Chapter 28
The man shook his head with a pale, terrified face.
“No, no! How could a lowly person like me dare to propose a deal with Your Majesty!”
Viscount Phillips, who once dreamed of rising in life by using the emperor’s power, now looked miserable.
He had been caught by the inspection chief, Jack.
The Inspection Department began a large-scale investigation of all orphanages in the empire, starting with the Sunflower Orphanage.
When everything was turned upside down, many nobles who used children for profit were caught.
Of course, Viscount Phillips and his wife were also among them.
Since human trafficking against children was discovered, imprisonment was certain, and they might even be sentenced to death.
‘Even if I can somehow save my life…’
If they could not pay the huge fine, the Phillips couple would have to do unpaid labor for the rest of their lives.
But it seemed he was not destined to die yet, as he suddenly remembered the pink-haired girl.
Viscount Phillips quickly glanced at the emperor and lowered his head.
‘That girl is definitely His Majesty’s daughter!’
Otherwise, she could not look so similar.
So Viscount Phillips decided to use this.
If it was the emperor’s order, this crime might be pardoned.
“I, I was just…”
“Even if you do not speak, I can find the child by investigating your actions. There is no need to make a deal.”
When despair spread on Viscount Phillips’ face, the emperor who was watching him slowly spoke.
“However, I will give you a chance. Tell me which orphanage right now, and I will consider the deal positively.”
In an instant, Viscount Phillips’ face brightened.
Without thinking much, he told everything he knew.
“It, it is the Sunflower Orphanage! It is the orphanage in the forest of Buint Village!”
Buint Village was a rural territory far away from the capital.
At that distance, news that the emperor was searching for his daughter would not easily reach there.
The emperor’s eyes became blurred.
‘If you are really my child…’
How could you end up there?
The emperor bit the inside of his mouth as his chest hurt.
“Very well. If it is truly my daughter, I will reconsider your sentence.”
When the emperor waved his hand, the knight behind him grabbed Viscount Phillips’ arm roughly and pulled him up.
“Please, please remember me, Your Majesty! Please…!”
The desperate voice of Viscount Phillips slowly faded away.
Soon, the emperor stood up from his seat.
He never planned to save Viscount Phillips.
“Those who were involved in this case must never see the light of day again.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Go to the Sunflower Orphanage immediately.”
There was no time to waste.
If it was true—if she really was his daughter—he had to bring her back as soon as possible.
Meanwhile
The Sunflower Orphanage, which had been slightly shaken, was stabilizing thanks to Megan’s passion, so I had to prepare to leave.
Honestly, if it was about information, it might be faster to ask a mage or an information broker.
But I was not sure if they would accept a child’s request.
So I decided to start with the temple, which was the easiest place to approach.
I could ask the priests various questions as if I was just curious.
“Lopez.”
“Hm?”
“There is poop there.”
Squish!
“You told me too late, didn’t you?”
My foot was already on the poop.
In the end, I couldn’t avoid it and stepped on it.
“Why is poop here?”
Arden looked at me suspiciously.
“I’m not a person who would poop on the roadside like that.”
Why are you looking at me like that?
“It looks like fresh poop.”
“……”
“Arden, it’s not me.”
“I know.”
I looked at him suspiciously.
“Then why are you staring like that?”
“Can you see my eyes?”
“If you look closely, yes.”
It was very faint, but I could see it.
Through the platinum blond hair covering his eyes, his especially red eyes were beautiful enough to make it hard to look away.
I felt a little sorry that his eyes were covered.
Arden seemed uncomfortable with my gaze and slowly turned his face away.
“You mean you are looking at me closely?”
“When talking to someone, you should look at their eyes.”
“……Does it feel bad?”
“For me? Or for the other person?”
“……”
“I don’t feel bad. If you feel bad, I will be careful.”
After a short silence, Arden suddenly criticized my personality.
“You are strange. You know that, right?”
“I know there is a bad smell right now.”
Ugh, smell.
I pushed the poop to the corner so the children wouldn’t step on it and rubbed my shoes on the ground.
“Okay, let’s go.”
This week, the duty members of Moon Class were me and Arden. We went to throw away the trash and get snacks from the cafeteria.
The wind blew.
Dust fell onto Arden’s head.
I raised my hand to brush it off, and Arden flinched.
“Ah, sorry…”
I really need to fix this habit of reaching out carelessly.
Maybe it was because he looked like a child, and I kept wanting to take care of him.
Arden tucked his neck in like a turtle and avoided me.
“W-why are you doing that?”
“Dust is on your head. I wanted to brush it off.”
“……Dirty. Just leave it alone.”
“I’m not dirty. I washed my hands. I did move poop earlier, but I used a shovel.”
Arden looked at me in disbelief, full of grievance.
“Y-you said I was dirty…”
“You washed earlier, right?”
“That’s not what I meant…!”
I know, I know.
It seemed Arden had been teased a lot because people said he was dirty.
So he probably gets startled whenever someone touches him.
He probably had never received kind, meaningless kindness from others.
Looking at how he once said he would cut off someone’s hand if they crossed his desk, he looked like a sensitive baby cat who was easily hurt.
Anyway, it was fine if he didn’t hate me.
I raised my hand again.
Fortunately, Arden didn’t avoid me this time.
I carefully brushed the dust off his shining platinum blond hair.
The hair that sparkled in sunlight was always beautiful.
His skin was also pale white.
Arden, who was stretching his neck stiffly from tension, looked cute, so I laughed softly.
“……Am I funny?”
This is too twisted.
“I laughed because you are cute. I really don’t understand you.”
“……”
“Sometimes you were fierce at first, but when I got injured, you took me to the infirmary with that weak body, and you greeted me kindly. We played together well, but now you act like a hissing cat…”
“I know. My personality is bad.”
I immediately denied it when I saw his drooping shoulders.
“No! I’m just asking. Why think negatively?”
“How should I think then?”
“Positively!”
“Lopez isn’t that positive either.”
This kid is a natural mouth fighter.
He is quite strong in verbal battles.
“Well, if that is your personality, there is nothing we can do.”
“You are giving up on me?”
“I am saying I will accept even that.”
“……”
Arden became silent.
Then he suddenly asked me,
“Did you give up on escaping?”
“You?”
“……I don’t know. People can change anytime.”
I wanted to clearly say that Megan was not like that, but I also couldn’t be sure, so I stayed silent.
“So? You didn’t answer, Lopez.”
“I have somewhere I need to go. But Teacher Megan will understand if I need to go out, so I won’t sneak out.”
“You have somewhere to go…”
“Are you jealous?”
“Not really jealous… No.”
He saved his words and changed the topic.
“Why do you hold my hand?”
“It depends on the situation, but usually it means friendliness.”
“Then the times Lopez sometimes holds my hand…”
“This is because your hand is soft.”
“……That’s not friendliness.”
“It’s mixed.”
“I see…”
Arden murmured quietly.
Thinking about it, I had hardly ever talked alone with Arden.
Especially talking this long was a first.
After talking, I could clearly feel that Arden was different from others.
But well, children are usually changeable.
Their attitude toward me might change anytime.
Seeing that he didn’t even know simple common knowledge, he seemed a little air-headed too.
“Can I hold your hand?”
“Yes.”
“…Like this?”
He carefully held my hand.
To be exact, he intertwined his fingers with mine.
“Hmm, this is…”
“…I did it wrong. I was wrong, right?”
“No, it’s completely correct.”
Don’t look like you are about to cry like that.
Interlocking fingers is usually something lovers do…
“This is the first time I held someone’s hand first. I’m glad.”
…Yes. He is still a child.
No need to explain it now.
