Chapter 12
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Chapter 12
"Your aunt isn't going to die. I'm not abandoning you and running off somewhere."
"I already know that because Riley told me."
"Is that so?"
Lucian averted his gaze from mine. His reaction suggested he felt quite embarrassed and apologetic.
"You said there are lots of children like me in this world, and that your aunt went to help them because they looked similar to me, right?"
"Yes."
Hearing Lucian's words, it seemed Riley had explained things to him sufficiently.
'Though knowing Lucian's temperament, he wouldn't normally accept such an explanation so quietly.'
For such words to come from Lucian's mouth—it appeared my collapse had been quite the shock to him.
'Children are children, after all.'
Seeing him like this, I found myself somewhat forgiving of his earlier fury and fists.
However, I couldn't let cuteness excuse him. Regardless of anything else, striking people was truly a terrible habit.
'I need to correct this behavior once and for all while I have the chance.'
I changed my mind about getting out of bed. Instead, I let out a groan of pain and burrowed deeper into the blankets.
"Oh my, it hurts."
"A-Aunt, what's wrong? Does it hurt again?"
"Yes. My stomach feels tender."
"Your stomach? Why? Haven't you had a bowel movement?"
"No. I think it's because I got hit by Lucian yesterday."
"...."
Lucian's mouth snapped shut, clearly struck by guilt.
'So he does feel sorry.'
I was determined to extract a promise from him that he would never hit anyone again. With that resolve, I clutched my stomach.
"On top of everything else hurting, now my stomach too—I feel like I'm dying."
"Aunt, no! Don't die!"
"If only Lucian hadn't hit me, I'd be fine...."
Whether my act was convincing or not, Lucian burst into tears like a broken dam.
I felt a twinge of guilt, but... bad habits need to be corrected.
Especially a habit of hitting people. Besides, when Lucian hit me, it really did hurt.
For something so small, he certainly packed a punch.
"Aunt, I'm sorry. I'll never hit anyone again from now on. So please, don't die on me!"
"You really won't hit anyone?"
"I won't."
"And you won't do things that trouble others?"
"I won't do that either. From now on, I won't put salt in the Lord's tea and I won't cut his beard! So please, Aunt, don't leave me and die!"
Unable to contain his sorrow, Lucian buried his face in the bed sheets and began sobbing uncontrollably.
'Sigh. I can't bear to watch this anymore.'
I lifted the prostrate Lucian from the bed. I was surprised at how much he'd grown—it took considerable strength to hold him.
"There. I understand. Your aunt won't die, so stop crying now."
I held Lucian in my arms and gently patted his back. He clung to me like a baby koala, burrowing deeper into my embrace.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Aunt."
Tears and snot soaked my shoulder as he wept. This was the first time I'd seen Lucian cry so bitterly, and it broke my heart.
Some might criticize me for inflicting such a severe shock on the child. Others could argue that the punishment was lighter than it should have been.
Still, there was nothing I could do about it.
I didn't possess extensive knowledge of childcare, and this place had no child psychologists—not even anyone in a remotely similar profession. This was the best I could manage.
After all, this was my first time raising a child.
"You really have to keep your promise this time? If Lucian upsets Aunt again, Aunt might get so sick that I collapse again."
"I'll keep it. I'll keep my promise and protect Aunt."
His solemn declaration made me laugh despite myself.
As if something so tiny could protect me.
Yet his sincerity touched me, so I refrained from saying anything unnecessary.
"Alright. Aunt won't be sick anymore. And Lucian won't cry anymore either."
"Mm-hmm."
I gently patted Lucian's back. Soon, his sniffles subsided, and he drifted to sleep in my arms.
"Miss Lucella, please let me take the young master."
"It's fine. I'll hold him."
"But you just collapsed and have only just awakened. The physician said you were overexerted and need rest for a while."
Overexerted from just one sleepless night? Caring for a child was clearly no trivial matter.
I'd been losing sleep these past few days, consumed with the thought of raising Lucian properly.
"Please give the young master to me and have breakfast. You've gone hungry all day—you must be famished."
My stomach did feel hollow. After all the stress, I craved something sweet.
"It would be better for the young master to rest comfortably in bed. He hasn't slept a wink since you collapsed."
"Lucian hasn't?"
"No. He kept saying Aunt mustn't die, and he absolutely refused to sleep. He checked on you every hour to see if you'd awakened."
"I see..."
I carefully brushed the hair from Lucian's forehead. From all his crying, sweat beaded on his brow and the nape of his neck.
'This tiny thing was so worried about me that he couldn't even sleep properly.'
The thought nearly brought tears to my eyes.
That's right. According to the original narrative, Lucian wasn't inherently wicked. He'd simply grown a bit twisted from lacking parents—not a psychopath who derived pleasure from others' suffering.
"No, Riley. I'll take Lucian to his room myself."
"Yes? But..."
"I want to hold him a little longer."
Riley reluctantly nodded in acquiescence.
I offered her a faint smile and continued patting Lucian's back until his sleep-talking ceased.
Hoping he would have pleasant dreams, and that when he woke, he would be a better child.
* * *
"Amelia! Throw the ball over here!"
Amelia stared at the ball that had rolled to a stop at her feet.
Originally, the Büsnie Orphanage had possessed nothing that could be called a ball. They'd all been so old and deflated that they were unusable.
That perfectly intact ball, which wouldn't burst even when kicked hard, was a gift I owed entirely to one person.
'Sister Lucella.'
Without her, I would never have obtained that vibrant, forsythia-yellow soccer ball, nor the freedom to play as much as I wished.
"What are you doing? Throw it already."
"Okay."
Amelia picked up the ball and tossed it. The bright yellow sphere arced gracefully through the air, soaring into the distance. The children laughed merrily, their eyes following its trajectory.
But Amelia did not join them. Instead, she watched the playing children while her gaze drifted to the chocolate cookie held in her other hand.
A yellow note was affixed to the cookie, its wrapper still unopened.
[Thank you so much for last night. This is a gift just for Amelia and Edwin. I wanted to give it to you in person, but I'm sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye. Next time, let's share something even more delicious.]
Lucella had visited the Orphanage four days ago. I had been caring for the babies alongside her, but when I came to my senses, it was morning. Lucella had vanished, and unfamiliar adults had taken her place.
'From now on, we'll be staying with you.'
Heidi, who introduced herself as the new teacher, called Amelia and Edwin aside from the other children. Then she pressed a chocolate cookie, no larger than an adult's palm, into their hands.
'The Young Lady of Rilprey asked me to give this to you without the other children knowing.'
'The Young Lady of Rilprey... you mean Sister Lucella?'
'Yes, that's right. She said she was very grateful for yesterday. She wanted to give it to you herself, but she apologized for having to leave so suddenly.'
'Wow, this is my first time eating chocolate cookies!'
Edwin devoured his cookie with delight, but Amelia could not bring herself to do the same.
Like a four-leaf clover I kept pressed between the pages of a book for fear it might tear, I preserved the cookie without eating it. To receive such tender kindness... it felt as though I had returned to the days when my parents were still alive.
'When she returns, I wanted to thank her and share it together with her.'
Four days had already passed since Lucella left. She had not returned to the Büsnie Orphanage, nor had she given any hint of when she might come back.
As always, the children quickly forgot about Lucella. This was hardly their first such experience.
Adults who arrived with kind faces would leave just as quickly if they found no child to their liking.
But Lucella was different from any adult I had seen before. She had rescued the children from the Orphanage Director and treated them with unwavering gentleness throughout.
That was why I believed in her.
I had wanted to trust her going forward.
"I guess she really isn't coming back."
"Amelia, what are you muttering about all by yourself?"
Edwin peeked over my shoulder from behind, tilting his head curiously.
"Nothing. Just thinking that maybe the only person I can truly rely on is myself."
"What about me?"
"Of course I trust you too, Edwin."
As I said this, I reached out with the hand not holding the cookie and pinched Edwin's cheek. The soft texture beneath my fingers felt like dough.
Edwin smiled at my affectionate touch, his gaze shifting to my other hand, the one that held the cookie.
"Why haven't you eaten the cookie yet?"
"Because... it feels too precious."
Edwin tilted his head as if he couldn't quite understand what I meant.
I had always been the kind one, always giving up my share of snacks to Edwin and the younger children. When asked if I minded, I would simply smile and say, 'I ate plenty when I lived with my parents.'
But now, here I was, reluctant to eat food.
'I was about to ask her to give it to me if she wasn't going to eat it.'
Edwin felt oddly embarrassed and scratched the bridge of his nose.
The chocolate chip cookie I tasted for the first time in my life was soft and incredibly sweet. Especially those little black beans scattered throughout—they were absolutely delicious.
'Amelia has never eaten anything this delicious before.'
That's why she's savoring it so carefully. She doesn't want the delicious cookie to disappear.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org