Chapter 46

“Have you been well? I hope I haven’t come too late.”

Because her busy schedule had kept her away from the orphanage for some time, she expressed her apologies. However, the headmistress shook her head firmly in response.

“Not at all, my lady. Just your visit is a great blessing for us.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

Evelyn replied with a faint smile as she walked with the director for a while, wishing to catch up.

The late winter sunlight felt especially gentle that day.

“Thanks to the supplies you sent earlier, the children are spending a much warmer winter this year.”

Every winter, she donated warm clothing and supplies to the orphanage.

“Oh, it’s nothing extraordinary.”

“Not extraordinary? My lady, it’s thanks to people like you, who care so deeply, that the orphanage is able to keep its doors open.”

The director’s gratitude was sincere, and Evelyn dipped her head in a small nod.

“If there’s ever anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”

After all, with the resources at her disposal, helping those in need was hardly any trouble for her.

“Thank you, truly, my lady.”

The headmistress expressed her gratitude once more, then began sharing the latest news from the orphanage. Partway through, as if remembering something important, she clapped her hands together lightly.

“Ah, yes. A new child arrived just a few days ago.”

At this, Evelyn’s green eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed thoughtfully.

‘If I recall, the original story said that around this time, Jactor would be brought to the orphanage.’

The real reason she had chosen to sponsor a small orphanage on the capital’s outskirts was to meet a particular boy.

Jactor, a thirteen-year-old with an early awakening of magic power, was destined in the novel to catch the emperor’s eye. His potential was so remarkable that, through sheer talent, he would one day claim the seat of the next Master of the Magical Tower.

‘No matter how you look at it, he’s too gifted to waste away in the imperial court.’

She had always disliked the idea of Jactor swearing loyalty to the emperor. In the end, he would be manipulated by the imperial family and even driven to practice forbidden black magic.

‘And the price of black magic, if I remember, was to have your mind and emotions consumed.’

Even though she was just a minor character herself, the thought of a child falling into the depths of tragedy weighed heavily on her heart. All the more so because she couldn’t simply stand by and watch such a remarkable talent end up serving the emperor.

That was why Evelyn had resolved to intervene directly and change the boy’s fate herself.

“Would it be possible for me to meet that child?”

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

From the hill behind the orphanage, the cheerful sounds of children playing and laughing echoed through the air. According to the director, the new boy had red hair and golden eyes.

‘I wonder where Jactor could be.’

Just then, she heard a shout—

“Oh? It’s Sister Evelyn!”

“It really is her!”

The children’s eyes sparkled as they spotted her, and in no time at all, they came running over with beaming smiles, throwing themselves into her arms.

Embracing them warmly, Evelyn greeted them with a radiant smile.

“Have you all been well?”

But the children pouted, unable to hide their disappointment.

“No, why did you take so long to come back?”

“Yeah, we missed you!”

The truth was, she hadn’t been able to visit the orphanage for quite some time, caught up as she was with one thing or another. Seeing how disappointed the children were tugged at her heart, and she felt her resolve burn brighter than ever.

“Today, I’ll play with you all even more than usual!”

“Wow, that’s exciting!”

The children grinned from ear to ear, bouncing up and down with excitement. Evelyn smiled brightly as well, but there was still something she needed to do before she could spend time with them.

She bent down on one knee and asked in a gentle, warm voice.

“By the way, I heard a new friend arrived not long ago.”

“You mean the red-haired boy?”

Thankfully, the children seemed to know exactly who she was talking about.

“That’s right. Do you know where he is now?”

At that, a little girl pointed toward a thick, leafy tree not far away.

“He’s over there with the handsome big brother right now.”

“Huh? Handsome big brother…?”

Following the girl’s finger, Evelyn’s green eyes widened in surprise as she looked up into the tree.

Standing beside Jactor was none other than Khalid Rikeran.