The Orphanage's Secret Magazine
“So, where exactly are we heading in this carriage?”
“Hmm, well, when it comes to finding children to adopt, an orphanage is pretty much the only option.”
After all, kids with living parents were obviously off the table, and adopting children of unknown origin without proper consideration felt wrong.
“I see. So you’re prioritizing an orphanage because children starved for affection are easier to educate. That’s a truly wicked thought—one only a former villainess could come up with.”
“I didn’t think anything like that at all. And that’s purely something your brain cooked up…”
This wicked head maid.
She was clearly determined to criticize me no matter what.
“Anyway, what kind of children are you planning to bring back from the orphanage?”
“Obviously, they have to be exceptionally beautiful… Selena, could you soften that glare a little…?!”
I felt a murderous aura rising behind Selena and quickly corrected myself.
“A-actually, I don’t have any strict conditions in mind. We’ll live together and adapt to one another. I’m sure I’ll just know when I see the right ones.”
My plausible-sounding answer made Selena nod slowly.
“It sounds reasonable enough… but ultimately you’re still just going to judge them by their faces, aren’t you?”
“Faces are important!”
Obviously.
Extremely important.
After all, everyone’s ideal type begins with appearance.
You know the saying—if personality is the interview stage of romance, then looks are the document screening.
Especially for someone as picky as me, I had no choice but to examine outward features in meticulous detail.
Selena stared at me with clear dissatisfaction before continuing, as if something had just occurred to her.
“Wait. What if the children you bring back don’t like you?”
Her eyes sparkled with a brightness I hadn’t seen since we’d gotten in the carriage.
To anyone watching, it would look like she was desperately hoping for exactly that.
Well, it was probably just my imagination.
“Hehe, Selena, that problem actually has a surprisingly simple solution.”
At my answer, Selena nodded and said, “I see. So in the end we’ll have to look for different children…”
“No. The answer is to send them endless flirting and seduction until they fall for me!”
I declared triumphantly and pulled out a book I had secretly grabbed from the count’s residence earlier.
"101 Ways for an Older Woman to Seduce a Woman Twelve Years Younger"
“Throw that away right now. Or I’ll throw you away instead.”
“What? This is incredibly rare! I borrowed it from Lady Deliheim just the other day after paying a fortune!”
Not to mention I’d promised her a date next week in return.
“I don’t care. I’m telling the late Count about this, so consider yourself warned.”
“Oh come on, what are you saying, Selena? You’re the one who brought this to me…”
Well, since it was me, I’d overlook it just this once.
Where in the world could you find such a kind master?
I handed the book to Selena with a bright smile.
“Sigh… You were so pure when you were little. Looks really aren’t everything, huh?”
“Hmm… self-introduction?”
“Still, looking at your own example, shouldn’t we set at least a few conditions regarding personality?”
Although I’d said it playfully, it was a topic we couldn’t simply gloss over when adopting children.
Since Selena was the head maid, she would be spending a lot of time with them, so it made sense that she’d be concerned about their character and personality.
Besides, conflicts between adopted children and their guardians were supposedly inevitable in most cases, so her point was reasonably valid.
By normal people’s standards, anyway.
“Selena, surprisingly enough, I’ve never once met anyone who treated me badly.”
Of course, that was limited to Serenia’s life.
But it was true!
I was the daughter of a prosperous count’s family, a breathtakingly beautiful girl with golden hair and green eyes—even I had to admit it. On top of that, I had a gentle voice and an outstanding figure.
Everyone who had approached me, whether for business or social reasons, had always shown me a certain level of favor.
There were the occasional young ladies who were jealous of me, but what did that matter?
A few sweet words and they’d come around on their own.
“Wow… how obnoxious.”
“A villainess is supposed to be a little obnoxious, you know.”
Of course, Selena was a special case standing right in front of me, but the two of us had been friends since we were very young, so that was probably why.
“Anyway, I won’t worry about personality conditions, so you can handle that part yourself.”
“Even so, they’re the children you’ll be adopting, my lady. Is it really appropriate for me to be the one judging them?”
“Whatever happens, they’ll be living in the count’s house with us from now on. As head maid, you’ll have plenty of chances to interact with them too.”
“Still…”
Hmm. I still couldn’t quite figure out when Selena’s timid side would show up.
“You were meddling so confidently earlier, but now you’re backing out? Really, if you’re this timid, how are you ever going to seduce a lover in the future?”
Selena’s face flushed bright red as she answered.
As expected, Selena was cutest when her face turned red.
“If you want a flick to the forehead, just say so… And meddling and monitoring are two completely different things.”
“Well, I understand your thoughts now, my lady. I do have a decent eye for people, after all.”
“Wow, that’s really impressive. So who was it that let a succubus disguised as a peddler into the count’s house a few years ago?”
“T-that was a once-in-a-lifetime mistake! And you’re the one who seduced that succubus, my lady!”
“Alright, alright. Just do me a favor and pick good ones.”
And if possible, I also hoped the children would get along well with Selena.
She didn’t seem particularly close with the other servants.
‘Sigh, what can I do? I guess I have to look after my only friend.’
There really isn’t another master like me in the world.
I thought I felt Selena’s gaze on me from the side, but it was probably just my imagination.
While I was lost in these thoughts, the carriage finally arrived at the orphanage.
—
Persen Orphanage.
The largest orphanage in the southern region of the Empire, operated through donations from various sources. It was known as one of the Empire’s sanctuaries, guaranteeing the children high-quality living conditions and education.
Thanks to the character education personally overseen by the former head nun, children from Persen were widely recognized among the Empire’s people as having upright personalities and always prioritizing helping others…
But as is always the case, exceptions were bound to exist.
—
“Did you really bring it? If we get caught again, we’ll be cleaning the bathrooms for a whole week…”
“I snuck it out while the librarian was asleep, so it’s fine. Besides, the librarian isn’t interested in magazines anyway.”
“Whatever, just take it out already. I’m dying to see it.”
In a corner of the orphanage classroom, three girls huddled together.
What on earth were they up to?
“Ta-da! June issue of the Southern Empire Women’s Model Magazine!”
““Whoaaa!!!””
The moment the girl with light blue hair pulled out the forbidden book… or rather, magazine, from the desk drawer, the other two girls screamed as if they had discovered gold.
“Hehe, and this June issue features none other than the young lady of the Roengrin family! It’s a special edition to celebrate her ascension to the title of Countess!”
“If it’s the young lady of the Roengrin family… she’s always mentioned as the Empire’s greatest beauty! Hurry and turn the page!”
The three girls in the classroom held their breath and began admiring the beautiful women in the magazine with maximum passion.
“Mmm, mmmhehehe.”
“Definitely worth going to this orphanage.”
And then…
“Oh my god…”
“T-this is Lady Serenia Roengrin…”
“…An angel?”
When they finally reached the page they had been waiting for, all three girls fell completely silent, staring in utter awe.
“There’s a survey next to the photo too. She took first place as the person who would look best in a naked apron in the entire Empire!”
“She doesn’t even compare to regular models…”
“We can’t cut this out, right? Hestia, how long would it take you to copy this drawing?”
“Hmm, at least three days. It would be so much better if we had a camera…”
“Where would we get something that expensive? Let’s just look at it a lot right now.”
Cameras in the Empire were luxury items reserved for nobles. To children with no money at all, they were an unimaginable extravagance.
In the end, the three girls continued staring intently at Serenia’s face.
“How wonderful would it be to even hold hands with someone like her…?”
“Hestia, your dreams are too small. If you’re going to fantasize, you should at least imagine dating Lady Serenia. What about you, Lobelia?”
“Just that much? If I could stay by Lady Serenia’s side, I’d tie her up with a rope first and then freely touch her chest… Why are you looking at me like that, Ophelia?”
‘Behind you! Behind you!!’
Ophelia kept nudging Lobelia’s side as the latter was lost in her own little world of shameless desires.
‘From the shape of Ophelia’s mouth… it looks like she’s saying… behind…?’
The moment they quickly turned around, they found the director of Persen Orphanage, Anastasia, looking down at the three girls.
She was smiling, but the overwhelming pressure she radiated was terrifying.
“Hestia, Ophelia, and Lobelia… Staying in the classroom this late to do extra studying? How impressive.”
The three girls exchanged glances. After silently deciding that Ophelia—the closest thing they had to a model student among them—should speak, she carefully opened her mouth.
“D-Director, hello. We were doing additional studies to uphold the great name of Persen Orphanage in the future.”
“Oh? Is that so. What exactly were you studying?”
“Lady Serenia’s sensual figure and face…”
“Ophelia!!!”
“Eek!”
Anastasia snatched away the magazine that was open to Serenia’s page and glared at the three troublemakers.
“I believe this is the fifth time I’ve told you that magazines like this are forbidden in the orphanage. And to speak so rudely about Count Roengrin, who has given us so much support… I assume you’re all prepared to be punished?”
“But it was clearly in the library…”
“Looks like a month of bathroom cleaning isn’t enough.”
“We’re sorry…”
The three girls let out heavy sighs and had to endure two full hours of Anastasia’s endless scolding.