Chapter : 36
Merai went to the loan shark and told him he couldnât hand over the building because his son had used it as collateral without permission, but all he got in return was a slap and being thrown out.
He needed money. A huge sumâso large that even selling all the children wouldnât be enough.
He visited the nobles who had bought children in the past, but each time he was turned away. In desperation, Merai even went to the temple. One of the priests there had once been a valued client of Meraiâs.
And there, Merai came face to face with a painting so beautiful and mesmerizing that it sent shivers down his spine. It was as if an angel had lifted his hand for him.
The painting depicted the ritual circle the director had used in the past to evade regulation. Thankfully, the foolish temple staff didnât even recognize it as a magical circle.
Merai postponed his meeting with the priest and returned to the orphanage.
He had previously been told the entire process of the ritual by the director, and fortunately, he remembered it all vividly.
After drawing the circle with the blood from his arm and using a child as a sacrifice, Merai summoned the demon. The demon standing before him now was the same one who had refused all of Meraiâs numerous pleasures in the past.
âThat demon called itself Melek.â
He had successfully summoned the demon from the past. Merai felt relief, but the problem appeared in an unexpected way.
âSorry, but thatâs not me.â
The demon denied its past existence. Even though the demon summoned was identical in appearance, name, and even voice, it insisted it wasnât the same entity.
âPoor thing⌠youâre still chained to the past.â
The demon even sympathized with Merai. Who caused me to end up like this? Merai felt a strange sense of betrayal and declared:
âIn the end, youâll devour children again, just like in the past.â
The demon loved flawless, pure souls.
For some unknown reason, the demon he encountered after twenty years was starving. Seeing it hungry, Merai thought it would be even more tempted if the feast it loved was right before it.
Merai brought all the meals the demon had cherished down to the basement, but damn it, the demonâs patience was remarkable.
Before the demonâs patience wore thin, Meraiâs beloved son arrived at the orphanage with guests. The guards? Priests like twenty years ago? Or the people who lent money to Troy? Either way, it was unwelcome.
Merai grew anxious.
If the demon refused to hunt on its own, there was another way. Merai occasionally fed vegetables to picky children directly, spoon by spoon.
Couldnât he do the same now by feeding the well-prepared food directly into the demonâs mouth? Merai pulled the chain that bound the demon.
Melek began to follow him. Their destination: the torture chamber where the children were confined.
The door opened shortly after.
Yulma tried to remain as calm as possible. She just had to follow the plan she and Lanan had devised. It wasnât difficult; she could do it.
But Yulmaâs composure shattered instantly. The director hadnât come aloneâhe brought a man bound in chains with him.
âWhy did he bring him?â
The man blocked the directorâs back, making it harder for Lanan to strike from behind. The man, entirely restrained, moved like a puppet under the directorâs guidance.
âWho freed Yulma?â
The director scanned the room and asked kindly.
âWhy isnât anyone answering? Iâm back. Turn around and greet me.â
No answer came. The children had covered their ears. Yulma had instructed them never to look back and to huddle against the wall with ears blocked. They feared Yulma enough to obey.
She had told them to wait until she counted to a hundred before they could even glance back, and as far as she knew, none of the children could count that high.
âYulma, you answer me. Whatâs going on here?â
âThatâs what I want to ask. Director, what are you going to do with us? I thought youâd sell us.â
The director closed his eyes and smiled gently.
âSell you? Haha⌠what a delightful misconception. Though, to be honest, I did plan to sell you, so maybe it wasnât a misconception. Yulma, you too. If my son hadnât scratched the merchandise, I couldâve sold you for a high price⌠but he left marks for all to see. Naughty child, isnât he?â
âMerchandise?â
Yulma felt both betrayal and a faint sense of gratitude toward Troy. It was better to be marked than to be sold somewhere unknown. To her, these scratches were nothing more than minor blemishes.
âBut now things have changed. Troy borrowed a large sum with the orphanage as collateral. Even if someone were willing to buy all of you, it wouldnât cover the debt. Thatâs why I had to find another method.â
Forget that. Damn it! This is happening because of that bastard Troy?
Yulma remembered her role and continued questioning.
âSo⌠whatâs that method?â
âWould you believe it if I told you? I couldnât believe it myself until I saw it. Well, youâll see for yourself soon enough.â
The director walked to the wall, brushing his hand over the weapons. Yulma tensed, hoping he wouldnât notice that one weapon was missing. Thankfully, he didnât.
The next moment, Yulma bit her tongue to prevent swearing.
The director picked up a weapon.
Damn it, this crazy⌠Lanan was right. The director actually intended to use that weapon on us.
âYulma, one day youâll understand me.â
Understand? Sheâd rather starve than fatten his belly by selling innocent children.
âAre you a good child?â
Was goodness important in this situation? This line was one of the directorâs favorite sayings. The children tried to win his praise by being cute.
âI prefer good children. That way, the demon is satisfied.â
The director aimed the weapon at Yulma. She was fully against the door, and beyond his back, she saw Lanan looking horrified.
Apart from the directorâs arrogance in wielding the blade, everything went according to plan. Yulma was the bait, and Lanan would strike from behind.
The director raised his hand.
âLanan!â
Yulma closed her eyes tightly, silently wishing for success.
The drawer Evangeline had broken was where the director kept important items. Daisy knew he always carried the key.
â8 silver 30 copper, 12 silver 150 copper, 10 silver 200 copper, 7 silver, 13 silver 32 copperâŚâ
Daisy read and reread the documents Troy had found. No matter how many times she went over them, the content didnât change. The papers contained records of the director buying and selling children.
âI only found out about these papers recently.â
Troy explained, hunched over. Daisy had never seen him so dispirited.
âYouâre not trying to blame the director for what you did?â
âDoesnât it show the years? Do you think a five-year-old couldâve done all this?â
Daisy understood. She just didnât want to believe that the kind, devoted director had sold children.
âDirector, donât the children even want to see him? Why donât they come back?â
âDoesnât that mean theyâre happy?â
Daisy recalled the answer given when she had once complained that adopted children never returned.
Happy? No, it just meant they couldnât come back.
âTroy, did you know all along? Is that why you hurt Yulma?â
Troy nodded. Daisy remembered how cruel he had been to children just before adoption. Yulmaâs adoption was canceled because of the scar on her arm. So it wasnât just bullying?
âWhen did you find out?â
âWhen I was ten.â
Troy was now seventeenâonly seven years ago.
âWhy tell us only now? If weâd known soonerâŚâ
âI told you! I said it! I told you our mother was selling the children! You survive on that money! And what did you say? You told me not to be jealous of children adopted into rich families!â
Troy had shouted, consumed by anger. Daisy stayed silent, remembering that he had acted cruelly out of frustration, not malice.
Troy had tried his best. He had stopped many sales disguised as adoptions, even defied their mother.
When she wouldnât listen, he reported her, but there was no evidence. The guards didnât investigate, saying one or two orphans disappear each yearâno difference. Those who bought the children were obviously wealthy nobles, and the authorities wanted no part of it.
âI knew! Momâs insane! Thatâs why I tried to destroy this damn orphanage!â
So Troy had chosen a secondary plan.
âThere are thirteen children left in the orphanage. Even if all thirteen were sold, the buildingâs collateral loan of fifteen gold couldnât be repaid. I thought that would stop her from selling children. ButâŚâ
The director disappeared with the children.
Troy realized, only after acting, that the director could have sold all the children. Feeling responsible for making things worse, he drank to erase his memories.
âItâs my faultâŚâ
Daisy hugged the tear-streaked Troy.
The children probably werenât sold. Even if they had been, the sum needed couldnât be covered. Instead, as Troy had done, the director had found another method.
He had summoned the demon with the painting on the floor and made his wish. Daisy realized why the painting had been in the directorâs office and shivered.
