Chapter 15

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕵𝖚𝖒𝖕 𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝕱𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

"Sister, would you also be coming to us again?"

"Sister, we would miss the food you're giving us"

"We would also miss Sister's kindness!"

I chuckled when I looked at the children who were looking at me with their pouting eyes and lips. They were so cute not to look at. I couldn't even imagine myself giggling while hugging them if it weren't for Henry's letter.

I guess he had kept his promise that day when he left without saying goodbye to me.

I knelt in front of them and patted their head gently. I looked at their eyes and gave them the sweetest smile I could muster.

"I would always visit you here, okay? So don't worry about the food and other things, I will take care of them," The kids smiled and hugged me again. I could feel their warmth and the sincerity in their actions.

Later on, they ran from the garden to do something and while they were on it, I shifted my attention from them to Claudius who was looking at one side with his new uniform, although he was still a trainee knight from our household, in my eyes, he looked like a real knight now.

I could hear the children's laughter and it's all that mattered for now. I smiled at Claudius but I knew that his face became red. Like what I usually do whenever I see Henry become like that, I didn't hesitate to come close to him.

"Did you catch a cold, Claudius?" I asked. But I didn't wait for him to answer me when I placed my forehead on his. I could see how his eyes widened but I didn't even feel like he was ill.

That's why I stepped back and sighed.

"It's good that you're not ill. Perhaps, you just needed a lot of water to drink, okay?" I see him nod but he immediately averted his sight from me and looked elsewhere.

I couldn't help but give out a silly smile whenever I looked at him doing the same thing as Henry does and it would always remind me of the very first friend that I got.

That's when I always compared Henry to Claudius and I should stop right at that point. Shaking my head, I looked at how the children played. They were all full of smiles.

When I saw a silhouette approaching me, I gave my sweetest to know that it was indeed Sister Cristine. I looked at her smiling at me.

"Young lady Vestia, it was such an honor to be able to see you here," she said and eventually led us within the small cabin of their orphanage and I gladly took her offer as Claudius followed behind me.

As I recall, today was supposed to be a nice day to have tea in the garden, but I realize that I should also begin my plans now, that Henry reminded me of this place.

"In this small village, it would seem that no one would pay attention to us. Although we were merely living off the donations that the temple and the kind emperor's graces, I couldn't help to worry about these children's future," Sister Cristine said while giving us hot tea.

We sat on the old wooden chairs, and when I looked around, the orphanage was indeed simple, everything was made of wood but it was enough to keep everyone warm when winter came.

Sister Cristine wasn't lying when she said about the small village because in the past, I've been here but I wasn't able to see that there was some orphanage.

Perhaps, because the temple and the emperor couldn't support them in any way, the orphanage became abandoned.

I knew what that felt like and so whenever I looked at the children with warm smiles on their faces, I couldn't help not to make them a mirror of my past self. A once happy person who became lonely over time because of being abandoned.

The small cabin became the children's house and only Sister Cristine was the one who would always assist the children.

"Sister, I know this would be too much, but I like to donate something. I hope that by the end of the day, we will settle on the terms," By saying those, I almost made Sister Cristine choke on her tea and the same thing goes for Claudius.

Although he only looked at me as if I was serious, Sister Cristine couldn't help but bring out those tears and cry on my shoulder.

I know that I'm still a little one compared to these children but I couldn't help but thought of these poor souls.

"Thank you, Milady. Thank you. The little children will be happy with it!"

That day, after talking to the Sister, I knew that I will never forget how she smiled and teared up not for her sake but for the sake of the ones she came to love.

"Those looked good on you, Vestia," I heard Claudius say while looking at my hands. I kept fiddling with them that I didn't even realize I was looking at the window of the carriage.

I don't know what face I was making but perhaps, it was sad because I couldn't feel anything but pity towards Sister and the children.

I looked at what Claudius was referring to and I smiled.

"Indeed," I said as I looked at the bracelet that the children made. They were made of small flowers and they put them in my bracelet but when I looked at Claudius, I giggled.

"Same as to you as well, Claudius," I looked at his necklace and it had many small flowers made by those lovely children.

"The small village of Austuria had these kids who had lost their parents from a war that happened years ago," I briefed Claudius. Even though it was from my previous knowledge, I didn't explain any further how I got the information.

When I looked at Claudius, he was only looking at me looking at the bracelets while gently caressing them. When I caressed them, I could feel the softness and sincerity coming from the children.

"If Henry didn't write those words in the letter, I probably might have forgotten about the past events," I don't know what kind of voice I was making but that didn't bother me about looking at Claudius who seemed to lift the corners of his lips.

"Just like you to help people, Vestia, you're indeed someone that I have to look up to," When he said those words, my eyes felt wide. I looked at him with curiosity but then he only sighed then looked at his window as he sat across from me.

"The sun looks dazzling, right Vestia? Just like you who was becoming everyone's hope. So don't worry about the past and you should continue to strive for the better in the present. For whatever you do now, will contribute greatly to the future and those who you come to care," it wasn't like him to talk like this.

But his words made me feel comforted. I thought he would always remain silent but there were just these things from him that would come unexpectedly and the way he said those words, I couldn't help but feel this drum within my heart becoming faster.

"T-That's why you're not a-allowed to leave me, ever, C-Claudius," I said averting my gazes from him and to the window as well.

It is warm, and cold, at the same time when the rays of the sun collide with the cool breeze.

When we arrived at the household, I immediately spoke to my father and mother about the donation I would give. It would eventually support an entire household but they didn't mind because I knew they were also kind.

Our family wasn't only considered as the arms and legs of the imperial household but also one who had a business in the mining industry.

That's why whenever my parents make some profit, they spend half of it to help with the foundation of the empire and other charitable acts.

When I told them about the small Village in the Austuria as well as how Sister Cristine managed the small donation coming from the temple and the emperor, it made sense that Father was shocked.

As a Duke, he never thought that there would be an orphanage in that small village because according to the empire's records, there was no such thing. So I was also surprised to know that.

But then why did Sister Cristine say that the donations came from the temple as well as the emperor? Yet, my curiosity came to a halt when the same scenario happened in the past.

It was from a former noble lady who claimed about a certain orphanage being donated by the temple and the emperor when the two entities didn't know about them.

"I would like to investigate the matter about what the Sister said in the place, but I would never hinder you in making donations to them considering that there were indeed children to help, Vestia," father's last words before I left his office with Claudius in my side.

Mother stayed longer in father's office and I only nodded in agreement to what they may have to agree.

When the silver rays of the moon's light beamed within my room, I sat on my chair and looked at Henry's letter. I couldn't help but sigh when I knew the reason why he didn't come and say goodbye formally to me.

"When I think about you crying, I just go ahead my mind and remember our promise not to let you cry. Perhaps, saying my goodbye would make you cry in front of me so I wrote this letter in advance," his words reverberated within my mind.

However, I knew in the next sentences that I had found the orphanage earlier.

"Someday in the future, if you want, we could take a small detour on the small village of Austuria, I was notified that the blue lilacs live in the middle of the meadow there..."

"Someday Henry, you, Claudius, the three of us will be there..."

But I didn't even notice that the changes I made would be the cost for us to change as well.

***

"Milady, His Highness the crown prince sent you an invitation to the imperial household..."