We Went To The Ractos Orphanage
“Very well. Then we’ll go to the orphanage after lunch.”
“Thank you. Tilura. You’ll be able to see the others again.”
“Really!? It’s been so long!”
Once it was decided that we would go to the orphanage, Ms. Claire thanked me and then addressed her sister, who was stuffing her face with skewered meat.
Judging by Tilura’s reaction, she had been to the orphanage before.
“Well, Mr. Kalis. I look forward to working with you in the selling of the herbs. …And Nick, you better work hard.”
After lunch, we said goodbye to Mr. Kalis and Nick then left the store.
…I was a little worried about Nick, but Sebastian said he would have someone keep an eye on him, so it was probably fine.
Besides, there was the magic spell.
“Still, an orphanage, huh…? Do you go there often, Ms. Claire?”
“Yes… I try to visit it at least once a month.”
On our way there, I asked Ms. Claire about the orphanage.
Apparently, managing the orphanage was one of the duties of nobles. And nobles who governed towns would always establish one.
They were run with the taxes they collected. And though they differed greatly in wealth depending on location, as this one was owned by the duke, it was modest but comfortable.
“Of course, it is still not much compared to the average household…”
While they were run on taxes, as the duke’s business was succeeding, he taxed the people very little.
Which meant less funds for the orphanage. Though, these funds were also supplemented from the duke’s own pockets.
On top of that, people who were raised at the orphanage would often be hired as servants or soldiers. And they would in turn, help support the facility as a way of giving back… Such was the environment.
By the way, Ms. Lyra, as well as Ms. Gelda and Johanna, Nicholas and Phillip, were all from the orphanage.
…About sixty to seventy percent of the servants in the mansion were.
Sebastian said that it was better to hire people who were guaranteed to be loyal.
“This is the orphanage, Mr. Takumi.”
Near the edge of the town, on the east side, that was the opposite of where we came, stood the orphanage.
The building was nice, and well tended to.
In fact, it looked like a church?
There was a bell tower with a cross on top… The large doors in the front looked like they were about to burst open as newly weds ran out.
Though, there were no stained glass windows. But the stone building otherwise looked a lot like a church.
“Is the headmistress here?”
“…Lady…Claire? …Ah, I didn’t realize you were here. I will call the headmistress right away!”
As I was admiring the building from outside, Ms. Claire approached a woman who was sweeping the front with a broom.
It must be someone who works here.
“…There is a serious atmosphere here.”
Ms. Claire looked a little worried as she watched the woman rush into the building in order to call the headmistress.
As this was my first time here, I had nothing to compare it to.
However, the woman had been looking at the ground as if she was deep in thought.
And that’s why she hadn’t even noticed it when Ms. Claire approached her.
“Lady Claire, Lady Tilura! Welcome!”
“Anne, it’s been a while.”
“It’s good to see you!”
A thin, middle-aged woman appeared, along with the woman who had been sweeping.
So this was the headmistress… And just like the first woman, she was also dressed similar to a nun.
It was black cloth that covered her from head to toe… It must be quite hot during days with strong sunlight.
“While we are always pleased to welcome you two here…Right now…”
“Did something happen?”
Head Mistress Anne looked at them apologetically.
The other woman was also looking at the ground. Has something happened?
“No…it’s just…most of the people here have become ill from the plague. And so I cannot allow you two to come in. If you should also become ill…”
“I see… So that’s the reason. And what medicine?”
Apparently, the plague had spread through the orphanage.
I didn’t know what kind of illness it was, but regardless, I understood why they didn’t want to let the duke’s daughter in.
“Medicine…we gave them some that we acquired cheaply…but it did not have much effect.”
“No effect… Sebastian?”
“Yes. Ms. Anne, this store you bought it from. Did they say anything about being connected to a noble house?”
Ms. Claire and Sebastian suspected that the medicine was connected to some malicious traders.
If they were mixing the medicine with something else, it would weaken the effects, so it was no wonder they would not get healed.
“Huh? Yes. They did say that the store was managed by a noble. And so we thought they would be reliable…”
“So it wasn’t about your house, Lady Claire?”
Apparently, she had assumed that it was run by the duke’s family.
Perhaps it was only normal for the common citizen to assume that it was lord of the town when they heard ‘noble.’
“No, we are not involved in that store at all. Besides, I’ve heard that they sell goods of low quality. …Sebastian, this…”
“It will be necessary to act at once. If left alone, it will have great consequences for the house’s reputation. …It was a good thing I had sent Nicholas on ahead.”
“…So you aren’t related to them, Lady Claire… I did not know…”
“Anne. So everyone here is still troubled by the plague?”
“Yes… No one has recovered, so they are still bed-ridden. And we don’t have enough money to buy more medicine… I’m very sorry, Lady Claire.”
“There is no need for you to apologize. It is the fault of the store who sold it to you.”
So the people of the orphanage were still suffering due to the cheap medicine they had bought…