Duke, Is This Your First Time? -R15 - Chapter 53

“Elly is not that kind of kid.”

 

“What?”

 

“Elly isn’t like the type of kid in your mind.”

 

Lulien, who kept her head straight, stared at the director and spoke clearly.

 

She didn’t want to speak ill of Elysia, and she didn’t want their relationship to be disparaged in such a way. Even though she knew what would happen if she confronted him, she was so angry that she couldn’t hold it back.

 

The director’s bewildered face appeared and soon was changed to an expression full of ridicule.

 

“I thought you were smart, but turns out you’re a fool. Don’t you see? You are abandoned. She only played with you for a while and you were thrown away afterwards because you’re useless. Like this ruined doll.”

 

The director, who kept spitting harsh words while pushing Lulien’s forehead with his finger, dropped the three-eyed doll in her hold and stepped his foot on it as if letting her see it.

 

It was an act to show not only to Lulien but also Har, and all the children in the orphanage.

 

They are like dolls that could be abandoned at any time.

 

“……”

 

The director laughed at the young girl, whose shoulders were quivering and her head lowered in anger.

 

She was wondering about what she could possibly do if she burst out of anger.

 

After a while, Lulien spoke out in a low voice with her head still lowered.

 

“…..It’s not like that.”

 

“Of course, you would deny it so much, as you don’t want to admit that you’re abandoned like a broken toy. Anyway, do you really think that girl would have considered you all as her friends? How pitiful is that?”

 

“That’s not true! Elly is not that kind of person! I’m not like what you say either!”

 

Lulien clenched her fists and shouted while staring fiercely at the director.

 

Has she ever been so angry?

 

As soon as she saw the trampled doll that was the director’s doing, something inside Lulien’s head snapped.

 

On the last day they were together, what Elysia said to her and Har were still engraved in Lulien’s heart.

 

She knew that she shouldn’t believe what nobles said, but she really wanted to believe it and she actually believed her words.

 

[Therefore, let’s continue to be together. You’re going to do that for me, aren’t you?]

 

However, the director was trying to break the faith she had over the noble girl’s words. She couldn’t stand it anymore.

 

In response to Lulien’s backlash, the director acted sarcastic as he recalled what he saw with her eyes.

 

“You don’t think that way? I found out that she was in her home. She wasn’t sick nor went on a trip, but not coming here means she has grown tired of the new toys that she thought would be fun and when she decided to hold it, the toy turned out to be trashy, so she might want to throw it away.”

 

The director’s continuous harsh words eventually make Lulien explode.

 

The young girl, whose face turned red due to anger, blasted out what she actually wanted to say.

 

“You’re lying! You’re the one who’s lying. Elly doesn’t do that kind of thing. I’m not like you who lie every time you open your mouth. You always make us work, don’t feed us properly, and even drag us to the punishment room. You’re the one who is actually abusing us!”

 

As the truth came out of Lulien’s mouth, the director’s face hardened and her eyes opened sharply.

 

“Such an arrogant brat! How dare you provoke my words!”

 

Looking at the director who was raising her hand in the air, Lulien didn’t even bow or avoid it. She only stared at the director with clenched teeth while having her eyes wide open.

 

However, the director’s hand, which had been swung down, didn’t reach Lulien.

 

Har jumped out and grabbed the director’s hand with his.

 

The director’s eyes were raised even more fiercely and soon there was a sound of her grinding teeth.

 

“How dare a worm like you do such a thing to me!”

 

It was when the director raised his other hand and was about to hit Har’s cheek. The door slammed open and the little girl’s voice rang throughout the room.

 

“Don’t touch my friends!”

 

It was Elysia who rushed inside.

 

The girl’s pale face was decorated with redness, her ragged breathing was due to her running fast.

 

“……How could you……!”

 

The director was bewildered by Elysia’s unexpected appearance.

 

As she told Lulien, Elysia clearly stayed at the mansion continuously after sending someone to investigate.

 

She didn’t come to the orphanage even though she wasn’t sick nor going on a trip, so the director included that Elysia had lost interest in Lulien and Har.

 

However, he didn’t expect her to appear like this.

 

Elysia, who took several deep breaths as if to calm herself, looked around the working children. There was a sense of disgust in the girl’s eyes upon seeing the dolls in their hands as well as the stacked dolls in the room.

 

“Mother’s right. I can’t believe you made them work immediately just because I didn’t come for a few days.”

 

Tsk, Elysia walked toward Lulien and Har as they were staring blankly at her.

 

“Har, stand back.”

 

At Elysia’s words, Har took a step back after letting go of the director’s wrist. However, he didn’t completely let his guard down because he was worried about what the director would do to Elysia.

 

Elysia, who was standing between the two and the director, looked at the director and spat out.

 

“Aren’t you ashamed to make these children of yours work and even hit them?”

 

The director smirked as if he thought it was ridiculous. It was even more ridiculous for a small thing like her to open her eyes wide while asking in a bold voice.

 

She would normally try to be considerate of her opponent’s status while talking to them, but she ignored it all due to being in the heat of the moment that has been caused by Lulien and Har earlier.

 

“It seems that Young Lady is completely mistaken to think that you are a great person, but all you can do for these friends of yours is only to support them. It’s all on me whether to make these children work or even scold them.”

 

At the director’s sneer, Elysi asked back with her eyes wide open.

 

“Do you really think so?”

 

“Of course, as I’m the head of this orphanage.”

 

The director looked down at Elysia with a gaze as if asking what would be her next move.

 

Although the orphanage was supported by the country, the management was entirely in the hands of the director.

 

The reality of the orphanage was that as long as they didn’t commit crimes such as trafficking or killing the children, the director could do anything whether to hit, starve, or make them work.

 

He pleased the nobles solely because they needed sponsors and didn’t necessarily have to listen to them.

 

The director, who brought one corner of her mouth upward, said with a smirk.

 

“Therefore, you should come back and make friends in my orphanage……”

 

“Why did you say this is your orphanage?”

 

The director froze upon hearing the voice of a woman who cut off their words.

 

As she turned her head, she saw Marquess Camellia coming into the room. She most likely came right from the palace as she was dressed in her uniform.

 

“Your- Your Excellency!”

 

While the director was bewildered as he never thought that Marquess Camellia would have come along, the expression of the Marquess immediately turned into a frown after taking a look around the room.

 

“I hear you’re saying something interesting. I can’t believe this orphanage, which was supported by the country, is yours.”

 

“Well, about that……!”

 

“So you could take away the child care expenses, the support given by the government that is truthfully for the children, and even go as far as making them work. Do you think you deserve to be a director of this place?”

 

The director’s face became red at the quiet yet cold criticism given by the marquess. It was natural for his pride to be hurt because his disgrace was exposed in front of the children.

 

However, instead of repenting, she shamelessly raised her head and replied to the marquess.

 

“As I have said to Your Excellency’s daughter, I’m the one in charge of this orphanage. Regardless of your position as a marquess, you don’t have a say in this.”

 

“Do you really think so?”

 

The marquess’ cold eyes scared the sh*t out of the director. It was because the question were the same as what Elysia asked just earlier.

 

She felt a bad hunch over that, but she tried to ignore it and nodded.

 

“Of course.”

 

“Then you’d better change your mind.”

 

Marquess Camellia raised her left hand which was holding a scroll and unfolded it in front of the director without giving time for the director to mutter an answer.

 

The marquess’ voice came into the director’s ears as she frowned to see something.

 

“It’s a law that I proposed in order to improve the management of the child care institutes. It already passed through the parliament today. The content is simple. If the child care expenses, that is personally granted by the government for the children, is being stolen, and if they are forced to work, and lastly if they are punished excessively, they would immediately be deprived of the director’s position and each of them would be sentenced to one year in prison.”

 

“……!”

 

“You, surprisingly, is applied to all three of them. Don’t try to deny it. The cooks and teachers you hired have already testified.”

 

Unable to believe what she just heard, the director hurriedly took the scroll which was written with the law from Marquess Camellia and began to read it.

 

In the scroll, not only did the marquess really write exactly what she said, but there was also the emperor’s seal stamped on it. In other words, it has been approved by the emperor as well as the parliament.

 

“This can’t be true…….”

 

The director, whose hands were shaking while holding the scroll, collapsed on the spot as if there were no strength on her legs.

 

As stated in the law, she had to suffer in prison for three years as well as be deprived of her position as director. The director, whose head was dropped, raised it again as if she suddenly remembered something.

 

Her eyes were twinkling with a glimpse of hope for the lifeline she just barely found while looking up at Marquess Camellia.

 

“If the law was just passed today, Your Excellency can’t punish me with this. Since the crime was committed before the law was announced. Isn’t that how it is?”

 

However, the lifeline she found vanished in an instant.

 

“You didn’t read it properly. This is retroactive law.”

 

 

The director was speechless at the cold remark of Marquess Camellia. Retroactive application of law meant that all acts that happened prior to the passing of law are affected as well as punishable.

 

The marquess, who was looking down at the despondent director with a cold gaze, raised her hand and clapped one time.

 

“Come on in.”

 

As soon as she spoke out, two men dressed in Capital Guards uniform entered the room.

 

When the marquess signaled to the director who was sitting on the floor, the guards grabbed her arms and got her up. The director immediately started her struggles.

 

“Let go of me! What did I do wrong? What’s wrong with making children work and hitting them!”

 

[t/n: this b**ch is crazy……]

 

Marquess Camellia’s gaze became even colder upon the director’s remark, which was already out of line.

 

What nonsense is she spitting in front of these young children?!

 

It was when the marquess spoke out, thinking that the guards should cover her mouth to refrain her from speaking.

 

“Afterall, they are things that have been abandoned by the world…… ARGH!”

 

The director, who was shouting desperately and saying bad things, suddenly cried out.

 

Elysia threw her head at the director’s stomach. It was strong enough to create a banging sound.

 

Not only the marquess, but everyone in the room blinked in astonishment.