The Arrogant Duke Buys the Devoted Love of the False Saintess - Chapter 2

The children sat neatly in chairs on either side of the large table in the orphanage’s dining hall—though it was called that, it was really just a large room with a big table in the middle. Before them were bowls of soup and salad generously made with shellfish gathered from the sea since morning. The bread was hard and had to be soaked in the soup to be edible, but thanks to the wild vegetables and birds another group had caught the day before, it was a luxurious breakfast.

“Now, let’s eat.”

As Lily, clad in her nun’s habit, offered a prayer and urged them to begin, the dining hall instantly transformed into a battlefield.

Lily sighed.

There were fifteen children.

Growing children with hearty appetites.

Children are lively. She understood that, but were they really this noisy?

It was reassuring that they were full of energy, right? Well, no—if they got sick, treatment would cost money, so it was actually a blessing.

She just wished they could be a little quieter.

Donations came from nobles and townsfolk. Since the orphanage ran on goodwill, she knew it was wrong to fully expect handouts from them. Out of necessity, the orphanage children worked together, actively moving around since early morning to secure food. So, it was good that they were wide awake.

“Your piece of bread is bigger!”

“Hey, there’s no meat in mine.”

“I don’t like vegetables, so you can have them~”

“Ew, don’t spill it. What a waste.”

The only one eating in silence was Father Vegga, the orphanage director.

“Quiet during meals!”

With a ladle in one hand, Lily raised her voice.

Her distinctive brown hair, shoulder-length, swayed softly. Her large, round pink eyes narrowed in anger, but she lacked any real intimidation.

She was aware of it, but she couldn’t help speaking up.

“Sister Lily, if you shout like that, your veneer will peel off. Wait, is it your disguise?”

“Same difference. And here you are, called the ‘Compassionate Holy Mother’ and all.”

As the two older boys spoke smugly, the girl of the same age eating next to them shook her head.

“Everyone, that’s enough. It’s thanks to Sister Lily that we can eat such satisfying meals, right? No matter the reality, you shouldn’t expose it.”

“Gemi, Tonri, Mitoa. Is that all you have to say?”

Smiling sweetly, the three exchanged awkward glances and quietly resumed their meals.

In this poor orphanage, the highest authority wasn’t the director, but Lily, the accountant.

The consequences would be clearly felt during tomorrow’s snack time.

Incidentally, Lily was the orphanage’s staff member, accountant, public relations officer, meal coordinator, and shopping manager. Her public relations duties included everything from keeping herself neat to cleaning the orphanage.

The one who held the purse strings in this ramshackle orphanage wielded immense power. It was a small world, and controlling it was easy.

That said, Lily, who worked without pay, didn’t directly receive money. She sometimes worked outside, but the wages she earned were far from enough to support fifteen children.

And donations were often off the mark, rarely translating directly into cash.

Out of necessity, while working at the orphanage, she also served as its advertising icon to earn foreign currency.

That was the ‘Compassionate Holy Mother.’

It wasn’t Lily who initially spread the idea; it was the brainchild of Count Heinrich Uraus, who had some slight connection to the orphanage.

The Count was a valuable figure who donated a small amount of money, but he also provided knowledge for survival. This was his strategy for earning foreign currency.

He came up with the idea of garnering public sympathy to secure funds. He then crafted Lily into a figure of benevolence and spread rumors about her.

A dilapidated building, a sixteen-year-old girl caring for fifteen children, working diligently. Despite not having enough food for herself, she shares with the children, mends clothes, handles laundry and cleaning single-handedly, working from morning till night. A holy mother-like existence with a fragile, slender body, yet never losing her smile.

Incidentally, despite her shabby appearance, she was told appearance mattered, so her hair was combed until soft and glossy. To evoke sympathy, her loveliness was deemed necessary, and she was trained in looking up with pleading eyes and casting sorrowful downward glances—now a nostalgic memory. She didn’t know how effective it was, but since she felt some results, it probably elicited some pity.

Of course, since it was taught directly by Delire, the capital’s top actress, the coaching was oddly professional. The Count had introduced her, too.

And to support this ‘Compassionate Holy Mother,’ the orphanage children were well-behaved, earnest, and kind-hearted good kids—.

At first, even Lily herself laughed it off as a shady story, but before she knew it, the tale spread and donations poured in. Compared to before, their livelihood had improved considerably.

Thanks to this, it became harder for Lily to work in the capital, but those who knew the circumstances supported her.

Reluctantly, she made an effort to maintain a graceful demeanor in front of the wealthy and nobles. This, too, was thanks to Delire.

“Let’s confirm today’s tasks. First, the mountain team. I hear seasonal wild vegetables are still available, so do your best to find them. We still have meat, but if you spot any rabbits, hunting them would be a big help. Next, the sea team. Hunter Feck said it was a big catch this morning, so please assist him. Don’t take on jobs from the employment agency helpers. Be careful.”

Looking around at the children, she confirmed the day’s activities.

The children, divided into four teams that rotated daily.

“Next, the town team. Guiji said he had a request, so stop by in the morning. Lastly, the stay-behind group. The weather is nice today, so clean the windows too. And don’t forget to submit your assignments.”

Guiji was a former orphanage boy, now a low-ranking knight.

Though his pay was meager, he occasionally gave pocket money for help.

The children looked forward to that small change.

The stay-behind group watched over two-year-old Seil, who still needed care, while handling orphanage cleaning. They also had reading and writing lessons, so they were given a heap of assignments.

“Ugh, Sister Lily, can’t you reduce those assignments a bit?”

“I’ve told you, they’re necessary for the future. Also, don’t forget to inspect and catalog the junk we received from that noble yesterday. We plan to have it picked up over the weekend.”

Yesterday, a large number of pots arrived as a donation.

It was hard to tell if they were valuable or not. Usually, they were items the noble collected as a hobby, with few being valuable, so they were treated as junk.

A merchant would take them all at once, but if they didn’t make a catalog beforehand, the noble might visit the orphanage, get upset if they weren’t displayed, and cause trouble.

After assigning the day’s tasks to the children, they all hung their heads dejectedly.

Looking around, Lily nodded.

“Well, any other questions? Hmm, none? Then, let’s do our best again today.”

“She’s not really open to questions… Ouch!”

Gemi grumbled while eating, only to get his shin kicked by Tonri.

The other children watched, giggling.

Though it was a ramshackle orphanage, thanks to the management strategy Lily had planned long ago, they were managing to get by.

But just as the orphanage was starting to look up, it was suddenly plunged into extreme poverty.

One day, it was discovered that they had a massive debt.