“Because I will protect you.”
The children blinked at Jake’s firm words, and Chloran was the first to shout.
“That’s right! I’ll protect you too, so don’t worry!”
Then Ren responded in her laughing voice.
“But I’m most worried about Chloran! he’s always thinking about climbing up the jungle gym.”
“Th-that’s… I don’t do that anymore!”
“I know. I believe you.”
“You don’t seem to believe me?”
“Must be because of your mood.”
The light conversation between Chloran and Ren suddenly eased the atmosphere, and Eoddy and Roddy’s expressions brightened. jake’s eyes, looking at the children with a smile on his face, subsided in secret. What Jake said was true. If the world ever goes back to normal, Jake would protect the kids at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing himself. However, there was one thing that bothered him.
why. jake’s gaze turned toward the room where Sierra had gone. His brown eyes were filled with complex emotions. Why, at the moment he was speaking, the director was included among the people he wanted to protect. He pondered over the reason but couldn’t figure it out.
* * *
After following Clover inside, I let out a small exclamation. There was a light purple dress that stood out.
“There’s a dress that wasn’t here before.”
To my words, Clover replied with a slightly flushed face.
“In fact, I dismantled the dress the customer bought and remade it in my style.”
“Then why didn’t you put it on display and put it here?”
Although I wondered if it was still unfinished, upon closer inspection, it didn’t seem that way. As she hesitated for a moment, Clover answered with a slightly sighing tone.
“…I lack confidence.”
“You lack confidence?”
“Yes, it’s embarrassing to say, but… I used to run a boutique a long time ago, and it failed. It was all because my skills were lacking. So, when I saw the excellent fabric, I got greedy and tried making it, but I lacked confidence, so I’ve hidden it like this.”
At the end of her words, a bitter smile formed on her face. I carefully examined the dress she made.
“It’s quite well-made, isn’t it?”
I wasn’t an expert, but in my past life, I was responsible for the clothing of the children at the orphanage, so I had an eye for it to some extent
‘The finishing is neat, and the sewing is evenly spaced.’
You could feel the effort put into it.
‘And the design…’
Although it hadn’t been long since I came into this body, and I hadn’t seen many designs, compared to the dresses Sierra owned, it didn’t fall behind in any way. I couldn’t help but keep staring at it, lost in thought. Clover called me.
“There are other dresses on display…”
But she couldn’t finish her sentence. I made up my mind and replied.
“I’ll go with this dress.”
“Really? Are you sure? Without looking at the other dresses…”
Although Clover sounded worried, I looked at the lavender dress.
‘When it was Sierra’s dress, it will be the epitome of splendor… … .’
I wonder if it was to the point where it seemed like the light was shining through the dress. At that time, I thought the problem was with the fabric. Even though it’s the same fabric, Clover’s dress didn’t seem as flashy. It gave off a rather calm feeling.
‘Maybe it’s because there are fewer decorations’
Except for frills on the sleeves and hem, there were no extravagant decorations or ribbons, which made the fabric’s natural color stand out even more.
‘I didn’t realize this fabric could be so beautiful.’
I felt guilty for thinking the fabric was just tired-looking. I really loved The dress created by Clover’s hands. It wasn’t overly revealing, and the lack of extravagant decorations made it even more appealing.
“I like this dress more than any other I’ve seen.”
The subdued lavender color seemed to go well with the sunset-colored hair. As I made my decision and looked at her, Clover seemed uncertain, showing an expression that I couldn’t understand. When I curiously tilted my head, Clover explained with a hint of apology.
“I haven’t sold dresses in so long, and I’m a bit nervous…”
She then smiled somewhat shyly.
“It’s silly, right? Getting excited about selling just one dress…”
“Not at all. I can feel your passion for clothing, and as someone who loves clothes, I’m happy too.”
“Thank you.”
Clover replied with a shy smile to my answer. After finishing the measurements, while she was packing the dress, I stepped out to the lobby. I found all the kids gathered together.
‘What are they doing over there?’
It was a piece of black fabric, and Ren, in particular, couldn’t take her eyes off it. Curiously observing the kids, I walked over to where jake was standing alone. Sensing my presence, jake looked at me.
“Why are you all gathered there?”
When I asked, jake, who had been looking at me, looked away and looked back at the children.
“Because the fabric is pretty.”
And I lowered my eyes.
“I’ve never seen such beautiful things since I was born.”
“ah… … .”
His words held numerous meanings. It wasn’t just that they couldn’t take their eyes off it because it was pretty. It was also because they were in awe of seeing something for the first time since they were born, and they wanted to cherish and remember it as they didn’t know when they would see something like this again.
“…You don’t have to worry about going back now.”
A sigh-like remark escaped my lips. jake looked at me.
I was a little angry with myself. I didn’t expect to be so attached and fascinated by them. Perhaps I had kept them confined and involved in my life too much, under the pretext of caring for the kids and for my own convenience. As I gazed at the kids with a complicated expression, I unexpectedly heard Jake’s voice.
“They’re all afraid of going back to how things were.”
“…”
I widened my eyes at his unexpected words. jake slowly raised his gaze and met my eyes. After seeing it, I was curious. What is jake’s real eye color? His current appearance was the result of a spell cast by his deceased mother to change it, to avoid being caught by the Golden Emperor. jake died under the spell, and the book never described his true appearance. Perhaps that’s why I could never know what he was thinking, he hid his true self.
(T/l: I think in the 2nd cover of the novel, the blond guy is jake?)
“To the director, what kind of existence are we?”
jake asked. It didn’t seem like he was simply inquiring about there positions or relationships. It felt more like he wanted to gain some reassurance. To know what kind of existence they were to me and whether I would abandon the kids or not.
I had never seriously thought about what the kids meant to me or what kind of existence they were to me. I woke up in this world one day, and I knew about the abuse the kids had suffered. I felt sorry for them and wanted to protect them. It was certainly partly to change the fate that awaited me, which was destined to end in death. But that was just the initial story. As I looked at the kids in front of me, who had endured abuse and lived in harsh conditions, I wanted to make them happy.
“I am… … .”
My throat tightened a little. What kind of existence did I represent to these kids? What kind of person did I want to be? I didn’t ponder over it for long. I remembered my time in the orphanage, the existence I needed—the one that made life bearable.
“I’m your guardian.”
The one responsible for protecting my children.
“I will protect and watch over you until the day you become adults and leave the orphanage, no matter what happens.”
As I made that promise, my determination solidified. I wanted to be a reliable guardian for them. I looked at jake earnestly, and as our eyes met, he turned his head away. After a moment, he replied in a soft voice.
“Then… I’ll believe you. So please, protect us.”
jake, who was muttering, was so lovely that a smile formed on my lips without realizing it.
“Yes, I will protect you.”
jake’s head lowered even more as he sensed my tone of laughter. I wanted to stroke his hair, but I stopped because jake wouldn’t like it.
Just in time, Clover, who finished packing, came out of the room and approached me.
“The packing is finished. Please try it on and tell me if there is anything uncomfortable.”
“The fabrics are of high quality, but the dresses were made by an unknown designer, so it would be around 17 gold coins for all of them… Is that alright?”
She looked at me with a worried expression, concerned that she might have overpriced the items.
’17 gold coins…’
It was certainly not a small amount, but considering the market price of the dress, it was just the right amount. I readily nodded.
“yes. And can I buy that fabric too?”
Clover’s gaze followed my finger. It was a fabric in a color reminiscent of a night sky adorned with stars.
“Ah, I can sell it, but it’s not suitable for making clothes. Are you okay with that?”
“It’s alright. I’m not buying it to make clothes.”
With that, I assured her that I didn’t mind, and Clover seemed relieved.
