Sicar said the best way to handle this situation was to speak sternly.

“I won’t say it twice. Raise your head now.”

Perhaps because I spoke with force, the director immediately raised her head.

“I… I’m sorry, Your Highness… Please forgive me…”

“Now please lead the way inside. I want to distribute the toys to the children as soon as possible.”

“Is it possible!”

The orphanage was rundown, but it was still quite clean.

“You have maintained the building quite well.”

“It’s an overpraise. We are trying to keep a hygienic environment for the children, but it’s not as easy as you think to keep it clean.”

“But you’re doing quite well considering.”

The director was modest, but it seemed that she didn’t mind hearing the compliments, as she blushed slightly.

While the servants were stacking the gifts for the children in one corner, I had a further conversation with the director about the condition of the orphanage.

According to the director, the current Leper orphanage is struggling with operation due to the lack of sponsors compared to the number of children, so there are still many places that have not been repaired.

Just as I was thinking about helping out, Kian gently pulled at my sleeve.

“Hm? What is it, Kian?”

“I want to talk for a moment.”

Because Kian ended his sentence by looking at the director, she immediately understood and stepped aside.

“Please continue your conversation. I will check whether the cargo has arrived properly.”

“Please do.”

After seeing the director off, I asked Kian.

“Kian. What’s wrong?”

“It’s strange.”

“Hm? What is?”

“I don’t feel any warmth from the director.”

“What do you mean? So you feel cold when you see her?”

“Yes. The director is not a good person. Probably everything she says is a lie.”

If Kian, who senses the temperature of the heart, sees coldness, it means that the director’s current appearance is all pretense.

“I see. Kian. I’ll look into it more closely.”

Kian nodded his head with a stiff face.

In the meantime, I distributed the gifts that arrived with the director to the children. But strangely enough, the children seemed gloomy.

None of them looked happy. The children just politely thanked us, as if it was something they had learned to say, with an emotionless tone.

“It doesn’t seem like the children are happy at all. Don’t the children like toys very much?”

I subtly tested the director, and she stiffened at my question.

“Ah, no. That can’t be. The children must be startled because Your Highness came. They’ve never seen such a highranking person.”

“Oh… Is that so?”

“Yes. I couldn’t even imagine that Your Highness would take interest in a small orphanage like this, let alone a large monastery.”

“I see. That could be the case.”

Even a quick look around showed that the children were treating the toys in their hands like someone else’s belongings, constantly checking the director’s mood.

‘Hmm… but seeing that the children are clean, there must be someone helping them….’

There was no way Kian would make a mistake, but it was unclear what was happening.

The director was stroking the children’s heads with a smile, completely unaware that Kian was glaring at her.

I spoke quietly to Kian alone.

“Should we ask the children what kind of person the director is?”

“Yes. That sounds good.”

While looking for a suitable child, I spotted a child I met in the downtown area. I carefully approached the child and quietly called him to a corner of the corridor.

The child stealthily observed the director, then walked towards me when the director was distracted, opening presents with other children.

“Why… are you doing this?”

“Hmm. I have something to ask, so I called you.”

The child seemed scared, shrinking his shoulders and looking around nervously.

“Our little fellow says that the director does not seem like a good person. Can you tell me what kind of person the director you know is?”

The child, who had been hunching over, opened his eyes wide in surprise, then hunched his shoulders again in fear.

“I’d like you to be honest with me. That way, I can help you.”

Confused, the child’s pupils shook violently, then the child closed his eyes tightly and spoke loudly.

“The director is a wonderful person who took care of us poor children!”

Usually, such words naturally pop out either because the director is such a good person that they’re happy to talk about it, or because they have been trained to say so.

However, seeing that the child’s expression did not look happy at all, I was convinced that it was a learned result.

So I asked other children, but they all said without exception that the director was a wonderful person.

‘The children have all been brainwashed.’

It seemed meaningless to ask the children any more questions today.

“Kian. Let’s go back now.”

Kian looked at the director with a face asking how he could just leave, then looked at me. Kian’s eyes were full of worry and desperation.

“Yes?”

“We can’t find out anything without evidence.”

Kian couldn’t stand this unjust situation. He wore an expression of great regret.

“Really, is there no other way but to leave?”

“Today we have to go back, but tomorrow the duke will solve it.”

“The duke?”

“Of course. The duke will take care of everything we can’t do.”

‘Given his character, handling such a matter would be a piece of cake.’

Besides, this matter could be an opportunity for Sicar to get along better with Kian, so he would definitely help.

When we arrived at the duke’s house, the clothes we ordered were piled up in the living room. After sending Kian to his room to wash up, I was about to sit on the sofa for a rest when Sicar came out of the study.

“You bought a lot of clothes again. Didn’t I tell you not to try too hard to impress me?”

‘I knew you would say that.’

“Become a wicked woman rather than being kind to people. So I decided to become a wicked woman.”

“You think buying a lot of dresses makes you wicked. You’re far from a celestial wicked woman.”

“What are you talking about? Luxury is the symbol of a wicked woman!”

“It would be better to honestly say that you want to impress me.”

This was completely Sicar’s interpretation. Sicar, with a lascivious smile, slowly walked towards me.

“Let’s see what you did today by holding your hand.”

I extended my hand to Sicar as if telling him to do as he pleases.

“Let’s see…”

Sicar, who took my hand, seemed a little disappointed as if he didn’t see anything, then frowned.

“Well, you seem to have tried to mimic a wicked woman. But you’re too… clumsy… Kian, really, you can’t deceive your birth. You look like a prince even if you just follow. … Are you still reminded of Valley when you see a snowman… What’s this? You sent toys to the orphanage.”

“Kian wanted it.”

“That kid really has a soft heart for no reason. Seeing that makes him look like a king who lacks leadership, but when it comes to making decisions, he’s decisive enough to take the throne… But, the reactions of the children in the orphanage are strange.”

“I thought it was strange too. According to Kian, the director is strange.”

“I see. Did you take care of the gifts for Lucy and Lloyd?”

“Yes. I sent gifts to Lucy and Lloyd.”

“Is that so? Then the gift must have arrived at the Count’s house by now.”

Sicar let go of my hand as if he had seen all the memories.

“Now go up.”

“Ah, no. I still have something to say.”

Sicar, who was about to turn around, looked at me with an indifferent face as if asking what I had to say.

“What is it?”

“Go with Kian to the orphanage tomorrow.”