Killing the Possessor - Chapter 46
Today, his hair was half-tied. With just that length, even men can style it in various ways.
“I didn’t expect to see you here. This is the first time I’ve seen you in this place.”
“Oh, I thought I’d do some good here starting today.”
Though the intention might have been slightly insincere, it was true. Volunteering at orphanages is something nobles often do as a show of good deeds. Most of them volunteer for tutoring or teaching arts and sports.
Ren Abyss, despite coming from a noble family, surprised me by carrying a laundry basket. Meeting him here was almost as surprising as the sight of him doing so.
“Sister Camilli, you’ve arrived.”
Just then, Mother Torea, who managed the orphanage, called out to me.
Her tone matched what I had gathered from her letters—she was a gentle person. After greeting Ren, she led me to her office, showing me portraits of the children as she introduced them by name.
“Such beautiful children, aren’t they? I hope you can see them often.”
She spoke with a soft smile, but it was easy to deduce that her main purpose in bringing me here was something else.
In a society filled with class distinctions and a sense of superiority, it was clear how nobles might approach volunteering. Except for a few, most would use it as a means to prove their good character in social circles.
In the process, the children were probably the ones who suffered. Some were likely treated poorly, and others may have been approached with fake kindness, only to have the visitors quickly lose interest and stop coming.
Thinking about it, it seems that for similar reasons, orphanage volunteer work on Earth was only accepted from those who were committed to doing it for at least a year.
Not being able to pretend that I wasn’t genuinely concerned about the children, I smiled. I then spoke calmly to ease her worries.
“Don’t worry, Mother Torea. I didn’t come here on a whim.”
Of course not. I’m here with the full intention of getting married.
Ongoing volunteer work was essential. It would take more than a few short-term activities to even think about targeting someone like Father Vice.
So what if my intentions were a bit impure? If honest effort leads to results, the hidden motives will naturally fade into the outcome.
“Your words really put my heart at ease, Sister. Shall we go see the children?”
Following Mother Torea out of her office and down the corridor, I spotted Ren Abyss outside with the children.
I wasn’t sure if it was a form of physical activity or just playtime, but he was wielding a toy-sized wooden sword, playfully dodging the children’s attacks as they ran through the field. The image of him holding the laundry basket earlier seemed completely different from the carefree energy he had now.
With a cheerful smile, Ren ducked to avoid an attack from one of the children. I slowed my pace to watch him. There was a huge contrast between the innocent young man playing with children and the fearsome investigator who captures all the possessor.
“Sister?”
“Ah.”
Mother Torea, noticing that I hadn’t followed her, turned back with a confused expression. I caught up with her and asked casually,
“About Sir Ren… does he come here often?”
I hadn’t expected him to come more than once or twice, but judging from her reaction, Mother Torea seemed to understand something I hadn’t realized.
“Ah, so it was him?”
“…What?”
As I processed her words, I realized she misunderstood, and panic set in.
“No! It’s not like that! I didn’t expect to see him here!”
I was really upset. If I had known he came here, I would have avoided it!
“Oh, I see. My apologies if I made an assumption. He’s so handsome, many young ladies come here to see him.”
“Ah, I see…”
It wasn’t just him. I knew that Father Vice was quite popular with the ladies as well.
Now I understood why Mother Torea had asked me to spend more time here before starting my activities. I suspected that those two men had something to do with it. There must have been many young ladies who tried to get their attention, only to give up and go home.
Though the target is the wrong man, it wasn’t entirely off-track with my intentions. Mother Torea wasn’t entirely wrong. With a sigh, I quickened my pace to follow her.
