Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: 4. The Most Conscientious Orphan Dealer
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The Luton baron's mansion wasn't all that large. Even as a lord, he was just the lord of a rural town like Luton, so it was only natural.
Even so, the Luton baron's family was undeniably nobility. It wasn't a place that would open its doors just because I said I wanted to visit.
But that didn't matter. Right now, I had a noble-exclusive entry pass.
"...Father."
"You're back, Riel."
And the result was this. The gatekeeper let me through without a hitch, and I got to meet the ruler of this city right away.
Hainkel Luton. The current head of the Luton baron's family and the ruler of Luton.
Normally, even a baron as family head leading a house and lord of the city should show some dignity befitting that.
"Then go back to your room now."
"Father."
"Go on!"
But the sight he was showing right now was completely different.
His hair was a mess, dark circles under his eyes—a wrecked appearance anyone could see.
Even with his youngest daughter back after running away from home, Hainkel just waved her off irritably and barked at her.
No matter how much of an honorary orphan Riel was, she wasn't a real one, so defying her parents was hard. Parents and children—especially when the child was still young—were in a perfect superior-subordinate relationship.
So Riel could only tremble and do nothing. Normally, she'd have no choice but to bow her head and obey Hainkel, her father.
But.
"Lady Riel, if things get tough, you can always come to us anytime."
"Orphanage Director...?"
"...You."
"I'm sorry for the late introduction. I'm Yujin, the Orphanage Director."
Considering the personality Hainkel had just shown, he might yell something like, "How dare some orphanage director talk back to me?" But he didn't. Instead, he just gritted his teeth.
And I had a guess why.
'It's because of what happened when I got the permit.'
Back then, I'd used one of my adventurer connections and paid a hefty price. But it worked perfectly—Hainkel stamped the permit in under three minutes.
I had no plans to contact that madman again anyway, but from Hainkel's perspective, he'd think I had that madman as my backing.
That was also why I'd boldly followed Riel into the Luton baron's mansion. Since he was mistaken, I figured I could gain the upper hand.
Of course, I wouldn't cross the line. No arrogance or leg-crossing—I wouldn't disrespect him.
"You must have known Lady Riel's whereabouts, Baron. That's why you sent a knight, right?"
"...The knight, yeah. Not anymore, though."
Huh? Did that guy Hexon get fired?
Anyway, it wasn't important, so I continued without dwelling on it.
"Then you knew, but our orphanage has been 'protecting' Lady Riel."
"Protecting, huh."
"She came to our orphanage of her own accord. As the director, I couldn't just turn away a child who showed up on her own."
"........."
"In the process, I taught her things she 'must never forget,' and somehow ended up hearing her story. I couldn't just send her off alone."
Of course she must never forget. She had to keep remembering that I'd taught her the violin so she'd stay aware she was an honorary orphan and keep being friendly to the orphanage.
I couldn't miss a chance at some legal(?) collusion.
"That's why I've come to be her strength. I might be a lowly orphanage director to you, Baron... but I never abandon any child who was even briefly part of our orphanage."
"...Hah."
"If you don't fulfill your parental duties, even if it means opposing you, Baron, I'll protect Lady Riel at our orphanage. So."
I stood up first and opened the door to the drawing room, stepping out.
Family matters don't flow well with an outsider present, and above all, Hainkel seemed constantly on edge around me.
But just before leaving, Hainkel asked me.
"What are you doing this for?"
What do you mean? I just said.
Ah, as the head of a baron's family, he might have seen through my surface excuse of "for the children."
I wouldn't be dealing with Hainkel long-term anyway.
"Of course, for my business."
So please reconcile with Riel and do some collusion with me.
For my retirement and pension!
*
Click.
As soon as the orphanage director, Yujin, closed the door and left, Hainkel sank into his chair and let out a hollow laugh.
"Business, huh."
That confirmed it. With Hexon coming back half-broken from the orphanage, he'd have to be an idiot not to know by now.
The new force starting to unify Luton's back alleys recently.
And behind it was that orphanage director.
'Even being called "miss" is to hide her identity.'
Normally, such things get crushed under the lord's authority and forces. But Hainkel couldn't do that.
When Yujin came for the orphanage construction permit, he'd seen who was backing him.
Luton had just been chosen as a sacrificial lamb for that monster Yujin to build his power.
'And he's not even satisfied with that backing.'
"Father? What's wrong?"
...Even going so far as to take Riel hostage.
What did "protecting" at the orphanage mean? It meant behave well, or he'd take Riel hostage. And Riel seemed mentally dependent on Yujin, sticking close to him.
'Fulfilling parental duties, huh.'
It felt like that orphanage director was more of a parent to Riel than her real father.
Hainkel, who had been chuckling hollowly, hardened his eyes coldly.
"...Go back."
"Father?"
"Go back to that orphanage. It's better for both me and you."
Hexon was a proper knight, albeit on the weaker side, and he'd been turned half-cripple. It was a declaration of confidence that he could overwhelm any average knight or baron's house.
In that case, sending her to the orphanage might be safer for Riel than forcing her to stay in the family. Yujin would treat his hostage kindly, too.
Normally, he'd rage that his territory was chosen as a sacrifice.
'But now, it means nothing.'
His wife, his childhood sweetheart, had died. A death with unknown cause. For Hainkel, who'd only ever lived in this small town, she was his whole world.
After she died, Hainkel gradually fell apart. Nothing filled the void she left. Whenever he handled affairs, he'd think of her gentle advice from beside him, so he stopped doing anything. That way, he thought of her less.
Finally, he tried to burn all her belongings. It had been seven years since she died. He was tired of spending nights weeping for her.
So whether his territory or family was used didn't matter anymore.
He was just a shell anyway. That's why he did nothing even when the steward took bribes openly and ran wild.
"So, go back."
"...Then, what about the mementos?"
"What?"
"You're going to burn Mother's mementos... After I leave, are you really going to burn them?"
"........."
Right, that was it.
That was why Riel had run away. Unlike his other children, his youngest daughter strongly resembled his wife. That's why he hated seeing her face even more, but she was the daughter who always obeyed him obediently.
For the first time, that daughter rebelled against Hainkel, fought fiercely, and left home. All because he tried to burn his wife's mementos.
So.
"Yeah, I'm going to burn them."
"No!"
"It's been seven years since she died. Seven years! You never even saw your mother, so why the hell...!!"
Oops.
Realizing he'd said something he shouldn't in his emotions, Hainkel shut his mouth. No matter what, it wasn't something to say to his seven-year-old youngest daughter.
But Riel, trembling at her father's shouting, looked toward the door and mustered her courage to yell.
"You're right. I don't even know Mother's face! They said she died giving birth to me!"
"You..."
"I have no memories of Mother, and even seeing her portrait doesn't bring tender feelings. But, but still, no!"
"Why?"
"...Because it feels like if you do, you'll really give up everything."
Ah.
"I know why you ignore and avoid me. I resemble Mother, and she died giving birth to me, the one you loved so much. It's sad, painful, hard, but I've tried to understand somehow. And that's why I can't just leave you be. After burning Mother's mementos, what do you plan to do?"
"............"
What do I plan? Nothing like that.
Nothing...
"So you can't burn them. It feels like you'll disappear forever somewhere. Are you going to make me an orphan?"
"Riel, how can you say..."
"So, I practiced."
"...Practiced?"
"I found it long ago in Father's study. This music score."
What Riel pulled out was an incredibly worn music score. The paper yellowed and discolored, barely readable now.
And on it was written the title 'For My Beloved Hainkel.'
"I wanted to play this... so I practiced."
Riel opened the score and took out a violin. The violin that had been his wife's hobby, and her face so like his wife's. The moment he saw it, memories of his wife flooded him madly, so Hainkel squeezed his eyes shut.
───♪
"...Ah."
A familiar melody—so familiar—filled the air. At that timbre, Hainkel opened his eyes and stared blankly at Riel.
It was clumsy. The score was incomplete, and compared to his wife, Riel's skill was still lacking.
Even so, it was beautiful.
Only then did Hainkel properly see Riel's hands.
'Calluses, and wounds too...'
Playing the violin is never easy. At first, you drop the bow, holding the violin is tiring, and you hurt your hands often.
It must have been so hard, she must have wanted to quit, there was no guarantee practicing would change Hainkel's mind.
Even so, his youngest daughter had practiced and practiced her mother's song solely for her father.
"........."
Hainkel quietly embraced Riel after she finished playing, sweating.
Tears flowed from eyes he'd thought dried up.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"Father..."
"I'm sorry for being a useless father, a worthless father, an incompetent father...!!"
How much had he neglected this little child? Using his own pain as a shield, why had he ignored his child's pain?
Hainkel wept endlessly, begging Riel's forgiveness.
"...It's okay. You're still my father."
"Riel...!!"
How much time passed?
Hainkel stopped his tears and knelt before Riel. Even a pathetic wretch like him was still her father.
Perhaps realizing a bit of a father's heart then, Hainkel hesitated before speaking.
"Riel, you can't... not come back, can you?"
"Yes?"
"I've hurt you a lot until now. You must resent me, and it might be too late to turn back."
"........."
"But I'll still try my best. Like you did for me. So... can't you stay home without going back?"
It was a desperate plea, but Hainkel was prepared to accept whatever Riel answered. She'd already shown she relied on Yujin quite a bit.
But making his resolve pointless, Riel smiled and nodded.
"Of course, Father."
"Ri, Riel!"
"But I want to go to the orphanage once a week. Big brother’s there... and above all, I have to take the orphanage director's lessons."
"...Lessons?"
"Big brother" caught his attention, but more than that, it was "lessons." That orphanage director was teaching Riel something?
Yujin's words flashed in his mind. The part about teaching her something she "must never forget."
"Yes, I learned the violin!"
"The vi...olin?"
"If the director hadn't told me, I couldn't have played like this. He was the first to say I had talent for the violin───"
As if she truly held great goodwill toward Yujin, Riel continued happily.
But Hainkel was stunned inside.
'Taught her the violin? And first?'
He'd even called it something she "must never forget." And Riel had learned it to play for Hainkel.
In other words, Yujin knew what the violin meant to Hainkel.
That meant Yujin had conveyed his intentions through the innocent daughter.
'He's been watching our family from way back...'
That's why he'd come to Luton, opened the orphanage, unified the back alleys, and signaled his intentions to Hainkel.
He didn't know the reason. Why the Luton baron's family specifically, he still didn't know.
'But.'
His intentions weren't just threats. Thanks to Yujin, Hainkel had reconciled with Riel and restored their relationship.
Realizing Yujin's true intent then, Hainkel shivered.
'He won't just use us as sacrifices.'
He'd exploit what he could thoroughly. But he'd also toss a carrot.
The true meaning was simple. Not to exploit Hainkel and Luton one-sidedly, but to properly bring them under his control.
To become Luton's true ruler while truly subjugating its lord, Hainkel.
It's a law of nature that a ruler with both whip and carrot is more fearsome than one with just the whip. The whip makes superficial obedience, but whip with carrot wins the heart.
──Of course, for my business.
Yujin's "business" seemed far grander than Hainkel had thought.
'A truly terrifying man.'
Not satisfied even with that backing, disguising as orphanage director to secretly enforce his will.
Shivering at his bottomless depths, Hainkel looked at Riel tilting her head innocently.
...Yeah, he had no choice anymore.
"Father? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, dear. Have you... had lunch?"
"No! Let's eat together!"
"Yeah."
If the carrot Yujin gave Hainkel was this sweet and splendid.
There was no reason not to obey.
*
And outside the family head's drawing room, in the corridor.
"It worked, right...?"
Collusion was collusion, but I'd been anxious Hainkel might disown Riel or something. I worried they'd reconcile too well and make her a non-orphan.
Why would someone from the Luton baron's family be an orphan? Isn't there a saying once an orphan, always an orphan?
The soul of an orphan, the spirit of an orphan, the pride of an orphan!
Proud honorary orphan!
'Don't forget, Riel!'
You're an orphan!
An honorary orphan of our orphanage...!!