Book 4: Chapter 9
“Thank you so much, your majesty.”
“It’s nothing. It’s no big deal.”
I sat inside the cold office of the orphanage. Before me was a cup of gin, and I conversed with the middle-aged individual opposite me. While it was called the office, I felt that the room was pitifully small and the timber building looked like it was a hazard itself. I could feel the stairs wobble under my feet on the way up. Ants crawled out from a small hole in the office. The fire by the side was barely holding up. The window had a hole in it and sheets of paper were used to cover it up, not that it could keep the cold air out. The desk had evidently not been used in a long time. I noticed that a book was placed in the corner to stabilise the desk.
The chair I was sitting on had me on edge. It creaked every time I slightly budged. Did he get the wrong chair?! Isn’t this a chair for children?!
The middle-aged man smiled helplessly, wiped the wound on his head and then placed the gauze down, looked at me and said: “I never imagined that you would be interested in the orphanage, your majesty.”
“I’m not exactly interested. I just felt it would make my bodyguard happy.”
I stood up and walked up to the glass-window. I looked through the dirty glass-window and down to the small playground. Nier played very cheerfully with the children. I’ve never seen Nier smile so brightly. The place was filled with kids, so it was a haven for Nier. The children here were different too. Their clothes were simple, but they were able to stay warm. Their gaze carried the purity and naivety exclusive to children. Compared to the children in the slums, they resembled children much more. That must be why Nier is so happy.
I looked at the children below, turned around and said to the dean of the orphanage: “While I believe that running this orphanage is hard, the children don’t suffer anything.”
The dean revealed a proud look for the first time. He looked at me and proudly said: “Of course. I would never let the children suffer. The children did nothing wrong. They shouldn’t have to suffer. I never spent a penny on myself, but I will never mistreat the children.”