Chapter - 9

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A few days later.

The director sighed, looking at the ledger in his hand.

The orphanage's finances were waning as the days went by.

There are so many children, but they are also in debt.

'I have to sell anything.'

But the only thing that could pay for it was mana stones.

Mana stone was a very expensive mineral that condensed mana.

People who did not have mana used mana stones to use magic.

However, the mineral itself was expensive, and there weren't many wizards to put mana into the gemstone. Because of this, mana stones were used to be traded at a very high price.

The director's hobby was collecting mana stones. he had enough to get stuck in his feet just by rolling in the director's office, so he deserves to know h luxury as well.

'How I am collected... '

The director grinds this and looked at the cabinet with mana stones.

Ellie was eagerly cleaning the cabinet.

The director's face was crumpled disgustingly.

'If it weren't for the thief's daughter, this debt could have been paid off.'

The more I thought about it, the more I felt the heat was boiling. The director looked back to the ledger. He had to hurry up and find a hole for the money.

Knock.

Then, with the sound of a knock, the director's nephew, Malen, entered.

"What's up?"

"I've learned about an inquiry from the director before,"

Marlen walked over to him and began reporting.

"As you said before, the number of nobles who want children has definitely declined."

"No way. Suddenly the demand is dropping."

"I think it's probably because of the Duke of Shuetsu. It is said that they are scouring the adopted children in the present empire."

At that moment, Eli's hand was stopped while cleaning the cabinet.

The director and Malen, who did not know it, continued the conversation.

"Ah. I heard that he was looking for the son of the dead peacock. Of course he couldn't be alive."

The director stopped trying to tell the story in a small way.

'Wait a minute,'

the son of the dead Duke Kleider has black hair and a wall.

Nothing else was known, but.

'If this is good...'

The director, who had been contemplated, said, looking at Malen.

"Mallen, spill information."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there may be a child of the Duke of Kleider here."

"Yes? But…"

Marlen hesitated. As he worked together for a long time, he noticed what his uncle was thinking.

'I guess he was trying to trick another kid and sell it.'

The Duke of Schuetz succeeded the Klaider and was the only Duke of the Empire.

'Maybe he can pay you whatever price you call. '

But it was that dangerous. It wasn't the other person, it was the Duke of Schuetz.

If he sold a fake child, and if it was caught.

Malen swallowed his saliva. It was already cool, and he touched his throat.

"What are you doing? Can't you hear me?"

At the director's urge, Malen lowered his hand.

He had to say no, but when he saw the face of hid defiant uncle, it was hard for his to say it was difficult right now.

".....Once I'm going to tell you,"

Malen had no choice but to answer.

The director smiled satisfactorily and nodded his head. Malen left the room to deliver the news.

"....... ."

Because of this, he didn't realize that someone was looking at him.

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As soon as she finished cleaning, Ellie ran straight to the room.

'Come soon with the Duke of Schuetz.'

The Duke of Schuetz was the only key to rescue Damian from here.

I couldn't tell Damian,'A family who will adopt you soon' couldn't be said, but my joy didn't fade easily.

"Damian."

Ellie went into the room.

There were a few kids in the room, as if they were already done.

But Damian couldn't be seen.

'Where did he go?'

Ellie glanced around with a glance.

The children's expressions weren't terrifying.

The darkness sat down again on the face I thought had become brighter than usual.

"Why is that. What happened?"

"That's…."

A child replied with a whisper.

"Brother Carsen...he is back."

"What?"

Ellie's expression was stained with frustration.

She was blinded by a moment's peace, and she forgot what was important.

Ellie quickly exited her orphanage.

Outside, the darkness settled, snow was slowly falling in the moonlight.

Where is it?

The director and teachers were still in the orphanage, so there was a high probability that they were outside.

Ellie hurriedly ran to the back of the orphanage.

There was a small lake there, and Carsen used to drown children he didn't like.

And now it was winter.

Weather in extreme cold. If you fall into the lake in this weather now.

Due to Damian's personality, it was clear that he would stay still without resisting.

Ellie bit her lips. Her breath, blowing in her cold air, was blowing like Ellie's worry.

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Poop!

With a loud sound, Damian's body rolled over to the floor.

Blood spilled from the cracked lips. It would be very painful, but Damian wasn't even fine.

"Do you know what kind of hardship I have suffered for you?!"

Carsene screamed with a voice dedicated to evil.

He've been trapped in the room for a few days and haven't eaten anything.

It was because of that stupid man who fell in front of me.

Did not make sense. Why is Ellie lying on the side of another child?

Carsen attributed all his faults to Damian. he didn't even care that he had harassed Damian first.

"Because Ellie said that she took care of you next door, so she only saw one thing, but there's nothing like you?"

At that moment, the name of Ellie from Carsen's mouth sharpened Damian's eyes.

The glaring gaze was like a cold blade, so Carsen fluttered his body without his knowing.

"Well, what would you do if I look at it like that?"

Before long, a rough fricative sound rang out.

Even the same group said,'Isn't that a bit bad?'It was enough to talk about it.

Damian clenched his fist. In his hand, the frozen grass was caught in the breath of winter.

His messy hair, and the walls revealed by his teeth were grim.

("Don't just be getting hit,")

Ellie's words circulated like a tinnitus for a moment.

As Ellie said, it was time to repay it.

"Ellie looks weak and is weak to the insignificant ones. You're just one of them!"

Damian's movement ceased at the words Carsen shouted.

Damian's eyes shook like a candle in the wind. Carsen, who noticed the small burst, said spookyly.

"Ellie is weak for things like you. That's why she only took care of you. It doesn't mean she took care of it because you were special!"

("Just, it looks weak.")

At that moment, I remembered the first words Ellie had to me.

'Because I look weak.'

He just feels sick and salty.

This is what he heard countless times when he was a slave. A rant as familiar as violence.

But why.

Would her mind sink as if I were in a swamp?

The light disappeared from Damian's eyes. It burned out, and the eyes, as if only ashes were left, stared into the air without meaning.

"I need to know the subject."

Carsene laughed at Damian's fate. Damian's body went up without force.

"You're presumptuous on the subject of slavery... I guess you're mistaken for staying in the same place."

Carsen dragged Damian to the lake.

Because of the cold weather, the edge of the lake was frozen.

"Cool your head here,"

said Carsen, releasing his grip on the ribbed hand. It was when Damian's body leaned toward the lake without strength.

"Hey!"

a sharp shout intervened between them.

Damian's eyes, which had been hazy, shook briefly.

"What are you doing now!"

Her cheeks were a little red, as if running without rest.

"El, Ellie?"

said Carsen, who seemed a little embarrassed by Ellie's appearance, stuttering her toweringly.

"What's up! Training to be alert!"

"Oh, how do you say that....."

"Much better than your dog shit!"

"Dog's shit..."

Carsen almost fascinated me for a moment. When he heard her rant from his favorite child, his mind was confused.

Even so, Ellie, who was struggling to see if she couldn't be relieved, shifted her gaze toward Damian.

As her pointed eyes turned towards him, Damian trembled without knowing it.

When the pupil who had lost energy put Ellie in his eyes, he found the original light again.

"Come on, Damian."

Ellie said to Damian. Damian hesitated a little.

("You looks like weak, and elie is weak to the insignificant guys. You're just one of them!")

("Just because it looks weak.")

This is because Carsen's words and Ellie's words lingered in my mind.

"Ellie. How do you tell me...... ."

When Damian hesitated and hesitated, Carsen mumbled like a person who had suffered a broken heart.

'Because of this child!'

Carsen, who turned all the blame to Damian, relaxed his hands.

She was still holding Damian's fate by Carsen.

"..... ."

Damian's body slanted and leaned toward the lake.

Damian closed his eyes without even knowing.

splash!

A loud sound of water was heard with the sound of glass breaking.

However, he didn't feel cold or water in his flesh. Damian slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh ah!"

Carsen, drowning in the lake, was struggling with a blue face.

"So I should have written it!"

There was Ellie, who had come to me in front of me.

Before Carsen drowned Damian in the lake, she had knocked Carsen with her feet.

"Chu, it's cold! Save me!"

"Ca, Carsen...!"

The same group quickly ran to the lake.

He looked like he was trying to save him somehow, but he only reached out his hand as if he didn't want to get into the water.

"Let's go, Damian!"

Ellie, who turned her nostrils, grabbed Damian's hand and walked out of the seat.