Chapter 17
Among the five children, three were adopted by the orphanage director out of pity, while the other two remained unadopted. In the past, these were children that Cecenia would never have encountered.
Those children would surely be of great help to Cecenia.
“The shabbiest one…”
“I heard there are only five children in that orphanage.”
“Miss, how do you know about such a place?”
“Oh. Did Rohan mention it?”
I casually diverted the conversation.
“Well, if it’s Brother, it makes sense… He’s always meddling.”
Surprisingly, upon hearing that Rohan had said it, Lisbet did not ask any further questions.
“If it’s the shabbiest orphanage with only five children, then I do know of it. Felice Orphanage. I heard it’s about to close down… But why do you ask?”
“Oh. I plan to volunteer there so they can have a comfortable winter.”
It wasn’t volunteering at all, but Cecenia had nothing else to say. She was going there to talk with the children for a while. Saying anything more wouldn’t be helpful. That was the reason she gave, but Ted’s eyes sparkled.
“Volunteering, you say.”
“As expected of the Lady…”
“Not ‘as expected of the Lady.’ No. Slave. No, Ted-el. Sir. Miss doesn’t even know the ‘V’ in volunteering…”
“People can always change, Lisbet. You shouldn’t judge them with prejudice.”
“…But it’s suspicious.”
Indeed, Lisbet knew Cecenia too well. Cecenia herself felt embarrassed. She had never been to an orphanage before. Even when Lisbet or her nanny had invited her to volunteer, she had never agreed.
It wasn’t because she had a bad heart. She simply had no room in her mind for it. She had been too busy just trying to survive. That’s why she had never gone, and Lisbet now spoke with a firm voice and expression.
“That’s true. But today, my intentions are pure.”
“Yes, if the Lady says so, then it must be true. Please head toward Felice Orphanage. It’s on the outskirts, just before the entrance to the mountain. It should take about 30 minutes from here.”
After giving the coachman detailed directions, Lisbet returned to her seat. Meanwhile, the carriage gradually picked up speed.
“By the way, Miss, may I ask something?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Why did you suddenly move the goods?”
“Oh, that. You never know. In this dry weather, someone could shoot a flaming arrow at the warehouse, and it could catch fire.”
“Huh…?”
“I just wanted to eliminate the risk. Cotton, after all, catches fire easily.”
Lisbet tilted her head, as if realizing something.
“If you’re worried, wouldn’t increasing security be enough?”
“Fire spreads in an instant. It’s not something you can just stop. If you think you can stop it and fail, you lose everything. So, it’s best to evacuate important things in advance.”
“Oh, I see.”
She nodded as if she understood, though it was clear she didn’t fully grasp it.
Cecenia’s decision to move the cotton and increase security was something Lisbet still didn’t comprehend. But with time, she would understand everything, so Cecenia didn’t bother explaining further.
“It’s always good to be prepared in advance. Given the current situation… we don’t know what might happen.”
If Elzer—her sister—had never returned, there would have been no need for such precautions. But she had returned through time and was now seriously aiming to fight Cecenia. Because of that, Cecenia couldn’t afford to be complacent.
“Understood. If you need anything, please let me know.”
“Rohan, Lisbet, and Teddy… Just having you all by my side is enough. You don’t need to do anything more.”
At those words, Lisbet fidgeted, seemingly embarrassed.
Cecenia then gazed out of the window in silence.
‘This time, will I see a complete ending?’
Unlike her past life, where she died absurdly, would she be able to survive this time? Her head was filled with such thoughts.
**
Just as Lisbet had said, after about 30 minutes of travel, Felice Orphanage came into view. Without a sign indicating it was an orphanage, it could easily be mistaken for a small, regular house. Cecenia stepped down and surveyed the surroundings.
“Shall we knock?”
“Yes.”
As soon as Cecenia gave the order, Lisbet knocked on the orphanage’s door. The knocking sound echoed, and before long, a woman stepped outside.
“Who… are you?”
She was an unusual woman. She looked exhausted but was strangely well-groomed. Her nails were long, her hair neatly arranged, and her dress was too extravagant for someone who was supposed to be taking care of children.
“We’re here to make a donation.”
“Pardon…? To our orphanage…? How did you know about us…?”
“There was a sign in front.”
“Oh…”
As if dazed, the woman nodded belatedly.
Even with the sign, it was strange for someone to even know this orphanage existed. However, she did not seem particularly suspicious about that fact.
‘Or maybe she just doesn’t have the energy to care…’
She looked as if she would collapse from exhaustion at any moment.
“I heard there are only five children here?”
“Oh… Yes.”
“Please accept this. It will help you get through the winter.”
Teddy, quick to catch on, brought in the cotton and placed it beside her.
“This is…”
“Cotton. If you sew blankets, it will keep you warm through the winter.”
“T-Thank you… But about the donation…”
“There are twins here, correct? I would like to speak with them.”
“Excuse me? Ah, there are twins, but… speaking with them might be…”
“That’s fine. Could you guide me to them?”
Despite her reluctance, the woman didn’t immediately refuse. Though they came without prior notice, orphanages generally relied on donations. The temple and imperial family provided some support, but only for larger orphanages.
Small orphanages with fewer than five children were mostly left out. They weren’t officially recognized as orphanages, nor were they eligible for most aid. Donations were usually made by nobles for the sake of appearances. Since small orphanages didn’t boost their reputation, nobles ignored them altogether.
Thus, smaller orphanages were usually eager to accept donations. But this woman wasn’t.
‘As expected, but it’s worse than I thought…’
Not only was she not welcoming them, but she was also being wary.
Thinking she might be cautious due to their unknown status, Lisbet spoke up.
“This is Lady Cecenia Vestel of the Marquis Vestel family. She is also the current owner of the Iar Merchant Guild. Her identity is verified, so there is no need to worry.”
Upon hearing this, the woman awkwardly stepped back.
“Ah… Understood. However… the children have already been promised to the temple…”
“Is that so? Even so, I would still like to see them.”
“……”
“It’s not against any rules to meet children set to go to the temple, is it? Besides, since you’ve accepted the donation, isn’t it proper to show hospitality to your benefactors?”
