Chapter 33
#33
"Oh my! Do documents come out this quickly?"
The director's eyes widened as she looked at the documents I handed her.
"When I inquired last time, they said it would take at least six months, or a year at the latest. But when the people sitting at their desks say that, it really means it'll take three years."
As I watched the director staring at the documents as if they were truly amazing, I leisurely sipped my tea.
It was tea I had bought from my favorite store, and it was my favorite tea, but drinking it while watching the director's delighted expression made it taste even more special.
The effort of going to find Asel with my own two feet, and even bowing my head to ask for a favor, didn't feel like a waste at all.
Moreover, Asel had presented a check with a very beautiful number on it, under his name, at the charity ball.
The amount was so large that I seriously had to consider whether it meant he wanted a statue of himself erected in the courtyard of the new orphanage.
"We raised quite a bit of money at the ball, so we're planning to start construction right away. Are there any essential things you need in the blueprints?"
"Well, I don't really know much about that."
The director tilted her head as if she was troubled. But beneath that was an expression of joy.
It was more like a troubled expression because she was so happy.
"Then think about it. I'll try to reflect as much as possible. No, I'll arrange for an architect to visit here within a few days. Let's talk about it then."
"Yes, I understand. Thank you so much for taking such care. The children will be so happy."
Clutching the documents to her chest, she bowed deeply to me.
"It's nothing. I'm doing it because I want to."
"Oh, we've also hired the teacher you mentioned last time. Because the children are of various ages, many people were reluctant, saying it would be difficult to teach them, so we hired two people to divide the time three times a week."
"Who are they?"
"One is a teacher who will teach the young children basic letters and numbers. She doesn't have any teaching experience, but she said she taught all five of her younger siblings how to read, so we hired her. She's especially good at storytelling, so I think the children will like her."
"That sounds good."
"And we found someone to teach the older children mathematics, literature, and Karasen language. She's a tutor at a certain Baron's house, but the two young masters she's teaching are going to boarding school, so she's looking for a new job."
I nodded at the director's explanation.
Karasen was a country that actively traded with Splendor, so learning its language would be useful in many ways.
Mathematics and literature were basic, so there was no need to say more.
In fact, refinement and etiquette wouldn't be very useful to commoner children. Politics, international affairs, and the study of kingship were even less so.
"That's great."
The director, who was enthusiastic about the children, seemed to have taken great care in finding the teachers.
"But I think five times a week would be better than three? There's no need to learn for three days a week and review for four days."
I had been taught by private tutors in various fields seven days a week without any days off, but the children here didn't need to go that far.
Still, three times a week seemed too lax.
"Yes? But hiring two people five times a week would be..."
"Don't worry about the money."
I took out my checkbook, wrote the same amount as last time, signed it, and handed it to the director.
"I hope you won't skimp on money when it comes to the children sleeping, eating, and learning."
"Yes, I will. Thank you so much, Bianca."
The director, who had received the check I handed her with great care, bowed once again.
"It's nothing. I'm doing it because I want to."
That was right.
At first, I had clearly started this to spread rumors about myself, but strangely, I was particularly concerned about the work here, and I wanted to do better for them.
And seeing the children happy made me feel really good.
"And where's Lara?"
Wanting to feel even better, I looked for the second reason I had visited the orphanage.
"Princessssss!"
Seeing Lara's face, smiling as brightly as the sunlight, I smiled for the first time in three days since the ball.
"Princess, hello! How have you been? Lara has been well! And now Lara can write Lara all by herself."
The child, who had run from afar and hugged me, poured out everything she had wanted to say, as if she had been holding it all in.
Even as I brushed the child's tangled brown hair back, and even as I brushed off the dry leaf fragments stuck to her cheek, Lara chattered non-stop.
"Lara is easy, but Nicole is difficult, and Peter is difficult too. I wish we could change their names to Nini and Pipi. The director's name is difficult, but the director isn't that difficult, so I think it's okay for the director to stay the same."
The chattering voice was sweeter than the sound of a lark, and my upturned lips just wouldn't come down.
"Princess, what's your name?"
"Bianca. Bianca Crofort."
The moment she heard my name, Lara looked like she was about to cry.
Did I do something wrong?
"Too difficult... Can't I just call you Bibi?"
"That would be a bit difficult."
My name was taken from my great-aunt, who my father had been particularly fond of.
My father had said that she was a very beautiful and dignified woman, and told me to become a person who wouldn't be ashamed of the name I had inherited.
And I had done my best to become a person worthy of the name Bianca, and that effort had made me who I am today.
Besides, the name Bibi... was a name that seemed more suitable for a dog than a person.
"Bian... what was it?"
"Bianca Crofort."
"Biankiko... Haa... Too difficult."
A long sigh, unbefitting of Lara's small mouth, came out.
"Lara?"
Even when I called her name, the child's small face was still full of worry. That sight was so cute that I couldn't help but laugh.
Even while sighing that it was difficult, the child seemed determined to study in order to write my name.
"I can't change my name for you, but I think I can boost your motivation to learn."
Whether my words were difficult, Lara blinked at me with her mouth slightly open.
Were the words "learning" or "motivation" difficult?
But Lara was a smart child, so she would soon understand all these things.
"So, I'm saying that if you write Bianca Crofort very well, I'll give you a prize."
"A prize?"
"Yes."
"What kind of prize?"
"Hmm..."
Actually, it was impromptu, so I didn't really have anything in mind.
"Is there anything you want? Anything you want to eat?"
"Chocolate! Cookies too!"
"Okay. If you write Bianca Crofort very nicely, I'll buy you chocolate. Cookies too. And chocolate chip cookies too!"
"Wow! That's great!"
A smile finally bloomed on the child's face, which had been drooping.
Seeing her so excited with just a few sweets made me happy too.
"Is there anything else you want?"
I wanted to do anything for Lara, who gave me joy.
"No."
But the child, who had no greed, shook her head.
Suddenly, I wondered what this little child would become when she grew up.
If she wanted to be a painter, I wanted to buy her painting tools, and if she wanted to be a writer, I wanted to buy her books.
If she wanted to be a merchant, I could teach her arithmetic, and after learning Karasen language, it would be good to send her to study abroad.
In any case, I wanted to give Lara a little help for the future she wanted.
"Then what's Lara's dream?"
"Dream?"
Judging by the way she tilted her head, it seemed that this was also a difficult word for Lara.
"What's Lara's dream?"
I explained it in the easiest words possible, tailored to the child's level.
Then I thought Lara would smile and chatter about what she wanted to be.
"My mom and dad appear in Lara's dream."
But what came out of the child's mouth was a completely different story.
I had asked about the 'dream' she wanted to be in the future, but Lara was talking about the 'dream' she had last night, which was absurd and cute, and I almost laughed.
Until I saw the sadness that had filled Lara's eyes, which had been sparkling with thoughts of sweets just a moment ago.
"Mom is sad in my dream. And Dad is sad too."
Lara, who recognized the people in her dream as her mom and dad, must have memories from when she was young.
But the fact that Lara was here meant that they were already people who only existed in Lara's memories.
Ricardo had said that most of the children in this orphanage were war orphans. Perhaps Lara was one of them too.
"So, when I have a dream, Lara is sad too."
The word "sadness" flowed from her small mouth and stuck to my heart.
"So, I wish I didn't have any dreams."
"Lara."
As tears filled the child's large eyes, I couldn't bear to look at them any longer and hugged Lara tightly.
Lara's small body was so small that no matter how tightly I hugged her, it felt like she would slip away at any moment.
That was so heartbreaking that I felt like I was going to cry.
I couldn't even imagine how great the sadness this little child had was, having grown up receiving so much love from both parents.
"Princess."
"Yes."
Lara wriggled a little, as if she was feeling stuffy, and called me, so I blinked a few times to make the tears welling up in my eyes go away.
And when I thought it was okay to look at Lara now, I let her go.
"Don't go anywhere, Princess."
She said, looking at me with clear brown eyes.
"Don't leave Lara and go far away, okay? I don't want to see you only in my dreams."
"Yeah, I won't."
"Promise."
A small pinky finger was held out in front of me.
"Okay. Promise."
I hooked my pinky finger on her small pinky finger.
"Sky land! Star land! Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"
The child smiled brightly, chanting a meaningless spell.
'Okay. I'll stay alive and be by your side.'
Another reason to stay alive was created.
