“Don’t trust the people from the temple.”

“Is there a reason not to trust them?”

The child hesitated for a while before he blurted out.

“No one… No one saved Priestess Leah.”

“What do you mean? Were you there when the fire broke out?”

Tears welled up in the child’s eyes and began to fall.

“…Yes. It’s all because of me, me.”

The child, who was sniffling, continued in a sad voice, “I went to tell the people when I saw the fire, but the Bishop kicked me out because he was busy preparing for the service, and the priests didn’t believe me because I’m a troublemaker. So…”

“That can’t be true.”

“It’s because I came too late that Priestess Leah passed away.”

Karentina gently patted the back of the child’s trembling shoulders as he cried before she opened her mouth.

“It was a tragic accident that wasn’t your fault, and Priestess Leah would be sad to see you in this much pain.”

“Re, really?”

“Of course. If I were the Priestess, I would’ve wanted you to live a happy life.”

At those words, the sobbing child roughly wiped his eyes.

“So, stop crying. Here—”

She then used a handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the child’s eyes.

‘…I feel uncomfortable for some reason.’

As she rose from her seat, a thought suddenly crossed through her mind…

Rumble.

At that moment, a growling sound emanated from the child’s stomach, causing his face to flush bright red.

“…Where is your home? Are your parents in the gemstone mine?”

The child, who was covering his hungry stomach with both arms, murmured in a small voice.

“My parents died when I was young, and I live with other children in the slums next to the temple.”

“The slums?”

Karentina furrowed her brow at those words. Considering the cold weather, she became concerned about whether there was a suitable place for them to sleep.

“Yes. There are many abandoned children. We were supposed to all live together when an orphanage opened…”

“….”

It seemed like this novel wasn’t content with just making the main characters miserable, but it was also determined to make everyone in the world unhappy.

She turned her head towards Zion.

“Zion, do I have what I gave you earlier?”

“Yeah, Master.”

Answering so, he took out a heavy purse of coins.

“Is there a bakery around here?”

“Yes, there is.”

“Would you like to go and buy some bread with the brother in the robe and share it with the other children?”

“But, but…!”

“It’s okay. This is the money that should have been properly given to you, and I’ll take care of the orphanage issue.”

“Yes?”

Karentina gently stroked the bewildered child’s head. Perhaps his sense of caution had eased as he quietly leaned into the touch.

“Kid, let’s go.”

The child, who had been following Zion, ran back and whispered in her ear.

“Sister, my name is Eddie.”

After saying that, he looked somewhat embarrassed and quickly followed behind Zion once again.

“Eddie…”

‘…Wait a minute, Eddie?’

Karentina stiffened, unable to even lower the hand she was waving at the child.

In the middle of the novel, the aristocrat who became a pawn for Duke Horton to seize control of the North was named Eddie.

 
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