Chapter 33
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33
See? This is why being ordinary makes you lose your charm. Or is it the other way around? Does an extraordinary person acting ordinary make them seem more relatable and likable?
Hmm. Based on my extensive RoFan knowledge, the latter seems more likely. There’s a reason tyrants and the Grand Dukes of the North are so popular, after all. It’s not just because they’re powerful; it’s because they act like ordinary men overflowing with love, but only for their female lead.
“First, let’s head to the Ainoa Orphanage.”
“Did I mention the name of the orphanage?”
Oops. Did I forget to mention she told me the name? How should I play this off? Admitting I’d run a background check would be a bit awkward.
“You mentioned it earlier.”
“…I see.”
They say you can’t get angry at a smiling face, so I tried to manipulate her memory with a silent grin. Fortunately, Daisy seemed to let it slide, figuring she must have forgotten. It felt a little like she was just letting me get away with it, though… Surely not?
Since our destination was the Ainoa Orphanage from the start, we arrived safely without getting lost. In a world without GPS, this coachman is incredibly good at finding his way. Daisy seemed impressed, too; even after getting out of the carriage, she stared at him in shock.
“That coachman…”
“Yeah. He’s the same one from last time. Convenient, right?”
I guess the coachman shared some memories with Daisy and Jelly. What could they be? It feels strange. A man and a woman promising eternal love with a coachman… A man and a woman going for a stroll with a coachman… No matter how you frame it, he’s a weird third wheel. What on earth did the three of them do together?
“I took that carriage when I was running away with him,” Jelly added succinctly.
Ah. Right, there was that. A man and a woman fleeing in haste with a coachman… Yeah, okay. That’s not weird at all. I can vividly picture the coachman frantically whipping the horses. As soon as she heard Jelly, Daisy frowned.
“Calling a person ‘convenient’…”
“A person? You see that as a person? That’s hilarious.”
I see him as a person, too.
But seeing Jelly act like that, I guess he’s not human. Whoa, could they be the same race? Like a fellow werewolf? He must have risked his life to help them escape the slave traders because they were kin. The coachman was a good man! No, a good demi-human!
While his fellow demi-human is working hard to earn a living, our Jelly is living the high life, latched onto a noble. Truly, being born a rich family’s pet is the best. Come to think of it, my dream used to be getting reborn as a rich person’s cat.
I looked away from the man, the woman, and the coachman—no, the three of them—and turned my attention to the orphanage.
“It’s quiet.”
As Canna said, it was exceptionally quiet, even for the early evening. The streetlamps were particularly dim, perhaps running low on gas. Since this was the outskirts of the capital and not a wealthy neighborhood, maintenance was probably neglected.
Maybe it was just the weak light, but why did it look so eerie? It felt like a ghost might pop out at any moment. I’m the kind of person who wouldn’t watch a horror movie even if my life depended on it.
It’s okay, calm down. This is a RoFan world, and this isn’t a ghost-related episode. Unless the female lead has some special ability to see ghosts, one isn’t just going to jump out of nowhere. Wait… can she see them?
“Canna, do you see anything?”
I was too scared to ask if she saw a ghost, so I just omitted the subject. They say ghosts latch onto you if you talk about them. Just the thought gives me the creeps. Even without the subject, our Canna understood me perfectly. A RoFan female lead’s intuition works hard on everything except romance.
“Yes. I see it.”
What! No, wasn’t this just a dark RoFan? Why is there a “sees ghosts” setting! Ghosts are horror; that’s a complete genre departure. I hate it!
“That person, what are they doing over there?”
I said I hate ghosts…! Oh, a person?
Calming myself, I looked where Canna was pointing and saw a dark figure lingering near the orphanage entrance. It was swaying heavily, but it was definitely a person. Phew, what a relief. I really thought it was a ghost.
“Troy…?”
Troy? Daisy sounded uncertain, but she said that if she wasn’t mistaken, it was definitely him. What’s with this rapid plot progression?
“Jelly.”
“Me? Again?”
When I urged him to go be useful, Jelly protested. Who else was going to do it? Me in my high heels? Your future girlfriend? Our delicate Canna? Or Pudding, who can’t even speak human yet?
Hey, you didn’t find Troy by scent, so you should at least be the one to catch him.
Jelly made it obvious he found the task a nuisance, but with a snap of his fingers, Troy’s body froze just as he was trying to run away. The culprit delivered himself right to our doorstep. Now we just need to ask where he sold the children.
I was about to do just that when Troy suddenly toppled forward. Behind him stood Daisy, holding one of her shoes. It seemed she had slipped behind him and struck him on the back of the head with her heel.
“You really like hitting people in the back of the head.”
“Hope he’s not dead,” Jelly muttered, checking the back of Troy’s head. He looked relieved to find no blood. But she likes hitting the back of the head? Daisy seems… a bit on the violent side.
* * *
“Ugh, the stench of alcohol is overwhelming.”
Jelly, with his sensitive nose, covered his face. I’d wondered why the man was swaying so much; it turns out he was drunk. His face was flushed the telltale red of a drunkard. He must have made a fortune selling the kids and spent it all on booze. A typical fantasy villain.
“Hey. Wake up.”
Jelly grabbed his collar and shook him, but Troy didn’t react at all, as if he were completely unconscious. He’d already been knocked out by a blow to the head; shaking him like that would only ensure he stayed out longer, so I stopped Jelly.
When Jelly let go, Troy thudded onto the ground. Even then, he showed no sign of waking.
“It looks like it’ll be a while before he comes to.”
“I’m sorry for acting on my own.”
At the news that we were delayed, Daisy clutched the shoe she’d used as a weapon and bowed her head. The heel didn’t even look that high; how did she manage to knock a man out with it? I wasn’t even the one who got hit, but the back of my own head began to tingle. I’m so glad Daisy and I are on the same side.
“Let’s go inside and wait for him to wake up.”
I figured we could just wait inside the orphanage.
Personally, I wanted to wait in the carriage, but it was too cramped. It wasn’t a ducal carriage but a commercial one, only meant for four people. Besides, it felt a bit wrong to leave the unconscious Troy on the ground and use him as a footstool.
While we were at it, we might as well search the orphanage for evidence.
“The door is…”
The door was wide open. After passing through a wrought-iron gate that looked like a prison entrance, we saw a small front yard—not large, but big enough for kids to play in. Beyond it stood the pitch-black orphanage, not a single light on inside.
The gas lamps on the street were dying, making the whole scene even gloomier. The moon was hidden by clouds, making it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. We crossed the yard, relying on the faint light filtering through the clouds. Jelly dragged Troy along by the scruff of his neck.
“There should be candles in the dormitory.”
I followed silently behind Daisy. Our footsteps echoed in the silence. It really was dead quiet.
“It’s here.”
We had arrived. It was a large room with several small beds meant for children. Daisy rummaged through a drawer, pulled out a candle, and lit it. The flame flared to life, casting a flickering orange glow across her face.
Daisy held one candle, while Canna and Jelly each took one as well.
“Can I leave him here?”
Jelly tossed Troy onto a bed and plopped down on the edge. The child-sized frame creaked, sounding like it was about to collapse under the weight of two adults. Daisy looked at the bed anxiously.
“Please be careful. It’s a child’s bed.”
“The kids aren’t here, are they?”
“The Young Lady said she would find them.”
Guys… I know you’re a sub-couple destined to grow closer through bickering, but can we not do this right now? When I shot them a look, Daisy and Jelly both fell silent. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just get along?
“……”
An awkward silence descended.
Canna, seemingly displeased with Daisy, looked away and stared blankly at her candle flame. Daisy’s hands twitched as she watched Troy, waiting for him to wake up. Jelly sat on the edge of the bed, playing with Pudding.
Troy showed no signs of stirring. Staying here felt like a waste of time, so I stood up.
“Young Lady?”
“I’m going to take a look around.”
Honestly, I was scared and wanted to just hide in here, but what if Daisy complained later that I hadn’t been any help? I had to at least pretend to make an effort.
Canna naturally stood to follow me, and Pudding jumped into my arms.
“I’ll go too.”
Daisy also grabbed a candle and stood up. Well, Canna and I might get lost on our own, so it was better if she came along.
“Jelly, you stay here.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll keep a close eye on this guy.”
Jelly waved his hand dismissively. We left the dormitory and began checking the other rooms. The bathroom was empty. The hallway showed no signs of life. Then we reached the dining hall… and the moment we entered, the smell of soup hit us.
“It looks like the kitchen was used recently.”
Canna gestured to the unwashed cooking utensils. For the smell to linger this strongly, it couldn’t have been more than a day.
So they were kidnapped today? If we had come just one day earlier, we might have prevented this. We were too late. Still, if it’s only been a day, there’s a high chance the children are safe. That’s a relief.
Just as I was thinking that, I heard a strange sound.
“H…ungry.”
Eek. What was that? There was no one else in the building, but a voice seemed to drift in on the wind.
It sounded like someone muttering about being hungry. Could it be the ghost of a poor orphan who starved to death because of the orphanage’s financial troubles? What is this? It’s not scary, just pitiful.
I seemed to be the only one who heard it. Is it really a ghost? Goosebumps erupted on my arms. I hugged Pudding tighter and sidled up to Canna.