The Duke's Daughter Is A Villainess (4)

[Host, what are you going to do outside?]

~I'm going to save a life.

[You're going to finish another task? Wow! I've never seen such a proactive host before!]

~Really? So you've had other hosts before? What were they like?

[Oh!!! I'm not allowed to discuss that with you, sorry! But none of them have ever asked to change my voice before... you're the first one to ask me that.]

~You're still thinking about that, huh?

[Well! No one's ever asked before! And no one's ever called me an ugly old man before either! Doesn't my male voice sound handsome? Why did you say it was ugly?]

~...Either way, no man can compare to a cute girl, you must know this too.

[I'm just a system!! I have no preferences like that!!!]

~That's good, since you're a system.

[So you prefer women? If so won't that be difficult for you? This challenge is all about seducing men! I'm worried you won't be able to complete it!]

~Yes, I prefer women, but it's not like I don't like men. It'll be fine.

[Which is better? One cute girl or one thousand handsome men?]

~The cute girl, of course! Such a stupid question, Buddy.

[....I really am worried after all...]

Just as Dahlia was about to launch into her speech about how a handsome man could simply never compare to a cute girl, the carriage came to a stop.

As expected, though Dahlia asked to be brought near the slums, where the orphanage was located, the carriage stopped in the centre of town instead, nearer to the shops and restaurants. She figured the coachman probably wouldn't want to actually take her anywhere near the slums.

That was fine, if he wouldn't take her there, Dahlia would just walk. And walk she did.

As soon as she got off the carriage, she asked for directions to the nearest orphanage and then walked there. Though she was walking through the seedier parts of town, she wasn't worried. She knew Zeke was probably watching her from a distance somewhere, and if she was in any real danger, he would save her.

Probably.

This novel's original Dahlia had never encountered any life threatening situations, so Dahlia could not be one hundred percent sure Zeke would actually come out to save her. She did trust the Duke, though, and she was pretty sure he wouldn't have employed someone unreliable (..even though Zeke did end up arranging Dahlia's death in the end... but the Duke would never have predicted that Zeke would fall for Alice like that).

As Dahlia neared the orphanage, she could hear children talking and laughing. Though this part of town looked gloomy and impoverished, it seemed the children still knew how to laugh and play.

Without really sparing any of the children a glance, Dahlia walked right past them and through the orphanage doors.

The moment she stepped in she gathered everyone's attention. She was dressed well, they could immediately tell that she was someone with a lot of money. Though the orphanage director was confused as to why a girl like this would walk into a dirty place like this on her own, knowing that she was probably someone of high status, he still walked over to her and offered her to sit for some tea.

"That's alright, I won't be here for long."

"Then... can I ask what you came for, Miss?"

"This is an orphanage, isn't it? Obviously, I came for a child."

"A... A child? Um, well, yes, of course! Would you like to meet them?"

Dahlia nodded, and then followed the orphanage director as he lead her to a room where all the children were gathered.

He introduced her to the children, but she wasn't listening. Instead, she was carefully looking at each one of the children, looking for something very specific.

~Buddy, tell me what Noah's little sister looks like again.

[Host... you're not thinking of bringing Noah's secret little sister that isn't set to appear until the last half of the book to the Baudelaire estate, are you?]

~Why indeed I am, Buddy. You figured it out. Aren't you clever?

[...She's the one with blonde hair and green eyes.]

~Thank you, Buddy.

Dahlia stopped the man who lead her into the room from talking anymore by raising her hand, and then stepped forward to the girl with messy blonde hair and big green eyes.

The girl looked up at Dahlia, frightened and unsure.

"What's your name?" Dahlia asked, smiling softly.

The little girl blushed a bit, and then mumbled, "Stella..."

"Stella... do you want to come home with me?"