The Obsessive Male Lead Is Jealous Of My Doll - Chapter 14
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However, he quickly composed his expression as he noticed Karentina’s reaction, who was looking at him as he was clenching his fist.
“He’s a nuisance to the temple. They’re venting and taking out their frustration for the orphanage fire on me. It’s quite disgraceful.”
“Fire incident…”
“We already invested much money to build the orphanage, and it burned down in a fire. On top of that, we lost a competent priest, so our losses aren’t insignificant.”
Karentina frowned as she watched the Bishop draw a cross in the air as he spoke with an exasperated voice. She didn’t like the sight of him referring to the rescue of the children and the priest who lost their lives as losses of investment like that.
“May I visit the orphanage?”
“Well, sure. It’s not difficult to see since all that’s left is ashes.”
Arriving at the orphanage site, Karentina’s mood sank at the sight of nothing but ashes. Her chest tightened as she realized that the blackened marks were a testament to the tragedy of that day.
‘How unfortunate.’
As she stared blankly at the remains of the site, she turned her head at the sound of sobbing coming from somewhere. It was the boy she had met inside the temple.
“Hello?”
The child, who had his knees together, slowly lifted his head.
‘Oh, my God.’
The child seemed disheveled, as if he hadn’t properly washed or eaten.
“I’m Karentina. What’s your name?”
He looked up at her with his teary, swollen eyes before lowering his head again.
“….”
Even though she handed a handkerchief to the child, who kept his mouth shut, he ignored her and turned his body in the opposite direction.
Observing the disheartening state of the burned-down place, she muttered to herself.
“Did Priestess Leah save the children?”
At that moment, the child’s gaze met hers.
“I heard she’s a very great person.”
“…She was a really nice person.”
Seeing the tears in the child’s eyes, she felt a sense of sadness.
“Why did you come here?”
“I came to ask for help at the temple and only later heard the news.”
Hearing her answer, the child glared at her with eyes full of distrust.
“Don’t trust the people from the temple.”
“Is there a reason not to trust them?”
The child hesitated for a while before he blurted out.
“No one… No one saved Priestess Leah.”
“What do you mean? Were you there when the fire broke out?”
Tears welled up in the child’s eyes and began to fall.
“…Yes. It’s all because of me, me.”
The child, who was sniffling, continued in a sad voice, “I went to tell the people when I saw the fire, but the Bishop kicked me out because he was busy preparing for the service, and the priests didn’t believe me because I’m a troublemaker. So…”
“That can’t be true.”
“It’s because I came too late that Priestess Leah passed away.”
Karentina gently patted the back of the child’s trembling shoulders as he cried before she opened her mouth.
“It was a tragic accident that wasn’t your fault, and Priestess Leah would be sad to see you in this much pain.”
“Re, really?”
“Of course. If I were the Priestess, I would’ve wanted you to live a happy life.”
At those words, the sobbing child roughly wiped his eyes.
“So, stop crying. Here—”
She then used a handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the child’s eyes.
‘…I feel uncomfortable for some reason.’
As she rose from her seat, a thought suddenly crossed through her mind…
Rumble.
At that moment, a growling sound emanated from the child’s stomach, causing his face to flush bright red.
“…Where is your home? Are your parents in the gemstone mine?”
The child, who was covering his hungry stomach with both arms, murmured in a small voice.
“My parents died when I was young, and I live with other children in the slums next to the temple.”
“The slums?”
Karentina furrowed her brow at those words. Considering the cold weather, she became concerned about whether there was a suitable place for them to sleep.
“Yes. There are many abandoned children. We were supposed to all live together when an orphanage opened…”
“….”
It seemed like this novel wasn’t content with just making the main characters miserable, but it was also determined to make everyone in the world unhappy.
She turned her head towards Zion.
“Zion, do I have what I gave you earlier?”
“Yeah, Master.”
Answering so, he took out a heavy purse of coins.
“Is there a bakery around here?”
“Yes, there is.”
“Would you like to go and buy some bread with the brother in the robe and share it with the other children?”
“But, but…!”
“It’s okay. This is the money that should have been properly given to you, and I’ll take care of the orphanage issue.”
“Yes?”
Karentina gently stroked the bewildered child’s head. Perhaps his sense of caution had eased as he quietly leaned into the touch.
“Kid, let’s go.”
The child, who had been following Zion, ran back and whispered in her ear.
“Sister, my name is Eddie.”
After saying that, he looked somewhat embarrassed and quickly followed behind Zion once again.
“Eddie…”
‘…Wait a minute, Eddie?’
Karentina stiffened, unable to even lower the hand she was waving at the child.
In the middle of the novel, the aristocrat who became a pawn for Duke Horton to seize control of the North was named Eddie.
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