Diana, determined to become friends with the children at the orphanage, started running and immediately tripped and fell. Her dress was covered in sand. Cain held back his urge to run over to her at once, pick her up in his arms, and brush her off. Instead, he watched the orphans run over to her.
The orphan children fretted over her, but Diana laughed, a little embarrassed, and thanked them for helping her up. They took her by the hand, and together, they all ran out to the middle of the yard.
"Hey, you're clenching your hands so hard that they're completely white," said Ilvalino.
"I'm holding back on running to Diana's rescue. I think I'm gonna puke. Don't talk to me right now," said Cain.
"…There's something really wrong with you."
The first game that the orphans taught Diana and Cain was called "Rock Marbles".
A stick was used to draw a circle on the ground, and then rocks found around the yard were thrown into the circle. One person would throw a rock in the circle to start, and then the next person would try to hit that rock out of the circle with their own rock. If they succeeded in knocking a rock out, they won, and if they couldn't knock one out, they lost. It was similar to a game of marbles.
Whenever the orphans went into the woods to gather food for their meals, they would also be on the lookout for rocks that "looked strong". No matter how many times Cain asked them how they determined whether a rock looked strong, he couldn't make sense of their explanations.
"Since you're a guest, I'll let ya use my rock!" said one kid, handing a shiny, black rock to Diana. Cain later challenged this boy to a game and knocked out his rock by throwing as hard as he could. This excited everyone and the kids were in an uproar.
They also played a simple game of tag and had a contest to see who could throw their shoe the farthest, and while they were all having fun playing, Mother Elise stuck her face out from between the wooden doors, and called out to them, saying it was time to go home.
"All right, well – we have to go to the fields to gather food for dinner, now, anyway," said an orphan.
"Come back to play, again, sometime," said another.
"Bye-bye!"
Cain and Diana had become fast friends with the children, and they were all smiles as they parted ways with them and ran over to Mother Elise.
"My, my! You're both covered in mud and sand, aren't you? When we get home, you'll need to take a bath, straight away," said Elise.
"Mother – I'd like to pick up a rock on the way home!" said Diana.
"A rock? It can't be a rock from our yard?"
"Strong rocks are in riverbeds," said Diana.
"Strong rocks?"
"Diana – we'll go look for rocks another time. There's no light around the rivers after sundown, so we won't be able to tell the strong rocks from the weak ones," said Cain.
"Another time? Brother, do you promise?"
Diana started talking passionately about strong rocks as she half-floated, half-walked, her hands held up by Cain and Mother Elise on either side.
Cain watched Mother Elise with frank admiration. She didn't scold her daughter for getting covered in mud and sand while playing with orphans. She held her hand and listened to her, instead.
In the video game, there was no information provided about Cain and Diana's parents. It simply said they were a Lord and a Lady ruling over a great dukedom. Not even their silhouettes made an appearance.
This was another reason why Cain hadn't realized he was in an Otome game until his little sister was born and they named her Diana.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ novelmultiverse.com]
"Cain…sama, Elise-sama," said Ilvalino, running up to them from behind.
Cain, Elise, and Diana stopped before the carriage, and when they turned around, they saw Ilvalino breathing heavily. They had just parted ways with him at the orphanage's yard, and Cain wondered what was the matter.
"Um… Thank you… for nursing my wounds and… letting me stay at the manor for a while. I know I should have thanked you sooner… I'm truly sorry," said Ilvalino, bowing deeply.
Elise laughed softly and said, "Being able to thank someone is a marvelous thing. I admit, I was worried and wondering what we should do when Cain first brought you in on his own accord. But you read books to Di, and Cain seemed so happy to find a new friend in you. I'm grateful to you, as well. Thank you, Ilvalino," said Mother Elise, not bowing, but expressing her gratitude with her words.
Cain looked up at his mother and recognized this as a line that she wouldn't cross, as a noblewoman.
"All right, then, Ilvalino. Until next time," she said.
With that, the knight guarding her escorted her to the carriage, and she got in. Next, the knight scooped Diana up and guided her in. Cain climbed in by himself.
From the carriage window, Cain could see Ilvalino remaining with his head bowed until they drove out of sight.
The sky outside the carriage window turned a dark shade of indigo blue, and white smoke drifted up out of the chimneys atop the houses they passed.
"Cain."
Cain's mother called his name as he gazed out the window, and he turned to look at her.
Diana was sleeping on his mother's knees, exhausted from playing, and snoring lightly.
"I learned that the children in the orphanage must leave when they turn seven years old, to work a live-in job somewhere," said Elise.
"I see…" said Cain.
So, that was why Ilvalino was the oldest orphan there. A seven-year-old in Cain's past world who still be in the first grade. Starting work at such a young age must contribute to a very hard life, he thought.
It would be good if an orphan ended up somewhere where they received an allowance and were taught how to work a trade, but it was possible that not all of the orphans met such a fate.
"Your mother ended up really liking Ilvalino, you know," she said, "Ilvalino is supposed to become an apprentice somewhere next year, but I told the temple priest and the orphanage director that I would like to take him on at the manor," she said.
"Really?!" asked Cain.
Nice work, Mother!
"To tell you the truth, I think we'll have to wait until Father returns to the manor and I can discuss the matter with him, but… We'll probably win him over, if it's the three of us against him, right, Cain?" she asked.
"Of course. Diana and I really like Ilvalino, too. We'll plead with him, too."
Elise laughed softly.
Cain was striking a victory pose on the inside. He had been trying to think of a plan to persuade his parents into letting Ilvalino stay at the manor, but if Mother was on his side, he could already consider his mission a success.
"Also, the orphanage director said, "taking him less than a year too early wouldn't be a big deal", so we can take him in as soon as we receive permission from Father.
"What?!"
Was that… really okay? Wasn't there a law or something that stated a child couldn't start working before they were seven years old? As long as it wasn't breaking any rules, it was fine, but…
Cain had a dubious look on his face, and when he looked to Mother Elise for reassurance, Elise grinned.
"I think that probably, the meals at the orphanage will become a little more luxurious, starting tomorrow," she said, "The temple's broken window frame might get fixed, too."
"…Is that… okay?" asked Cain. Elise was saying that she had put together a donation for the orphanage. Cain hoped that this didn't count as human trafficking. He furrowed his brow, thinking that it could be very troublesome to be accused of doing something like that.
"Making a donation to the temple and the orphanage is a noble's virtuous duty. It's a good deed that ought to be done. There's nothing wrong with it, Cain."
It was then that Cain began to realize that this wife of a great duke was not just a kind, gently smiling mother. She was actually a force to be reckoned with.
Cain's back broke into a cold sweat.