Chapter 2
“Hello!”
A child with clear, light beige eyes like baby chick feathers. Her fluffy hair, soft like cotton candy, hung down to her waist. She slightly lifted the hem of her dress.
Her manners were still unpolished, but that made her even more lovable.
“Thank you for visiting Tryce Orphanage!”
The child spoke clearly in a voice like a chirping little bird. The adults watching her couldn’t help but smile like proud moms.
The child struggled to lift a basket she placed on the table. It was a small basket, like one you’d bring on a picnic.
But because she was so small, the basket looked unusually big. When she barely lifted it, it covered her lower body.
She walked carefully, holding the basket with both hands, like a little penguin waddling. Some noble ladies covered their mouths to hide their smiles.
“Look at those tiny hands.”
“And that wobbly walk.”
“So adorable!”
The nobles whispered quietly so the child wouldn’t hear—but the child’s sharp ears caught everything.
The short walk was less than three adult steps, but the child struggled with each step.
“What if she falls?”
The nobles worried.
Though falling would probably look cute too.
They felt sorry thinking she might cry with red eyes.
With unsteady steps, the child safely reached the nobles. She opened the basket with her small hands. Inside were pink bags full of cookies.
“We worked really hard to make these!”
The child said proudly, her cheeks puffed out, making her smile even cuter.
The adults imagined,
“She must have kneaded the dough with those tiny hands.”
“Pressed cookie cutters bigger than her hands hard to shape the cookies.”
To the adults here, the taste of the cookies didn’t matter. Because these cookies were made by a lovely child just for them, they were more valuable than any famous bakery’s.
“Thank you.”
The adults smiled happily as they took the cookies, and the child sealed the moment with a final adorable line.
“Make sure to brush your teeth after eating! Or your teeth will hurt!”
With this charming ending, the child bowed and left the room. Only after she left did the adults burst out in awe and praise.
“How can she be so cute?”
“And so polite. I wish our Thomson was like her.”
“Really, she’s the most adorable child I’ve ever seen!”
A woman watching all this smiled gently.
“At Tryce Orphanage, we value manners education above all. Only good, polite children like Selena live here. We don’t have any ‘gemstones’ yet, but to me, these kids are more beautiful and precious than any jewel.”
Sophie, the orphanage director, spoke earnestly. Everyone nodded.
“Tryce Orphanage, full of lovely kids, can’t run without teachers’ help. Please show warm support.”
All present were wealthy nobles.
Nobles with overflowing wealth needed charity activities to boost their reputations. Supporting orphanages was a popular choice.
Donations for growing children — a perfect way to look good.
But they didn’t support just any orphanage. They wanted sure benefits. So their interest naturally focused on orphanages with “gemstones.”
“A ‘gemstone’ appeared at the Sunflower Orphanage recently.”
“Isn’t that the place where a gemstone child was adopted by the Wilton family?”
A gemstone is a child chosen by the gods with mysterious powers. Their bodies show unique gems and markings based on their ability.
Orphanages without gemstones usually struggled financially, lacking noble support.
Tryce Orphanage had no gemstones, but it attracted many nobles — thanks to the lovely child Selena.
Unlike other kids, Selena was very friendly.
“Hello! Hehe.”
She greeted unfamiliar adults well.
“Ma’am, your skirt is folded! I’ll fix it right now!”
Kind, polite, and cute. These traits won nobles’ hearts easily.
Her small size for her age also added to her cuteness.
Nobles enchanted by Selena gave donations without hesitation.
Watching all this from the door crack, Selena clicked her tongue.
“Love is frozen love.”
Away from the nobles’ eyes, Selena was not the adorable child who stole their hearts.
“If only it wasn’t for Rio, I’d never do this.”
Director Sophie smiled widely at the full donation pouch. Selena grumbled and headed somewhere.
“I told you not to play with Selena.”
Among five kids gathered, the tallest blond kid stomped and said. The small child surrounded by them said nothing.
“Hey, Leotis. Are you ignoring me?”
The blond kid raised his voice. Despite the threat, Leotis didn’t answer.
“This is serious!”
Annoyed by the silence, the blond kid roughly pushed Leotis’s shoulder.
Leotis lost balance and fell.
His hands hit the ground, scraping his skin. He lifted his bleeding hand and smiled crookedly.
“Stupid.”
It wasn’t the kind of thing a bullied kid would say. The blond kid was shocked and hesitated but then grabbed Leotis’s collar to pull him up.
“What did you say? You called me stupid?”
“Yeah.”
Leotis’s thin arms hung down, but he wasn’t scared.
“You blind fool. Who do you think you’re calling stupid?”
The kid shouted.
Leotis blinked his black eyes slowly.
Leotis really couldn’t see. Because of his weak body and fragile frame, kids often bullied him.
But he didn’t care.
“You know, Selly wouldn’t care about you anyway.”
“What?!”
The kid threw a punch. As it landed loudly, Leotis fell again.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
A sharp voice rang out. The sound of small feet running came, and Leotis smiled.
His sore cheek and scraped hand didn’t matter.
“I have Selly.”
“They’re bullying Leotis again.”
Selena clenched her fists and walked determinedly.
The kid who punched Leotis, Rimon, stepped back looking nervous.
“Move.”
Selena pushed Rimon aside and went to the fallen Leotis. Seeing his red swollen cheek and bleeding lips, her face twisted with anger.
“Rimon!”
Rimon trembled hearing Selena’s angry voice.
“No, it’s because Leotis…”
“What about Leotis?”
“He called me stupid and teased me.”
“Don’t lie. Leotis wouldn’t say that.”
“No, it’s true! Right, guys? You heard it too.”
Rimon looked genuinely wronged. The kids nearby glanced around and nodded.
But Selena didn’t believe Rimon. She thought the kids who bullied Leotis were not trustworthy.
“No, Selly. Rimon is right… I told Rimon he was stupid.”
Leotis said with a voice holding back tears. His lowered eyes and slumped shoulders looked very different from when Selena wasn’t around.
Unaware of this, Selena only felt sorry for Leotis.
“This kind and delicate kid said something mean? There must be a reason.”
“Rio, what happened? It’s okay, just tell me.”
Selena gently wiped Leotis’s torn lips with a handkerchief and asked kindly. Hesitating like a guilty person, Leotis slowly answered.
“Rimon called me blind and threatened me not to play with you… I got mad and said sorry, Rimon.”
Rimon just pointed awkwardly, dumbfounded by Leotis’s apology.
“Rio, you don’t need to apologize.”
“But…”
“Don’t waste time on bad kids. Come with me to the nurse’s office.”
Selena grabbed Leotis’s hand and pulled him. She didn’t know that while following her, Leotis stuck his tongue out at Rimon, who stomped angrily nearby.
