BTVF 09

Chapter 09

The orphanage run by the temple that served the Lord God, Renatria, was quite popular within the kingdom. It was especially so when nobles wanted to flaunt their sense of morality.

Most of them, however, never bothered to visit. They simply sent donations through agents and considered their good deed done.

There were, of course, a few who came in person, but more often than not they would receive a certificate without meeting a single child, then leave right away.

“You expect us to mingle with children who might have filthy blood? Who’ll take responsibility if we catch a disease?”

Each time such absurd prejudice was added to the mix, the priests felt their insides burn.

Still, there was nothing they could do. Without those donations, running the orphanage itself would have been difficult.

“I’d like to apply for volunteer work.”
“Ah, is that so…? If it’s a certificate you’re after, it can be issued once you make a donation above a certain amount.”

So when Leryel first visited, the priest didn’t even lift his head and simply slid the paperwork forward.

A glimpse of a luxurious dress could be seen beyond the counter. He assumed she was just another noble who wanted to show off her moral superiority.

“No, I’ve already made a donation. I’m saying I want to volunteer on top of that.”

But this time was different. She was applying for volunteer work not to elevate her family’s prestige, but to drag it straight down into the dirt.

“…Pardon?”

A noble volunteering? Truly?
It was almost unheard of. Unable to suppress his curiosity, the priest tilted his head and peeked over the counter.

Standing there was an expressionless, wicked-looking face that didn’t suit the words volunteering, donation, or good deed in the slightest.

“Leryel Tenebris?!”

Even as the priest openly gasped in shock upon recognizing her, Leryel paid him no mind.

Though he accepted her application at her insistent request, the priest assumed she either wouldn’t show up at all—or would come once, go through the motions, and leave.

It was easier to understand a good person doing bad things. A bad person doing good things only invited suspicion.

“So you’re telling me to hand out this kind of bread to the children?”

“Y-Yes, that is correct, but…”

Sure enough.

Even though she had been assigned the easiest of volunteer tasks, Leryel merely stared down at the bread, her deep green eyes twisting in displeasure.

The priest assigned to her cursed under his breath.

I knew it. Wouldn’t it be better if she’d just donated and left like the other nobles? Why come here and force yourself into volunteer work that doesn’t suit you at all?

Suppressing the urge to shout, the priest reached out to take back the tray of bread he had handed her—

“Throw it all away.”

Leryel frowned as she tossed the bread back onto the tray.

Clang!

The roughly shaped, rock-hard bread bounced off the tray and fell to the floor.

The priest’s face flushed with indignation at her insolence. Even if it was a simple bread made of nothing but flour and salt, in this place it was still something to be grateful for.

And she just threw it away?

It was exactly the sort of wicked act one would expect from a villainess—
or so he would have thought, if not for the command that followed.

“And contact Remington. Tell them I’ll buy all the bread they have left and have it delivered here. Put the bill on the Tenebris family’s account.”

“……”

Remington? The upscale bakery in the city?

The priest froze mid-motion as he picked up the fallen bread, staring at her in disbelief.

Their bread was something only the wealthiest of nobles could afford. From the flour to the butter, salt, sugar, and milk—everything used was a renowned specialty product. That was their selling point and what set them apart.

Was she really saying she’d buy up all those luxury goods—something commoners might eat once in a lifetime at best—and hand them out here?

No way…

As the priest stood there dumbfounded, Leryel once again exuded the intimidating charisma befitting a villainess.

Judging by her presence alone, she looked less like someone there to volunteer and more like someone who had come to administer punishment.

“Did you not hear me?”

“N-No! I did! Y-Yes, I’ll do it right away!”

Only after her sharp rebuke did the frightened priest dash out into the corridor.

When the echoing footsteps faded, Leryel let out a sigh and bent down to pick up the fallen bread.

Calling it bread felt generous—it was hard enough to be mistaken for a stone.

To think they expected this to be a meal for children.

Not being able to eat properly… do they know how miserable that feels?

Leryel couldn’t accept that. Even if she had applied to volunteer in order to fall out of favor with the ducal house, if she was going to do it, she wanted to do it properly.

She clenched her teeth as memories from before her possession resurfaced.

Back when she was in college, scraping by on part-time jobs, she sometimes went hungry when her pay was delayed, or survived on cheap, barely edible food.

She still remembered how lonely and miserable those meals felt. She didn’t want children in their growing years to feel the same way.

Even if it’s just for today. I want them to eat something good, until they’re full.

By the time she had gathered almost all the fallen bread back onto the tray—

“Didn’t expect this.”

A hand reached out to pick up the loaf that had rolled the farthest away.

It was Peric Trien.

Staring at Leryel with clear surprise, he spoke.

She was just about to reply with a proud expression:

See? I told you! I really do want to be a good person!

But his next words shut her mouth in irritation.

“So there is a way to solve volunteer work with money. With this, you can put on a show without actually lifting a finger.”

“…What did you say?”

“Am I wrong? In the end, you just want to feel like you volunteered without doing any real work. It’s not like you came here out of pure intent to help the children.”

That was too much.

True, she had chosen to volunteer to achieve a personal goal, not out of pure altruism. Leryel had no intention of denying that.

“…Now that I’m here, I have no intention of half-assing it and leaving.”

But after seeing children loitering around the kitchen, hoping for even this kind of bread, he shouldn’t have said that.

“I’ll do whatever needs doing—cleaning, playing with the kids, hard labor—whatever you throw at me. And I’ll do all of it sincerely.”

Leryel protested, her face uncharacteristically resolute.

“And that applies to you too. Crown prince or noble, if you came here to volunteer, then stop talking and start helping. Instead of judging someone else’s goodwill so lightly.”

Before Peric could respond, she finished stacking the bread onto the tray and walked away.

Peric raised one eyebrow, watching her retreating figure. A strange sense of dissonance crept over him.

…Is that really the Leryel Tenebris I know?

He had deliberately mocked her with harsh words to probe her true intentions. He had been certain she would lose her patience and reveal her true nature.

But today, the Leryel who had come to the temple with him was different. That couldn’t all be an act.

The sincerity she showed was not ugly, but vivid—and painfully earnest.

That can’t be.

Peric was confused.

Just a month ago, at their engagement ceremony, the Leryel he had seen was a woman who knew nothing but herself—selfish, arrogant, greed practically dripping from her. A villainess by nature.

Yet the Leryel standing here now was…

No. I can’t be fooled.

Peric pressed his lips together.

For a moment, his emotions had almost swayed him.

Forcing himself to deny the part of him that wanted to believe she had changed, he recalled the image of the villainess she used to be.

Only then did he barely regain his composure.

For some reason, his heart was still racing, but Peric brushed it off as anger.

His dark red eyes, once again cold, glared down the corridor she had disappeared into.

One thing was certain—he needed to keep watching her. Since he had followed her this far, at least that much was necessary to make it worth his while.

With a sigh, he went outside to look for a priest. Spotting him, the priest ran over with a brightened expression.

“Ah, Your Highness! You’re here. The High Priest and the Saintess have finished preparing. We apologize for the delay in receiving you, but please, this way—”

“That’s enough. Give me something I can do right now.”

“…Pardon?”

“I didn’t come here to meet the High Priest. If that had been my goal, I would’ve said so from the start.”

If you came to volunteer, stop talking and help?

Peric let out a rough, incredulous laugh.