Chapter 36
The last child of the Fenril tribe, whom I had not yet met—Theodore—had entered.
“You! Who are you?! Who do you think you are, making Lara kneel like that?!”
Taller than the other children, Theodore grabbed my shoulder with a wary expression.
Lara pleaded with him in an anxious voice.
“Theo oppa! Don’t do that! This is Lady Odette! Hurry, kneel with me! She’s our savior!”
Hearing my name, Theodore’s expression turned even more vicious.
“Why are you here? You wicked woman, get out right now!”
Only then did I regain my composure.
Eyes filled with hatred were actually easier to face than eyes sparkling with gratitude. After all, I was far more familiar with dealing with looks like his.
Clearing my mind, I gently took Lara’s hand and tried to help her up. But then—
“Don’t touch her! You damn witch! What are you plotting to do to Lara?!”
The grip Theodore had on my shoulder tightened.
I sighed inwardly.
‘I was too complacent. I knew things were bad, but not this bad.’
Wasn’t this borderline abuse?
Though the Fenril tribe was described as being obligated to wear armbands and even taxed for survival, it was also said that their basic needs—food, clothing, and shelter—were provided. They were supposedly treated better than commoners.
That’s why Karl hadn’t resented the villainess at all, even after three years in the detention camp.
‘But this? This is beyond anything I expected.’
No wonder the kids held such hostility toward me. How was I supposed to convince them to go outside with me?
‘I don’t have time to slowly ease their resentment and persuade them. If I do, the calamity will devour us.’
I decisively gave up on persuasion and chose the hardline approach. Grabbing the shackle on Lara’s ankle, I gave an order.
“Luca, restrain Theodore.”
“Huh…? Oh, okay!”
Maybe it was because he’d grown up hearing my commands all his life. Without a second of hesitation, the free-limbed Luca immediately restrained Theodore.
“What are you doing?!”
“Luca, make sure Theodore sticks his ankle out toward me.”
With that, I focused on Lara’s ankle first.
“Let go of her! What filthy plan—”
“Oppa, stop! The only ones filthy are us Fenril! What if she kills us?!”
Chaos erupted.
“You devil! If you harm Lara, I’ll kill you!”
If Luca weren’t holding him back, Theodore looked ready to sink his teeth into my throat.
Ignoring the commotion, I gripped Lara’s ankle. The shackle reacted to my touch, glowing white, then fell to the floor with a clatter.
Theodore’s expression turned as if he’d been punched in the face.
“I’ll remove yours too. Once I do, change into the clothes in that trunk.”
I pointed at the trunk and gave a cold order. Theodore kept glaring at me, not letting down his guard.
“What’s your angle?”
“Whatever it is, Fenril tribespeople are bound to follow my command. I owe you no explanation. Today, you’re coming with me—outside of the detention camp.”
Though my voice was firm and cold, part of me felt bitter. I hadn’t wanted to take them out like this, hurting their feelings.
But surprisingly, Luca responded in an unexpected way to my cold tone.
“Noona… we’re going outside? We can leave the camp?”
His voice trembled with awe and disbelief. Then Lara chirped in with excitement.
“Outside… are we going to see the circus?”
‘Circus? What now?’
Baffled by the sudden word, I tilted my head. Lara bounced up and hugged Theodore around the neck.
“Right? Right? Theo oppa! It’s not that we can’t go out, we just don’t. Like when there’s no circus, there’s no reason to go!”
I blinked and looked at Theodore.
His face had turned beet red. That’s when it hit me.
‘Of course a sweet kid like Lara wouldn’t cope well in such a harsh environment.’
Every time Lara cried about wanting to go outside, Theodore must’ve comforted her by saying there was no reason to—making excuses like the circus wasn’t in town.
‘…What do I do now?’
Since a calamity was going to strike this place, I did plan to relocate them somewhere safe. Like the mansion I had saved from Gisela.
It was located perfectly between the capital and the detention camp, in a quiet area with strong security.
I’d prepared that mansion precisely to keep the Fenril children under Gisela’s protection.
My original plan had been to take them there in a pre-arranged carriage…
‘But the circus? That’s at least six train stations away. Keeping three members of the Fenril tribe hidden that long would be a nightmare.’
The Fenril tribe had distinctly black hair and eyes—very conspicuous.
To avoid detection, I’d bought wigs and hats for the children and dressed them in conspicuously fine clothes to deter inspection.
But that was all meant to be precautionary for transport.
Now, taking a train seemed too risky. If we were unlucky, someone might catch wind of it.
‘And a crowded place like a circus just multiplies the risk—’
“Lara, about the circus…”
But Theodore’s face now looked tragically miserable.
A look of deep humiliation, as if worn down by endless guilt—like that of a weary parent who couldn’t provide for his child.
No child should ever wear such an expression.
‘…Ah, forget it. Who cares. If anyone messes with the kids, I’ll just shut them up with gold coins.’
Whatever trouble came our way, I could meet it with equivalent monetary force. I decided to place my faith in the power of gold.
“That’s right, Lara. We’re going to see the circus.”
At my words, both Luca and Theodore flinched and looked at me. Joy welled up in Luca’s eyes.
“So go change. As quickly as possible.”
“Yay! I’m so excited!”
Lara bounced with glee, and Luca was so overwhelmed that he seemed to be at a loss for words, his face turning red.
Meanwhile, Theodore said nothing.
“…”
But he didn’t resist when I reached for the shackle on his ankle.
‘His way of saying thank you, maybe.’
The last shackle on Theodore’s ankle glowed white, then fell off with a clink.
“Make sure to wear the hat and wig properly.”
Thankfully, Madam’s skill in wig-making was superb—they looked indistinguishable from real hair.
‘Yes, it’s best to take the kids out peacefully, if I can.’
It would also help win Karl’s favor. And children… they had dreams that only shined while they were still growing.
At the orphanage. In the attic of the count’s manor. And once again at the orphanage.
Circus.
Once, even I had spent whole nights wide awake in excitement over that word.
From the bell tower of the detention camp came a loud, clanging DING! DING! DING!
It was the alarm signaling the outbreak of a calamity.
When that bell rang, the area had to be evacuated immediately. But defying that protocol, one man cut through the dusty sand—running toward the danger.
His sleeves and pant legs were just a bit too short—a mark of a third-class citizen. He wore the armband identifying him as such: Karl.
With strength surpassing that of normal humans, he ran toward the detention camp at a speed faster than a steam locomotive.
Fresh blood soaked through the branded slave mark on his shoulder, but he ran on, unfazed by the pain.
“Damn it. Please… please…”
He couldn’t even breathe properly.
It felt like he was endlessly thrashing in a swamp. A terrible despair enveloped him.
“Luca!”
He headed straight for the detention zone. The gate made of mana stones loomed large. Because he wore no shackle, Karl was able to pass through.
And once inside the detention camp…
Karl was struck speechless.
