn well. Especially you, Addie.”

No wonder.

I had thought her posture alone was different from an ordinary nanny.

Camille was closer to a governess than a nanny.

“The recommendation letter from Countess Roan says that she can read and write, compose poetry, play the piano, paint, embroider, and even dance. It seems the countess truly taught her like her own granddaughter in her later years.”

Camille smiled elegantly and nodded.

‘Education…’

One of the things I regretted most after my family fell was that I could no longer continue learning.

“Please take care of me from now on, Miss Bobbins.”

“Please call me Camille. It is my honor to meet you.”

At the thought that I could finally satisfy my thirst for knowledge this time without restraint, I already liked Camille.

Separate from meeting our new nanny, Antoine needed a friend.

“Antoine, come here for a moment. Don’t you need a friend?”

“A friend?”

“Go over there and tell Mother, ‘Mother, I want to make friends.’ Don’t say I told you to.”

Antoine obediently nodded and approached Mother, who was dozing peacefully under the sunlight.

“Hmm…? Antoine? What is it?”