It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 51

“If budget isn’t the issue, couldn’t we accept more children?” I glanced at Ortland. He immediately understood what I meant.

“Please feel free to speak your mind. Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

“I want to check on the children who were transferred from Rockfeld Orphanage to other orphanages. If any of them were kicked out or abused, I’d like to help them too.”

Ortland quietly looked at me. I mumbled, feeling guilty.

“You know how Rockfeld Orphanage disappeared because of something I did in the past…? It was my fault, so I feel like I should at least try to fix things. So…”

“I understand. I know it well.”

Ortland calmly reassured me.

“I’ll take responsibility and find out how the children from Rockfeld Orphanage are doing. So please don’t worry too much and wait. It was a mistake from the past, yes. But you’re different now, aren’t you? That’s enough. So don’t let it weigh on your heart.”

His quiet voice carried a deep resonance. That resonance eased a pain that was mine, yet not mine.

I went outside to find the child who was worried about his friends.

“I think things will work out. Philip and Lisa will be able to stay together, and we’ll check on the other children from Rockfeld Orphanage too. So don’t worry about your friends.”

“Really? Thank you!”

The child smiled brightly and bowed. His cuteness made me smile in return.

“But I still don’t know your name.”

“I’m Rocky.”

“I’m Arne.”

“Oh, Lady Arne. May I greet you again in the future?”

“Of course.”

Rocky smiled, showing his front teeth. Such a cute child had been living under the oppression of a pickpocket. And it was all because of Arne’s past mistakes.

If I hadn’t run into this child at the market, he’d still be stealing and running away.

I returned to my room and opened Arne’s diary again. I wanted to find even a hint about why she had caused such chaos at the orphanage.

The incident that overturned the orphanage was different from her usual daily outbursts. I read the diary more furiously than ever, but with its limited information, I couldn’t find a clear reason.

All I could gather was that Arne had burned the orphanage’s documents, making the children’s transfer process more complicated.

The more I read, the less I understood.

Why did Arne suddenly care about the orphanage? Why choose Rockfeld, which was far from the Edelheit estate? Why burn the furniture and documents? I couldn’t even begin to guess.

Back at the palace, it was dismissed as just another misdeed. But seeing a child who had actually suffered made it feel real. Were there others still suffering from Arne’s past actions?

Though it wasn’t my doing, I couldn’t help but feel responsible as the one now inhabiting Arne’s body.

“The head of the house has arrived and dinner is being prepared. Will that be alright?”

Just then, Louis brought the news I’d been waiting for. I had something important to ask Giscal regarding the orphanage. After freshening up, I went down to the dining room and found Giscal already there.

“You’re back?”

“…Yeah. Did you have a good day?”

“Mm. I was happy to see Rocky again, the child I met at the market yesterday.”

“I heard from Ortland. You said you want to keep helping the children, not just this once.”

“You heard already. About Rocky’s friends—I was thinking it’d be nice if they could stay at the orphanage our family sponsors. Would that be difficult?”

Giscal slowly shook his head and pulled at the corners of his mouth. Was that a smile?

“It’s not difficult. Ortland will submit a detailed budget proposal today.”

“Really? It’s decided?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried about what to do if it didn’t work out.”

“I couldn’t refuse your request. Ortland was worried for no reason. Also, we’ve already checked on the children who were transferred from Rockfeld Orphanage.”

“Already?”

To have investigated the situation of dozens of children in just a few hours—what incredible initiative.

“How are they doing? Were any kicked out or forced to run away?”

I leaned forward, urging him to answer. Giscal stepped back and turned his head.

“Let’s talk while we eat.”

“Oh, okay…”

Giscal had just returned from work. He was surely more tired and hungry than I was, having spent the day relaxing at the estate. I waited until he finished his smoked salmon on Melba toast before asking again.

“So? What happened?”

“I’ll tell you right away, so eat up.”

“Okay.”

I lifted my fork and listened closely. Giscal smiled slightly at my eagerness and began.

“Most of them are doing well. Few orphanages misused the subsidies our family provided. Most used the funds to improve facilities and treated the children from Rockfeld without discrimination.”

That was a relief. I sighed deeply, my heart easing. But Giscal wasn’t finished.

“However, there were signs of abuse by some staff at the Gran Orphanage. Ten children from Rockfeld were transferred there.”

“What? They abused the kids? They’re not still with them, are they?”

“I reported it to the palace immediately and took necessary action. By now, they should be in custody.”

“How are the children?”

“No one was seriously injured. They’re receiving treatment now.”

Giscal added, trying to reassure me.

“Lisa was also seen by a doctor. As long as she takes her medicine regularly, she’ll make a full recovery. So don’t worry.”

That was a relief. But the number of children needing help had grown. Rocky’s friend Philip, his sister Lisa, and now the children from Gran Orphanage—could we take them all in?

Giscal seemed to read my concern from my expression.

“I told you not to worry. We can move all the children from Gran Orphanage to the one our family sponsors. We’ll also support Lisa’s treatment until she’s fully recovered.”

It was a firm promise. Giscal’s serious tone gave me confidence.

Thinking of Rocky’s joyful face made me smile.

All of this stemmed from Arne’s past mistakes, but I was the one now living in her body.

Thanks to her body, I was living a luxurious life. So I should take responsibility for her wrongs—especially for the innocent children.

“Ortland told me. That you’re trying to take responsibility for the past.”

After staring at me for a while, Giscal suddenly spoke. His voice was hoarse, as if he were about to cry. I nodded calmly.

“Yes.”

“…”

Giscal covered his mouth with his large hand. His dark eyes trembled slightly.

Suddenly, I wondered if my words had sounded too unlike Arne. But in our letters, Giscal had never shown discomfort at this level of expression.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Huh? W-what is it?”

“The orphanage our family sponsors—Del Orphanage—used to be Rockfeld Orphanage.”

“…What?”

I nearly dropped my fork.

“How could that be? That place…”

“After you—Arne—caused the incident, Ortland naturally tried to restore the orphanage. He built an even better environment, but the director suddenly announced they would no longer run it.”

“The facilities were restored, so why?”

“No one knows. Maybe they wanted to quit from the start. The palace, short on budget, saw it as an opportunity and shut it down. Rockfeld was under the palace’s jurisdiction. So the children were scattered to other orphanages, and our family only provided subsidies.”

“I see.”

“The abandoned building was bought cheaply by our family at the palace’s suggestion. After I became head of the house, I decided to reopen it as a new orphanage.”

It was a part of the story I hadn’t known. Giscal continued slowly, as if confessing.

“To be honest, I wasn’t interested in social welfare. It’s not something I know well. If that empty building hadn’t existed, I wouldn’t have considered sponsoring an orphanage. So what I’m trying to say is…”

Giscal hesitated, uncharacteristically unsure.

“The reason the Edelheit family sponsors an orphanage might be you. Please don’t dismiss it as just hindsight. You’re the one helping Rocky and his friends now. So I hope you won’t dwell too much on the past.”

“…”

Ortland had said something similar. To separate the past from the present. That the current me shouldn’t be bound by past mistakes.

Somehow, I felt comforted. My nose tingled.

The current me—not Arne—is doing well.

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