Chapter 348 It's Really Frustrating
"But, don't those kids have an orphanage?"
"Has Father ever seen the orphanage with your own eyes?"
Anger was in Adam's eyes. Sara understood why Adam was angry. The head of the orphanage was embezzling funds from the Grandchester territory. Sara had actually visited 2 orphanages disguised as Sophia and had Sedrick investigate the situation. However, Sara had no authority to interfere with the orphanage's management, so she decided to at least request handmade crafts like lace and pouches from the Sophia Merchant Guild and instruct that the rewards be given directly to the children.
"Adam, you saw the orphanage in the capital, right? There are 2 orphanages in the capital, one with a fat headmaster like a pig and the other with a loud, screechy female headmaster. Which one did you see?"
"The pig one. That guy is probably embezzling the orphanage's budget, but I can't gather enough evidence to accuse him."
"I see. By the way, the screechy one is embezzling too. She's giving money to a man."
"Sara, you knew about this!? Did you just leave it alone?"
"Hey, Adam, do you understand? Right now, you are accusing your grandfather, who should be managing the orphanage, and my father, who should be taking over that job, you know?"
"Huh, that wasn't my intention!"
"I understand, father. But that's the lord's job, and it's not something I can interfere with. So, the fact that there are so many unfortunate children in the slums is because the lord and the governor don't care about it. They don't want to spend the budget on orphans. And the person who should inherit the lord's position doesn't appreciate the actions of his son, who is trying to highlight the slum's situation, and instead says he wants to crush the slums as the root of all evil."
"I see. So that's how it is."
As Adam nodded at Sara's point, Sara turned gracefully towards Edward and asked with a lovely smile.
"Right? Your Excellency the Young Marquis Grandchester?"
When Edward was called by his title, he felt as if his mother, Eleonora, was standing behind Sara. Moreover, it even seemed like Sara's silver hair was floating with an aura of anger.
"N-no. It's just a play on words. I won't actually crush the slums. I will just catch the criminals and punish them severely. It's just a moment of confusion. I'm really glad Adam is safe."
He then turned to Robert and smiled.
"Sara, I know what you want to say, so you don't need to. I will take care of the orphanage properly."
"Just the orphanage?"
"Isn't the Sophia Merchant Guild going to do something about the slums?"
"Maintaining public order is impossible. There are many organized criminals. Originally, it was a mutual aid organization, but somehow it has turned into a crime organization. There are also those who take on dirty jobs from merchants. Some organizations have come to investigate the Sophia Merchant Guild's main store and Maiden's Tower, and they are the ones who attacked me and Sophia."
"Are there really scoundrels who have targeted Sara?!"
Robert showed his anger, but to Sara, Edward and Robert looked very much like brothers.
"We can't completely eliminate bad people. But if we had been more serious about maintaining public order, Adam might not have gone through such terrible things. In other words, it's the responsibility of Grandfather, Uncle, and Father. Before involving many innocent people, please understand your own responsibilities."
"I see... I'm sorry. However, I will definitely arrest the attackers of Adam and punish them severely. As Edward said, harming the heir of the lord's family is a serious crime. Even though he was saved, if it weren't for Sara and Mr. Paracelsus, Adam would be..."
Sara was satisfied with his words and turned to Adam.
"See, Adam? It seems like Uncle doesn't plan to interfere with the slums either."
"O-Oh... That's good. You're still as scary as ever."
"But you know, I actually think this kind of thing is against the rules. The budget for the territory is limited, and we can't cover everything. But if we step in like this, it will force them to prioritize that situation. It means money that was supposed to be used for something else will have to be used here."
"It's complicated."
"Yeah, I think being a lord is a tough job. But if everything goes as planned, Adam will take over that job. It's a huge responsibility. Just one decision could cost many lives."
"Yeah. I think I understand what Sara is trying to say."
Adam nodded honestly. However, Sara, who was talking to him, felt very uneasy about Adam's sudden change.
"I need to ask Adam properly. Why did you do something reckless like going to the slums alone? You knew it was dangerous, right?"
"I heard that Marg's little sister was sick with a fever, so I promised to bring food and blankets."
"To the slums?"
"No, not to the slums. I was told I couldn't go to the slums without a slum kid, so I was waiting at the market entrance..."
"So, that 'Marg' kid didn't show up, huh?"
"Yeah."
"And then you got worried and went to get attacked?"
"I didn't go to get attacked!"
"That's the same thing. Didn't you have a sword with you?"
"I did! ...But it got taken."
Adam looked down, embarrassed.
"Um... that ridiculous, fancy-looking rapier? The one with all the jewels on the sheath?"
"Is it really that bad?"
"Your taste is the worst. And you really went to get attacked. It's a miracle you weren't kidnapped and held for ransom. They probably thought you were just the rich, forgotten son of the lord's family since you never come around. If you really want to go to the slums next time, you should take a bodyguard."
"Well, if my identity gets revealed, I won't be able to go to Miss Cordelia's place."
"I think Marg will probably find out. I brought you here. You were collapsed near Adam, but that kid is Marg, right?"
"Um, if I was collapsed near him, is Marg hurt too?"
"No, he's just down with a high fever. He wasn't seriously ill. Rihito should be with him now."
"If he has a bad fever, I think it's Marg. Can I go check on him?"
"Go check to confirm it's him. But remember, a fever can be contagious, so try not to stay too long and avoid close contact."
"Got it."
"By the way, from what you said earlier, isn't Marg's little sister also sick?"
"Oh no! If Marg is here, then Millie must be all alone."
"Hurry and check if it's really Marg. If it is, I'll send Millie to come too."
Adam hurried into the room where Marg was sleeping to check his face.
"There's no doubt, it's Marg. He looks really sick, I hope he's okay."
"Since it's a fever, it's hard to say. You know some people can die from it, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Then I'll send Millie to come too. You've been to the house on Thistle Street before, right? Or should I say, the ruins? Is there no other family?"
"Yeah. It's just the brother, and his sister living there."
The moment Sara heard Adam's words, she froze.
"Sorry, can I ask you again? You said 'brother' and 'sister'?"
"Yeah. The brother Marg is my classmate. He's really smart and takes care of me, so I often learn from him. His sister Millie is only 5 years old, but she's smart too."
Sara held her head in her hands.
"Adam, I need you to listen calmly. Marg is a girl, okay?"
"Huh? That can't be true. He has short hair and said she wants to be a bureaucrat in the future!"
"Maybe she's hiding it. I know because I've seen her body. She's definitely a girl."
Adam froze for a moment at this shocking fact, but quickly regained his composure.
"It doesn't matter if Marg is a boy or a girl. She's still my important friend. Right now, we need to help Millie."
"Okay."
Sara instructed the golem patrolling the slums to protect Millie and bring her wrapped in a blanket to Maiden's Tower. In the meantime, she had another bed brought to the guest room where Marg was sleeping.
"If my identity gets revealed, I won't be able to attend Miss Cordelia's private school anymore..."
Adam slumped his shoulders in disappointment, and Rebecca approached him with a soft smile.
"If Marg and the others promise to keep your identity a secret, you can continue attending. Your grades seem to be improving a lot, too."
"Really!?"
"Of course, as long as Ed and Liz give their permission, that is."
"Father, Mother, please!"
Adam looked back and forth between Edward and Elizabeth, asking.
"I'm worried you might get hurt again."
"I'll be very careful from now on!"
"Don't sneak off to the slums without telling your parents again. If you really want to go, you need to explain why."
"Yes! I promise. I won't do anything reckless anymore."
It seemed like they were reluctant, but the Young Marquis couple gave their permission. Adam looked happy to have received the go-ahead, but his face didn't look good. Considering he had lost a lot of blood, that was to be expected.
"Adam, you look really pale. The wounds are healed, but the blood you lost won't come back, so you need to rest for a while."
"But I'm worried about Millie."
"She should be arriving soon."
About ten minutes later, Millie arrived at Maiden's Tower. They had heard she was 5 years old, but her body was so small. Her face was bright red from fever, and her shallow, quick breaths were painful to see, making not just Sara and Adam, but also the adults from the Grandchester family feel heartbroken.
"For now, let's leave Millie to Rihito and Alicia."
"Okay."
The golem took Millie to the guest room where Marg was sleeping. Behind them, other golems brought a basin filled with warm water and cloth. They probably intended to clean Marg and Millie.
"It's so sad to see her so young and suffering... I know it's strange for me to say this."
Sara was aware that she was 8 years old and recognized her own youth.
"It seems like all the food and blankets I brought were taken. Even my sword."
"Leaving aside your bad taste in rapiers, anyone would want food and blankets at this time. Plus, if such a small child has a fever, why didn't she asks for a help? She knew there was a pharmacist here, right?"
"Marg didn't want to rely on adults."
"Why not?"
"She thinks that if the adults find out, they'll catch her and her sister because she's the child of a bureaucrat who committed embezzlement 2 years ago."
"Wait. Did her parents leave her and her siblings behind?"
"Only the father ran away. It seems that for the first 6 months, they were with the mother, but the mother, who worked at night, was attacked by a customer and passed away."
"That's a tough story. For now, I understand. Adam, focus on your own recovery first. I'll think a bit about Marg and Millie. I promise I won't do anything bad to them."
Then Robert, who had been listening, asked Adam.
"Adam, do you know the name of Marg and the others' father?"
"I don't know. If you find out who their father is, will you capture them, uncle?"
"No, even if the parents commit a crime, the children are not guilty. I just thought maybe they could be our relatives."
"What do you mean by that?"
Since Robert said something unbelievable, Adam looked at him suspiciously and asked.
"My previous governor had 2 young daughters with his young second wife. Their names are Margaret Grandchester and Milliam Grandchester."
"Wait, what does that mean?"
"Yeah. Their nicknames are similar too. Their ages almost match. Margaret should be the same age as Adam. If that's true, their great-grandfather would be the Marquis Grandchester from 2 generations ago."
"If they carry the Grandchester name, that means at least their father was a knight, right?"
"They branched off during the previous generation and gained the title of Viscount. Because of a embezzlement incident, the Grandchester main family is holding onto the title."
"So, does that mean Marg was a Viscount's daughter?"
"I can't be sure without asking the person directly, but it seems likely. Since I met them when I was young, I might recognize their face."
Adam was surprised by Robert's story. He hadn't thought that a kid from the slums could be his relative. However, Sara was curious about something else.
"If there's a child from the second wife, does that mean there's a child from the first wife too? Even if it's half, wouldn't that mean there are blood-related siblings?"
"There was a son, but he was a bureaucrat, so he ran away with his father."
"Could he be a embezzler?"
"He's one of the main culprits."
"I see."
Robert let out a deep sigh.
"I thought he had escaped with his wife and kids. I never imagined he would leave behind his wife with a young child."
"There are many families that have been left behind. Your mother's lady-in-waiting, Ms. Catherine, is one of them, right?"
"Yes, that's right. Cass was also left behind with her daughter."
"It's really frustrating."
"Absolutely."
In any case, Adam decided that they wouldn't know anything for sure unless the sisters recovered, so he went to the bedroom with the support of Elizabeth and the maid.
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