C116
The girl's name is Liena.
The period she spent at the orphanage wasn't very long, but she was my best friend.
I was worried that she didn't mix with the other kids and was almost alone, so I kept talking to her, and we quickly became closer.
One day, Teacher Ángela called me aside and told me to be kind to Liena because she was a girl who suffered.
After getting to know each other to some extent, Liena confessed that she had been adopted once in a previous orphanage but was abandoned shortly after.
"They say I'm quiet and don't know what I think. That I have no childish charm."
Her face looked very sad when she said that, so I decided to be kinder to Liena from then on.
Occasionally, we spent time climbing the mountain behind us to avoid the resentful looks of the director.
We filled our stomachs by picking and eating raspberries scattered on the mountain and chatted until sunset.
Then, one day, an expressionless knight dressed in luxurious clothes arrived at the orphanage.
"Oh my God, he came to this rundown place! Welcome, Duke Cassius!"
The director, who always scolded the children harshly, bowed and introduced the orphanage to the lord.
"I heard the story. Are you going to adopt a child? Oh God, how can such grace be given to orphans? After all, Cassius is a true noble..."
"Who is the girl closest to my wife?"
"Yes?"
"Unfortunately, I didn't hear the name. My wife didn't tell me that I might have unnecessary prejudices. Maybe I'll like another child more."
"Oh, of course."
"Don't you know? Who is that girl?"
"Well, I don't know. I think she treated all the children well."
"I guess it was because of my wife's personality."
"Now that I think about it, there's a girl among the children who looks quite similar to the duchess..."
At that moment, I approached the two people.
The director opened his eyes as if telling me to go away, but whatever happens, there was something I wanted to say to the knight.
The knight looked at me with perplexed eyes.
"You?"
"I wish the duchess rests in peace, Duke. Duchess Cassius was a really nice person."
"...yes. She was too good for me. I still can't believe she's gone."
The duke, who had remained expressionless the whole time, suddenly seemed extremely lonely.
However, he soon regained composure and asked various questions about life in the orphanage.
I wanted to expose the director's corruption, but I barely held back.
It wasn't something I could decide on my own.
At first, I wanted to tell everything to Duchess Cassius, but I couldn't because there were children warning me not to trust nobles directly.
On the outside, the duchess didn't seem like a hypocritical person, but there were so many similar nobles that I couldn't simply step forward.
If by any chance, the director wasn't punished properly, it would be the children who would end up taking responsibility.
Duke Cassius also exchanged words with the other children.
Only Liena, who got scared and hid when she heard the evil Duke was coming, couldn't meet him.
After a while, Duke Cassius returned to my side and asked me.
"Is it you? The girl closest to my wife."
I was surprised. Indeed, I was thinking it might be me, but I wasn't sure because I had never heard it from the Duchess.
"What can I say, I felt similar to when I was talking to Cheryl. I think both of you would get along because you have something in common."
Ángela, aware of the director's location, came out hesitantly and nodded at the duke's words.
"She's right. I thought it might be Ethel too."
The director, with a frowning face, said as if he couldn't help it, that it seemed the Duchess talked to me often.
Duke Cassius asked my name and extended a large hand.
"Ethel, wouldn't you like to be my daughter? If you resemble Cheryl, you'll definitely get along with our family."
Although I was young, I didn't understand the meaning of those words.
Living as an orphan and suddenly becoming the princess of Cassius was an incredible stroke of luck that would never be seen again in life.
However, I opened my mouth while looking at the duke's face and hands.
"I'm sorry. I can't be the duke's daughter."
The faces of everyone present filled with astonishment. The duke also seemed somewhat surprised.
"Don't you like me?"
"It's not like that."
"Then why?"
"Because my mom will come to get me!"
"Your mom?"
Before the duke's doubts, the director replied.
"Well, she's a girl who was abandoned in front of an orphanage when she was three, and her mother said she would come to pick her up when her situation improved."
"I didn't know."
"That said, there are countless parents who never return, but that's naive. Obviously..."
These were words that I found difficult to ignore.
"My mom is not that kind of person! I'm sure she'll come to get me!"
"How dare you shout! You don't even remember very well...