Chapter 52
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 52
"That's right. Thanks to you, Miss, I've traveled to many places and seen so much. I'm grateful for the opportunity you've given me."
"I'm the one who should be grateful. You willingly followed me on this journey."
"Of course. I'm your personal Maidservant, after all. Wherever you go, I go without question. You must never leave me behind, no matter where. Do you understand?"
"...."
"William is the same way. He would do anything for your sake. And Lian as well."
"...."
"Until you become a true head of the Heitz Family, and even after you do, we will remain by your side."
I simply listened to Mary speak with such earnest conviction, her unfamiliar intensity striking me.
I had such loyal companions standing beside me.
My heart tingled as if someone were gently scratching at it.
The fact that the people I cherished followed me and placed absolute faith in me was enough to make my chest swell with emotion.
And there was only one thing I could say to them.
"Thank you."
That was all.
* * *
After three hours of travel, I arrived at the Orphanage in Hemoa.
The carriage came to a halt before the entrance of the Orphanage.
The moment I stepped down, I saw children playing in the open courtyard, just as they had been before.
But among them stood one figure who was noticeably taller, standing out distinctly from the rest.
"Who is that?"
Mary didn't recognize him, but I knew exactly who he was at a glance.
"Aiden Byon."
"What? You mean the young master of the Byon Family?"
It was unmistakably him.
Just then, Aiden, who had been playing energetically with the children, seemed to sense something and stopped, turning his gaze toward us.
Even from a distance, I felt our eyes meet.
Recognizing me, he began sprinting toward me with incredible speed, his long legs carrying him swiftly.
Seeing Aiden run, the other children who had been murmuring soon followed after him.
"Belita?"
"Aiden."
He arrived before me without a single breath out of place, his composure unshaken.
Yet he couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes—he clearly hadn't expected me to come.
"How did you... No, it was so unexpected that I thought I must have been seeing things."
"As I mentioned before, I wanted to see how the children were doing."
"I feel the same way."
"How is Adela? Is she in good health?"
"Remarkably, she has improved greatly since your last visit."
"Really? That's wonderful news."
In her recent letters, Adela had indeed written that she'd been gaining strength lately and her health was gradually improving.
But when I visited last time, she said she was fine, so I thought she was just being polite.
To hear that she was truly getting better was such joyful news.
"Sister!"
While I was speaking briefly with Aiden, the children arrived.
Lucy called out to me and rushed over.
"Sister, I missed you so much!"
I gently stroked the head of the child who embraced my waist warmly and affectionately.
"Lucy, have you been well?"
"Yes! I've been great! Where's big brother— Oh, there he is!"
The moment Lucy spotted Lian, she ran toward him.
The other children greeted me before rushing off to Lian as well.
As I looked around at all the children, I also greeted some new faces I hadn't seen on my last visit.
"Well then, since we've all said hello, I suppose I should give out the gifts."
"Gifts?"
"Did you really bring us actual gifts?"
"Of course. I promised I'd bring gifts next time I came, didn't I?"
"Yay!"
"A gift, a gift!"
The children had noticed the gifts in the carriage and were now bouncing excitedly around it, their voices ringing with pure joy.
"Alright, everyone line up!"
The children responded in unison with a cheerful "Yes!" and formed a neat line before me.
I began removing gift boxes from the carriage one by one and distributing them to the children.
"Thank you!"
"A gift!"
Watching the children smile brightly as they thanked me, I found my own spirits lifting even higher.
"This is my first gift ever!"
"Mine too! Mine too!"
I noticed several of the children's faces lighting up with emotion as they spoke of receiving their first gift.
"Is this really mine? No one will take it away?"
One child asked me the same question over and over.
My throat tightened suddenly. I lowered my head and pressed my lips together firmly, composing myself before looking back up at the child with a gentle smile.
"Yes, it's yours. No one will take it away, so don't worry."
"Yay! Thank you!"
After distributing gifts to the last child, I finally straightened up and looked around.
The children had settled into their own spots and were examining their presents.
"Thank you."
Aiden Byon approached me.
"I'm simply keeping my promise. I noticed it before, but the children here are so bright. You can tell how well they're living in this place."
"I heard that Belita is also launching an orphanage project."
"You heard about that?"
Well, it was such a large-scale undertaking that word was bound to spread.
"I hope the children at the orphanage I'm building will grow up just as well. Living each day happily and healthily."
"I'm certain they will."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes."
When he said it would happen, it truly felt as though it would.
Somehow, confidence bloomed within me.
"Thank you for saying that."
My mood lifted, and I found myself breaking into a wide smile at him. He smiled back at me in return.
Then I felt a strange flutter near my heart—different from what I'd felt during my conversation with Mary in the carriage.
Unfamiliar with this sensation, I awkwardly turned my head away.
But the children had finished examining their gifts and were now running toward us.
"Big brother! Play with us!"
Adrian grabbed Lian's arm and tugged at it.
"Brother, you'll play with us, right? You're not leaving soon, are you?"
Lucy seized Lian's other arm, the one Adrian wasn't holding.
Lian looked at me with a troubled expression.
"Go ahead."
"Yay!"
The children cheered the moment I gave my permission.
"Then I'll be back shortly."
"Don't rush back—spend plenty of time with the children. I'll ride around the village for a bit."
Though I'd only visited this village twice now, I'd grown quite fond of it.
Since I'd come with the spirit of a traveler, exploring the village seemed like a pleasant idea.
Besides, the equestrian competition wasn't far off.
Riding around would serve as practice far better than simply sitting idle.
"Then I shall accompany you."
The moment I mentioned sightseeing, Aiden Byon offered to come along.
"I can manage on my own. Aren't you busy?"
He seemed occupied nearly every day.
I felt both reluctant to steal his time and uncertain whether I truly needed his company.
"No, today is fine."
When he said it was fine, I found it awkward to refuse further, so I nodded gently.
"Very well."
With that reply, I gestured for Lian to go on ahead.
Yet for some reason, Lian's expression didn't seem pleased.
He appeared to be holding back something he wanted to say to me.
"Lian, is there something you need?"
"...No."
"Then—"
"Brother, let's go! Come play with us!"
The children, unable to wait any longer, began pestering Lian.
"Go on. Have fun with them."
"...Understood. Be careful, Miss."
"I will."
After Lian and the children departed for the Playground, Aiden Byon and I mounted our horses.
"You two rest for a while."
Watching Mary and William, who seemed delighted to be alone together and kept laughing, I realized that going with Aiden Byon was actually quite a good choice.
"Be careful, Miss."
"Do be careful, Miss."
"I'll be back soon."
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org