# 8
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Shockingly, the director worked with the kidnappers and regularly brought children to be shipped to the slave market.
Most likely, the grown men who visited the orphanage with Diana not long ago were part of the kidnapping group.
Suddenly my eyes became hot with anger.
“I won't let you get away with it easily.”
With my clenched hands shaking and unable to come to my senses, I grabbed a random stack of paper from the desk.
Then, using magic, he immediately began copying the books of accounts and transaction data.
The idea was to take the original with me and keep a copy in the closet, just in case something went wrong.
Over time, it would go back to being a meaningless piece of paper, but it was just a temporary trick.
'Because Duke Elad will be here soon.'
Thanks to the unprecedented abundance of mana, the copies were created much faster than I expected.
'Now that I think about it, I need to know why the amount of mana suddenly increased...'
“Wonderful.”
At that time, blood suddenly came out.
I suddenly used a lot of mana and my weak body couldn't handle it.
I felt an enormous sense of helplessness, but I quickly raised my hand and wiped away all the drops of blood so as to leave no evidence behind.
At the same time, the body stumbled and fell to the ground.
As I feared, my mana was running out, and my whole body, starting with my hands, began to tremble, but my eyes, when I looked at the evidence, shone brightly.
* * *
“You lazy one again, move, and you bastards too!”
While I was remembering the night a few nights ago and barely suppressing the urge to change things right away, I suddenly heard the manager's voice coming from downstairs.
“Are you going to throw it away?”
"Nothing! I didn't say that to Diana."
I spoke urgently, looking at Diana, who was following the director's words with an innocent expression.
For some reason, I had a bad feeling.
Last night, the director went out for a drink as usual and returned to the orphanage before midnight, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost.
Then suddenly I found Diana.
Perhaps thanks to my repeated urgings, Diana did not make a loud noise or cry even when facing the big boss.
Knowing how afraid Diana was of the director, I gently kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear after the director left.
Your father will come to your rescue soon, so be patient.
If I remember correctly, the Duke is visiting tomorrow.
I woke up hoping the day would go by quickly, thinking I had to hold on for a while.
“Diana, he will come after cleaning, so sleep for a while.”
* * *
“Duke Elad, no way… Probably not. Yes, that’s right. We don’t have a silver-haired child. We have one, but she has light gray hair!”
While the manager was pacing back and forth across the room as if nervous and muttering frantically, my hand, which had been sweeping the floor with a mop, stopped for a while.
Then the manager looked at me and shouted sharply.
“You, bring that gray-haired girl from yesterday.”
". … Yes?"
“Do I have to say that twice!”
I quickly ran outside when the manager opened his eyes and scared me.
My heart was beating like crazy.
“Should I run away now?” no. What should I do if I cross paths with the Duke for no reason?
I was nervously biting my nails and suddenly stopped.
Come to think of it, the manager had shown interest in Diana in this way in the past.
In the end, they locked her in the attic the day before the Duke's visit.
At the time, I thought it was punishment because Diana couldn't adapt to life in the orphanage….
〈Guys, no matter what you hear, you have to say that you don't know anything!〉
When Duke Elad stormed into the orphanage, I remembered what the director had said before gathering the children in the courtyard, and a sudden realization came to me.
He already knew.
He participated in the kidnapping of Princess Elad, and if this truth were discovered, my life would end that day.
I felt short of breath and raised my head, and before I knew it I was in front of the bedroom door.
“Diana?”
Diana, who thought she was clearly asleep, found me standing next to the bed and suddenly began to cry.
“Noona...”
“What's the matter, what's the problem?”
I felt embarrassed and quickly approached her, but Diana backed away and cried.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s okay, because Noona is with you.”
It's okay, it's okay.
After speaking in a calm tone several times, the baby seemed to have calmed down a bit and finally stopped crying.
Only then did I feel relieved, and I was able to see the situation clearly.
"Yes . … ".
Diana's wet clothes and blanket.
Diana knew she couldn't hide it any longer, her fingers trembled and she whimpered.
“Diana...you should rest.”
"Are you well."
“I'm not sure...”
Judging by the way she responded to the reassuring words, it seemed that Diana, who was intelligent and understanding, had already noticed the bad environment in this orphanage.
“Noona.”
Diana continued to shake her fingers and then lowered her head.
I quickly wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and held the baby girl in my arms.
“What in heaven’s name are you doing! Do you think what I’m saying is funny?”
The door opened, and the manager, who had gone up to the second floor, stared at me and Diana with an evil look.
At that moment, my heart was beating like crazy.
When I first joined the guild, Terenceum received an order from a shabby bar in a dangerous back alley.
A variety of people, including nobles, low-level knights, mercenaries, and common people, could come and go, and big men like the manager were often drunk.
I tried not to show it, but I was too scared.
Fortunately, soon after, at the master's wish, the headquarters was changed to a café located in the downtown area, and since then I was no longer under the threat of the big man, so I forgot this fear.
I thought I might have gotten over it.
It was a stupid idea.
“Oh noona...”
When I froze in shock, Diana called out to me.
But there was no answer.
This is because the director who discovered Diana extended his hand towards the child.
It was the same situation as in the past.
I couldn't move forward at that time, but this time it was different.
She quickly hugged Diana and wrapped her around like a hedgehog.
"Yes."
But it was not I who made the deathly groan.
When I opened my eyes in surprise, what appeared was Jack's gray hair.
* * *
"Hello . … ".
How much time has passed?
I flinched and opened my eyes at the sound of a small moan next to me, instantly realizing where I was in the pitch-black field of vision.
It was the attic above that the orphanage children hated the most.
This time, I thought that since Diana had not disobeyed the principal's wishes, she would not be locked in the attic, but I was wrong.
The reason Diana was locked in the attic in the first place was because she was Duke Ellard's daughter.
I felt sorry for myf for not realizing this earlier.
“...Diana.”
“Noona!”
The baby was in my arms as if she was waiting.
My facial expression distorted when I heard the sound of crying.
I felt like my voice was shaking because I was so upset, but I forced myf to clear my throat and spoke to reassure the little one.
“Diana, as you said, your father will come to your rescue soon.”
"Yes."
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes, Diana trusts you, Nona.”
My eyes lit up at the child's kind words.
I was grateful and sad at the same time that the baby depended so much on me, even though I had only just met her.
“Yes, Diana, just a moment.”
I patted the little girl on the back several times and quickly examined the mana inside my body.
Maybe because I couldn't rest or eat properly after using magic yesterday, I couldn't feel the mana well.
I knew I was in bad shape, but I managed to raise my hand and make a small flame.
Soon I saw the girl's face covered in tears and snot.
and.
“Jack...”
I was speechless when I saw Jack with his eyes closed as if he had lost consciousness.
In the past, Jack was trapped in the attic with Diana while protecting her from the Principal, but this time, he seemed to be more seriously injured than before.
'This is all my fault.'
I...
I came back from the dead.
I felt terrible and wanted to cry, but when I noticed that the flame on my fingertip was noticeably smaller than before, I quickly and calmly examined Jack.
Looking at Jack's condition, it seemed like it had been a day since he lost consciousness.
Duke Elad had probably arrived at the orphanage by now.
After a long search, you will find this attic.
“I can't wait.”
I didn't want these kids to be trapped in the dark even for a second.
In time, even the flames that were flashing dangerously disappeared into the silence.
Without hesitation, I turned toward what I assumed was the attic window, where I had been looking when the fireworks had been turned off a moment ago.
"Yes."
The window was blocked with so many layers, even if you tried to remove the panel with your bare hands, it wouldn't be easy.
But even though my delicate fingers were pricked by tree thorns and bleeding, I couldn't stop.
At that time, the painting was torn slightly, allowing a thin beam of light to enter, and the scene outside was visible, albeit narrowly.
Then Diana turned pale when she realized what I was doing in the dark.
“Oh, noona, blood, blood...”
“It's okay, I'm fine...”
I strengthened Diana who was helpless next to me and gave her strength several times.
After removing some panels, the hole in the already broken window was revealed.
If I screamed like that, it seemed like it could be heard even outside.
But the brief anticipation quickly turned into disappointment.
No matter how loudly Diana shouted “Daddy!”, there was silence outside.
“This makes no sense...”
The Empire's best knights dealing with the Twilight must have gathered together.
Then I thought you would recognize that voice and presence.
Out of nervousness, I held the necklace in my hand as usual and mumbled quietly.
“I have to go myf.”
Of course, I was the only one who could put everything back in place.
My heart was beating fast as I looked at the ground through the window and measured the distance.
If it had been me before, I would have come down lightly from that height.
But now I was very weak.
If you're lucky, you'll end up with a broken leg or arm, but if you're unlucky, you might die.
'I want to live.'
Even after screwing things up like this, I still wanted to live.
As if that were imprinted as the only desire.
In the end, I decided to take one last adventure.