Perhaps it was because I hadn’t fully explained the purpose of our visit to Pelrod Street today, but they seemed to step into this place with a somewhat fluttering heart.

As we stepped into Pelrod Street, we looked around.

‘It’s dirtier than I thought.’

The front of Pelrod Street was not cleaned. A pitchblack cat with all four paws blackened was wandering around licking the trash.

Still, we turned a blind eye to the stench of garbage and the dirty environment around us and entered the street chatting cheerfully.

However, it didn’t take long for both the maid sisters and I to stiffen our expressions.

‘These are scary people.’

I widened my eyes while looking forward.

Thugs with dangerouslooking faces and homeless people were swarming the streets. Their bodies emitted a foul smell as if they hadn’t washed their hair for a long time.

The atmosphere seemed distinctly different from the clean street a block away. I glanced at an old sign on the street.

‘I have to pass this street to get to the orphanage. There’s no avoiding it.’

… I just have to go.

Holding my sisters’ hands tightly, I walked through the narrow streets.

It was a kind of signal to just walk quietly. As if they knew my mind, my sisters began to walk quietly in time with my steps.

But, just as I had guessed, the homeless sitting on the street began to comment on us. They raised their wobbly bodies and approached us threateningly.

“What’s this, three young things wandering around here?”

A terrible smell of alcohol wafted from the mouth of the man who stuck his face right in front of us.

“Walking around with their heads held high.”

“What’s with that ridiculous hat?”

“Let me see your face.”

One of the homeless men mocked us while spitting out yellowish phlegm.

I slightly scowled, but my maid sisters stepped forward blocking my view first.

“We will handle this.”

They seemed ready to exert force.

“No, ignore them.”

I didn’t want to cause a scene. Dealing with those people was another issue.

Holding my sisters’ hands tightly, I tried to lead them to the other side.

“……Understood. Achieving our goal comes first!”

But as my sisters adjusted their hats and moved their steellike bodies, a homeless man with stark white hair charged aggressively toward us, shaking a broken glass bottle. From the broken bottle, a murky liquid dripped onto the ground.

“Seems like you want to get hit.”
“Pay the toll if you don’t want your face ripped off.”

The man shouted ferociously.

“Huh.”

The Bench sister, seeing their threatening hand gestures, snorted and took off her gloves.

Crack!

A sound came from her wrist, as if a bone was splintering.

The homeless, unaware of the impending future, sneered and laughed at us.

And while everyone was engrossed in their standoff, I could see a small head, the size of a pine cone, peeking out from behind the signpost.

With his severely shrunken hands, perhaps due to burns, the child was struggling to hold a tiny basket.

“We give it our all no matter who the opponent is.”

Bench spoke, and Deadlee coldly caught her words.

“Even if it’s a homeless person.”

The sisters widened their eyes and grabbed the scruff of the homeless man who dared to approach me.

“What are you talking—ugh!”

The sisters were, as expected, strong.

Bottles shattered quickly without a sound, and the homeless men’s noses broke. The sisters easily subdued half a dozen men with one hand.

“I, I’m sorry—”

“Does an apology make up for killing someone?”

The sound of fright continued, but I could no longer watch the sisters’ fight.

‘I’m more concerned about the child over there than the fight.’

Thanks to the maids’ thorough protection, despite the violent fight taking place right in front of me, I was able to take a leisurely look elsewhere.

‘Is he a child from the orphanage?’

I glanced at the child who was looking at me from about twenty steps away in our vicinity.

A tiny kid peeking out from under the signpost with only his eyes visible.

The name ‘Lukrei Orphanage’ was written on the basket he was holding.

I didn’t know the exact name of the orphanage where the knight’s younger brother was entrusted to, but this was clear.

There can’t be multiple orphanages in this poor street.

Therefore, it was certain that this child somehow had a connection with the knight’s younger brother.

I intensified my gaze to not lose sight of the child.

The blue eyes, seemingly nervous, looked around, shaking the tiny basket.

Soon, the child’s gaze was fixed on me. Was he about seven or eight years old? He was a child with a messy face and unusually white hair.

“Lady Cien. We’ve dealt with everything!”

In the midst of my and the child’s prolonged eye contact, it seemed the fight was completely over.

I hurriedly turned my gaze to the street. People scattered across the street came into view. The smell of blood from their bleeding noses was intense.

‘Are those old men alive?’

The thugs in the dark alley were naturally no match for the sisters.

I lost interest in the thugs and turned my gaze back to the child.

“Sister, thank you. I want to talk to that kid.”

With a rather perplexed face, the maid sisters nodded as if they understood.

I carefully approached the child, who was hiding behind the signpost and covering his eyes with one hand as if the sight before him was scary.

When we first approached, the child shrank back in surprise. The maids had just beaten up the homeless men, so his wariness was stronger.

Instead of explaining how I ended up here, I compressed the situation to, ‘I have something to find in this street.’

“I want to go to the orphanage!”

“Well, I live in the orphanage. I did come out to gather a little food….”

The child murmured, hanging his head like a small dog whimpering. His fluffy hair was visible.

Covered in black grime all over his body, but with bright eyes, I extended my hand toward the small boy.

“Can you help me, kid?”

“Me…? Really?”
There was a tone in her voice, as if she was asking if I could help someone.

I nodded and smiled brightly.

“Yup! I’ll take you to the daycare. I’ll make sure to reward you!”

“I’m glad I can be of help. Please follow me.”

The innocentlooking child hesitated, responded, and moved forward.

I took a vigorous step forward.

I had physically suppressed the homeless, but the security situation here was still not good. So, the maids protected our front and back, exuding a fierce momentum.

The child guiding the way next to me looked at me with pure puppylike eyes and hesitantly asked.

“Um, by any chance…….”

“Huh?”

“……Oh, no. The daycare is a bit dirty…… But it’s closer from here.”

I nodded and went along with the child.

“Did you originally live here?”

“Yes. I have never had a family.”

“Huh…….”

“Yes, I’m an orphan.”

There was a steeliness mixed into the gentle voice.

It was a voice clearly resenting the lack of a family, so I nodded.

“Cheer up…….”

As I comforted him, I was able to confirm once again that the boy’s eyes were blue.