A loud noise filled the room, Arledge who was still trying to get answers to his questions was interrupted by the noise.
Following the sound, he looked around and noticed it was coming from the other side of the wood impact door.
The door was opened vigorously. A boy and a girl walked in and closed the door.
"Why did you agree with them, Victor?! Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Anna said angrily after closing the door.
"It's for the future of the kids, my love" Victor said calmly.
"But they were newborn babies! How could you make a decision without their permission?! Would you please explain to me before I kill you, Victor Frederick?!" Anna said.
Victor shivered as his wife said his full name.
"I will explain but first... please, calm down" Victor said.
Anna, seeing that her emotion is a bit overflowing, lowered her tone down. But she still glared at Victor with her sharp eyes.
Seeing that Anna have calmed down... temporarily, he then explained his side.
"...You know, the funds we get from the government is... too little, we did not even receive any sometimes... We have many children here in the orphanage, Anna. While many adolescent kids had left, it will still be many... and to support them and our daily needs, we worked hard day and nigh..."
"Stop!" Anna glared at Victor "Say...did you do this for the money?"
"No!, no, my love. How could I do that!" Victor retorted and then explained further "I... just weighed the gains and losses." seeing that Anna was still glaring at him, he explained more.
"...our workers, including us, worked hard every day which, to the point, suffocates us. We should have an air to breathe, Anna. The resources they offer can do that. And they were nobles, the babies will surely have a better future with them than..."
*Smack*
"So, you did THIS for money!" Anna slapped Victor then walked out, not waiting for any word coming from his mouth. But then she suddenly looks back at Victor.
"You remember that we choose to voluntarily work at this orphanage, right?"
Staring at the door where Anna left, Victor can't help but sigh. He said out loud his thoughts.
"Did I do the right thing?" he said.
Then he suddenly heard a cooing sound on his back.
Looking behind him, he saw a crib, specifically, the baby on the crib.
He walked towards it. He saw the baby laughing happily. He can't help but shed a tear.
Arledge was happy because of what he just witnessed. It was a real-time drama!. He wished he had popcorn on him. He could've watched, listen, and eaten at the same time but he guesses he can't eat popcorn for a while so, he just listen and watch.
He did not know that his laughter was heard by Victor.
Arledge was still laughing when a shadow envelop him. He saw Victor staring at him.
"Good job, man!. That was the first good show on my first day in this world!" then he laughed.
But what was heard was only a happy cooing sound.
When he saw the baby smiling happily, Victor suddenly regretted what he had done. His one tear turned into a river of salted water.
Victor cried while he kneeled gripping one of the pillars of the crib said "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...*sniff* I should have not done that... I should *sniff* not let your siblings go... leave you... bargain for you... forgive me..."
Arledge who witnessed that can't help but think as he didn't know what was the man was saying.
He tried to understand too but with each sentence, he, maybe, purposely removed the important part. So, Arledge does not understand anything except for sorry and sibling something.
Just a while before while they were arguing, Arledge discovered that the language used here is similar to English on Earth.
'Time to sew the evidence! Detective Arledge Holmes activate!' he said exaggeratedly in his mind.
'Based on my observation, he's saying sorry to me, obviously, and it has a thing to do with my sibling...with an 's' or without 's'?... give me a second to recall what he said... yeah he said 'siblings'
'Based on that specific word, I assume that I have 2 or more siblings...'
'I looked around the room earlier and my siblings weren't here, so it has definitely had something to do with their argument earlier...'
Recalling the conversation between Anna and Victor. He slowly but surely sews the whole story.
*gasp*
He gasped at what he discovered. Victor did not see the reaction of the baby as he kept his head down.
'They... sold my siblings! that's trafficking! that's crime! and he also bargained with the client to get me as well!... My organs! No!..' he thought exaggeratedly.
Arledge did not know that it costs money for the family to adopt a child. So, he assumed it was human trafficking.
But a major part of the story was still left unsolved. 'Why were they adopted? Why not include me?'
'I guess I will know if he kept muttering' he thought.
Just as he thought, Victor said "If you only have the talent they have..."
'Bull's eye!' he thought.
'Talent, huh?. I guess they were talented to the level of a genius if not more and I am average or below' he thought calmly.
'It's actually not that bad that I was left in here. Those nobles will probably make me miserable as I am not too talented and I don't want that!' he thought positively.
Victor kept muttering, Arledge who saw that can't help but want to comfort him. He seems to forget that he had just accused Victor of a human trafficker.
He raised his hand towards him and wanted to say.
"Hey, don't cry buddy! It's not your fault. Your argument makes sense. You just weighted the gains and losses, right? You're just concerned at the orphanage, right?" he petted him by rubbing his hands on Victor's hair.
but only baby sounds flew out his lips.
Victor was still muttering when he suddenly felt a warm touch on his scalp.
He raised his head and saw the baby's hands still and grabbing towards him as if saying he wanted to touch his hair. Then he heard him make gentle sounds and it felt warm and comforting.
Years of experience are needed to learn the language of babies!
As if the words (not really) of Arledge touch his soul. He resolved himself and promise to make Arledge's life better!.
He lowered his head and let the baby touch his hair.
"Who's a good boy? who's a good boy?..." (cooing) he tried clicking his tongue (dog calling 'chu chu chu') but he can't do that too so he just pets him happily.