Chapter 05
‘Why does it feel like there’s a hierarchy (a system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority.)?’
I glanced back and forth between the children standing near me and those sitting far away.
The ones playing with me looked neat. Their clothes and hair were relatively clean—almost like noble children with just a bit of care.
But the children in the corner were different. Some had freckled faces, others had red, irritated skin from some kind of skin condition. Most had messy hair covering their eyes.
Their clothes told the same story. While the first group wore somewhat clean outfits, the ones in the corner were dressed in rags.
‘Why…?’
Then, I suddenly remembered a line from the original novel.
[The director only cared for the pretty children. After all, the more attractive they were, the higher their chances of getting adopted.]
Liking cute things is human nature. Instead of children with no chance, it made sense to present the charming and well-behaved ones to increase adoption success rates.
‘The director must have groomed the good-looking kids and showcased them to nobles. The ones without a chance naturally got pushed aside.’
Children are smarter than we think.
The ones favored by the director must have claimed the top spot and looked down on the others.
And the children who knew no one would ever choose them… could only shrink back in despair.
‘Wow, this is really messed up.’
It was shocking to realize that even in this tiny orphanage, there was a hierarchy.
But what really made me angry was the director, who caused all of this.
If the director hadn’t discriminated, none of this would have happened.
‘I can’t blame the kids. They’re just doing what they can to survive here.’
I sighed deeply.
I had known this orphanage was a mess before coming here. But I hadn’t expected things to be this rotten underneath.
“Alright, the food is ready!”
Just then, the director and staff entered, pushing carts filled with food.
“Wow! It’s time to eat, everyone!”
I raised my voice on purpose to grab the children’s attention.
But there was no need. Unlike when they hesitated around me earlier, the moment they saw the food, they jumped to their feet like excited puppies.
“Looks like they were really hungry.”
“Haha, well, they’re at the age when they grow the most.”
A long wooden table was set in the center, and the children eagerly took their seats. Soon, steaming mushroom soup and bread were placed in front of them.
“If I had known we’d have a guest, I would have prepared something better, but since it was sudden—”
“Wow! There’s so much food!”
“The bread isn’t hard at all!”
Before the director could even finish his humble excuse, the children burst into excitement. Judging by their reactions, their usual meals must have been far worse than this.
“Do you remember that one time, the soup was so cold that my stomach really hurt—”
“Ahem, May.”
“……”
The moment the director cleared his throat, the child’s chatter came to an abrupt stop. The other kids also fell silent.
“That time, the weather was just too cold, so the soup got cold quickly. You understand, right?”
“…Yes, sir.”
“That’s a good child.”
He patted the child’s back lightly, but their small bodies wobbled from the impact.
‘I was planning to sit next to Edwin, but… maybe I should sit beside the director instead.’
If I sat next to him, at least he wouldn’t glare at the kids so menacingly. He had to have some level of awareness.
Just as I was about to step toward the seat next to him—
“Ah, Lady Rilfrey, you can sit over there.”
One of the staff members placed a large plate between the children. Judging by the size, it was meant for me.
“The children seem to like you very much.”
I couldn’t exactly refuse after being told that.
So I took the seat they offered.
Across from me sat the friendly brown-haired girl from earlier. To my left was a boy with big round eyes.
And to my right…
‘Wow, she’s really pretty.’
A girl with striking features sat beside me.
Her golden blonde hair gleamed, standing out against the dull orphanage surroundings. Her round, green eyes were as fresh as spring leaves. Her long lashes, the same color as her hair, cast soft shadows over her face.
‘Is it okay to use the word “elegant” to describe a person?’
She had the kind of beauty that could be used to describe a beautiful landscape. She looked like she was around Lucian’s age, but even at such a young age, she had a very graceful appearance.
“What’s your name?”
“Me?”
She pointed at herself with her chubby little finger, and I nodded.
She rolled her emerald-green eyes before finally answering.
“Amelia.”
“…That’s a beautiful name.”
Just as I thought.
I nodded casually and took a sip of my soup, but my heart was racing.
Because Amelia was the main heroine of From Bastard to Head of the House.
Amelia was the one who took care of Edwin like an older sister. She was the only person he ever truly opened up to.
But their time together would come to an end when Amelia’s uncle, Marquis Claude Agris, finally found her.
Claude Agris wasn’t originally the head of the Agris family.
The title had belonged to Amelia’s father, Ian Agris, but when he and his wife died in a carriage accident, his younger brother Claude inherited the title.
‘He’s the one who made sure Amelia grew up into a good person.’
Amelia had been in the carriage when the accident happened.
But while the remains of two adults were found, there was no sign of a child’s body.
Because the accident was so severe, most assumed she had no chance of survival.
But Claude never gave up hope.
There was no body.
Maybe she was too small, and they missed her. Or maybe she was thrown from the carriage.
People had plenty of theories, but Claude refused to accept that she was gone.
After all, Ian had been like a father to him.
Determined to find his beloved brother’s daughter, Claude searched the empire day and night.
And in the end, after three long years, he succeeded.
‘Come to think of it, he and I are pretty similar.’
Both of us lost our parents early. Both of us lost an older sibling who had practically been a parent. And both of us had only one remaining relative left in the world—a child we were willing to fight for.
‘But our futures will be different.’
Claude had always planned to pass down his title to Amelia.
Once she returned to the Agris estate, she was trained to become the next head and eventually helped Edwin rise to power as Duke.
Her future was paved with success—once she got past this orphanage.
But for me? That wasn’t the case.
I had no fortune, no title, and no power to protect Lucian.
His path was full of thorns, leading only to ruin and death.
‘Looks like I should get on Amelia’s good side.’
Maybe, just maybe—if she liked me enough, she’d show Lucian some mercy in the future.
“How old are you, Amelia?”
I took a piece of meat from my soup and placed it on Amelia’s spoon.
She glanced between the meat and me before answering.
“…Seven.”
Claude Agris would find Amelia the summer she turned nine.
That meant she had about a year and a half left in this orphanage.
“I thought you were the same age as my nephew, but you’re a year older.”
“…Really?”
Amelia’s face looked somewhat displeased as she asked that.
‘Did I make a mistake?’
Maybe she felt offended by being mistaken for someone younger. Kids can be sensitive about their height.
Especially since the children in this orphanage were already smaller than average due to malnutrition.
“I meant that you’re really cute. Because my nephew is also—”
I was trying to smooth things over with a clumsy excuse when Amelia suddenly put her spoon down with a clack.
“Unnie.”
“Uh, y-yeah?”
“My father was a murderer.”
“…What?”
“He killed quite a few people. Scary, isn’t it?”
“…”
“My mother was a thief.”
“…”
Amelia said something that would usually be considered shameful, but she spoke so confidently that I was at a loss for words.
She looked directly at me and continued, as if warning me.
“So you’d better be careful.”
“…?”
“You know what they say—blood doesn’t lie. Who knows? Maybe I’ll steal something from you.”
She glanced at my pocket before calmly returning to her meal.
As if she hadn’t just dropped a bombshell.
‘What just happened?’
Shocked, I looked around.
The headmistress and staff, sitting far away, hadn’t overheard. The children nearby were eating like nothing unusual had happened.
As if this was normal.
‘But your parents were high-ranking nobles! They were the heads of the prestigious Agris family!’
Murderer? Thief? What was she talking about?
‘…Wait a second.’
Trying to recall if I had missed something in the original story, a passage suddenly came to mind.
[Amelia never doubted that her uncle would come for her. But for that to happen, she couldn’t let herself get adopted. She couldn’t risk missing him. So she did everything she could to prevent it.]
Since the novel didn’t go into detail about her past, I had never known what exactly she did.
‘But this was her plan to avoid adoption?’
