A few days had passed since the commotion in the kitchen. The director let out a sigh while looking at the ledger in her hands. The orphanage’s financial difficulties were getting even worse. There were too many kids to feed, and on top of it all, she now had debts too. Maybe I should sell some stuff. But the only things of worth she had to sell were her mana stones.

Mana stone was a precious and expensive mineral made from concentrated mana. Those without mana needed mana stones to use magic. Not only were they expensive, but there weren’t many mages to put the mana into the rough stones either, so they were traded at extremely high prices.

The director collected mana stones as a hobby. Her office was full of mana stones, proving her extravagance. But it took me years to gather them all... She ground her teeth as she looked at her mana stone cabinet. Ellie was hard at work, wiping it clean. The director scowled at the sight of her. If only she weren’t the daughter of a thief, I could have paid off all these debts.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She turned back to the ledger. She needed to find a way to get money, and fast. Then someone knocked on the door. Malene, her niece, came in.

“What is it?”

“I’ve found out what you wanted to know.” She came nearer and started on her report. “You were right, the number of nobles looking to adopt is definitely lower than before.”

“That’s impossible. How could the demand plummet so suddenly? Why?”

“I’m guessing it’s because of Duke Schuetz. He’s checking every adopted kid in the empire.”

Ellie’s hand on the cabinet froze mid-wipe, but the adults didn’t notice.

“Oh. I’ve heard he’s been looking for that dead duke’s son. Though there’s no way he could still be alive.” She was about to move on, but then she stopped. Wait.

The late Duke Clyder’s lost son had black hair and blue eyes. Nothing more was known about his appearance. But... Maybe, if I play this just right... She soon made up her mind and turned to her niece. “Malene, I need you to get the word out.”

“About what?”

“That the lost son of Duke Clyder might be here.”

“What? But...” Malene hesitated. She’d worked for her aunt long enough to know what she had in mind. She’s planning to pass off a different boy as the lost son.

Duke Schuetz had inherited House Clyder’s trade business and was the only duke in the empire besides. No matter the price demanded, he’d probably pay it without hesitation.

But it was an incredibly risky gamble. This was none other than Duke Schuetz. If they deceived him, and he found out about it... Malene swallowed hard. She could almost feel the cold blade pressed against her neck.

“What are you waiting for? I just gave you a mission!” Her aunt wanted her to start right away. She knew she had to stop her, but she couldn’t bring herself to say no to that vicious face. “I’ll... see what I can do.”

In the end, that was all she could say. Her aunt nodded, smiling with satisfaction. Malene left the room to send the message, never noticing the eyes on her.

* * *

Ellie ran to the dormitory as soon as she finished her cleaning. Duke Schuetz will be coming soon. He was the only person who could save Damian. She couldn’t tell him he was about to be adopted, but she also couldn’t help getting excited.

“Damian,” she called as she entered the room. There were a few kids there who’d already finished their chores, but Damian wasn’t among them. Where did he go? She looked around, puzzled. Something was clearly wrong. The kids had been brighter than usual just a few hours ago, but now they looked grim again.

“What is it? Did something happen?”

“It’s...” one of them said, hesitating. “He’s back. Carsen’s back.”

“What?” Ellie was alarmed to hear this. Blinded by the short period of peace, she’d forgotten all about Carsen. She rushed out of the orphanage. Snow was falling slowly in the silent darkness, each snowflake shining in the moonlight. Where could they be?

Since the teachers were still inside, they had to be somewhere outside. She ran behind the building. There was a small lake where Carsen liked to dunk the kids he didn’t like. It was winter, and the season’s cold was at its peak. But if Carsen tried to throw Damian in the lake in this weather, knowing Damian’s personality, he probably wouldn’t fight back.

Ellie bit her lip. The white mist of her exhales spread like her worries through the frozen air.

* * *

It started with a punch.

The blow sent Damian to the ground. Blood trickled down from his cracked lips. It must have hurt, but he didn’t even flinch.

“Do you know what I had to go through because of you?” Carsen yelled with rage. He’d been locked up without any food, all because of that scrawny little boy on the ground.

He didn’t get it. Why would Ellie lie just to protect the likes of him? Carsen blamed it all on Damian. He didn’t care that he’d picked on the younger boy first.

“You think you’re important just because Ellie showed you a bit of attention?” Damian’s eyes finally showed some emotion when Ellie’s name fell from Carsen’s mouth. His glare was as sharp as a blade, making Carsen flinch. “You! You dare to look at me like that?”

The rough sounds of Carsen’s fists making contact echoed through the air. Even the boys in his gang whispered among themselves that he might be taking it too far.

Damian clenched his fists around the tufts of frozen grass underneath him. The wind parted his hair, revealing a set of blue eyes full of deadly anger.

“Don’t just take it.”

Ellie’s words rang in his ears. He started to get up, ready to do as Ellie had taught him and fight back.

“Ellie has a soft spot for worthless little weaklings. You’re just one of them!” Carsen yelled, and Damian stopped in his tracks. His eyes trembled like a lit candle dancing in the wind. Noticing he’d scored a hit, Carsen sneered, “She just takes pity on kids like you. That’s why she’s been nice to you, not because you’re special!”

“It’s just, he looks weak.”

He remembered the first words she’d said about him.

Because I look weak... Just because he was pitiful and pathetic. He’d heard those words countless times as a slave. The words were familiar as violence. So why… did he feel like he was sinking into a bottomless swamp?

The light vanished from his eyes. All that was left was ash, an empty void.

“You should’ve known your place,” Carsen said with a smirk, grabbing him by the collar and lifting Damian’s unresisting body into the air. “Don’t get cocky. You’re just a slave. You might be staying with us, but you’re not one of us.” He dragged Damian to the frozen edges of the lake. “Why don’t you cool your head in there?”

As Carsen loosened his hold, Damian’s body tilted limply toward the lake’s surface.

But then, a sharp yell pierced the icy air. “Hey!”

Damian’s vacant eyes widened for a moment.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Ellie’s cheeks were red, as if she’d run all the way there.

“E-Ellie?” Carsen froze in place and stuttered, taken aback by her appearance. But his shock didn’t last long, and he quickly regained his confidence. “What am I doing? I’m teaching him a lesson!”

“You’re the one who needs a lesson!” Her voice was even louder than his. “I was going to wait and see just how far you’d go, but this? Do you have worms for your goddamn brains?”

Carsen and the boys blinked stupidly at her accusation. “How, how could you say that...?”

“Compared to what you’ve been doing, I was being nice, you maniac!”

“Maniac...” Carsen muttered blankly, stunned by hearing such harsh words from the girl he liked.

Ellie was still huffing and puffing. Then she turned to look at Damian. He couldn’t help flinching when her sharp gaze met his. The light returned to his eyes at the sight of her. “Come here,” she said.

He hesitated a little.

“Ellie has a soft spot for worthless little weaklings. You’re just one of them!”

“It’s just, he looks weak.”

Carsen and Ellie’s words kept ringing in his head.

“Ellie, how could you...” While he was hesitating, Carsen muttered in shock as if his heart had been broken. It’s all because of him! Blaming it all on the innocent Damian, Carsen let go of his hold on the dark-haired boy’s collar.

Damian’s body lurched toward the lake, his eyes closing involuntarily. He heard a sound like breaking glass along with a huge splash, but he neither felt the blistering cold nor the wetness of the water. Damian slowly opened his eyes again.

“Aghhh!” Carsen was flailing about in the lake, his face blue.

“You shouldn’t have crossed the line!” Ellie was now in front of Damian. She’d kicked Carsen into the lake before he could drop the younger boy.

“So cold! Save me!”

“Carsen!”

The other boys yelled, quickly running to the lake. They seemed desperate to help him, but only reached out their hands, as if not wanting to go in the cold water themselves.

“Let’s go!” said Ellie.

She turned her nose up at them and left, holding Damian’s hand.