“I’m sorry that this was the only thing that I could do for you.”
At the words of the man while stroking my hair, I almost shed tears like a child.
Perhaps it’s because I pretended to be a child in order not to appear strange. My emotions trembled easily.
Although I’m older than what I look like, I still feel like a child in front of my uncle everytime.
“No. I’m still thankful enough.” Erita said I’m a calm voice.
“Wouldn’t it be heavy to carry alone?”
I smiled and shook my head at his friendly words.
“It’s okay. You have to take care of your business, too.”
“Hey, if you want to eat plums again next time, sneak up on me. I’ll definitely leave one for sure.”
“Okay, Thank you Uncle Philip… I’ll go ahead.”
Holding back the tears that were about to leak out, I quickly left the alley.
The basket full of heavy vegetables weighed on the soft shoulders, but time had passed already, so I couldn’t be late.
‘If I go back late, the kids would definitely report me to the director.’
Erita ran fast in a hurry and didn’t notice anyone walking in front of her.
“Ahh!”
As my small body bumped into the stone-like, hard legs of someone, I fell on my butt.
At the impact, the basket I was holding fell on the floor, and a few round potatoes and onions slipped out.
The robe that was covering my face finally moved, but my heart was pounding thinking of the potatoes that were rolling farther away.
“Oh, no!”
If any of them were missing, the director would starve me instead.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
I bowed down to the person I bumped into and apologized over and over again, and picked up the scattered potatoes and onions.
“…Eight, nine.”
One potato was missing.
As I looked around, with an almost crying face, a potato appeared in front of my eyes.
“Here it is.”
A low voice clung to my ear.
A sigh of relief burst out when I saw the potato in his huge hand.
“Thank you!”
He was much taller and bigger than me, and as his robes wrapped around him tightly, I couldn’t see the face of the person who picked up and handed me the potato.
Then I just took the potatoes and put them in the basket and thanked him for the last time.
‘Thanks to him, the director won’t have a reason to starve me.’
And just as I was leaving, the man suddenly blocked my path.
“Could I ask you something for a moment?”
“…Yes?”
I would be scolded if I’m late, but the man also helped me pick up the potatoes.
late, but I still picked up potatoes.
“May I ask where you live?”
To that question, I hesitated, and answered him in a small voice.
“I’m staying at the Lysen orphanage over there.”
My finger pointed at the direction of the orphanage. The man’s eyes turned to where I pointed at.
“Then could I leave now? I’ll be scolded if I don’t go quickly.”
When I spoke impatiently, the man hurriedly spoke again.
“Then, please answer this one question.”
“Yes.”
“Could you tell me your name?”
The orphanage called me black-hair, but I had a name too.
“It’s Erita. I don’t have a last name.”
“…Ah, that’s right.”
The man who heard my name muttered, but now I was in a hurry and said that I would leave.
“I’ll go now. Thank you for picking up the potatoes.”
“…Yes. Goodbye.”
Then the man said nothing for a moment, and then greeted me in a calm voice.
At that moment, my heart was relieved and I quickly started running towards the orphanage.
“See you soon… My daughter.”
In the end, I didn’t listen to what the man muttered behind, as I was furiously running towards the orphanage.
✿
The man, who had been looking at the direction Erita had left, only left after the figure of the child had disappeared.
“Kyle.”
A knight in the same robe behind him appeared at his call.
“Yes, Grand Duke.”
“I’m going to the Lysen Orphanage tomorrow. I won’t reveal my identity, so prepare yourself.”
“Yes, sir!”
In response to Kyle’s answer, the man called the Grand Duke smiled, still staring at the direction where the child had run.
‘Black hair that has been passed down from generations, and the pretty purple eyes that look just like my deceased wife.’
The child resembled my wife very much.
Besides, the mana lurking in the child’s heart was very familiar.
A mana that no one else could have. The familiar magic I felt a year ago.
It took me a year to find out exactly where it was because it was only a small wave, but I finally found it.
“Erita, that’s right.”
“…”
“My lost daughter.”
“I would obey the command of the Lord.”
At that, Kyle bowed his head in obedience and disappeared.
The man’s eyes sank as he stared at the Lysen Orphanage, who was left alone.
The clothes that Erita was wearing, the worn-out shoes, were worse than the rags she was wearing.
And a heavy basket that was difficult for a child to lift alone.
The girl’s sharply bruised hand was seen clearly in front of him.
She was a child who had to be raised more precious than anyone else.
“My beloved daughter, Erita.”
A beautiful and eerie smile appeared on Aslan’s face, staring in the direction Erita had disappeared.