6. Proof of Existence (8)
The orphanage had vacant lots everywhere.
Whether it’s a playground or a vegetable garden.
Given the size of the orphanage, the potential uses of the site were endless. Some of the children might have the ambition to declare it their own territory.
Of course, there were no children who would show such guts in front of unfamiliar nobles.
Not all of the children followed the saintess, but the remaining children did not mean that they were not wary of us. While me and Elsie-senpai perched on a tree trunk in the clearing, no children disturbed us.
On the contrary, it only sent wary eyes from far away.
That’s why it was so when a stranger came. Unless it was an orphanage located in the city, most orphans used to perceive adults as a potential threat.
For them, it was because the world followed the logic of the strict rule of thumb.
Of course, I had no choice but to feel intimidated in front of the predator. It was because the lower class people were freed from the protection of the law and system.
I asked senior Elsie with a bitter impression.
“Elsie senior, how did Seongguk come?”
It was a polite question. Whatever the excuse, the reason is obvious.
would have followed me
In the past, you might have thought it was funny. What’s wrong with a woman like Elsie’s senior following me around? I would have laughed it off, saying that there was a degree to being conceited, but not anymore.
Senior Elsie was jealous. There was a good chance they would come after me.
However, senior Elsie had a surprisingly unfair expression.
“Do you think I came because I wanted to come?! no no… Of course I wanted to come.”
“Did you?”
I was dubious and asked that question.
It wasn’t as much as me, but Elsie-senpai was also in the middle of raising her reputation recently. Since he was one of the contributors to defeating the family of evil spirits, it was a natural result. These days, even the family wouldn’t touch Elsie sunbae carelessly.
Being forcibly brought to the Holy Kingdom, I couldn’t even fathom the story behind it.
“I didn’t mean to come so recklessly! More like a coincidence, huh? I was thinking of joining naturally!”
“It’s not a bad plan for Elsie-senpai.”
I said so out of pure admiration.
Wasn’t it Elsie who was as clueless about dating as I was? The fact that he came up with an idea to save face was surprising.
When I stroked her hair with a sense of admiration, Elsie’s expression immediately relaxed.
“Ehehehe, yes? Sah, I actually got some advice from a commoner… Anyway!”
However, it was only for a while that he laughed and laughed.
Elsie-senpai clenched her fists with her small hands and grinded her teeth. Eyes resembling blue sapphires were burning.
“Your uncle ruined everything… … !”
There must be many people whom Elsie could call ‘uncle’, but there was only one person who could force his actions.
It was Mr. Reynolds.
And this was also the point I was wondering about. What was the motive behind Mr. Reynolds’ visit to the distant kingdom?
After that, the center of the topic naturally moved to Mr. Reynolds.
“Come to think of it, Mr. Reynolds, why did you come to the Holy Land?”
“You know Nandle? I heard you have a personal business… … .”
Senior Elsie even snorted. The feeling was revealed in the shaking of the head.
Even she, who was suddenly dragged in, had not been properly explained.
I turned my gaze to the side as the story gradually fell into the labyrinth. It was to focus more on my thoughts.
The clues were still too messy.
The saintess and the traitor, the orphanage, the family, and even Mr. Reynolds who appeared out of nowhere.
There was an absence of a decisive topic to tie all these words together.
While I was immersed in my thoughts, senior Elsie carefully looked at me and asked.
“Yeah, but I heard why you brought me.”
The strangely hesitant expression was suspicious.
When my eyes turned to Elsie-senpai, she scratched her cheek while blushing. Pom fiddling with the brim of the cone hat was pretty cute.
No, actually, Elsie-senpai was cute no matter what she did.
There was often confusion these days. Is it just because Elsie-senpai is pretty, or is it because I’ve had a lot of affection for Elsie-senpai?
Either way, it was clear that I had goodwill towards Elsie-senpai.
It was unexpected news that awakened my thoughts.
“I heard that your father has been in a hurry lately.”
“Countess Rainella?”
There are few great wizards in the empire, and the head of one of the most prestigious sorcerers’ families is not going to wear out.
In response to my questionable response, Elsie began to hesitate even more.
“That, that’s what… Shouldn’t I get married?”
Ah, I burst into exclamation as if I realized it only then.
And at the same time, I had no choice but to avert my gaze while moaning. This was because it was a matter deeply related to me.
Elsie-senpai had already been bound by a community of destiny with me for a long time.
Since I openly declared my pet, Elsie had no other choice than to reject even the last lifeline of Count Rainella. There was only a future with me.
However, since the engagement story did not come out even after time passed, Count Rainella had no choice but to get nervous.
Even my evaluation was rising day by day. If this continued, even if he married one of the princesses, no one would object.
Or marry the heir of the 5th aristocratic family.
If that happened, the Rynella family would end up like dogs chasing chickens.
“So, I guess Uncle Reynolds is here… … .”
Elsie-senpai shrank even more when I saw that my expression was unusual.
Even so, she was a woman who had been dumped by me before. Of course, he didn’t want to hear another negative answer from me.
In my heart, I wanted to appease Elsie-senpai.
However, the problem was that the relationship around me had become complicated. Unlike Delphine and Emma, there was a high possibility that her relationship with Elsie would be officially acknowledged right away.
In other words, it meant that it was impossible to gloss over the relationships with women surrounding me.
I already have Delphine and Emma.
Also, didn’t you tell Seria to wait? What if Seria hears that me and Elsie-senpai got engaged?
‘Senior Ian, did the bitch become two?’
It was as if I could already see Seria pulling out her sword with a smile on her face.
After that, he’ll probably wield a knife, saying, ‘As expected, wouldn’t one pet be enough?’
It was a scary future.
It was a serious concern for me, but as Elsie-senpai, who didn’t know my true intentions, I couldn’t help but feel down.
She pretended to be nothing and acted out a strong voice.
“You, don’t worry too much! I, too, know that it is not yet time for Master to make up his mind… That, Uncle Reynolds, I’ll do my best.”
That dignified response made it even more painful.
Doesn’t Elsie-senpai have no heart?
She was a woman with a tender heart. Of course, I felt sad and pitiful for not being able to hear a definite answer. And how painful it was to have to tell the story in front of the elders of the family.
Suddenly I felt that I was being selfish.
I couldn’t bear to lose Elsie-senpai, but the sight of me sharing a mere word of promise was funny and disgusting.
So I spoke impulsively.
“… … You don’t have to.”
The answer came after a long hesitation, but the voice was unexpectedly calm.
Senior Elsie tilted her head with a puzzled expression. It seemed that he had no idea what I meant.
I declared again.
“Is it okay to reassure Mr. Reynolds?”
“Yes Yes? It is, but… … .”
Senior Elsie, who had become timid, was using honorific words before she knew it. It looked like he hadn’t completely erased his old habits yet.
Either way, my promise continued.
“I will take care of it. It’s a marriage anyway, so… Even if we do it later, we have to convince the other side first.”
At this point, it was Elsie-senpai who was taken aback.
She froze in place with her eyes wide open. The answer didn’t come back for a long time, and I was about to clear my throat out of embarrassment.
“Ooh, black… … .”
The sound of swallowing tears soaked my ears.
Water droplets formed on the corners of the girl’s eyes. Drops of tears soon flowed down and down my cheeks.
Before the transparent glass marbles hit the ground, a small body burrowed into my arms.
Suddenly, I had no choice but to hug her.
Along with the soft touch, a tickling sensation fills the chest.
“I will do well. hehehe, ji, I’ll do really well… Whoa… … ..”
Hearing that mutilated cry, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
Elsie-senpai must have been very anxious. That’s why I didn’t know if I was even more jealous and mongni.
If this is the only thing that can make Elsie-senpai happy, I could promise many times.
Of course, there seems to have been some misunderstanding.
It’s not like we’re getting engaged right away, but it’s an issue that needs to be resolved gradually.
I just had a few thoughts.
First of all, I had a foreboding feeling that the saintess’ mood would get worse.
And again, the existence of a new person called ‘Reynolds’.
why did he come here?
Coincidentally, I had an appointment with senior Elsie, so I decided to visit Reynolds right away.
**
However, my plan had to face difficulties from the beginning.
“The lady came to trade the demon corpses.”
“Yes, because the magic beast business is booming lately! Even if you don’t, I heard that there were a lot of monster corpses around here.”
Discussions were in full swing in the accommodation prepared by the orphanage and in a neat building that looked like a place for VIPs to stay.
It was mainly a conversation between Leah and Mr. Reynolds.
Leah was confidently explaining her business plan.
“Unusually, there is an area where monsters periodically occur in large quantities. The same goes for this area. I’ve heard that witch beasts appear every few years for decades.”
“I know. I once served as a mercenary here.”
“Ah, then, are there any mercenaries you know of around here?!”
“Well, I’ll have to look for it… … .”
Mr. Reynolds’ nonchalant gaze glanced at me.
Perhaps he felt my eyes staring at him, he said in a non-trivial tone to Lia.
“You should stay. They’re going to be in-laws soon, so I’ll try my best. In addition, you will be able to purchase vehicles as well.”
“Yes, thank you, but… … .”
The expression ‘between in-laws’ was cracking Lia’s composure. He tolerates it because the other person is a smiling adult, but if he keeps it like this, the future that explodes seems to be coming soon.
Lia’s eyes were terrifying as she glanced at me. I felt like I should set up a long time for explanation with Lia later.
We were talking about business, but being an older brother, I couldn’t get in the way.
I tsk, clicked my tongue once, and left the dorm. Outside, the saintess was preaching a sermon surrounded by orphans.
“So the eyes of the heavenly god Arus became the moon, and the liver became the sun and burned forever. This is also why evil beings who go against the order of things burn in front of the sun. The liver is an organ that removes toxins.”
It is accompanied by strange medical knowledge.
The saintess with such a benevolent smile looked like a holy flower. To the extent that even I, knowing its true form, am stunned.
The kindergarten children were listening to the story of the saintess with interest. Perhaps they had become close friends in the meantime, and bright laughter erupted from time to time.
Among them, the saintess, well.
He looked happy. At least those gentle eyes didn’t feel like a pretense.
It was the peace I felt after a long time. It is hard to believe that there is a terrifying conspiracy lurking in this landscape.
Still, can we enjoy peace for a few days?
Looking at the saintess with a gentle smile, I thought so. I could tell just by looking at the letter. That the saintess suffered severely from being entangled in upcoming events.
Can’t we just be happy for a while? I was afraid to dare to destroy that peaceful landscape painting.
It was a certain voice that aroused such thoughts.
“… … Uncle, did you come to pick us up too?”
My consciousness immediately surfaced into reality. I followed the source of the voice with bewildered eyes.
He was a little boy. The child, who must have been about ten years old, was asking questions stammering with a visibly depressed expression on his face.
“Are you that high-ranking person? Carrying a lot of strange luggage every day… … .”
Around this time, I remembered the boy’s face.
It was that child. One of the children who watched me blankly when I first caused a commotion with the head nun.
However, the girl was nowhere to be seen. Since they seemed very timid, a boy might have acted as their representative.
I immediately narrowed my brows and asked again.
“A top? Did they take you?”
“Mo, don’t pretend you don’t know. Just now, that older sister and grandfather told a similar story.”
What are you talking about, before I urgently ask back.
I started feeling chills somewhere.
Sensing a visceral crisis, my eyes turned to the front again. There was a saintess who quietly nodded and listened to the eyewitness account of a child.
“So, that older brother hugged her because she was crying!”
And the little finger of a child pointing at me.
The saintess was smiling, but there was no more warmth in her face. Breaking out in a cold sweat, I glanced sideways at the boy next to me.
It had been a long time since the child felt an unusual current and ran away.
It meant that God had abandoned me.
“Then are you two dating, saintess?”
“Um, well… Love is a very difficult feeling. There are many facts that cannot be known just by looking at them.”
After answering in a relaxed tone, the saintess slowly raised her body.
There was no crack in that kind smile. However, without any change in expression that gave me goosebumps, he just walked lightly and came closer to me.
Before I could make an excuse, the saintess’ hand grabbed my back.
And whispers that wet my ears.
“What happened with that bitch?”
You have a bad mouth, my lady.
I sighed and muttered to myself.
Apparently, the saintess had reached the limit of her patience.