Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

“There’s no other crazy parent who pushes their children to their limbs.”

The blacksmith poured cold water into the yard.

Drops of water splashed in all directions, dampening the hem of my dress.

“Turn it off now. Parents who want to kill their children have nothing to do with it.”

“Wait a minute!”

I grabbed him as he was about to turn around, and as I stretched out, the blacksmith violently shook my arm.

I was going to keep it a secret.

I was forced to reveal my identity.

“I am Lenia Anthemion, the wife of the Duke of Anthemion.”

“… Duchess of Anthemion?”

The blacksmith who was about to enter the smithy stopped and turned around.

His expression hardened when he checked the ring with the coat of arms of the Duke Anthemion.

“… A humble man has been disrespectful to such a precious person.”

“I accept your apology, let’s talk about it in detail now.”

Haah. The blacksmith let out a long sigh.

The man who had put down the water basket shouted toward the inside of the smithy.

“Ken! I’ll be back for a little while, so hit it before the iron cools down!”

“Yes!”

“Come this way.”

The blacksmith took me to a small room at the back of the smithy.

He cleared away the clutter and offered me a seat.

“It’s dirty, but please sit down.”

I put my buttocks on the old sofa and opened my mouth.

“You said earlier that admission to the Dillua Academy is pushing a child into a limb?”

“Why would a Duke of Anthemion want to send his child to Dillua Academy?”

“It has not been confirmed. I was worried that Baron Rockefeller would take extra care. Hearing your story might change my mind.”

At my words, the blacksmith opened his mouth heavily.

“I sent my son to Dillua Academy four years ago. Hearing that being a soldier makes a lot of money somewhere, he insisted on going to the academy.”

“……”

“I’m busy with the blacksmith work, and I’m sorry that he grew up alone without a mother, so I suddenly let her enter the school to make friends.” He said.

Anguish appeared on the man’s face as he recalled the past.

“But one day he came home and cried because he didn’t want to go to the academy.”

“……”

“Teachers scold the kids badly, and some kids disappear overnight.”

Baron Rockefeller, who treated children mercilessly, and the children scattered without surprise, as if familiar with the scene.

It was proof that he had been accustomed to violence for a long time.

“There are so many bad guys in this place, so I thought it was because he got into trouble and ran away. So I ignored it even when I heard it. But….”

The blacksmith’s voice trembled as if he was choking.

“I never thought my child would disappear.”

“When is the child disappearing?”

“I don’t even know when he disappeared. “The child who came home once a month didn’t come for four months, so I went to the academy and they said he ran away.”

“…….”

“I couldn’t believe it, so I tried to check the inside, but I was beaten and kicked out. For over half a year, I’ve been looking for all the places my child can go, but….”

No trace of the child was found anywhere, he said.

“If I stopped my son who wanted to become a soldier then… No, if he said so when he said he didn’t want to go to the academy….”

A sharp sense of self-doubt flashed on the blacksmith’s face.

So whenever he makes swords for children, he thinks of his son and confesses that he no longer makes swords for children.

“I didn’t ask the security guard for help. If it is a disappearance case, the investigation….”

“Who cares that a commoner child is gone.”

He shut his mouth at the self-sacrificing answer.

I’m sorry I made you tell such a painful story.

Hesitating, not knowing what to say to comfort him, the man burst out in anger.

“It must be the work of Baron Rockefeller.”

“Baron Rockefeller?”

“Certainly. He stole all the children.”

I swallowed dry saliva at the answer close to certainty.

Come to think of it, there were a lot of things that were questionable.

No matter how much the Baron is an academy dean supported by the royal family, if the money is deducted from the academy’s operation, it will not be enough to pay huge bribes to high-ranking nobles.

When I said that I was going to cancel Escal’s admission, he was angry because the 300,000 gold donation he was supposed to receive from Helios was blown away.

Above all, since Dillua Academy was in his grasp, it was highly likely that everything that happened there was the Baron’s instructions.

“Are you sure there are other missing children besides yours?”

“Yes. While looking for my son, I met a few parents who, like myself, had lost their children at the academy.”

The serial disappearance of children who attended the same academy is absolutely no coincidence.

“Please contact those people. We may need their testimony sooner or later.”

“Yes?”

“I can’t say for sure, but let’s see what happened. So, promise me that you will make my son’s sword when I solve it.”

“Ah….”

A glimmer of hope flashed across his face that was full of despair.

The blacksmith jumped up and bowed his head.

“If you do that, I will make the best sword in the world.”

****

“Mary.”

As I left the smithy and went to the carriage, Mary ran towards me.

“Why are you so late? What happened?”

I felt sorry seeing the worried expression on her face, but there was no room for hesitation.

“I have a place to go in a hurry.”

“Where?”

“Dillua Academy.”

*****

“Do you really have to do this?”

Mary asked with a crying face.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“If the Duke finds out, I will die.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it a secret until the day I die.”

I put on the clothes that Mary had taken off and responded lightly.

Well, these clothes are more comfortable and nice.

Lenia’s face stands out so much that I don’t know if it’ll work, but this outfit is much better to fake identity.

After I removed my makeup and messed up my hair to make it look ugly, I asked Mary.

“Mary, if I don’t come back after two hours, report it to the knight immediately. Understand?”

“Uhh, it’s dangerous, too!”

“I will go.”

I shut Mary mouths and the coachman, I got out of the carriage.

I had to walk to the academy for fear of being suspicious because of the fancy carriage.

It was fortunate that there were no witnesses because there were few people, but on the other hand, it was difficult to shake off the eerie thoughts, so I hurried my steps.

Unlike when I visited with Helios, I did not see a single ant in the playground where the children played.

Is it class time?

I was going to meet the children and ask them, but somehow the academy was ominously quiet.

Should I just go back

The moment I hesitated because of the disappointment that the plan had gone awry.

“Argh!”

A scream was heard from inside the building that made my heart sink.

It was definitely a child’s voice.

I lowered myself and entered the building.

“Stand upright!”

As I entered the room, I heard a menacing scream.

“Next.”

“Pl-please save me! Help me!”

“Be quiet!”

The commotion was taking place in the room at the very back of the building.

There were about twenty children and four soldiers in armor in the room.

Most of the children in ragged clothes looked around the age of ten.

‘What are they doing here?’

“Next, Cullen!”

When the man with the list called his name, the soldiers dragged the child and put it in front of him.

Then, as if checking goods, he took off his clothes and began to examine the child body.

The frightened child cried and wet his pants.

“This child!”

Startled by the man’s shout, the child sat down, and the soldier pulled the child out.

“Tsk, that child must be hard to sell.”

‘Sell?’

I covered my mouth with my hand and swallowed the scream.

Suddenly, I remembered the words of the blacksmith who had lost his son at the academy.

There was no time to delay. I had to tell you about this.

Either to Helios or to the security knight. We need to know what Baron Rockefeller is up to and save those kids…

“What’s this?”

“Ugh…!”

A solid wall was blocking my way.

As I slowly raised my head, I saw a large soldier looking down at me.

“Ouch!”

He grabbed my arm tightly. His grip was so strong that tears came to my eyes.

The soldiers, noticing the noise outside the door, came out one by one into the hallway.

They don’t recognize me, right?

I was in disguise, but I bowed my head in case anyone remembered me.

“Who are you? Why are you sneaking around here?”

“I, I came to see m-my brother…”

“Brother?”

The soldier who had caught me said with a slight softening momentum.

She has come to meet her family, so I’ll have to do it.

If these people take me, I have to pretend not to see the rough discipline.

I nodded, pretending not to know anything.

“Who is your brother?”

“Uh, so….”

‘What if Emile loses?’

The name suddenly came to mind.

“Emile, it’s Emile!”

“Emile?”

The man tilted his head and flipped through the list he was holding in his hand.

Ah, I guess I made a mistake.

After the confirmation, the man covered the list.

The eyes that looked at me seemed kind of bitter.

“You’re out of luck, miss.”

“Why, what’s wrong with you? I’m going to meet my brother… Ugh!”

Before I could finish speaking, a large hand covered my mouth.

A damp cloth covered my nose and mouth, causing an unpleasant odor to flow in.

“Wait, miss. I’ll send you to where your brother is soon.”

“… Ugh….”

Even in the midst of confusion, those words stuck in my ears.

Where your brother is, where did you send a child named Emile?

“You will find out soon, but I will teach you in particular. You will be sold far away. If you have a pretty face, they will give us a high price.”

“……”

I couldn’t hear the man’s words. My eyes flashed black and my legs relaxed.

‘Helios….’

I can’t.

I can’t leave Helios like this.

He wouldn’t be able to stand it if I were gone.

Without me, Escal….

 Bang!

“Ugh!”

A short moan was heard, and the hand that was covering my car a mouth fell.

Someone supported me as I collapsed helplessly.

I was relieved to feel the familiar body temperature enveloped me, and I lost consciousness.