“You might be wondering what I have come here for.”

Valentina looked abashed and nodded. “When I heard my lady was coming to the capital from the north, I wondered the reason for your visit. Surely, the orphanage was not the reason?”

Ethel nodded. She appreciated the nanny’s tact. No wonder the children acted quite maturely.

“As you might not know, I am a 7th rank warrior from the institute of Agora. My visit here is for the empire’s Mars. I decided to settle other matters while I am here, the orphanage included.”

Whyt stayed silent and listened to their conversation. He had decided to follow Ethel in this life, but he still couldn’t bring himself to trust her fully. But her words from now took him aback.

If what she said was true, then there was no reason to lie to him. She stood above him by so many levels that whatever her motive was, then it would be as easy as pie to kill him. But she didn’t.

Unless she knew of his skills…?

A look of shock flashed in Valentina’s eyes. The only thing she knew was that their benefactor lived in the far North. As for why and how she had gone to affiliate herself with such a humble notion like the orphanage, she was as much in the dark as Whyt.

“Then even more so that there is no reason for my lady to humble herself and personally come here? It is not fit with your status as-”

“Stop.” Ethel held her hand up. “I am not a noble. As privileged as I look, it is only because of my own benefactor that I stand here today.”

Valentina bowed her head. “Forgive me, my lady.”

Ethel realized that no matter how hard she tried to link herself with Valentina as a simple commoner, the fact that she could provide for an orphanage simply put her in a different category. She sighed inwardly at that fact.

“That does not matter. I came here today for a different reason. And I hope you can accept this favor.”

“Whatever my lady’s request is, I will follow it.” Valentina swore an oath and bowed her head respectfully.

Ethel thanked her and said, “I found this boy, Whyt, in an alleyway by the middle district. I hope you can take him in.”

Whyt widened his eyes while Valentina placed her gaze on the young boy. He was a little dirty but except for that, nothing else could be said to be remarkable about his appearance. In addition, he was a lot older than the other children in the orphanage.

Usually, after the age of 15, children were required to find jobs in other districts and gain experience, provided that they could sustain themselves. The oldest in the orphanage was Cesar, a 13 year old boy.

“Hey, wait a minute, don’t tell me you-!”

“I want you to stay here and help Valentina look after the children,” Ethel interjected.

She was fully aware that her request was unusual. Where could you see a 15 year old boy still in an orphanage. By law, he isn’t allowed to stay in an orphanage. It would become suspicious if their neighbors noticed him and reported him to the city guards.

“Valentina.”

“Yes, my lady?”

“I hope you don’t find my request too hard.”

Valentina shook her head. “Not at all! I have already promised my lady to fulfill her wishes. This small matter… I accept.”

Ethel smiled. “That is good. As for you,” she turned to Whyt, who had his head bowed and said, “Let’s talk. Valentina, can you leave us alone for a little bit? I’ll call you when we’re done.”

Valentina nodded and excused herself out of the room. Left in silence, An indignant look was on his face while Ethel gazed at him.

“You are… an information gatherer, aren’t you?”

Whyt looked up, his eyes widened as his face paled. Had she known all along? Did she take him in under the pretense of using him? Because he was good at his job?

Will he be abused again?

Ethel frowned. She hadn’t expected his reaction to be so much worse. Although she already had a clue as to what his previous life was, his reaction only served to strengthen her speculation.

“I won’t harm you,” she assured.

It was out of her character to abuse someone. She also disliked the smell of blood as it was nauseating. He might not believe her, seeing as the trauma he faced was likely greater than she thought, but she would do everything in her power to convince him he could trust her.

If so, she would gain a powerful ally.

Whyt’s hands trembled while he held the cup of tea. Just thinking about the scenarios ahead of him made him stricken with anxiety. The previous warm feeling he had towards Ethel vanished and was replaced with fear.

Ethel realized her words wouldn’t get through him and stood up. She approached him and out of the blue, she hugged him. Similar to the action of a mother hugging her child.

It was warm and comforting, albeit a little uncomfortable considering their positions. Whyt felt the warmness of her arms and snapped out of it.

He had never been hugged before. As an orphan, he had always been considered a prize by certain lower nobles. They used him for their own sake as he had to bear the brunt of being physically abused if he failed his job or hadn’t perfectly executed it.

When he had enough, he ran away in the hopes of escaping that forgotten organization. But who would’ve thought he’d be chased by warriors? Although they were of a low class, their speed could still overpower a child’s.

And just when he thought he was going to die, Ethel came to save him.

“I don’t see you as a tool to use. I see you as my equal.” Ethel declared. “Although my intentions were not as pure as I proclaimed, if you think that I am not worth trusting then you can leave. This, I promise you.”

She broke off their hug and looked at Whyt. And then, she smiled.

A tear dropped.

Before he knew it, Whyt was crying.