“Is that so. Heh.”

“Is that it?”

“I just briefly confirmed whether your concern was that specific part.”

He shrugged his shoulders, smiling brightly as if telling me not to worry.

“There’s no money in Matap. You don’t have to worry about that part. I’ll arrange for more funding so you can trust me.”

“Well, the funds have already been reduced… How am I supposed to trust that? What if you stop providing after a month or two… Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m not doing this for the money. It’s a minor precaution for Shanensia…”

He wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, nodding as if he thought I was almost convinced.

“Of course. Your concerns are valid. Trust me. If you entrust it to me, I’ll give it all at once… Please entrust it to me as an individual, not to Matap…”

Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Shanensia entered. As soon as she entered, she rushed to me and clung to my clothes, as if anxious.

“Sis… Sister. Are you going to send me away? To Matap… Do I have to live in Matap?”

I wanted to say no. It’s not like that. I was just pretending to dismiss Matap in front of you. Don’t get hurt. That’s what I wanted to say.

Even though I had plenty of time to talk before coming here, I couldn’t say anything for fear Shanensia, with her transparent heart, would make a mistake in front of Matap.

I should’ve told her it’s a secret, that I don’t plan to send her away at all. Why did I make the wrong choice?

“So, Shanensia… Would you like to think about something else for a moment? Like calling your friends…”

I was comforting Shanensia with a tender smile when it happened.

“Shanensia. What are you doing?”

It was Matap’s voice, tinged with anger. Shanensia, who had been tremblingly looking at me, lowered her head like a scolded puppy. But the child’s hands moved quickly.

“I told you to stay quiet when adults are talking. Why are you intervening?”

“Ah…”

“You have no manners. After all the compliments.”

“I’m sorry…”

What is this man talking about? Why is he killing our child’s spirit? I hugged Shanensia tightly.

“No, Shanensia. Where are you going?”

“That’s right, Shanensia. We were just deciding where to place you under adult supervision.”

Fortunately, the foolish Matap completely misinterpreted my words.

But Shanensia didn’t trust my words and clung to my clothes, shedding tears.

“Ah, so where were we?”

I patted Shanensia’s back. Am I doing the right thing? Am I not just hurting her?

Wrapped in such worries, I couldn’t respond to Matap’s words. Then he urged again.

“I have some money.”

At that moment, I made up my mind.

What am I doing, hurting the child? What am I, so great?

There were other ways, and it felt wrong to hurt Shanensia just to take down Matap.

“Yes, you must.”

“You look exactly the part. I do have some money. Not to brag…”

“With all the embezzlement, you’d be rich. So you’ve gained weight. Greedy for not just food but money.”

“…What?”

“You thought I wouldn’t know?”

His eyes widened, though they were buried in fat.

“And what? Angry? You, pieces of crap, exploiting our Shanensia, and you think I won’t stop you? Entrust? You’re sitting there talking nonsense. There’s no way I’d do that.”

“Sister of Shanensia? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“What I’m talking about is that I never intended to entrust her from the beginning. I knew you were tormenting my sister, so I came to see it with my own eyes. To take you down.”

I clenched my teeth, looking at him as he tilted his head.
“Take good care of the child? You’re doing nothing different from what the Earl and his wife are doing. And who are you to kill our child’s spirit! You say kids should be quiet when adults are talking? That’s why the kid lives so disheartened. You planned to exploit Shasha, stealing all of her accomplishments, just like you’ve always done!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Are you unwell?”

“Unwell? I’m perfectly sane.”

She suppressed her rising anger.

She had planned to come sooner.

The man before her was the first ever to resign from the position of Chief Sorcerer in the story.

Accused of embezzling a tremendous amount of money. And that’s not all. Even stealing children’s abilities.

His rise to the position was all thanks to such people. There were more than a few who had escaped from the sorcery tower despite their excellent skills.

By the time Shasha had grown up, those who had run away had formed a group of their own. They even had a leader, but that wasn’t the point. Anyway, this man belonged to such a lineage.

‘But I couldn’t find the evidence.’

It wasn’t like a novel where evidence popped out. All I could do was create evidence through words.

If I can just bring him down from that position, it won’t be hard to find the victims. There would also be easy access to evidence of his abusing the orphaned children he brought.

Now, all I have to do is remove him from the position of Chief Sorcerer. Then those who covet this position will expose his wrongdoings.