The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 81
“Now, line up in exactly five rows.”
At the stern voice of Sister Violetta, the head nun, the children quickly got into formation without hesitation.
“The Count and Countess will be entering shortly. Be ready.”
The children stood at attention, swallowing nervously. At St. Fideli Orphanage, children were occasionally selected for adoption. The kids would line up in four or five rows by age and height, and strangers would come in, examine them one by one, and choose whom to adopt.
Today’s visitors were a noble couple, the Count and Countess, who hadn’t adopted a child in years.
After a short wait, the door opened. A middle-aged man with a receding hairline entered arm-in-arm with a glamorous young woman in a pink dress.
“Welcome, Count.”
The head nun and the other sisters bowed deeply to greet their guests.
“Thank you for the warm welcome, Sister.”
The man replied with a gentle smile.
“No, we’re always grateful for your continued support of our orphanage. Especially today, with you adopting one of our children… We’re truly honored.”
The head nun expressed her thanks in a trembling voice.
“May we take a look at the children, then?”
“Yes, of course. Please, take your time.”
The Count and Countess walked over to the children and began examining them with careful eyes. It was clear they were thoroughly assessing everything—estimated age, height, posture, facial expressions, and more.
“……”
According to the head nun, it was supposed to be a “gracious and grateful” moment of adoption. But to Allen, it felt uncomfortable.
Whenever people came to adopt and looked them over like this, it always felt like he was just an item on display at the market.
“Hmm…”
After observing the children as a whole, the couple stopped in front of a young girl.
“How old is this child?”
“She’s eight. She’ll be nine on her next birthday.”
“Hmm…”
They studied the girl more closely before turning to the head nun.
“We’d like to choose this one.”
The girl’s eyes widened in surprise. Usually, adoptive parents took a long time to make their decision, but this time it had happened almost immediately.
“What’s your name, dear?”
“K… Katie.”
The Countess asked sweetly. Katie blushed as she answered.
“That’s a lovely name. But once you come with us, we’ll give you a new one.”
The Countess smiled warmly.
“Please follow me. I’ll guide you through the adoption process.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The head nun disappeared with the noble couple. Only the children remained in the reception hall, and they quickly began whispering among themselves.
“Katie? Wow!”
“Whoa… That’s amazing. They barely hesitated.”
“She’s getting adopted into a Count’s household.”
“Does that make her a noble lady now?”
Most of the children, especially the girls, looked at Katie with envy. Katie, cheeks flushed with embarrassment, smiled slightly—her joy evident.
“All right, quiet down now.”
A short while later, the head nun returned with the noble couple. The younger nuns followed behind, each carrying a large tray filled with golden pies.
“Pies…?”
“The Count and Countess brought apple pies for all of you. Please, take one.”
“Wow!”
The children’s faces lit up with delight. Sweet treats were rare in the orphanage. As the young nuns handed out the pies one by one, the children accepted them joyfully.
“Things felt especially cheerful today.”
After leaving the reception hall, Allen casually spoke to Selena as they took a walk together.
“Well, it’s the Count’s family after all. Katie’s really lucky.”
“Is it really a good thing, though…”
Selena responded with a nonchalant gaze into the distance.
“She’ll get to wear nice clothes, eat good food. And most of all, she’ll become a noble.”
To the orphans, nobles were revered benefactors—noble, untouchable beings. But adoption meant becoming one of them. Even being adopted by a wealthy merchant family made many children envious.
“Yeah, I guess…”
“Don’t you want to be adopted?”
Even when other children were chosen, and others expressed their envy, Selena always had a blank expression. She never seemed jealous at all.
“No. I don’t want to be adopted.”
“……”
“I want to grow up with you and leave this place together when we become adults.”
“W-With me…?”
Allen stuttered. Though he and Selena were especially close, he had never imagined she’d say something like that.
“Yeah. We can’t do anything now, but once we’re grown, we’ll find something we can do and make a living.”
“Right…”
Allen’s face flushed. Being with Selena forever—just the thought made him happy.
“No matter what we end up doing, as long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”
“Me too.”
Allen and Selena clasped hands tightly.
“Let’s never let go of each other.”
“But… if you get adopted into a noble family, I wouldn’t be able to stop you…”
Allen’s voice turned a little gloomy.
He didn’t want to let her go, but when he pictured her in a fancy dress holding a fan, it looked… right.
“No.”
Selena immediately cut him off.
“I don’t want to be apart from you.”
“Why not?”
Allen couldn’t understand why she was so adamant. A better life was waiting for her, so why?
“What if you had the chance to be adopted into a noble family? Would you go?”
“There’s no way that would happen, Selena.”
Allen replied with a tinge of sadness.
He had a large burn scar on his arm—inflicted by his mother, drunk, using a fire poker when he was four.
His mother, a single parent suffering from depression, had hung herself when Allen was five. After that, he had been sent to the orphanage.
The scar had never faded.
It didn’t affect his daily life, but it was still considered a flaw—enough to make him ineligible for adoption. Families well-off enough to adopt preferred children who were physically perfect and attractive.
“You never know.”
“As if…”
Allen shook his head. That just wasn’t his reality.
“But I don’t think adoption itself is a bad thing. I’m happy when other kids get adopted. They’ll have a better life than here, that’s true.”
“……”
“Sometimes, kids with a gift for Armento or magic get taken away too. That’s a good thing—for them to grow their dreams.”
“Wow, Armento…”
He had read about Armento in fairy tales—people who could create and control water, fire, or wind with their hands. He used to think it was so cool.
“I know being adopted into a noble family sounds good. But if you’re not there, it wouldn’t mean anything to me.”
“M-Me too… You’re the best, Selena.”
Allen blushed. Selena gave him a sweet smile, as if he were the cutest thing.
“Yeah. Let’s stay by each other’s side—always.”
They made a quiet promise, just the two of them.
But reality didn’t go the way they hoped.
“I’d like to adopt this girl.”
Two weeks later, a wealthy merchant came. The moment he saw Selena, he chose her without hesitation.
“Whoa! So lucky…”
“Ah… I wonder when I’ll get adopted.”
He reportedly owned a massive trade company and had three mansions in the capital. The children, having overheard the nuns gossiping, looked at Selena with a mix of awe and envy.
But Selena remained expressionless, as always.
“……”
Allen felt his heart shatter in grief. He knew Selena didn’t want to be adopted, but there was nothing she could do to refuse.
“Allen.”
That night, Allen awoke to someone whispering in his ear.
“Sel…”
“Shh.”
Selena pressed a finger to her lips.
“Come with me.”
Allen followed her outside. The dawn air was chilly, and he shivered.
“What is it, Selena?”
“It’s about the adoption.”
“Are you here to say goodbye?”
Allen’s voice was thick with hurt. He was doing everything he could not to break down, while Selena looked calm—almost cold. It hurt a little. At least act like it’s hard to say goodbye…
“No. I told you—we’re not going to be separated.”
Selena shook her head firmly.
“Help me escape.”
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