MCBD 03

Chapter 03

“My hand isn’t dirty. So—where’s your house?”

The little boy stayed silent for quite a while. Since I’d already decided to be kind, I chose to wait patiently.

At the end of the silence, the child finally spoke.

“Uh… o-over there. That’s our house.”

I looked toward the building the boy pointed at.

It stood at the very end of a back alley in the shopping district—a two-story house that looked as if it might collapse at any moment, poorly maintained and worn down.

A sign hung on the front gate that read: Elpis Orphanage.

An orphanage kid?

In this era, orphanages tended to fall into one of two extremes. Either the headmaster abused the children cruelly to skim off subsidies, or a genuinely good person took proper care of them.

If he’s wandering outside on a rainy day, is he being mistreated?

Even if I’d been handed a death sentence, I wasn’t the kind of trash who would turn a blind eye to child abuse.

“I’ll take you home. Let’s go.”

Instead of answering, the boy tightly gripped my hand. Though his hand was wet from the rain, it wasn’t cold—if anything, it felt a little warm.

Warm…

Only then did I realize it.

It was the warmth of another person—something I hadn’t felt in a very long time since my family had left me behind.

I entered Elpis Orphanage with the boy.

A woman who looked to be in her forties, with well-permed brown hair and an unmistakably chatty air about her, rushed out in a panic.

“My goodness, sweetheart!”

“……”

“You went out again? I can’t live like this! You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

The boy subtly hid behind my back. I relayed the facts in a dry tone.

“I saw the child at a shop up ahead. He said he lived here, so I brought him back.”

While the orphanage director chattered on with her thanks, I quietly surveyed the inside of the building.

In an old, worn-out fireplace, a few sticks of skinny firewood crackled weakly.

Perhaps because of that, the orphanage felt a bit cold.

This place is really poor.

I glanced at the staff member taking the child toward the bathhouse.

Only one staff member, too. They’re severely understaffed.

As I coolly assessed the situation, the director led me to her office. She served me a warm cup of hot chocolate and continued talking without pause.

She told me the boy was about ten years old; that for reasons unknown, he wandered outside every time it rained; and that they often had to go looking for him because of it.

“I see.”

I cut her off lightly. I’d heard enough.

Once you learn someone’s story, you inevitably develop feelings toward them. Then you want a better relationship, you want to stay with them—and you start wanting to live longer.

And I’ve already decided not to cling to life.

Thankfully, the child didn’t seem to be abused, and that alone was enough for me.

“But still, I was so surprised to see him holding your hand. That child never holds a stranger’s hand—”

Perhaps I wanted to stop her endless chatter. A sudden, impulsive remark slipped out.

“I don’t want to know any more. I’m thinking of sponsoring the orphanage.”

The director’s eyes widened.

I knew how suspicious that must sound. I was wearing my robe low, my face hidden from view.

I didn’t want my identity revealed, so I was even using a voice-alteration spell. To her, my voice must have sounded unclear and unnatural.

“I’ll provide the money. You feed the child, clothe him, and send him out into the world.”

“……”

“That’s all I want. It’s not dirty money, so don’t worry. If you need it, I can provide documentation.”

The director hesitated, then finally spoke.

“You must have your own circumstances.”

“……”

“When you raise children, you can tell these things. I won’t pry.”

When I remained silent, she continued carefully.

“And if you’re willing to sponsor us, I can only be grateful. Our orphanage is in desperate need of every coin.”

I nodded.

“Still, don’t trust people too easily. Soon, I’ll send someone skilled in accounting to handle the sponsorship in my place. And after that… I’d prefer it if we never met again.”

With the name of the Buitri family completely erased, I would simply send auditors each year and receive the accounting books.

That would be the end of our connection.

Ignoring the director’s polite farewell, I left the orphanage.

The rain had completely stopped, and sunlight was shining again outside.

At the entrance, I spotted the boy once more, still wearing his yellow raincoat. It seemed he’d changed back into it while the staff wasn’t looking.

“Take care. And don’t go outside on rainy days.”

I hadn’t expected a reply—but one came anyway.

“…If I’m good… will you come again?”

“No. I won’t come back. Just live well on your own.”

The child said nothing after that. I turned my back and walked away slowly.

Somehow… I feel a little better.

I’d done one unexpectedly good deed. Not that it would change the world.

Yet, feeling my steps grow strangely lighter, I realized something.

I’d found a goal for this life.

Right. From now on, let’s try doing good things.

Let’s do things that make people smile. I’d never done anything for others in my life before.

In this life, I’ll live doing good deeds, drawing a good path—and then die beautifully.

Suddenly, my mother came to mind.

She had been a warm person—someone who shared bread with the poor and reached out a hand to those who had fallen.

“Siena, my daughter. If you help others, you’ll become happy too.”

“I don’t get it at all. Why would helping others make me happy?”

Only now did I think I understood what she meant.

“This is kind of fun, isn’t it?”

For the first time in a long while, I felt alive—and smiled brightly.

One day later, at Elpis Orphanage.

The director, Jenny, stared in disbelief.

When the refined girl in a gray robe had said she would sponsor them, Jenny had expected only a modest donation.

But…

“W-what on earth is all this…?”

…Gifts were piled up like a mountain!

“With this much, we could even rebuild the old building.”

Watching the letter, the money delivered by a white messenger bird, and the caretakers sent by the girl methodically cleaning and organizing the orphanage, Jenny was deeply moved.

Though the donation came from someone of unknown identity, Jenny didn’t doubt it for a moment. She had seen many people while running the orphanage, and she felt certain the robed girl was not someone who would lie.

“With this money, we could even make snacks that actually consider the children’s nutrition…”

“Teacher, we got pajamas too!”

Seeing pajamas perfectly sized for each child, Jenny beamed.

To the girl, it might have been nothing more than a simple good deed. But to the children here, it was a miracle.

“Hey, kids. Aren’t you curious what kind of person our sponsor might be?”

“Yes!”

“With so many gifts, maybe it’s His Majesty the Emperor!”

“Woooow!”

As everyone shouted together, one boy spoke up.

“G-good…”

All eyes turned to the boy in the yellow raincoat.

It was rare for him to speak out loud at the orphanage.

He never let anyone touch him, and he rarely spoke unless absolutely necessary. But now, blushing slightly, he murmured softly,

“She’s… a g-good… person…”

Jenny, who had been watching him tenderly, smiled brightly.

“Of course she is! I’m so curious what kind of person she really is.”

“But… when will she come again?”

Jenny was taken aback by the unexpected question, but soon put on a playful smile.

“Hmm… maybe when you finish all your soup?”

“……”

“It’s soup from our sponsor, so make sure you eat plenty.”

“But… it wasn’t just for me…”

Sensing the faint possessiveness in his words, the director chuckled softly.

“Still, she’s someone you brought here. She’s probably paying the most attention to you.”

After hearing that, the boy nodded firmly. Then he scooped up a big spoonful of soup and stuffed it into his mouth.

Earnestly. Determinedly.

“Shall we send a thank-you letter to our sponsor? We can send letters through the bird, you know.”

Jenny smiled gently at the white bird the sponsor had sent along.

The boy nodded.

With a solemn, almost resolute expression—
as if he had made a very important decision.