_So that's how it works._ She says I'm ordinary, which means I'm uninteresting. Or does it? Perhaps when someone who once seemed extraordinary suddenly becomes ordinary, it actually makes them *more* appealing?
_Hmm..._ Judging by romance novels, the second option was far more likely. It was no wonder tyrants and northern dukes remained so popular. Readers didn't love them for their power—they loved them because they treated the heroine like ordinary men in love.
"First, let's go to the Ainoa shelter."
Daisy's eyes widened. "Did I tell you the name of the shelter?"
_Damn! I never mentioned the name! How do I get out of this? Admitting I researched her would be painfully awkward._
"You said so," Evangeline replied smoothly.
"...Yes, sure..."
_You don't spit in a smiling face_, Evangeline thought, beaming as she tried to convince Daisy that she had indeed shared the orphanage's name. Fortunately, Daisy seemed to accept it. _Either she decided to pretend she didn't notice... or she genuinely doesn't remember. Either way, I'm safe._
Since the Ainoa Orphanage had been their original destination, they arrived without difficulty. _It's amazing how he navigates without any GPS._ Daisy seemed equally impressed—stepping out of the carriage, she stared at the coachman with unconcealed wonder.
"This coachman..."
"Yes, that very one. Convenient, right?"
_It seems this coachman is somehow connected to Daisy and Jelly's story. But how? Something doesn't add up... A couple in love and a coachman... Lovers strolling through the park and a coachman... Wherever I place him in the narrative, he looks out of place. What were the three of them doing together?!_
"We escaped in this carriage," Jelly explained.
_Oh, right! I'd completely forgotten that episode._ The lovers escaping and the coachman—yes, that made perfect sense. She could picture the coachman furiously whipping the horses as they fled into the night.
Daisy's expression darkened at Jelly's words.
"Is he *convenient*? He's not a thing!"
"Does he look human? You surprise me."
_He looks human, I suppose..._ But judging by Jelly's reaction, the coachman wasn't human at all. _Could he be... one of Jelly's kind? A werewolf? He took a tremendous risk helping them escape, knowing they were fleeing slavers. What a good man! I mean... a good werewolf!_
_His werewolf friend earns an honest living, while our Jelly has settled comfortably with a rich family and does nothing. Then again, being born a pet in a wealthy household is the best fate imaginable. I myself once dreamed of becoming a pampered house cat in my next life._
Evangeline pulled herself from her thoughts and turned toward the shelter.
"It's... somehow quiet," Kanna noted.
Even though early evening had only just settled, an unnatural silence hung over everything. The gas lamps burned dimly, their flames struggling as if starved of fuel. _They must be poorly maintained in this remote area._
_Or is it the dim light making everything feel so unsettling?_ A chill crept down her spine. _It feels like a ghost is about to leap out at any moment. I can't stand horror movies!_
_Calm down... everything's fine... This is a romance novel, not a horror film. There are no ghosts here. Unless the main character has the ability to see them..._ The thought made her stomach clench. _But what if she does?_
"Kanna, do you... see anything?" Evangeline asked, hesitating to utter the word *ghost*. They said spirits appeared when you spoke of them. The very thought made her skin prickle. But Kanna understood perfectly—romance heroines' intuition worked flawlessly in everything except love.
"Yes, I see something," Kanna answered.
_What?! But... this isn't a mystical novel! Where would ghosts come from?! Ghosts belong in horror, not romance! I don't want this!_
"What is that man doing there?"
_I don't want to see ghosts!_ ...Wait. _A person?_
Evangeline squinted into the darkness. A dark figure stood at the entrance to the orphanage, swaying unsteadily from side to side. But it was clearly a person, not a specter. _Phew... thank goodness..._
"Troy...?" Daisy said uncertainly.
Troy? Daisy wasn't completely sure, but she seemed to recognize him. _How quickly things are moving!_
"Jelly!"
"Me again?"
Jelly started to protest, but Evangeline cut him off. _Who else, if not you? Me in these heels? Your future girlfriend? Our beautiful Kanna? Or Pudding, who can't even speak?_
"You didn't find Daisy by scent, so at least catch this Troy!"
Jelly snapped his fingers in displeasure, and Troy—who had been about to bolt—froze mid-step. _He came to surrender himself._ Now all that remained was discovering where he'd sold the children.
Evangeline opened her mouth to ask exactly that, but Troy suddenly crumpled to the ground. Daisy stood behind him, clutching a shoe. She had crept up silently and struck him in the head with her heel.
"You do love hitting people from behind," Jelly observed dryly.
_Is he even alive?_ Evangeline examined the back of Troy's head anxiously. Fortunately, there was no blood. _But... a blow to the skull? Daisy is... a little... aggressive..._
---
"Phew... he reeks of booze from a mile away." Jelly, with his sensitive nose, pinched his nostrils shut in disgust.
_So that's why he was staggering!_ He was drunk. His face had flushed crimson, red as an overripe tomato. _He probably sold the children and drank all the money away._ A typical fantasy villain.
"Hey! Wake up!"
Jelly shook Troy by the collar, but the man remained utterly limp—completely unconscious. _He just took a blow to the head, and you're rattling him like a broken toy! He's definitely not waking up anytime soon!_ Evangeline grabbed Jelly's arm to stop him.
The moment Jelly released his grip, Troy slumped to the ground, still showing no signs of life.
"It looks like he won't regain consciousness for a while," Kanna said quietly.
"I'm sorry I did that..." Daisy lowered her head, guilt written across her features. She still clutched the offending shoe. The heel didn't even seem particularly high... _How did she manage to knock him out like that?_ Evangeline's neck began to ache in sympathy. _It's a good thing she never hit me..._
"Let's go inside the shelter and wait until he wakes up," Evangeline suggested.
She would have preferred to wait in the carriage, but it was far too cramped. _This isn't the Count's spacious carriage—it's an ordinary four-seater. And we can't just leave Troy unconscious on the ground..._
_Besides, we can inspect the shelter while we wait. Look for clues._
"The door..."
...was unlocked. They passed through iron gates that reminded Evangeline uncomfortably of a prison and found themselves in a small courtyard. The dark building of the orphanage loomed before them—not a single light glowed in any window.
Even the streetlamps here barely flickered. The moon remained hidden behind thick clouds. _Pitch black..._ They crossed the courtyard in silence, the feeble lamplight barely illuminating their path. Jelly dragged Troy by the collar.
"There should be candles in the bedroom," Daisy said.
They followed her without a word. Only their footsteps broke the oppressive silence.
"Here it is."
They reached a large room lined with small beds. Daisy went to a dresser, retrieved a candle, and struck a match. The bright flame illuminated her face, casting dancing shadows across the walls.
Daisy kept one candle. Kanna and Jelly each took another.
"Can I put him here?" Jelly asked.
Without waiting for an answer, he tossed Troy onto one of the beds and flopped down beside him. The small crib groaned under the weight of two adults. Daisy's eyes widened in alarm.
"That's a child's bed... please be careful..."
"There are no children here," Jelly replied flatly.
"Lady Evangeline promised to find them."
_You two are certainly a bickering couple who should bond through your arguments, but... could you at least not fight right now?_ Evangeline shot them both a warning glance. Daisy and Jelly fell silent immediately. _Why can't you just get along?_
Silence descended.
Kanna, pointedly turning away from Daisy, stared into the candle's flame. Daisy fidgeted nervously with her hands, stealing anxious glances at Troy. Jelly, perched on the edge of the bed, played with Pudding as if nothing were amiss.
Troy showed no signs of consciousness. _Waiting any longer is just wasting time_, Evangeline decided. She rose to her feet.
"Lady Evangeline?"
"I'm going to look around."
She was, admittedly, a little frightened at the prospect of wandering through the dark building. But she didn't want Daisy blaming her for inaction later. She needed to prove herself somehow.
Kanna and Pudding immediately fell into step behind her.
"I'll come too," Daisy said, taking up her candle.
_Good. What if Kanna and I get lost?_
"Jelly, you stay here."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll keep an eye on this one." Jelly waved dismissively.
They left the bedroom and began examining the other rooms. The bathroom stood empty. The hallway was deserted. But in the dining room... the dining room smelled of soup.
"It looks like someone was here recently," Kanna remarked, examining the unwashed dishes stacked by the basin. Judging by the lingering scent, no more than a day had passed.
_So the children were kidnapped today? If only we'd arrived one day earlier..._ Regret twisted in Evangeline's chest. _What a shame we're late. But if it happened just yesterday, we have a good chance of finding them safe and sound._
Suddenly, Evangeline heard a strange sound.
"B...read..."
_What was that?_ There was no one in the building... but she had clearly heard a voice, faint and distant, as if carried on the wind...
It sounded like someone begging for bread. _Could this really be the ghost of some poor orphan who starved to death? How tragic..._
But no one else seemed to have heard it. _Is it actually a ghost?_ Evangeline's skin crawled with goosebumps. She hugged Pudding tighter against her chest and edged closer to Kanna, her heart hammering against her ribs.