Chapter 129

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Carlos ran like the wind.

He kicked off the building’s outer wall, leaped up, and jumped across rooftops.

His breathing was as regular as if he was taking a leisurely stroll.

Even as he ran and ran, there was no sign of exhaustion on his face.

The coolness of the air brushing against his face and the scenery rushing past him.

At first, being held by a stranger felt slightly awkward, but as I got used to it, it turned out to be surprisingly fun.

There was a sense of speed and just the right amount of thrill.

When we passed over building rooftops with parkour moves, I instinctively clung tightly to Carlos’s neck.

After running for a while, we finally stopped at the outskirts of the city.

It was clear that we had left the 2nd District, where the academy was located, but I wasn’t sure which district this was.

Compared to the city center, it was sparsely populated and somewhat underdeveloped.

Still, if it’s a district near the 2nd District, it must also be a single-digit district.

It hadn’t been redeveloped, but the infrastructure and public safety were probably decent enough.

“Here we are.”

Carlos set me down on the ground as he spoke.

It was an old building that showed the wear of time.

It was shabby but well-maintained, standing quite straight.

The sign at the entrance, which read “Orphanage”, told me what kind of facility this was.

So, this is the place that holds Carlos’s heart.

Even though he had been raised as a hunting dog for the family and much of his humanity had been stripped away, the memories of his childhood remained, allowing him to stay as a human with emotions rather than a cold blade.

“…”

Carlos silently entered the orphanage.

He didn’t even tell me to follow.

But I was half-convinced.

He’s probably explaining everything in his mind right now.

“Excuse me.”

I stepped into the orphanage, feeling as awkward as if I were visiting a friend’s house for the first time.

The interior of the orphanage was cleaner than its exterior. Although the wallpaper was old and stained in places, it was well-kept and cozy.

Following Carlos, who walked ahead, we were greeted by lively voices.

“Wow! It’s big bro Carlos!”

“You came again today!”

“Big brother!”

“Who’s the big sister behind you?”

The sound of footsteps was followed by a rush of children.

They were of various ages, but all were still young.

They surrounded Carlos, laughing joyfully, and their familiarity with him was evident.

“I’m here.”

Carlos wore a faint but unmistakable smile.

He patted the children’s heads, lifted some of them up to play horsey, and so on.

His gentle actions were a stark contrast to the cold atmosphere he had just moments ago.

“Pretty! Who’s the big sis? Is she your friend? Your girlfriend?”

“Your lover? Big brother is such a playboy. You already have a lover.”

“Huh? Didn’t you say the sisters who came last time were just classmates?”

“Is that so?”

“So, is she your real girlfriend this time?”

Some of the children were more interested in me than in Carlos.

It was natural for them to be curious about a new face.

Even though I was a stranger, they were quite friendly.

They looked up at me with innocent faces, firing off questions one after another.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering how to answer, then glanced at Carlos.

He had brought me here but was now busy playing with the kids.

Isn’t it the host’s job to introduce the guest?

But he just left me here like this.

Hmph, someone so rude deserves a little punishment, right?

I chuckled and stroked my index finger.

Ah, that cool, heavy sensation.

It’s time to return to the little devil Lucia~

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Carlos’s girlfriend.”

I smiled mischievously as I slipped the silver ring Regina had given me onto my ring finger.

When I showed off the ring, the children started cheering.

Carlos’s gaze turned to me.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes were saying something.

‘What nonsense are you spouting?’, probably something like that

“Today, we came to announce our engagement. You can call me sister-in-law or new big sis.”

“Really? Is big brother Carlos really getting married?”

“Uh, uh, uh…!”

“Lisa fainted from shock!”

“She liked big brother Carlos. Of course she’s shocked.”

“Hey! Lisa’s dead, and you’re laughing so casually?!”

“T-this is a dream… yeah, a dream…”

“She’s alive, though?”

“Her heart is dead.”

A storm had hit in an instant.

The children at the orphanage were all talking loudly, making the place as noisy as a marketplace.

Carlos furrowed one eyebrow and looked at me.

He seemed to find my nonsense unbelievable and sighed.

“I should ask.”

What?

◈

Even after Carlos’s explanation, the situation didn’t calm down.

The first reason was Carlos’s habit of omitting parts of his speech.

The second reason was me, who kept adding fuel to the fire.

And the third reason was the children’s attitude, as the truth didn’t matter to them.

The children were young and inexperienced, but they were far from stupid.

They seemed to have already figured out that I was joking.

Still, they seemed to enjoy teasing Carlos and didn’t stop their mischievous smiles.

“New big sis! Big brother Carlos likes to chew things! Gum or hard bones, it doesn’t matter!”

“Last time, he was chewing on dog treats!”

“Hoho, is that so? Thanks for telling me.”

“No, that’s…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Didn’t you bring me here to introduce me to your siblings?”

“That’s true, but that’s different from this.”

“Ah, how sad~ You carried me like a princess and bravely brought me here, but now you’re hesitating. Are you ashamed of me? How sad~”

“N-no… tha—”

“Princess carry! I know that! It’s also called a bridal carry! They say the groom does it for the bride at weddings!”

“…”

Every time he opened his mouth, he got tangled up.

Carlos eventually chose to keep his mouth shut.

Or maybe he was refuting everything in his mind.

Well, if you bring a guest, you should treat them politely.

After being grilled by me and the kids for a while, Carlos was finally freed moments later.

“Oh my, a pretty lady has come. No wonder everyone’s so happy.”

The appearance of the orphanage director made Carlos’s face light up.

It’s fascinating how his emotions show even through his expressionless face.

The director, a kind-looking woman, was in charge of the children here.

The wrinkles around her eyes made her look older, but aside from that, it was hard to guess her age.

If Carlos had been in charge of the orphanage since he was young, she must be at least in her 30s or 40s.

“I heard from outside that Carlos’s girlfriend is here? Hoho, our Carlos has grown up.”

“…That’s not it.”

Carlos sighed dejectedly, looking as if he’d been betrayed by someone he trusted.

I had been wondering why I only saw the children and not any adults from the orphanage, but it seemed the director had been at the hospital with one of the kids. 

I noticed this because of the child holding the director’s hand. The child had a cast on their arm, likely from an injury. Fortunately, it didn’t seem serious, as the child’s expression was bright and unbothered.

“Ah, it’s big brother!”

“Anna, you shouldn’t do that.”

“Hehe.”

The child swung their bandaged arm around energetically before being scolded by the director.

Even after being reprimanded, the girl smiled brightly and ran over to Carlos.

Carlos naturally picked her up and sat her on his forearm.

His thick, muscular arm was as sturdy as a chair.

Even with a 10-year-old sitting on it, there wasn’t the slightest movement.

“Anna.”

“Yeah!”

“I brought her.”

Though his words were abrupt, I could piece together one fact.

Carlos’s sibling who wanted to meet me.

That sibling was this girl named Anna.

“Hi?”

I took a step forward and waved at her.

I greeted her with a comfortable smile, trying not to make her feel uneasy.

Anna blinked her eyes and stared at me intently.

She furrowed her brows and examined my face closely.

Then, as if she remembered something, her eyes sparkled, and she exclaimed,

“It’s that big sister from back then!”

During lunchtime, in front of the counseling room, I had heard various bits of news from Regina.

I didn’t know Regina very well.

She just shared some information she’d picked up as a classmate.

There wasn’t much useful information, but there was one crucial clue.

Some of the children from the orphanage had gone to the cherry blossom festival last weekend.

To be more precise, a group of friends from school had gone to the festival together, and among them was a child from the orphanage.

That was all Regina knew, but it was enough for me to piece things together.

That day, I had saved many people. While Frey, whose supernatural abilities were specialized for combat, was melting the monsters along with the ground, I focused more on evacuating and rescuing people. It was a division of roles.

Helping up those who had fallen.

Comforting those who were terrified from mental corruption.

Guiding them to a safe escape route.

I did my best to protect as many people as I could.

Among them were many adults, but there were also quite a few minors.

Some had come with their parents, others with friends.

I often found children who hadn’t managed to escape in time.

Carlos, who considers the children from the orphanage as family and cherishes them deeply.

If I had saved one of his siblings.

And if that child wanted to meet me.

That was reason enough for Carlos to seek me out.

“I wanted to meet you, big sister!”

Anna smiled brightly and reached out to me.

She stretched out her right hand with the cast but quickly switched to her left.

“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you too.”

I took Anna’s hand in mine.

Her small hand was soft and warm.

Anna shook our clasped hands vigorously and laughed cheerfully.

Hehe, she’s so cute.

It would’ve been nice if Alice had come too.

Cuteness multiplied by cuteness is unbeatable.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Fyi, Carlos’ “I should ask.” was a compressed version of,

“(Engagement or marriage is an important turning point in life. It’s not something I can decide on my own.) I should ask (my guardian, the director, about it first. Moreover, we aren’t even close friends, let alone lovers.) 

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Wouldn’t it be funny if the director was another devil? Heh.