-Chapter 6-
“…How would we know our own names?”
“Me too… I want a name.”
Unlike Rohen, who always reacted sharply, Lariz looked down sadly, hugging the bundle I’d given her.
“So, you really don’t know your names.”
“Why? You do?”
“Of course I do.”
“You do?”
The usually prickly Rohen’s eyes suddenly lit up, shining with curiosity.
“You really know our names?”
“How? That’s suspicious.”
“There’s nothing suspicious about it. I’m special.”
Thankfully, they were still kids—easy enough to impress. I puffed out my chest, taking advantage of the moment.
“I’m the only one who’s ever found this place, right?”
“Yeah!”
Lariz nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling like stars. Rohen, on the other hand, glared at me with obvious distrust.
“…That’s why I thought you were her servant.”
His voice wasn’t that of a child anymore—it was cold, sharp, and full of warning.
Even now, he didn’t fully trust me. His icy stare sent a shiver down my back.
“Wow… that’s harsh. A servant? Well, technically, you could say I kind of am.”
“Knew it.”
The moment I said that, Rohen pulled Lariz into his arms and stepped back, growling defensively.
“No, no, not like that!” I said quickly. “Look, you probably don’t know this, but this place is an orphanage. It’s where kids with no families are raised. That woman is the head—our director—and I’m just one of the kids. So, yeah, maybe I am one of her servants in that sense.”
“…”
“And I hate her more than anyone.”
Finally, Lariz wriggled out of Rohen’s arms and hopped toward me.
“You’re not a bad person?”
“No. At least not to you.”
“Then… what do you want from us?”
“For you to live like normal kids.”
Of course, what I really wanted was to stop the Grand Duke—when he eventually came—from burning down this place because of how the twins were treated.
But that was my problem, not theirs.
“That’s all I want,” I said softly.
Lariz sighed in relief. “Good… I’m glad.”
I smiled. “First things first—you can call me ‘unni.’ I’m older than you.”
“Unni?”
“Mm-hm. Unni. You’re younger, and the one glaring down at me from up there—that’s your older brother, right?”
“Older brother?”
“Yup. Between you two, he was born first, wasn’t he?”
Lariz nodded furiously.
“Yeah! Then he’s my oppa! He’s really my oppa!”
“That’s right. And your name is Lariz.”
“Lariz…?”
“And his name is Rohen.”
I said their names slowly, clearly—the names I remembered from the novel.
“Lariz’s nickname is Lari.”
“Lari…! Unni, it’s pretty!”
She spun in place, beaming so brightly I could hardly see her eyes.
“I have a name now! Oppa, come here! You have one too!”
“…Why should we use names that she gave us?” Rohen muttered.
“Because those are the names you were born with,” I said gently. “I didn’t make them up—I just know them. I told you, I’m special.”
I didn’t tell them how I knew. That this was a storybook world, and they were the villainous twins destined to become the novel’s antagonists. That right now, I was watching their tragic beginning unfold.
No—that was something they never needed to hear.
“If you don’t believe me, that’s fine,” I said. “But I’ve never lied to you.”
“People who talk too smoothly are usually the biggest liars,” Rohen said flatly.
“Then don’t believe me,” I shrugged. “But at least wear the shoes. Walking around barefoot will only hurt you.”
Even then, he stayed where he was, arms crossed.
“I know it’ll take time for you to trust me,” I continued. “It’s not just you. All the kids here are like that. We’ve all been hurt too many times. When you trust someone here, all you get back is pain.”
“Unni…”
“So it’s okay,” I said softly. “You don’t have to let your guard down right away.”
I untied the bundle and began laying out the things I’d brought.
“Use these however you like. I’ll come back soon.”
“You’re leaving already?” Lariz asked, her face falling.
“Yeah. If I’m gone too long, the director will get suspicious.”
That woman was sharp—too sharp. She already knew I was smarter than most of the kids, which was why she gave me more chores than anyone.
I couldn’t afford to make her curious.
‘Especially now, when her moods swing so violently,’ I thought grimly.
If I messed up, everyone else would suffer for it.
So, after giving Lariz one last smile, I crawled out through the little hole in the wall.
“I’ll come back. Until then, stay safe, okay?”
With that, I left the twins behind.
It was enough for now—just knowing they could talk, and that they weren’t so different from any other kids their age.
As I walked away, I glanced back at the shed and smiled faintly.
‘I hope they open their hearts soon.’
I could almost still hear Lariz’s bright little voice—and even Rohen’s wary but softer tone—echoing in my ears.
***
Sometimes, there are days when everything just feels off.
This was one of them.
The director, who had gone out early that morning, came back furious.
She stormed into breakfast—something she rarely attended—and began scolding every child one by one for the smallest things.
Then, just as suddenly, she stopped, grabbed a stick, smacked a few kids on the hands… and left.
Gone.
The tension vanished like a popped bubble.
We were all so relieved we could finally breathe again. The kids who hadn’t dared to eat before started finishing their food, while the teachers took turns keeping watch at the door—just in case she came back.
Breakfast ended quietly after that.
But I couldn’t shake the strange feeling crawling up my spine.
Still, everyone kept saying how lucky we were, so I smiled along with them.
Hours later, the director returned—right when we were busy making silk threads.
We all froze, expecting another outburst.
But instead, she said something none of us expected.
“I think the children are overworked.”
“…Huh?”
She was smiling. Sweetly.
The same woman who’d just been raging hours earlier.
Now she was gently telling the teachers to let us rest—saying we shouldn’t overwork kids so young.
The teachers looked terrified, as if they were waiting for the punchline to a cruel joke. But they nodded quickly, smiling awkwardly.
“O-of course.”
“Good. Let them rest today,” the director said pleasantly. “You can’t keep pushing children like this forever.”
“Yes, ma’am. Everyone heard that, right? You can all rest today.”
“Yes!”
The kids cheered instantly, their joy bubbling over.
The teachers kept watching the director nervously, but she didn’t take back her words.
So, for the first time in a long while, we actually had a day off.
Still, something felt wrong.
‘Why now? Why is she being nice all of a sudden?’
The unease sat heavy in my chest.
Not long after, I realized why.
“Aisha! Since it’s free time today, let’s go to the market!” Elle chirped, skipping over to me.
“Later, Elle.”
“You always say that! Come on!”
“Later,” I repeated, then smiled faintly. “But could you buy me something while you’re there?”
“What is it?”
Elle wasn’t very skilled with her hands, but she was smart and resourceful—one of the few kids I could trust.
I handed her the small pouch of coins I’d saved.
“Get me a stuffed toy.”
“A toy? Wait—you want a toy?”
“Yeah. A sheep one. With soft, fluffy fur.”
“Not a doll? Like… a person doll?”
Elle pouted, disappointed.
“Nope, a sheep. Please?”
“…Fine. If you want it, I’ll get it.”
“Thanks. And use whatever’s left to treat yourself, okay?”
Her eyes widened. “Really?! Thanks, Aisha! But don’t you dare ask about the leftover money later!”
“Deal,” I laughed.
She ran off happily, clutching the pouch, and soon the rest of the kids followed, eager for their rare chance to visit the market.
When almost everyone was gone, I turned and ran in the opposite direction.
A horrible thought had hit me—one I prayed was wrong.
I ran faster, checking every corner to make sure no one saw me.
By the time I reached the shed, I was out of breath.
The door looked… different.
Just slightly. But enough to make my heart drop.
My hand trembled as I reached for the small hole and crawled through.
“Hey… Rohen, Lari… are you here?”
