The Arrogant Duke Buys the Devoted Love of the False Saintess - Chapter 14

After safely finishing the shell-crushing work, I returned home to the orphanage.

The cleaning seemed to have been done by the children who stayed behind, so it was reasonably tidy. However, there was nothing to be done about the dilapidated building itself.

I walked from the entrance down the creaking hallway and headed for the kitchen at the back, past the stairs leading to the second floor.

The three oldest children had already started the prep work.

“Welcome back, Lily-nee.”

“I’m home. Could you gather the other children in the dining hall? I’ll take care of things here.”

“Okay!”

I quickly put on the apron hanging on the wall and, after receiving their reply, immediately began stirring the large pot. Mitoa, who stayed behind, started arranging plates on the central work table.

“Oh, by the way, Lily-nee. Today, your boyfriend came here.”

“Huh?”

“The orphanage was in an absolute uproar. We even properly enacted Emergency Protocol No. 6, but it was completely useless.”

As if remembering the scene, Mitoa’s face clouded over and she let out a sigh.

“Huh? Why? I explained that I entered a lover’s contract to pay off the debt, didn’t I?”

“Your way of putting it might invite misunderstandings. There’s no way the little ones could understand that. They treated him like a villain. It was like a kidnapper had shown up—total pandemonium. They cried and screamed, ‘Give Lily-nee back!’ Hearing the commotion, the Headmaster came and gave one stern shout…”

“Wha—?! The Headmaster, who speaks maybe once a year?!”

That was a major event.

He would surely be bedridden tomorrow. No, he might already be bedridden.

So that’s why I hadn’t seen him since returning.

Normally, he would be taking a walk around the orphanage around this time.

“He went home as if fleeing, so I was a little worried. He’s your work client, right? Meaning he’s an important customer?”

“What time was that?”

“Right around when the morning prayer bell rang, so… 9 AM?”

In the royal capital, the prayer bells ring at 9 AM, 12 PM, and 4 PM.

So, Damian had stopped by the orphanage first before coming to the workshop. That might be why he was in such a bad mood.

Did something happen with the contract that displeased him?

He couldn’t possibly be planning to cancel the contract after just one day, could he?

“You always say, ‘You mustn’t let the important money tree escape,’ right, Lily-nee? I think you should probably follow up quickly.”

It’s true the debt was repaid, but the lover’s contract has a penalty fee. If Damian gets bored and cancels the contract, I wouldn’t have to return the money, but if it’s a penalty fee payment, I’d need a huge sum of money again.

The girl is precocious, to say the least.

Even though she’s a girl, being female, her intuition is remarkably sharp.

If she says I should follow up, then I probably should.

Lily finished preparing dinner quickly and hurriedly took off her apron.

Experience had taught her she couldn’t ignore advice at times like this.

“I’m going out for a bit.”

“Curfew?”

“I might miss it. Hey, Mitoa, I’m an adult and technically a staff member now, so curfew doesn’t apply to me, right?”

I’m an adult and, in a sense, a staff member of the orphanage.

If anything, I’m on the side enforcing the curfew now.

“Ahaha, sorry. I just asked out of habit. Be careful! It must be tough to pay a penalty fee. Don’t get your contract canceled!”

They were reliable children of the orphanage.

Sent off by their bright laughter, Lily dashed out into the night town.