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Chapter – 07
“What do you mean, no?!”
When I questioned her again, Luluka suddenly shot me a sharp glare.
The way she looked at me with fierce, wary eyes felt completely unfamiliar.
It was the exact opposite of the angelic heroine image I had always believed she had.
“Luluka? What’s wrong with you?”
“…I-I told you it wasn’t true! Why won’t you believe me, Elia?”
But that strange expression vanished as quickly as a mirage.
Luluka lowered the corners of her eyes as if hurt that I doubted her.
Her eyes even started glistening with tears.
It’s not that I don’t believe you—I literally saw it…
Watching her suddenly act like the victim after I had caught something suspicious left me stunned and speechless.
Tilting my head, I pointed at her chest with my fingertip.
“But I saw it. You tucked one of the letters into your clothes.”
“…!”
At my words, Luluka hurriedly covered her chest.
The way she tightly clutched the front of her clothes, like she was trying to hide something from me, looked incredibly suspicious.
I narrowed my eyes and stepped closer.
“Are you hiding something from me?”
“N-no! Elia, why are you acting so unlike yourself all of a sudden?”
Luluka looked visibly flustered.
Seeing her like this made me newly aware of how young she really was.
Instead of cornering her with words, I decided to act directly.
“If you’re not hiding anything, then show me.”
I coldly held out my hand in front of her.
At once, Luluka’s face turned pale.
“I don’t want to suspect you either, Luluka. But I already saw you hiding something.”
“……”
“You don’t like being suspected either, right? Then wouldn’t it be better to just show me?”
Remembering that Luluka was still just a young girl, I tried to persuade her calmly.
After silently listening to me, Luluka bit her lip repeatedly before finally pulling out what she had hidden inside her clothes.
“What? That’s not a letter.”
“It’s parchment from a noble family’s official document.”
“Isn’t this the director’s? Then why were you trying to take it?”
With a tearful expression, Luluka answered,
“…I wanted the parchment.”
“Ah…”
Since parchment was made from treated animal skin, it was much more expensive than ordinary paper.
That was why nobles often used it for official documents and letters.
It was far sturdier and lasted much longer than normal paper.
She wanted to sell the parchment for money.
The orphanage director occasionally gave the children pocket money for errands, but there was only so much they could earn that way.
Luluka’s ears had turned bright red as she stared at the ground.
She was clearly embarrassed that I had caught her stealing.
Looking down at her trembling hands, I spoke calmly.
“Luluka. No matter how badly you need money, you know stealing is wrong.”
“……”
“Put it back on the director’s desk. I’ll keep it a secret that you tried to take it.”
At my words, Luluka gave a small nod.
She still kept her head lowered, so I couldn’t see her face properly.
And because of that, I didn’t notice the expression she was wearing.
Thinking that she understood now, I turned around.
Honestly, I just wanted to hurry back and read Akkelte’s letter.
“Elia.”
“Yeah?”
From behind me, Luluka spoke in a low voice.
“Lately… you don’t take your necklace off when you bathe?”
“Ah, yeah. Ever since I lost it before, I stopped taking it off.”
“…What if it rusts?”
“Well, it can’t be helped. Better than losing it again.”
I hesitated for a moment while looking at Luluka, who still had her head lowered, before adding softly.
She seemed more downcast than usual.
“…Actually, I don’t think I lost it. I think someone stole it.”
“Stole it? Who…?”
“Hmm…”
Since accusing someone was a delicate matter, I carefully chose my words.
“I definitely left it in my bath basket back then, but it was found somewhere completely different.”
“Ah…”
“And I’d never even gone to the place where you found it.”
“That is strange…”
In a worried voice, Luluka asked,
“Elia… have you told anyone about this? Like the director?”
“No. I didn’t want the other kids getting punished for no reason.”
I answered lightly.
If I told the director someone had stolen my necklace and then discarded it after things got serious, she might storm through the orphanage with that huge disciplinary stick of hers and interrogate all the children.
I didn’t want innocent kids getting caught up in it, so I decided to just guard the pendant more carefully myself.
“Anyway, let’s head back! Doesn’t the weather feel really dry today?”
“Yeah.”
Luluka seemed so dejected that I felt bad too.
I deliberately spoke brightly as I guided her along, and slowly she lifted her head.
It seemed she had gathered herself again, because her usual gentle and pretty expression had returned.
“But why are these stairs creaking so much?”
As we climbed the stairs, a loud creaking noise suddenly echoed beneath us.
The sound was coming from the step I was standing on.
After checking, it seemed one of the stairs had gotten old and unstable. The wood looked rotten and wobbled dangerously.
“You’re right…”
Luluka placed a finger against her lips and stared carefully at the stairs.
Then she suddenly turned to me.
“Elia, I think this needs to be fixed quickly.”
“Right? Let’s tell the director. Someone could get hurt.”
“Okay. I’ll tell her while I’m returning the parchment. You head back to the room.”
I nodded.
More than anything, I wanted to hurry back and read Akkelte’s letter.
After returning to the room, I carefully opened it.
“…It smells nice.”
The letter carried a soft grassy scent.
Wondering why, I looked inside and found dried herbs enclosed with it.
“Huh? This is…!”
I gasped in shock without realizing it.
The dried herb Akkelte had sent was none other than Dew Grass.
Dew Grass is an incredibly rare and expensive medicinal herb! How did he get this?!
Of course, obtaining it probably wasn’t difficult for the Isis ducal family, but even so, it was an extravagant gift for someone he’d only met once.
Dew Grass was a herb overflowing with divine power.
If chewed while dried, it could instantly restore a person’s energy.
It was also one of the ingredients used in high-grade potions.
There was even a rumor that drinking a potion made from Dew Grass could extend one’s lifespan by several years, though only rarely, which made it extremely sought after.
Naturally, it was outrageously expensive.
He gave this to me because I said I was interested in potions!
He had remembered my words so carefully.
For some reason, my nose stung with emotion.
I gently placed the Dew Grass beside me and opened the letter itself.
“Wow… his handwriting is really beautiful.”
Akkelte’s handwriting was sharp yet elegant.
It was on an entirely different level from my childish round scribbles.
“M-maybe I should practice my handwriting before replying…”
Of course, I could write. The orphanage provided basic education.
But since I rarely had opportunities to write, my handwriting was still crooked and awkward like a child’s.
Comparing my writing to Akkelte’s, I slowly continued reading.
The letter wasn’t very long.
He asked how I had been doing and briefly explained that his reply had been delayed because he’d been searching for Dew Grass.
I should give Akkelte something in return too.
I couldn’t just accept such an incredible gift and do nothing.
I carefully thought about what kind of present Akkelte might like.
But is there anything the young master of the Isis family doesn’t already have?
No good ideas came to mind.
I stared blankly into space, deep in thought, when suddenly—
Click.
The door opened.
“Luluka, you’re back?”
“Yeah. I told the director properly. She said she’ll get it fixed soon.”
“That’s great!”
Luluka slowly walked over and sat beside me.
Then her eyes casually drifted toward my letter.
“It’s been so long since I’ve gone out.”
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a suitable gift.
So I decided to go to the shopping district instead. Maybe seeing things in person would inspire me.
Though getting permission from the director wasn’t easy.
The orphanage restricted children from going out alone because it was dangerous, but kids around my age could leave if they had permission.
I barely managed to get approval by using the excuse that I was going to buy books.
Though I did hear something odd.
“Why are so many kids suddenly asking for permission to go out today?”
I’d overheard the director muttering to herself in passing.
Apparently, besides me, there were other orphanage children heading out too.
Well, there were plenty of kids at the orphanage, so I didn’t think much of it.
“Wooow… pretty…”
The shopping district I visited for the first time in a while was still filled with fascinating and beautiful things.
I remember how shocked I was the first time I came here!
Shimmering accessories, strange fruits, and deeper inside the district, there were supposedly even magic shops. I hadn’t gone that far yet, though.
Hmm, where should I go?
As soap bubbles floated gently through the streets, I wandered while thinking.
The coins in my pocket jingled softly.
It was all the money I’d saved bit by bit from the allowance I earned running errands for the director.
Since it wasn’t much, expensive gifts were completely out of the question.
I slowly walked through the streets, deep in thought when—
“Huh? Wait, a materials shop?”
One particular store caught my eye.
As if enchanted, I stepped inside.
The materials shop was packed with all sorts of items.
As I browsed through herbs and ingredients, a thought occurred to me.
Maybe I should make the gift myself.
The young master of the Isis family had probably grown up with everything he could ever want.
There likely wasn’t any item he truly needed.
So maybe a heartfelt handmade gift would be better.
And since it’s not a finished luxury product, it wouldn’t cost much either!
At this price range, I could definitely afford something within my budget.
I carefully inspected the ingredients, trying to choose suitable materials.
“Please come again.”
At that moment, a familiar voice reached my ears.
I immediately turned toward the sound.
“Huh?”
But the owner of the voice had already disappeared.
I looked around, but no one was there.
“…Did I imagine it?”
It had definitely sounded like Luluka’s voice.
