Chapter : 32
“Ranen, it’s time to eat. Get up.”
The child rubbed their eyes and got out of bed. The room, lined with stark white bedding instead of the colorful sheets typical for children, felt a little eerie.
“Did you eat while I was asleep?”
“Yes, twice.”
Mary found it curious that Ranen always asked how many times she had eaten after waking up, but since there was no reason to hide it, she answered honestly.
“Thanks, Mary.”
Ranen patted the child’s head, a gesture even a child shorter than him could feel.
The children at the Ainoa Orphanage were trapped in this shadowy basement with the headmistress. There were no windows, so it was hard to tell the passage of time, but assuming they had three meals a day, it must have been at least ten days. If she had been feeding them only twice a day, then much more time had passed.
“You didn’t get to eat twice, so you have to make sure you eat this time. Let’s go.”
Following Mary, Ranen headed toward the dining area.
It was almost laughable that, while being held captive, they were able to eat so comfortably—but somehow, the kind kidnapper always made sure meals were provided. The food even seemed more abundant than when they stayed at the orphanage.
As they walked hand in hand, Mary suddenly stopped and tugged on Ranen’s arm. Seeing that she wanted to say something, Ranen leaned down so she could whisper.
“Ranen… are we being sold?”
“What do you mean?”
“Yulma said that feeding and cleaning us is just to sell us. Is it true?”
Ranen frowned, partly annoyed at Yulma but unable to deny Mary’s words. Even to Ranen, it looked like they were being cared for just to be sold later.
“I don’t know.”
“So even you don’t know!”
Ranen, despite being mature for his age, was still only fourteen. The oldest children in the orphanage were sixteen, and anyone older usually left to live independently, like Daisy.
“And… I just heard footsteps upstairs.”
“Footsteps?”
“Yes. The headmistress said it must be Troy and told us to shush.”
“I see.”
Soon they arrived at the room used as a dining hall. Watching the children gathered for meals looked familiar, but the complete absence of laughter reminded them of the grim reality.
“You’re here, Ranen.”
“…Yes.”
The headmistress handed Ranen the meal, seemingly set aside for him in advance. After missing two meals, it made sense.
Ranen took the food cautiously and asked, trying to read the room.
“Headmistress… are we going to be sold now?”
“Oh, my child…”
The headmistress sighed, feigning concern, but did not reveal the truth. Ranen was too afraid even to demand to know the answer.
Meal time ended quickly, and the children followed the headmistress back to the room with the bedding. Since they had been late, Ranen and Mary, who had eaten the slowest, were at the very back.
“Ranen!”
“Yes?”
“Shh.”
Mary’s steps slowed, and she led Ranen in another direction. Ranen quietly followed her, careful to watch the lead child for cues.
They entered a narrow room. Sitting on a chair was a man with chains wrapped around his body and his eyes hidden behind a black veil.
“Mary… the headmistress said not to pay attention here.”
“But that man hasn’t eaten at all.”
“She probably took care of it herself.”
“No, I heard him shout, ‘I’m not eating!’”
Mary rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a piece of bread with her fingerprints still on it, taken from the soup earlier. It was soggy.
If Yulma saw it, she’d probably have called it dirty and thrown it away. Still, Mary went straight to the man with the bread he might not even eat.
“Sir… aren’t you hungry?”
“…If I’m hungry, get lost.”
Unfazed, Mary shoved the bread into his mouth. The man spat it out and gagged.
“Tasted like trash…”
“My bread…”
Mary picked up the bread and put it back in her pocket. Ranen thought: why bother? Maybe it could serve as a weapon if it hardened.
Now that she had tried putting the bread in his mouth once, Mary settled next to him.
“What’s your name? I’m Mary, and this is Ranen.”
Introducing themselves to a chained man in a dim basement—children really were unpredictable.
Ranen assumed he wouldn’t answer, but after a long silence, the man spoke quietly.
“…Melek.”
Having been hungry for over thirty meals, he should have been starving, yet he spit out the bread and casually introduced himself. Ranen decided not to comment and make Mary realize their precarious situation.
Instead, Ranen began keeping watch. They might come for them if they noticed the missing numbers.
“Do you know why we’re here?”
“Yeah… I know very well.”
“Ranen didn’t know either.”
Mary gave Melek a thumbs-up, impressed at his intelligence, but then realized his eyes were covered and sheepishly lowered her hand.
Mary stared at Melek. He must be a nobleman, just like Yulma said—the kind who would be too valuable to let escape.
“Are we going to be sold?”
“Pretty much.”
“Pretty much? So Yulma was wrong?”
Melek, uninterested in answering, gestured as if to tell her to leave. Mary misunderstood and thought he was inviting her closer. As she approached, he sighed; clearly, he needed to scare her off.
“That Yulma is clever, but her imagination is lacking.”
“What!”
Mary was surprised, even quietly, that the smartest and coolest Yulma had shortcomings.
“You’ll be eaten by a monster someday. That’s why they make you look nice and healthy—like pigs fattened for consumption.”
“Eaten…? Pig…?”
Mary shuddered, imagining herself as a pig cooked as bacon and devoured by a monster. She hadn’t fully grasped being sold, but the idea of being eaten terrified her—so childlike.
Ranen comforted the shocked Mary. Footsteps echoed faintly from the hallway.
“Mary, I hear footsteps. Let’s go!”
“But they said we’ll be eaten.”
“That’s nonsense.”
Tears in her eyes, Mary grabbed Ranen’s hand. Footsteps? Could it really be a monster coming to eat them? She kept her voice down and watched her steps—then bumped into Ranen’s back.
“Ouch! Ranen, why did you stop? You bumped me!”
Mary, scolding Ranen while clutching her forehead, froze when a huge shadow appeared in front of her. She buried her head and held her breath. Melek’s warning had been real. Now, Ranen and she would become bacon?
Shivering, Mary was soon relieved by a familiar voice.
“Ranen, Mary, why are you here? I’ve been looking for you.”
The one who came for the children was the headmistress.
She reached out as if to scold them; Mary tried to take her hand. Ranen held her back just in time. Mary patted Ranen, realizing even he was scared, thinking the shadow was a monster. Of course, it wasn’t—it was the headmistress.
“Let’s go back.”
After glancing at Melek, the headmistress pulled the children along and left.
‘Finally gone.’
Melek swallowed hard, watching their footsteps fade away.
He was really starving, feeling like he could die of hunger. When Mary put her hand in his mouth, he almost bit down.
“The children are off-limits? Me, a demon? Fine, I’ll make it so I can accept them as offerings.”
It was clear he had deliberately left them nearby. With a curious being so close, the children couldn’t help but approach him despite pretending otherwise.
Melek’s chains looked intimidating, but they didn’t restrain him. His eyes were covered so the children wouldn’t recognize him, and his mouth was free so he could eat whenever he wanted. Whoever was the real demon here, he thought.
Now! Let’s find him!
Instead of tracking the kidnapped children, maybe finding Troy and pinpointing his location would be faster. There couldn’t be just one or two human trafficking spots in this vast empire, and since this story is linked to Daisy, Troy is a key. The question is: how to find Troy?
Criminals leave traces. Should I check the orphanage first? Ah, find Troy’s belongings, let Jelly smell them, and track him by scent!
Seeing how well Daisy finds things, relying on Jelly’s sense of smell might be good.
“Why are you looking at me?”
“Can you find Troy?”
“No, even I can’t do that.”
Guess not… a little disappointing. If Jelly sniffed out the case for Daisy, it wouldn’t seem very impressive.
Then how do we gain favor? Look—Daisy seems disappointed too.
“You… look normal, this way too.”
