Ch 5.7
“……Yes, I understand, My Lady.”
Mary’s voice trailed off slightly.
“And I have truly moved on from it all now. So, let’s stop talking about that.”
“Yes, I am sorry, My Lady.”
“I know better than anyone how much you care for me. You are doing this because you are worried about me even now. So, do not trouble your heart any further.”
“My Lady…….”
“By the way, moving together as the four of us like this today makes it feel like we are going on a trip again. Doesn’t it?”
I quickly changed the subject to shift the atmosphere.
Since Lian and William were joining us today as guards, it was the exact same group that had gone on the trip.
The two of them were on horseback, escorting the carriage we were riding in.
“You are right. I sometimes dream of those days.”
Mary, being quite quick-witted, immediately agreed with my words and replied.
“I do too. Every single day was fun and enjoyable.”
“That’s true. Thanks to you, My Lady, I visited many places and saw many things. Thank you for giving me such an opportunity.”
“I am more grateful. You willingly followed me, after all.”
“Of course. I am your personal maid, My Lady. I will go wherever you go, no matter what. No matter where you go, you must never leave me behind. Understood?”
“…….”
“It is the same for Sir William. He would do anything if it concerns you, My Lady. Lian is the same.”
“…….”
“Until the time you become the proper head of the Hates family, and even after you become so, we will remain by your side.”
Watching Mary speak so seriously, a side of her I wasn’t used to, I just stayed quiet and listened to her story.
Such loyal people were here with me.
It felt as if someone was gently stroking the area near my heart.
The fact that the people I cherished followed me and sent me their absolute trust was enough to make my heart surge with emotion.
And there was only one thing to say to them.
“Thank you.”
That was all.
After driving for three hours, we arrived at the orphanage in Hemoa.
The carriage stopped in front of the orphanage entrance.
As soon as I stepped out, just like back then, I saw children playing in the open space.
However, among the children, there was one person who stood out because he was exceptionally tall.
“Who is that?”
Mary did not recognize him, but I knew who he was at a glance.
“Eiden Bayon.”
“Pardon? You mean Young Master Bayon?”
It was certainly him.
At that moment, Eiden, who was in the middle of playing with the children, stopped as if he felt something and looked toward us.
I felt our eyes meet even from a distance.
He seemed to recognize me as well, for he began running toward me at an incredible speed with his long legs.
And the children, who had been buzzing after seeing Eiden run, soon followed behind him.
“Belita?”
“Eiden.”
He arrived before me in a calm state, not even short of breath.
However, he could not hide the surprised look in his eyes, as if he never expected me to come.
“How did you come here……. No, it was so unexpected that I thought I had seen incorrectly.”
“As I mentioned last time, I came because I wanted to see if the children were doing well.”
“I am the same.”
“How is Adela? How is her health?”
“Miraculously, she has improved a lot after Belita’s visit.”
“Really? That is a relief.”
In the letters I exchanged with Adela, she had written that she felt more energetic lately and her body was getting better bit by bit.
But since Adela had said she was fine even when I went last time, I thought she was just saying that.
But to hear she was actually getting better was wonderful news.
“Sister!”
While I was having a brief conversation with Eiden, the children arrived behind him.
Lucy ran toward me, calling out to me.
“Sister, I missed you!”
I gently stroked the head of the child who was tightly hugging my waist affectionately.
“Lucy, have you been well?”
“Yes! I’ve been well! Where is older brother— Oh, there he is!”
As soon as Lucy saw Lian, she approached him.
The other children also greeted me and then immediately ran to Lian.
Looking around at the children, I also shared greetings with other children who seemed to be new, whom I hadn’t seen last time.
“Now, since the greetings are all done, I should give you the presents.”
“Presents?”
“Did you really bring presents for us?”
“Of course. I promised I would bring presents the next time I came.”
“Wow!”
“It’s a present, a present!”
As if realizing the presents were in the carriage, the children shouted with joy and jumped around the carriage.
“Now, let’s stand in a line!”
The children all answered “Yes!” together and stood in a single file line before me.
I took the gift boxes out of the carriage one by one and handed them to the children.
“Thank you!”
“It’s a present!”
Seeing the children smiling brightly while thanking me made me feel even better.
“It’s my first time receiving a present!”
“Me too! Me too!”
At that moment, I saw a few of the children looking moved, saying it was their first time receiving a gift.
“Is this really mine? No one will take it away?”
And one child asked me the same question several times.
For a moment, I felt a surge of emotion, so I lowered my head and bit my lip hard; then, after composing my feelings, I raised my head again and answered the child with a bright smile.
“Yes, it’s yours. Don’t worry because no one can take it away.”
“Wow! Thank you!”
After handing out the gifts even to the last child, I finally straightened my back and looked around.
The children were each finding a spot and checking their presents.
“Thank you.”
Eiden approached me.
“I only kept what I promised. I felt it last time too, but the children are very bright. To the extent that I can tell how well they are living here.”
“I heard that Belita is also pushing forward with an orphanage project.”
“You heard about it?”
Well, it was a fairly large project, so people who were bound to know would find out.
“I hope the children staying in the orphanage I build grow up as well as they do. Living well and enjoying every day.”
“I am sure they will.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes.”
Since he said it would be so, it felt like it would truly happen.
So, for some reason, confidence welled up within me.
“Thank you for saying that.”
Feeling good, I unknowingly grinned broadly at him, and he smiled back at me.
Then, I felt a tickle near my heart that was different from what I felt when I spoke with Mary in the carriage earlier.
Because the sensation I felt while looking at him was unfamiliar, I turned my head away unnaturally without realizing it.
However, as if the children had finished checking their presents, they were now running this way.
“Big brother! Play with us!”
Adrian grabbed Lian’s arm and pulled him.
“Big brother, you’re going to play with us, right? You’re not going to leave soon, right?”
Lucy also grabbed Lian’s other arm, the opposite of the side Adrian was holding.
Lian looked at me with a troubled expression.
“Go ahead.”
“Waaaah!”
As soon as the words of permission fell, the children cheered.
“Then I will be back in a moment.”
“Not just for a moment, spend plenty of time with the children and then come. I will take a look around the village on horseback.”
I had only been to this village twice now, but I liked it quite a bit.
Since I came here with the feeling of a trip, it seemed like a good idea to look around the village.
Besides, the riding competition was not far off.
Instead of just sitting and spending time, it would be better practice to ride around.
“Then I will go with you.”
As soon as I said I would look at the village, Eiden spoke up, saying he would go with me.
“I can look around by myself. Aren’t you busy?”
He seemed busy almost every day.
So, the thought that I shouldn’t take up such a person’s time and the thought that I didn’t necessarily need to look around with him occurred at the same time.
“No. It is fine today.”
Since he said it was fine, it was a bit much to decline further, so I lightly nodded my head.
“All right.”
Answering like that, I signaled Lian to go ahead.
However, for some reason, Lian’s expression was not very good.
He looked as if he was holding something back, as if he had something more to say to me.
“Lian, is there something you need?”
“……No.”
“Okay, then—.”
“Big brother, let’s go quickly. Let’s go play together!”
The children, as if they couldn’t wait any longer, began to pester Lian.
“Go on. Go and play with them happily.”
“……I understand. Please be careful, My Lady.”
“Yes.”
After Lian and the children left for the playground, Eiden and I also mounted our horses.
“You two take a rest for a while, too.”
Looking down at Mary and William, who were smiling incessantly, seemingly happy to be left alone together, I realized that going with Eiden was a pretty good choice.
“My Lady, please be careful.”
“Please be careful, My Lady.”
“Yes, I’ll be back.”
Like that, Eiden and I began to look around the village on horseback.
“While traveling for two years, whenever you go to a place, there is a certain first impression. For some reason, Hemoa was a place where my heart felt at ease from the very beginning.”
