Ch.6262. Fool

I ended up saying it.

It was a half-impulsive remark. Normally, we would have just gone our separate ways home.

“Um… don’t worry if you’re busy. No pressure. It’s nothing important.”

Chloe looked up at Rex with trembling eyes. Her puzzled expression conveyed that she didn’t understand why he had suddenly invited her to his home. Of course. Chloe let out a self-deprecating laugh and let her arms hang limply.

Rex had many opportunities to visit Chloe’s home before. For the past three months, Chloe had prepared lunch boxes for Rex every day without fail.

Each time, Rex insisted that she didn’t need to come all the way to the inn, saying he would visit her home instead. It was Chloe who repeatedly declined his offer. For her, her home was like a private shame. Something too embarrassing to show. Even the Harald Party, with whom she had shared hardships for over a decade, didn’t know where Chloe lived.

But today, strangely, she felt a whim. She didn’t want to send Rex away. Maybe it was because summer was too hot, or the clouds before the rainy season were too humid, or perhaps because the cracks in the ceiling seemed particularly noticeable.

Suddenly, she felt lonely. The thought of returning alone to that dark room again made her feel suffocated. It seemed like if not today, she might never be able to reveal her secret to Rex. So after much deliberation, she finally said it.

Regret came belatedly. Chloe hurriedly opened her mouth to correct herself, but Rex’s answer came faster.

“Will you be okay?”

It was a brief question, but one loaded with meaning. Since learning that Chloe was uncomfortable with such inquiries, Rex had never once asked about her home. He always considered her feelings.

It was the same now. Not “yes” or “no,” but asking if she would be okay. Chloe repeated the word to herself. Why was this boy so kind to her? Looking into those blue eyes made the walls she had built around her heart crumble.

—I can tell Rex.

“It’s okay,” Chloe said, then continued in a hesitant tone, “But… don’t ask anything on the way to my home, even if you’re curious. I’ll… tell you everything later.”

Rex tilted his head but soon nodded slowly. Seeing this, Chloe turned around and began walking.

Gradually, the surroundings changed.

It was a stark contrast to the merchant district they had just left. The wide road that could accommodate carriages narrowed, giving way to maze-like alleys. The stone-paved road abruptly ended, replaced by a muddy path.

The sweet smell of bread and fragrant flowers disappeared. The stench of waste assaulted their nostrils. The well-maintained shops dwindled one by one, replaced by old, dilapidated buildings pressed together at suffocating intervals.

Chloe clenched her fists and moved her legs, pretending to be nonchalant. The secluded alleys were filled with beggars lying on wooden planks.

The shadows cast by the cloudy weather added to the gloomy atmosphere. Walking along the path, numerous people came into view. A child leaning against a wall begged with skeletal arms, while an elderly person who appeared ill coughed hoarsely in one corner.

She deliberately avoided looking at them.

Although Lindvale was counted among the most prosperous cities in the south, not everyone lived well. It was the natural order of the world that when many people gather, hierarchies form. With nobles, commoners, and slaves, there were naturally rich and poor among them.

Chloe’s home was in the slums.

It was a fact she wanted to hide. Being poor wasn’t a crime. But it wasn’t something to proudly show others either, so she had kept the fact that she lived in the slums hidden her entire life.

What expression would Rex be wearing now? She was afraid to look. Don’t look. Despite that thought, her gaze cautiously turned sideways.

Was he disappointed? Or perhaps shocked? But Rex, displaying none of the emotions Chloe had anticipated, simply opened his mouth with a playful smile.

“Since I’m visiting, I might as well get dinner out of it. You’re a good cook. Let me properly enjoy your hospitality for once.”

The smell of waste strewn carelessly on the ground must be unpleasant—even she, despite experiencing it multiple times, still furrowed her brow each time… yet Rex joked with an unfazed expression.

Only his overly bright voice revealed that he was trying hard not to show his surprise.

Chloe opened her eyes wide, then raised the corners of her mouth and chuckled.

“How can you be hungry already? We just ate.”

“Yeah, but I’m hungry. Feed me, mom.”

“What? Mom? What are you saying!”

Chloe blushed and slapped Rex’s back with her palm. She deliberately held back her strength. Though there was no way it could hurt, Rex staggered and let out a groan.

“Your hand stings, it stings.”

Watching Rex gently rub his back, Chloe smiled. She knew this was all a show to lighten her mood. With Rex making such an effort, she couldn’t continue to be downcast.

Chloe put her hands on her hips and spoke in a deliberately haughty tone.

“Since you helped so diligently today, I’ll reward you with a special delicious meal, young master. You can look forward to it.”

“…Young master? What’s that about?”

“You, you started it first!”

“Me? When?”

Seeing him feign innocence with a puzzled look, Chloe raised her fist with an expressionless face. Rex immediately backed down.

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

“I apologize.”

“Too late.”

In the end, Rex received a light knock on the head. Even he felt he deserved it this time, so he didn’t protest. Quietly observing Chloe’s mood, Rex smacked his lips and asked.

“So what’s on the menu?”

“I’m not telling you.”

Chloe gave Rex a sidelong glance before striding ahead. A faint smile had replaced her previously gloomy expression.

That was enough.

Rex smiled and followed after Chloe.

***

After walking for quite some time, Chloe stopped.

“This… is my home.”

Rex silently gazed at the building before him. Rather than a typical house, it resembled a monastery. A two-story longhouse made of old timber. The faded glass windows clearly showed the passage of time.

A low fence encircled the yard in front, where children who appeared to be five or six years old were running around and playing.

“Big sister! Where have you been?”

“Who’s that beside you?”

As soon as the children spotted Chloe and Rex, they ran over, chattering. Seeing Rex’s surprised face blinking, Chloe smiled faintly and responded in a gentle tone.

“He’s a guest. By the way, have you all finished the homework Mr. Lucas assigned? Didn’t he say last time that if you break your promise again, he’d make you clean the bathroom for a week straight? Is it okay for you to be playing like this?”

“We, we did it!”

“Really? Then shall we go check together?”

“…Suddenly my stomach hurts and I need to go to the bathroom. I’m going!”

One little child made a guilty face and quickly turned around. The rest of the children also fled into the building in a rush.

“Sorry. Were you surprised?”

Chloe murmured with a somewhat tired face. Rex awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“There are a lot of children. Are they your family?”

“Yes.”

Chloe added with a bitter smile, “We’re not related by blood, but they’re family. Surprised?”

It would be a lie to say no. But Rex wasn’t foolish enough to bluntly answer yes.

“It’s nice to see such liveliness. With all the commotion, there’s never a dull moment.”

“That’s right. Well, there are pros and cons… anyway.”

Chloe gazed at the cloudy sky descending and whispered softly.

“There’s someone I want you to meet. Will you come with me?”

Rex silently nodded. Chloe pushed open the creaking door. The interior of the building was dark, without even a single candle. There were occasional glass windows, but even those were dimly colored and didn’t let in much light.

The building was spacious, with several rooms tightly packed along a straight corridor. The doors had small holes that allowed a clear view inside. Hard wooden beds were placed close together, numbering well over twenty.

With so many people in one room, it was impossible to estimate how many lived in the entire building. It was certainly not an ordinary family.

Rex understood why Chloe had been so reluctant to talk about her family background. This was almost like…

“I’m an orphan.”

His thoughts halted. Chloe put down her belongings in what appeared to be the kitchen and revealed her long-hidden secret in a calm voice. Her tone was so matter-of-fact, as if she were merely exchanging morning greetings, that Rex momentarily doubted his ears.

Chloe continued with a composed face.

“Remember when I said earlier that I’m not related by blood to those children? They’re orphans like me. This is an orphanage. It’s a place where orphans like me, who were abandoned or lost their parents at a young age, or have various circumstances, stay until they become adults.”

Her face was composed, but her voice trembled. Her eyes looked at a distant void rather than Rex’s face. Shame—no. A more complex mix of emotions made it difficult for her to speak as she wished. She had resolved to speak proudly. She took several deep breaths to calm herself.

All those efforts were in vain. Chloe’s face was now half-tearful, though no tears actually fell.

“You’re disappointed, aren’t you? I’m sorry.”

She had so much she wanted to say, but in the end, all that came out was a trite apology.

And Rex repeated in a subdued voice.

“What are you sorry for?”

“…For deceiving you until now—”

“This is ridiculous.”

Her words were abruptly cut off. Chloe blinked and looked at Rex. His expression had hardened as if he were angry.

“Disappointed? Why would I be disappointed? Because you’re an orphan? For such a trivial reason?”

“Trivial! I…”

“And it’s laughable to say you deceived me. What exactly did you deceive me about? You never hid anything from me. You just didn’t tell me. Do you have an obligation to tell me about your family background? No, you don’t. It’s your freedom to speak about it. There’s no reason to apologize to me for keeping it to yourself.”

Chloe closed her mouth at the barrage of words. Somehow, a warm compassion was conveyed through Rex’s rebuke. It felt as if he was saying that all her worries were meaningless, that he wouldn’t reject her.

“Chloe. I, you know… I don’t care at all that you’re an orphan. Think about it the other way around. Would you be disappointed if I were an orphan? Would you despise me, cut ties, and refuse to see me again…”

“Of course not!”

Chloe shouted without realizing it. Immediately after, she looked at Rex with a surprised face.

“Neither would I, silly. I, you know, Chloe. I wanted to become friends with you because I liked you as a person.”

Rex was smiling. Witnessing that, Chloe felt something dark that she had always carried in her heart melt away. It was an emotion called self-deprecation and inferiority.

“You’ve been suffering alone all this time over something like this? You really are silly.”

“What are you saying… I’m not.”

“Wrong. You are silly.”

Rex smirked with a sly smile. Chloe pouted her lips, then finally sighed.

She knew this was Rex’s way of comforting her. Thanks to him, her distress had indeed lessened. Should she thank him? The atmosphere had become somewhat awkward, and Chloe fidgeted with her fingers.

Rex observed Chloe’s expression and asked.

“So, who’s this person you wanted to introduce me to?”

It was a timely change of subject. This too was consideration for Chloe. Knowing this, Chloe answered with a smile.

“Mr. Lucas, the man who raised me. He’s the director of this orphanage—”

“Big sister!”

Her words were cut short. With a bang, a girl flung open the kitchen door. She had run so urgently that her entire body was drenched in sweat, and she was gasping for breath as if she might collapse at any moment.

Chloe looked at the girl with puzzled eyes.

“Erica?”

“B-big sister…”

The girl’s face was clearly terrified. Chloe, with an uneasy premonition crossing her mind, began with “Don’t tell me…”

“Are those people here?”

“…Yes. R-right now. They’re in Mr. Lucas’s room. Alisa was… taken away, what should we do?”

The trembling girl couldn’t continue and burst into tears. Chloe’s face turned deathly pale.