“The director has gone out. They say he won’t be back for a while.”

After greeting Jeno and coming out, Eclise was in front of the carriage.

Even on second glance, he was tall and lanky like a pole.

“Where to?”

“Don’t know.”

Rodi craned her neck to look up at Eclise, then tilted her head to the side curiously.

The director never leaves this place unless it’s really important.

If there was something important hidden in the orphanage and he needed to go out, he always made another teacher do it.

Even on the very rare occasions he went out, he only went for very short distances and came back quickly.

“What did the secretary say?”

“She said he went out to get donations.”

At that, Rodi shook his head knowingly.

Then she pointed to a corner of the orphanage yard.

Following her fingertip, an old warehouse could be seen.

“The director is probably in there. Whenever he’s in trouble, he tells the secretary he’s gone to get donations and hides in there.”

Hearing Rodi’s words, Eclise’s eyes narrowed.

“Ah, is that so?”

…

And a little while later.

“Ah, oh my! Why are you doing this…!”

The orphanage director was dragged out like a sack, his remaining hair grasped in Gemvil’s hand.

Though shocked by the sight, considering his past actions, it wasn’t particularly surprising.

“Wow… It’s the first time I’ve seen the director dragged out like that.”

I’ve only ever seen him yelling at the teachers.

Rodi muttered curiously through the carriage window.

This was because Eclise had told her to stay in the carriage instead of following along as he took the director away.

Although he was the director who had taken care of them until now, he didn’t look pitiful at all.

He was the one who always starved and scolded the children, including Rodi.

He even mocked them, saying their parents abandoned us because we were useless.

If a teacher tried to take better care of us, he would drive them out, asking if they were trying to ruin the orphanage.

Even when coming here, I thought, even if it’s Cheiles, how will they persuade the director?

Seeing him being dragged out like that, it seemed that wouldn’t be a problem.

“Serves him right. Hehe.”

Rodi felt a sense of satisfaction for the first time in a very long while.

Since Eclise said he would scold the director and get a proper director in place, her friends could rest easy too.

“…Take care.”

Teachers, friends.

Rodi took one last, long look at the orphanage, imprinting it in her memory.

***

“Ooooh.”

“Hey, you’re drooling.”

Back in Cheiles again.

Rodi’s mouth fell open at the even more magnificent space than before.

Seeing this, Eclise clicked his tongue.

“We’ll need to do laundry first.”

Rodi’s eyes widened.

“Laundry? Me?”

Rodi grabbed her clothes and sniffed them.

“Do I smell?”

“You look dirty, though.”

At the honest answer, Rodi puffed up her cheeks.

“That’s rude, you know.”

“It’s the answer to your question.”

Gemvil was simply amazed at how Eclise and Rodi were now speaking informally to each other.

One thing was certain, this wasn’t ordinary guts.

“Gemvil.”

“Yes, Lord Eclise.”

“Take her and get whatever she needs. She’ll be staying with us from now on.”

After giving this order, Eclise turned back to Rodi.

Thud.

A heavy hand was placed on Rodi’s head.

The weight made Rodi’s body tilt for a moment.

“Let’s see how well you adapt. The power you can have will depend on how well you make this your own.”

“Power…?”

“Welcome to Cheiles, kiddo.”

Eclise roughly patted Rodi’s head and then left just like that.

Rodi blankly stared at Eclise’s retreating figure, which quickly disappeared, and then touched her head where it had been patted.

He patted her head even though he said she was dirty.

So she should feel uncomfortable, but she doesn’t at all.

Rather, feeling a bit disappointed that it was so brief, Rodi puffed up her cheeks for no reason.

“Hmph… What a strange mister.”

“Pff.”

Calling Lord Eclise ‘mister’.

Hearing Gemvil’s laugh, Rodi whipped her head around.

Gemvil quickly erased any trace of laughter as if it never happened.

“Am I really that dirty?”

When Rodi asked, blinking her eyes, Gemvil slightly averted his gaze.

“Hmm, it’s not that bad, but it would definitely be better to wash up first. Follow me.”

The first task after becoming a member of Cheiles was ‘showering’.

***

“Hey~ Gemvil.”

Just as he was about to leave after taking Rodi to the bathroom and assigning a servant to him, a playful voice stopped Gemvil in his tracks.

“Ekision. Didn’t you go out this morning?”

Ekision, with his bright red spiky hair, approached with a mischievous smile.

Seeing his usually calm hair sticking up all over the place, it seemed he had washed it not too long ago.

Otherwise, he would have thought it had been caught in the rain, but it hadn’t rained today.

“I came back earlier. But what was that tiny thing you were with just now?”

It seemed the curious Ekision had spotted Rodi heading to the bathroom.

His bright blue eyes were sparkling.

Sensing that he would stick around until he got what he wanted, Gemvil immediately spoke up.

“A new recruit has arrived. Lord Eclise personally selected them. I was just following orders to take them there.”

“Oh, that’s rare. Must be quite a capable one, huh?”

“Well… Maybe.”

They must have some special ability.

“I see. Then who was that short little squirt? The back of their head looked just like a squirrel.”

Gemvil frowned.

“I just told you it’s a new recruit.”

“Huh? But they were only about the size of a fist? Did I see wrong?”

“You saw correctly. That’s the squirt. I need to go get some clothes now.”

Gemvil waved his thick hand and quickly left.

His movement was incredibly swift, contrary to his massive body.

“Huh… Really?”

Ekision, left alone, stood there with a dumbfounded expression.

***

“Hey~”

As Ekision opened the door to the general affairs office, all the high-ranking members of Cheiles were gathered there, taking a break.

Around the table were Hailo and Horas, two of the six executives of Cheiles.

And in the center at the main desk was Padrid, the general affairs manager most trusted by Eclise.

“Ha… Welcome. Since you’re here, please take those people with you.”

His silver hair, which would have been a neat pomade style, was now sticking up messily, as if he had already been harassed by them.

Seeing his left hand trembling as he overworked his pen, it seemed he was quite upset.

His usually cold ice-blue eyes were boiling with anger.

As soon as he saw Ekision, Padrid gave him a pleading look.

It was a request to quickly take those devils away.

Ekision responded with a grin and, of course, easily ignored it.

Hailo, seeing Ekision, waved his hand while half-lying on the sofa.

“Oh, Esiki-“

A half-wilted pink rose was stuck in his curly blonde hair, which was half-tied up.

Seeing that he had received a rose the same color as his eyes, it seemed he had seduced another woman.

It looked like the notorious playboy, who never turned away a coming woman nor chased after a leaving one, had scored again.

Ekision walked over to Hailo and casually sat on the armrest of the sofa.

A strong scent of roses wafted through the air.

“Yep. Why is everyone gathered here? It’s not even payday.”

“It’s not just a day or two. We came to confess our love to our general affairs manager.”

Grind.

The sound of Padrid grinding his teeth could be heard.

“Please, everyone, leave. You’re interfering with my work. Hailo, please stop, I’m going to vomit. Horas, aren’t you leaving?”

“It’s my day off, why are you like this.”

“If it’s your day off, you should go home.”

“It’s bothersome~ Who do you think dragged me out here today?”

Horas looked at Ekision.

He was quite displeased about having to come in on his day off because Ekision had omitted the report he had asked for yesterday.

“Then quitting might be an option.”

“Darling~ That’s too much. You shouldn’t do that to Horaso.”

Even though he knew Padrid hated it, Hailo made sure to use the nickname he disliked the most.

“It’s not Horaso, it’s Horas.”

“That bastard’s doing it on purpose, you know? Oh? We’re out of cookies.”

Ekision scolded Hailo and then rummaged through the boxes on the table.

“If you check the third drawer of Padrid’s desk, there might be some snacks left? Sometimes he hides them in that closet too. Ah, that’s right! I saw he made a drawer in the floor. Or there might be something heavy in Padrid’s right pants pocket-“

“Oh, lucky.”

Crack.

At that moment, the pen in Padrid’s left hand snapped in two.

Padrid, who had become heated listening to the conversation between Hailo, Horas, and Ekision, threw away the broken pen and grabbed a new one, his hand trembling again.