?????'s POV
"Hey, little guy, how is your day?"
"It's a wonderful day, big brother!!" I exclaid happily to the person who consistently shared so leftover food with .
I strolled back to the orphanage, the place I called ho. The details of my parentage and the life I had led before were mysteries, but I cherished living with my brothers and sisters in the orphanage.... except for one shadow that lood over our days,
'Slap.'
"Hey, brat!" A stunning pink-haired woman, our caretaker, delivered a resounding slap to my cheek.
"S-Sorry, b-big sister!!" I imdiately apologized, dropping to my knees before her.
Without rcy, she stomped on my head with her heels.
"Tsk, tsk. I told you to co before sunset, right?" She questioned, exerting pressure on my head.
"Y-Yes, I am sorry, big sister. I-I won't do it again!!" I pleaded desperately, feeling the weight of her disapproval.
After enduring a barrage of continuous pleas, she finally released , not before confiscating our agre food.
"This will be your punishnt. Now starve until morning. Hmph!" She declared, disappearing into her room, leaving us hungry and helpless.
Soon, my brothers and sisters rushed to my aid, offering small comforts and stolen morsels of food.
"Leon, co here!"
"I stole so food. Let's share, Leon!"
"B-Big brother!!"
Like , they resorted to stealing food while others contributed by obtaining a few copper coins.
Though it was ant to be a haven for children, the orphanage felt more like hell to us.
The woman, our caretaker, was indifferent to our struggles, focusing solely on preserving her beauty. While she provided a agre breakfast of bread and milk.... the rest of the day left us starving until the next sunrise.
Attempts to voice our grievances to the orphanage director..... only led to more suffering.
The beatings escalated each ti we dared to complain, turning our plea for rcy into a painful cycle of abuse. The hopelessness of our situation weighed on us like a constant burden... we felt we wanted to die at so tis.
But our desire to see tomorrow outwitted that...
I looked around at my brothers and sisters, their faces etched with pain and exhaustion. I gathered my resolve and said, "I-It's fine, just a few more months. Once I awaken, we will definitely get out of this hellish place."
Hearing those words, a glimr of hope returned to their eyes.
"Yes, just a few more months..."
"I cannot wait to see what kind of elents I have"
"Heheh.."
A shared, albeit small, laughter broke the heavy atmosphere, and we began to share the little food we had managed to scrounge together.
After our makeshift al, we lay down on the cold floor, seeking solace in the embrace of restless sleep.
"Sister Charlotte, what happened to your face?" one of the younger children asked another little girl.
I frowned and directed my gaze at Charlotte, concerned, "Little Charlotte, what happened?" I questioned upon spotting a few bruises on her neck.
She flinched, hastily hiding the marks, and replied, "I-It's nothing, big brother!"
"Charlotte?" I pressed, my concern deepening. The little girl's eyes welled up with tears, and she suddenly hugged , letting out sobs. Find more adventures on m-v|-
"... BIG BROTHER!!" she cried, her voice breaking, "'Sob', 'Sob'... S-She took my f-food and threatened to sell to an u-ugly man!!"
Witnessing her distress, the others followed suit, their cries intertwining in a chorus of shared pain and despair..... This nightly ritual beca the only outlet for us to pour out our emotions
Days.... continued to unfold in this cruel cycle.
Until I encountered a big brother, a weird yet... good big brother.
His actions were strange and unpredictable, leaving unsure of how to respond. However, when he looked at , it wasn't the typical pity others showered upon us; instead, his expression carried a silent affirmation that seed to say, 'You are strong.'
I-I cannot understand why I felt inexplicably happy. It was as if he understood sothing..... What a peculiar, but oddly comforting big brother.
To my utter surprise, he handed a gold coin.
ONE GOLD COIN!!!!
The sheer joy that flooded through made it feel like I was floating on cloud nine... A montary worry crossed my mind as I wondered whether the local thugs, always on the prowl, might attempt to rob . However, the peculiar big brother swiftly diffused any potential threat.
As my gaze lingered on the auburn-haired big brother, gratitude welled up within , and I couldn't help but feel a sense of indebtedness.
"THANK YOU, BIG BROTHER!!" I shouted in elation.
With newfound riches in hand, I sprinted back towards my orphanage to share this happiness with my other brothers and sisters..... However, upon arriving, the elation on my face quickly transford into a grim expression.
"LET GO!!" Charlotte's distressed voice reverberated through the air as she struggled against the iron grip of the caretakers.
"Co with us, brat! It's just a single silver coin for the night!"
"NOO!!!" Charlotte pleaded with a terrified and despair face, the harsh reality of our situation unfolding once again.
"Tsk." The caretaker delivered a harsh slap to Charlotte, causing her to collide with the wall and crumple to the ground, unconscious.
My brothers and sisters, though terrified, bravely positioned themselves in front of Charlotte and pleaded,
"P-Please stop this!!"
"D-Dont' take away our sister!!"
Their voices trembled with fear, their courageous facade betrayed by quivering legs.
"Hey, give her when I ask softly," the caretaker demanded, her face twisted with fury.
However, my siblings hesitated.... Instead, they pulled out the copper coins they had been saving.
"T-Take this!!" they offered, desperation evident in their eyes.
"Do you really think those coins are worth anything?" Disdain laced the caretaker's words as she ruthlessly slapped the other children aside before seizing the unconscious Charlotte.
Before she could drag Charlotte away, I impulsively threw sothing.
'Ting, Ting...'
"H-Huh? Where did you—doesn't matter!!" The caretaker's attention shifted when her eyes landed on the gold-shining coin. In an unexpected turn, she tossed Charlotte aside and snatched the gold coin from the ground, her deanour shifting as she gloated,
"Hahahaah.... I am really happy to know at least you are useful...hahahaha"
With her new gold coin, she left, leaving us in a mixed state of relief and dread.
We carefully carried Charlotte inside, where the weight of the ordeal prompted tears of pain and fear from everyone.
On that day, I clung to the belief that the weird big brother was a form of divine help bestowed upon us by God... However, that perception was soon shattered when I encountered a mysterious black-haired man.
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