Ch.2Rehabilitation

I followed the twins as they were led back to their room.

Solving the orphanage’s biggest concern—food shortages—was an opportunity too good to pass up.

I never imagined I’d be taken to the Praester Family, but this was a chance I couldn’t miss.

I was conflicted.

The siblings who would be sad when I left… and meeting Asena and Kirsy if I went.

At first, I didn’t want to go.

But the moment Grandmother Riana mentioned food supplies, the scales tipped heavily.

I still believe it was the right choice.

Through conversations with Grandmother Riana, I learned about various circumstances.

The Praester twins were eight years old, she said.

Two years younger than me.

…And they had recently lost their parents.

I had suspected as much.

Every reader of “Provincial Noble Academy” had anticipated this.

Unlike other characters in the novel, Asena appeared from the beginning as both head of the Praester family and a duchess.

Most characters were children of noble families, so it made sense that they couldn’t match Asena and Kirsy’s status.

Anyway, now it was confirmed. They had been without parents from an early age.

Learning they had lost their parents stirred something in me.

I felt a sense of kinship.

They were just like me.

It’s not that I suddenly liked them, but I understood them a little better.

Perhaps this was the moment that started their growth into those merciless, unfeeling people I disliked.

Or maybe they were just rotten from the beginning.

The Praester family’s territory was in a remote location.

After traveling south for days, we arrived at a large castle in the middle of a plain.

I could understand why they said a ducal family lived like the king of a small country.

That was my new home.

Numerous maids bowed their heads, waiting for Grandmother Riana.

A middle-aged butler named Tein approached and immediately reported the twins’ condition to the grandmother.

After Grandmother Riana introduced me to Tein, she said she needed to see the twins and headed somewhere.

The middle-aged butler immediately accepted me on the grandmother’s word.

I couldn’t know his true feelings, but his actions treated me with the utmost respect.

Led by his hand, I began preparing various things.

Numerous servants washed my body, cut my hair, and dressed me in new clothes at Tein’s command.

After everything was finished, I was taken to a door.

Beyond the slowly opening door were Asena and Kirsy.

****

Our first meeting wasn’t particularly pleasant.

Despite Grandmother Riana’s efforts to introduce me to them, Asena and Kirsy looked at me with lifeless eyes.

They didn’t say anything either.

The older sister, Asena, had black hair and sharp features.

Kirsy had silver hair and a melancholic appearance.

They sat together on a large bed.

So thin, they looked like straw dolls.

Unbelievably, according to Grandmother Riana, they used to be bright children.

But what I saw before me was exactly like those merciless, unfeeling twins I had read about in the novel.

I wondered if there was already no hope.

Then I noticed numerous handkerchiefs placed beside the bed.

Seeing them, I realized how much they must have cried.

They just weren’t crying in front of me. It meant they hadn’t become emotionless robots.

I came to my senses.

I had been viewing these girls through too many preconceptions.

The novel’s portrayal was so intense that I failed to recognize the situation unfolding before me.

These children were simply struggling after losing their parents.

They had been grieving for months, to the point their bodies had deteriorated like this.

According to Grandmother Riana, they couldn’t lean on anyone.

There was no one of equal standing for them.

The servants found them intimidating so the girls couldn’t rely on them, and Grandmother Riana was too high in status for them to lean on.

The moment I saw them, I understood. As Grandmother Riana said, I needed to become their support.

Yes, my principle is that young children should always be treated carefully and well.

In truth, Asena and Kirsy would recover even without me.

In the novel, they overcame this.

But the way they recovered was the problem. If they couldn’t lean on anyone, they would inevitably become those villains I despised.

I asked everyone to leave the room.

It felt awkward for an orphaned commoner to make such a request, but as the new ward of the Praester family, I could ask.

Everyone, including Grandmother Riana, left the room.

Only the twins and I remained.

I didn’t approach them in an overwhelming way from the start. They wouldn’t have responded anyway.

I just kept talking.

I introduced myself casually.

Then I talked about

the weather,

today’s scenery,

birds flying by.

Very light topics, but ones that might capture their attention.

They might not respond, but they were listening.

I also told them fairy tales from my original world. I said I would tell interesting stories if they were interested, and then just kept talking.

Arabian Nights. Aesop’s Fables. Folk tales and more…

These were stories the orphanage children had enjoyed. I couldn’t be sure if they were listening, but I told many stories.

I also helped wash the twins’ faces.

When you’re physically dirty, your mind feels dirty too.

They remained still like dolls while I wiped their faces.

I cleaned away tear stains and wiped off sweat.

I thought I saw Kirsy’s eyes turn toward me.

Feeding them was the most difficult part. It was hard to make children who showed no reaction open their mouths.

But having grown up in an orphanage, I had plenty of patience.

I persuaded them with words many times, made light jokes, and somehow got them to open their mouths.

In the end, I managed to feed each of them two spoonfuls.

I think it was more due to the chef’s skill than my achievement.

Nevertheless, I praised the twins excessively, trying to lift their spirits.

And I continued this every day for days and weeks.

The children gradually began to allow me to do one or two things.

I think my endless stories and the affection I poured on them played a part.

When I entered, they wouldn’t greet me, but at least their eyes would follow me.

When I told fairy tales, their lifeless eyes seemed to come alive slightly.

When I asked them to blow their noses during face washing, they would weakly do so with a “hmm…” sound. Well, it was probably more for their comfort than for me.

Now they would eat three or four spoonfuls instead of just two.

After two months of this behavior…

The moment I entered the room, I sensed this would be the most important day.

Life was gradually returning to Asena and Kirsy’s eyes. Their frozen expressions were beginning to move, and the doll-like girls were becoming more human.

Asena was looking straight at me. With frustration and a hint of anger.

She was showing emotion.

And sure enough,

she shouted at me as I ignored it and talked about the weather.

She told me to please get out.

That she couldn’t stand how noisy I was.

That everything I said was boring,

and she didn’t want to hear it.

That she didn’t want a new family.

That I should bring her mom and dad back.

Signs of explosion had shown many times, but only now did it burst forth.

It was the first time I heard her voice. Kirsy was crying beside her.

I silently approached and held their hands.

Asena shook off my hand and continued shouting, but I put aside my usual light demeanor and kept watching this pitiful girl.

I endured all her verbal abuse and violence, waiting quietly.

Gradually, the anger on Asena’s face faded, replaced by grief and sorrow.

Both girls began crying in front of me for the first time. They shed tears aloud.

I continued to pat them gently. These children had become important to me.

Through my efforts, they had found a place in my heart. With each passing day, I hoped they would become healthier.

The more I saw them, the more they were just children writhing in pain. These crying children were the Praester twins, not the merciless figures I had seen in the novel.

I whispered to the crying girls.

Lean on me now, I said. I’ll support you.

They continued to cry without any particular response.

But after this incident, the children changed rapidly.

The next day when I visited, they asked my name.

When I answered “Caden,” Asena slightly turned her head, and Kirsy repeated the name.

Now when I brought a spoon to their mouths, those small lips would open and accept everything.

As the atmosphere lightened, I made more playful jokes.

Asena would turn her head each time, not wanting to show her expression, while Kirsy bit her lip to hold back laughter. I thought Kirsy’s smiling face was quite cute.

The fact that jokes were working was a good sign. If they continued to grow like this, perhaps we would never see the novel’s version of them.

That thought made me happy. Was it because I had already become their brother?

No, it might be satisfaction as a human being.

If these two girls, who would have had a cold future, could live a life filled with smiles like now because of me, I would feel fulfilled.

These small playful moments continued, and the twins gradually opened their hearts.

Several more months passed quickly.

They gradually became healthier. Recovery was fast since they ate everything given to them.

I could see their minds becoming healthier too.

The feeling of grief was still somewhere, but my constant visits prevented them from dwelling on sad thoughts.

No matter how much time passed, I took care of them with devotion. Now they were well enough to go for walks outside their bed.

In the morning,

“Kirsy! Wake up and exercise! Asena! Open your eyes!”

I would open the windows to let in fresh air, pull their legs to wake their bodies, and start exercising.

A healthy mind dwells in a healthy body.

At first they seemed uncomfortable, but as time passed, they accepted the stretching easily.

At lunch time,

“Let’s try some harder food today. You can chew, right, kids?”

I tried to feed them healthier food.

Now they didn’t need me to feed them.

It was a happy time for me too. I could also eat many delicious things.

In the evening,

“Let’s go see the sunset. Get some fresh air too. Kirsy, Asena, put on your outdoor clothes!”

We often went outside. We appreciated new scenery each time. The place where the Praester family was located was beautiful.

The vast plains with spreading vegetation opened up my heart, and watching the sun set at the horizon was moving.

Whenever the fragrance of grass came with the cool breeze, all worries seemed to wash away.

It wasn’t just me. When I looked at Asena and Kirsy while resting, they too had peaceful expressions with their eyes closed, enjoying the breeze.

At night,

“Good night, kids. See you tomorrow.”

I would gently stroke the twins’ heads. Asena and Kirsy would now nod with girlish moist eyes and lie down to sleep.

I’ll never forget when Asena gruffly said one day, “You have to come tomorrow too.”

After a year of being with the Praester family, the children had completely recovered.

Now fully out of bed, the twins ate at the same table as Grandmother Riana.

It was my first time dining with the grandmother too. I had always eaten with the twins.

The twins, those young 9-year-old children, apologized for causing trouble all this time, and Grandmother Riana, maintaining her dignified appearance, said everything was fine.

After the meal, the twins returned to their room first.

Left alone with the grandmother, she began to cry.

Then, holding my hand tightly with both of hers, she thanked me sincerely, showing vulnerability… it was moving for me too.