Episode 64
It was a common phrase found in most publications from the temple, but I didn’t know why it felt so enticing. Is this why everyone seeks God and religion?
‘Darn it.’
Theo tried to crumple up the letter, but ultimately couldn’t and relaxed his grip.
Honestly, it was a tempting offer.
If he joined the Holy Knights, he wouldn’t have to go to the battlefield, and the orphanage wouldn’t have to worry anymore.
But…
‘Lillian seeks revenge from the temple, right?’
Then, he would be entering Lillian’s territory.
There would be no more incidents like last night, and maybe even their current relationship would become strained.
Ultimately, it was a matter of choosing one.
‘Lillian or the orphanage.’
Theo’s face wrinkled. Whether Millerd noticed his inner conflict or not, he approached and gently patted Theo’s shoulder.
“What’s bothering you so much?”
“…It’s there.”
“Yeah, you must have your own troubles. While I don’t know exactly what you’re struggling with, I believe that if there’s a choice between the right one and one without regret, you should choose the latter.”
Theo listened silently, then suddenly asked a question.
“Isn’t the right choice one without regret?”
“Not necessarily. Let’s say you’ve been starving for three days. You’re starving right now. Then you see a lady drop a silver coin as she walks by. And you go and pick it up.”
Here, the right choice is to return the money to her. But the right choice doesn’t fill your belly.
“If you return the money, you’ll regret it. You should’ve just kept the money and bought some bread!”
“Even if I went and bought some bread, I’d feel guilty afterward.”
“Theo, do you think the burden of conscience compares to the regret of starving to death?”
Theo remained silent. There’s never a perfect choice. So, making a choice without regret means ultimately placing my desires ahead of all standards.
“Do you prioritize morality and responsibility, or do you prioritize your desires? That’s the question.”
“Well… I can’t help but think that being an orphanage director is a great thing to teach,” Theo grumbled, but Millerd just chuckled.
“What did you expect from a disgraced knight? To uphold justice and the law?”
He laughed as if it were a funny joke, then eventually stopped laughing and continued.
“It’s good to follow responsibility. It allows even humans without desires to live. But Theo, people can’t live without bread.”
Ultimately, if I don’t figure out what I want for myself, I’ll end up putting others before me even in the face of my own hunger. I’ll be the one left starving with my desires unfulfilled.
“So if I have to make a choice, I believe I should choose the one without regret.”
“Hmm…”
Theo slowly nodded his head. It made sense.
“It gave me an understanding of why you went after the nobles and got dismissed.”
“You little!”
Millerd shouted angrily and swung his cane. The old man’s cane could still trace the path of a sword in its prime, but it was lacking when it came to hitting a youthful man in his prime.
With skillful movement, Theo dodged the cane and stepped back.
“Anyway, thanks for the advice, Millerd! I’ll think about it.”
He teased, but it was helpful.
“A choice without regret. A choice without regret.”
Hmm hmm. Theo pondered over those words as he ran swiftly.
His mind was made up. He would have to tell Lillian about the offer from the Holy Knights at the temple.
Theo shared the gifts he had brought for the children and, changing his plans to stay for the day, he immediately got on the carriage and headed back to the Maynard mansion.
However, even a small stroke of luck wasn’t allowed for a child abandoned by his parents.
When Theo arrived at the Maynard mansion, his face was filled with astonishment.
“Lillian, no, Miss… has… gone?”
When he returned to the Maynard mansion, Lillian was nowhere to be found.
* * *
The afternoon Theo left for Merryfield Orphanage.
“Hello, Lady?”
Lillian met Odile in the greenhouse, where she was having tea.
Naturally, she didn’t feel particularly cheerful. This was a leisure space only used by Lillian.
Lillian suspected that Theo had gone to the orphanage for the weekend.
‘So, I came here to read alone.’
It felt like her personal space was being invaded. But even if it wasn’t that, she couldn’t bear the longing and anger every time she saw that audacious face occupying Swan’s place. Odile’s presence itself was an insult to Lillian.
“…Who said you could come in here?”
“But Father said I could go anywhere.”
“Father?”
“The Duke is my father, isn’t he?”
Lillian’s expression wrinkled at Odile’s words.
Since yesterday, Cedric and Lillian had been in a cold war. It was the first time such a thing had happened since Lillian entered the mansion.
In fact, Lillian was such a trouble-free child, and Cedric treated her so affectionately that their relationship had always been smooth.
However, this morning, Cedric didn’t show up for breakfast. He didn’t say a word at lunch either. Considering how he used to enjoy talking with Lillian during meals and taking walks before and after meals or spending time drinking tea, this was unusual.
Thanks to that, the other servants were also watching the two carefully.
‘Would it be called being cautious, or walking a tightrope?’
Lillian no longer climbed trees to eavesdrop on the maids, but she still occasionally eavesdropped on their conversations to get a sense of the situation outside.
-Did something happen yesterday? I don’t believe it… Miss is usually so well-behaved.
-It’s true. I thought Miss was crazy for real.
-The Duke didn’t seem normal either. Did you see how he didn’t say a word?
-What should we do now?
-For now, let’s just keep doing what we’re doing. When Miss Odile comes to the mansion… well, I don’t know what will happen then.
The mansion’s servants weren’t bad people. They were just practical.
Most of them liked Lillian, but they also had a liking for Odile, who strongly resembled Agnes.
So, from their perspective, getting along well with the Duke’s daughter would be beneficial.
However, that was the perspective of those who didn’t know anything.
As someone who clearly knew that Odile was a fake, Lillian found her audacious words astounding.
“It seems like you’re misunderstanding something. There’s no proof that you’re the Duke’s daughter. Aren’t you a bit uneasy about trusting just a face? And when do you think your brown hair will give you away?”
Brown hair. Odile’s face immediately wrinkled at the mention of it. However, she didn’t seem as startled as before. Once she confirmed that there was no one around, her tone changed.
“You, you. Are you seeing things? You shouldn’t misjudge people and then try to sell them off like this.”
“Seeing things? No way. I clearly saw it. You had brown hair and brown eyes. It wasn’t that face.”
Lillian spat out her words in anger. But Odile remained defiant.
“Hah, stop talking nonsense. This is my original face. From the beginning!”
At Odile’s brazen attitude, unfiltered anger boiled inside Lillian.
In her heart, she wanted to ask if anyone from Merryfield Orphanage recognized that face.
Since everyone at Merryfield Orphanage knew that face, it wouldn’t take long to prove that it wasn’t Swan’s face.
‘But then it would expose that I’m fake too.’
Hareford Orphanage had already completed its investigation from Cedric’s side. They all agreed that Odile had always had that face. Perhaps Odile had originally grown up there and somehow changed her face in the seven years.
‘I know she’s fake, but there’s no way to prove it.’
Even though she knew the temple was behind it, nothing changed.
Odile still had Swan’s face right in front of her.
