Chapter 08
Shockingly, the director had been working with a kidnapping ring, regularly supplying children to be sold in the slave market.
Those large men who had come to the orphanage with Diana recently must have been part of the same group.
Heat rose behind my eyes.
“I won’t let this go.”
Clenching my trembling fists, I forced myself to calm down. Then I pulled out a stack of blank papers from the desk.
Using magic, I immediately began copying the ledger and transaction records.
Just in case, I would take the originals and leave the copies in the safe.
The copies would turn back into blank paper after some time, but a temporary deception was enough.
‘The Duke of Elard will come soon.’
Thanks to the overwhelming amount of mana I now had, the copies were completed much faster than I expected.
‘Still, I need to figure out why my mana suddenly increased…’
“Cough
Suddenly, blood burst from my throat.
I had used too much mana at once, and my weak body couldn’t handle it.
An intense wave of weakness hit me, but I quickly erased every drop of blood before it could leave evidence.
At the same time, my body collapsed to the floor.
As expected, my mana was drained, and my entire body trembled uncontrollably.
But my eyes, fixed on the evidence in my hands, burned fiercely.
***
“You lazy little worms!”
I was barely holding back the urge to storm downstairs when the director’s voice echoed from below.
“Worm”
“That’s not for you, Dana!”
I hurriedly corrected Diana when she innocently repeated the word.
A bad feeling crept up my spine.
Last night, the director had returned much earlier than usual from drinking, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost.
He had immediately asked for Diana.
Thanks to my repeated warnings, Diana hadn’t screamed or cried when she saw him, even though she was terrified of him.
After he left, I had kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear that her father would soon come to rescue her.
If my memory is correct, the Duke will visit tomorrow.
Just one more day.
“Dana, Unni will go clean. Stay here and rest.”
***
“Elard Duke? No… it can’t be. That girl isn’t silver-haired. It’s light gray!”
The director paced back and forth, muttering anxiously.
My hand, scrubbing the floor, froze.
Then he snapped at me.
“You. Bring that gray-haired girl.”
“…What?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself!”
My heart pounded wildly as I ran out.
‘Should I run away? No. What if I miss the Duke?’
Then I stopped.
In the past, the director had shown unusual interest in Diana too.
The day before the Duke arrived, he had locked her in the attic.
At the time, I thought it was punishment for not adjusting well.
But—
〈No matter what you hear, say you know nothing! 〉
I remembered his warning to the children before gathering them in the yard when the Duke had stormed in.
He had already known.
He knew he was involved in kidnapping the Duke’s daughter.
He knew he would die if it was exposed.
My breath caught as I reached the bedroom.
“Dana?”
I thought she would be asleep.
Instead, she stood beside the bed and started crying the moment she saw me.
“Unni”
“Why? What happened?”
When I rushed over, she stepped back, sobbing.
“It’s okay. I’m here.”
After I reassured her several times, she calmed down.
Then I saw it.
Her clothes and blanket were soaked.
“…Ah.”
She fidgeted with her fingers.
“Dana… wet…”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay…”
She already understood the orphanage’s harsh reality.
“I’m sorry, Unni.”
She lowered her head.
I wiped her tears and lifted her into my arms.
Then—
“What are you doing? Is my word a joke to you?”
The door burst open.
The director stood there, glaring at us.
My heart pounded violently.
When I first joined Terenchium, it operated from a shabby tavern in a dangerous alley.
Large drunken men were common.
I had been terrified.
Eventually, the headquarters moved to a café in the city center, and I forgot that fear.
I thought I had overcome it.
I hadn’t.
“Unni”
Diana called me.
But I had no time to answer.
The director reached for her.
Just like before.
Last time, I couldn’t move.
This time, I curled around her like a hedgehog.
“Ugh.”
The groan didn’t come from me.
I opened my eyes.
Gray hair filled my vision.
Jack.
***
How much time had passed?
A soft sobbing sound made me open my eyes.
Darkness.
The attic.
The most hated place in the orphanage.
I thought Diana wouldn’t be locked up this time.
I was wrong.
She had been locked up because she was the duke’s daughter.
“…Dana.”
“Unni
She threw herself into my arms.
“I told you, your father will come.”
“Mm.”
“You trust me?”
“Mm. I trust Unni.”
Her gentle voice made my eyes sting.
“We just have to wait a little.”
After patting her back, I checked my mana.
It felt faint.
Still, I raised my hand and created a small flame.
The weak light revealed Diana’s tear-streaked face.
And—
“Jack…”
Jack lay unconscious.
In the past, he had been locked up too, but now he looked much worse.
‘It’s my fault.’
Because I came back.
I wanted to cry.
But the flame was shrinking.
I examined him.
He must have been unconscious for a full day.
The Duke should have arrived by now.
After searching, he would eventually find this attic.
“I can’t wait.”
I didn’t want them trapped in darkness for even one more second.
The flame flickered out.
I turned toward where I remembered the attic window was.
“Ugh.”
The boards were tightly nailed shut.
Even when splinters pierced my fingers and blood flowed, I didn’t stop.
Finally, a small gap let in a thin beam of light.
Dana gasped.
“Unni, blood…”
“It’s okay.”
After pulling off enough wood, I saw the cracked window.
If we shouted, someone might hear.
But no matter how loudly Diana screamed “Father!” outside remained silent.
“That’s impossible…”
The Empire’s greatest knights were here.
They should sense something.
Clutching my necklace, I whispered,
“I’ll go myself.”
I looked down.
It was high.
In my past life, I could land easily.
Now, I was weak.
If lucky, I’d break a limb.
If not—
‘I want to live.’
Even after ruining everything, I wanted to live.
But—
I made my decision.
I would jump.
