Chapter 3
Chapter 3
On the outskirts of Crozeta’s royal capital, where poverty and powerlessness converged, lay a slum. Tucked away in its depths was an orphanage, built to house the overwhelming number of children abandoned throughout the city.
Each child arrived with their own story, initially grateful for a roof over their heads and the promise of food. They knew from experience that the world outside was far more cruel.
But the orphanage was a hell of its own. Desperation to avoid being cast out drove the children to violence. The director ruled like a tyrant, exploiting the orphans, who in turn trampled on each other to survive. And the final blow always fell upon the weakest, the easiest target.
Hilde was one of the weak. Today, a mountain of laundry lay beside her, easily enough for two or three people. Yet, everyone else had vanished from the washing area.
“Something urgent came up, sorry,” they’d said. “Just this once, please.” It happened so often that Hilde didn’t mind. She simply sighed.
‘At least spring has arrived.’
The cold water had turned her naturally fair skin red and puffy, but compared to the harsh winter, this felt like heaven. In the depths of winter, her chapped hands would often bleed.
Hilde plunged her hands back into the water and silently scrubbed. It was a daunting task, one she wasn’t sure she could finish even if she worked all day, but she chose not to dwell on it. Thinking positively—that was how the gentle Hilde survived in the jungle that was the orphanage.
Late in the afternoon, Hilde finally finished her share of the laundry and neatly stacked the clean clothes in a basket. The others had already taken their previously washed laundry, thankfully leaving a manageable load for her. But as she stood, a sharp pain shot through her legs from crouching for so long.
“Oof…”
As Hilde massaged her numb legs, waiting for the pain to subside, she overheard a conversation. “Did you hear? The Imperial Army…”
Hilde’s ears perked up. Another voice quickly hushed the first.
“Don’t you know you’ll be punished for spreading unconfirmed rumors?”
“But I heard the border fortresses have already fallen…”
“Nonsense. It’s just the enemy trying to scare us again. Don’t you… What are you doing?”
They noticed Hilde and glared at her menacingly. Before she could respond, they snatched their laundry and hurried away.
“I hope nothing’s wrong…”
Perhaps influenced by what she’d overheard, the faces around her seemed grim. The atmosphere felt ominous.
A sense of unease settled over Hilde as she reached the orphanage. “Hilde! Why are you so late?” A teacher was waiting for her at the front gate. “The director wants to see you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Hurry.”
Slowness meant a beating. Hilde quickly deposited the laundry basket, wiped her hands on her apron, and followed. As she entered the hallway leading to the director’s office, someone emerged. It was a stern-looking woman with her hair pulled back tightly in a bun. She scanned Hilde with a sharp gaze, then nodded curtly.
“You certainly look better than last time.”
“You’ll be satisfied this time.”
“See that you’re not late.” A cryptic exchange passed between them. While Hilde remained puzzled, the director’s office door opened. “What are you standing around for? Get in here!”
A shove to her back nearly sent her tumbling. Hilde steadied herself.
The sound of clinking metal reached her ears as the director closed and locked the safe. “Um, Director?” Hilde began hesitantly. “You called for me…”
The director spun around, a key ring jingling in his pocket, and greeted her with a surprisingly warm smile. “Oh, yes. Hilde, you’re here.”
Hilde was taken aback. This wasn’t the director she knew. Having been abandoned at birth and raised in the orphanage, she knew him better than anyone.
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