CH 8

Cain, Diana, their mother Elise, and Ilvalino were riding in the duchy’s carriage. It was a luxurious carriage with the family crest emblazoned on it.

Ilvalino was uncomfortable, and it would have shown on his face, but he forced himself to smile in the presence of Elise. The corners of his mouth were strained and twitching.

“Di’s studies have been progressing so smoothly ever since you started reading books to her, Ilu-kun. I’m really grateful. Her tutors were very happy about it, too,” said Elise.

“Please, don’t mention it… It’s simply a product of Diana-sama’s natural strengths,” said Ilvalino.

“Of course it is! Diana’s natural ability is at the root of it. And she’s adorable, too!” said Cain.

“…It’s because you spoil her so much that I worry about her turning into a brat, Cain…”

“Di’s not a brat!” said Diana, “I eat all my carrots!”

“That’s right. Diana eats her carrots, even though she doesn’t like them, doesn’t she? If she was a bratty little lady, that would never happen, would it?” said Cain, “…Mother – I only praise her to give her confidence. I would never aim to spoil her.”

Cain talked while fawning over Diana, gently tussling the hair atop Diana’s head, and carefully fixing her skirt, which had been turned up by her kicking legs.

Within the carriage, Cain and Diana sat next to each other, and opposite them, Ilvalino and Eliza sat side by side.

Any way you look at it, this seating arrangement is unnatural… Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for Cain and I to sit beside each other opposite Mother and Diana?

Ilvalino’s back was drenched in an uncontrollable cold sweat due to the situation. While it was already strange for Cain, who Ilvalino considered an insane person, to be sitting next to impressionable, innocent Diana, it was unthinkable for a duchess to be sitting beside an orphaned commoner like himself. Despite being dressed in clothes he borrowed from Cain, he was terrified that he would be reprimanded for insolence if he even so much as came into contact with the duchess’s dress.

“Ilvalino, you speak so elegantly, and you have such good manners. I wonder if all the children at the orphanage are like that,” said Elise.

“No… That’s…”

“Mother – Ilvalino says he is one of the older children at the orphanage,” said Cain.

“Ah, is that right? Perhaps etiquette and manners would be a bit difficult for the younger children.”

Cain had responded to his mother for Ilvalino, and he glanced over at Ilvalino as if to say, It’s not like that, is it?

Cain knew that Ilvalino was probably an exceptional orphan. After all, he was a Potential Suitor character, and what’s more, he was a character that would end up killing everyone in the worst-case scenario. In the game, he was supposed to have a dark and discontented past, and it was never mentioned whether he had been trained in a temple, was raised in an orphanage, or was being controlled by some nefarious mastermind.

Cain was thinking that today was the day he would get to meet the priest of a temple who was looking after the children in the adjoining orphanage.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]

The carriage arrived at the temple on the western edge of town, at last. 

Elise, guarded by a knight, was shown to the temple’s back office to explain the situation.

Cain was asked if he wanted to come along to help explain, but he declined, saying he wanted to see where Ilvalino lived.

As he continued down the hallway past the temple’s office, he came to a set of wooden doors that joined the temple to the orphanage.

The wooden doors opened out onto a yard like a playground, and surrounding this yard on three sides stood a wooden, two-story building.

“There are so many little kids,” muttered Diana, her eyes wide.

In actuality, most of the children there were bigger than Diana, who was only three years old. However, Diana had almost no experience outside of the manor, and she had never seen any children besides Cain. Therefore, the children she was seeing now were the smallest she had ever seen.

“…They all look kind of dirty…” said Diana.

“…” Ilvalino stayed silent.

Cain looked at Diana, who was hiding behind him, looking a little scared. He then looked at Ilvalino, who was hanging his head, biting his tongue. Cain crouched down and locked eyes with Diana.

“Diana – these kids are dressed in dirty clothes because of us. It’s our fault,” said Cain.

“It’s Di’s fault?” Diana asked.

“It’s our fault. It’s because of us nobles.”

Ilvalino’s eyes widened upon hearing Cain’s words. Diana had her head cocked to the side, looking confused.

“The reason why we have money and why we’re dressed in nice clothes is because the people living in this town and all around the country go to work to earn money, and then they all give some of their money to us,” said Cain.

“They give some to us?” asked Diana.

“That’s right. They work really hard to earn their money, and instead of spending it all on themselves, they give some of it to us nobles.”

“These kids can’t wear nice clothes because they gave us their money?”

“No. These kids don’t even have any fathers or mothers to buy them any nice clothes.”

“Oh…”

Diana furrowed her brow and looked over at the children of the orphanage. She was trying her hardest to understand what it could possibly mean to have no mother or father.

“In exchange for the money everyone gives us, we nobles have to work to solve the problems that the people in this town and this country are having trouble with,” said Cain.

“Like buying clothes for the children who have no mothers or fathers?” asked Diana.

“Yes. We have to do things like help people who are fighting get along, defend people against demons, and bring food from places that have extra to the places that don’t have enough. It’s a noble’s job to solve problems that people can’t solve by themselves,” said Cain, choosing his words carefully so that Diana might understand. Diana still looked troubled, though, and she kept looking back and forth between Cain and the orphans. 

“What should Di do?” asked Diana. 

“Well, for starters, let’s become friends with these kids. If we can get along with them and play with them, I’m sure we’ll be able to figure out what to do.”

What Cain was saying was too difficult for Diana to understand completely, but she felt like she had to do something, and had asked Cain for direction. Cain responded that they should meet the orphans as equals.

Cain smiled and turned to face Ilvalino. “All right! Introduce us to everyone, won’t you?” he said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Ilvalino looked down and with a small voice murmured, “Thank you.”