Chapter 94
It was not long before the Astraea familia consisting of- Kaguya, Lyra, Noin, and Ryana, along with members of the Bahamut familia - Michalis and Vasiliki, reached Maria’s Orphanage.
The establishment was located on Daedalus Street, run by a kind-hearted woman named, Maria Martel, who had dedicated her life to caring for the city's abandoned and orphaned children.
Earlier, Noin had speculated that the thieves responsible for stealing Michalis' money might be from the orphanage.
It was, however, a rather hasty deduction, as Maria Martel was widely respected in the area and would never condone such behaviour from the children under her care.
Still, there was always the possibility that a few mischievous youths might have found themselves tempted by the prospect of easy money.
Kaguya, recognizing the sensitivity of the matter, had proposed a plan to probe the orphanage without appearing confrontational.
The plan she had devised was to visit the orphanage with gifts, allowing the children to gather around them.
Then, Michalis would carefully observe the group, searching for any familiar faces that might have been involved in the theft.
The group's primary concern was to resolve the issue without appearing to be demeaning of Maria's tireless efforts to provide for the orphans.
They knew all too well the hardships faced by these children, and a reputation for stealing would only compound their struggles.
As the group arrived at the orphanage, Kaguya stepped forward and knocked on the door.
It didn't take long before the door opened, and Maria Martel herself greeted them.
"Good evening, how can I help you?" Maria asked, her voice tinged with caution, as the orphanage rarely received visitors at this hour.
Lyra stepped forward, offering a warm smile.
"Sorry to bother you so late, but we were just passing by and wanted to bring some treats for the children, if that's alright." she said.
Maria's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the group, taking in their well-to-do appearances.
It was evident that she was assessing the likelihood of their intentions being genuinely altruistic.
"We're members of the Astraea familia," Lyra added, sensing Maria's hesitation.
At this, the older woman's demeanour softened, and she ushered them inside.
“Oh, please come in, then. We were just about to have dinner.” She said.
The Astraea familia was a well-known group in Orario, consisting primarily of young women, which aligned with Maria’s observations.
Furthermore, the kind-hearted woman had a keen eye for discerning the true intentions of people, having lived in Daedalus Street for many years.
She could tell that these visitors were not here to cause trouble.
Kaguya stepped forward, presenting the small assortment of treats they had purchased.
“Here, these are for the kids. It’s not much, but we hope it will be enough for dinner and perhaps breakfast as well.” She said.
“Oh, my, thank you so much,” Maria exclaimed, her eyes shining with gratitude. “This will be a tremendous help.” She added.
“Is the orphanage perhaps struggling?” Noin asked, she found Maria’s gratitude for their gifts little bit excessive.
Maria’s expression turned somber as she sighed deeply.
“Sadly, yes. The number of orphans has been rapidly increasing this past year, and our provisions and donations have been struggling to keep up. We’re managing to get by, but it’s certainly not been easy.” Maria confessed.
Noin nodded, understanding the challenges Maria must be facing.
The group exchanged glances, none of them feeling comfortable with the idea of further burdening the already strained orphanage.
However, Maria’s demeanour quickly brightened once more.
“Anyway, enough of those gloomy things,” she said, waving her hand dismissively.
"Would you all like to join us for dinner?" she suddenly offered.
Lyra, Kaguya, Noin, Ryana, Michalis, and Vasiliki looked at each other, hesitant to accept the invitation.
They knew that the orphanage's resources were already stretched thin, and they didn't want to further deplete the limited supplies.
"Thank you for the kind offer, Maria," Kaguya said diplomatically.
"But we wouldn't want to impose on your dinner. The treats are our way of showing our appreciation for the wonderful work you do here." she added.
Maria's face fell slightly, but she nodded in understanding.
"I see. Well, the children will be thrilled, I'm sure. Please, come in and join us for a bit, at least. I'd love to introduce you to them." she said.
With Maria's encouragement, the group followed her deeper into the orphanage, the sounds of lively chatter and the pitter-patter of small feet growing louder as they approached the dining hall.
As they entered, a sea of curious eyes turned towards them, the orphans' expressions a mix of excitement and apprehension.
Maria gestured towards the group, her voice warm and welcoming.
"Children, these kind individuals who have brought you all special treats for dinner. Why don't you all come and say hello?" she announced.
The orphans, their faces lighting up with joy, eagerly surrounded the visitors, their excitement palpable.
Lyra elbowed Michalis so he would perform his role in the plan.
Michalis immediately begun scanning the crowd, his gaze intent, searching for any familiar faces that might confirm Noin's earlier suspicion.
Kaguya, Lyra, Noin, Vasiliki and Ryana interacted with the children, their hands full of small, eager faces and outstretched arms.
It was a heartwarming sight, and the girls couldn't help but feel a sense of purpose in bringing a moment of happiness to these young lives even though it wasn’t part of their plans for day.
While the girls were occupied, Michalis scanned the children intently, his eyes narrowing as he honed in on the group of four boys who had stolen from him, huddled together.
The way they avoided eye contact and fidgeted nervously when their gaze met his own, made him more certain that they were the ones.
‘Why did they resort to stealing?’ Michalis wondered, his brow furrowing in contemplation.
‘Is it because the orphanage is struggling, or is there some other reason?’ He pondered the possibilities, his mind racing as he tried to understand their motivations.
Michalis wanted to report his findings to Lyra immediately, but the girls were occupied with the other children, who kept them thoroughly engaged.
With a sigh, he let his gaze wander around the orphanage's dining room.
The room was rather simple, with an old, large rectangular table in the center and long benches on both sides for the children to sit.
The walls were faded, and some floorboards were quite loose, creaking beneath the weight of the young occupants.
The room was illuminated by candles, many of which were almost depleted, casting a warm, flickering glow over the scene.
The meal served on the table was a simple one, consisting of bread and a bowl of soup filled with vegetables and potatoes.
Maria could be seen slicing some grilled meat, which they had purchased for the children, and distributing it into each bowl in small portions.
As Michalis took in his surroundings, he felt a strange pang in his chest.
He found his thoughts gravitating towards his own experiences, his mind drifting to the day they had lost everything.
‘We were truly fortunate that we had each other, especially Draco nii that day," Michalis thought, imagining what life would have been like if Draco had not taken charge on that fateful day.
"This could have been us.” he muttered to himself.
The idea of confronting the thieving children no longer sat well with him.
He had long since given up on the stolen money and had no plans to take it back. Michalis knew that the orphanage's struggles were not their fault, and he couldn't help but empathize with their situation.
“Alright, kids, settle down, it's time to eat," Maria announced, having finished preparing the meal.
The children, upon hearing her words, immediately left Kaguya, Noin, Ryana, Lyra, and Vasiliki and rushed to their seats.
As the kids settled down, the room descended into a peaceful silence.
They all held their hands together and closed their eyes tightly, waiting for Maria to begin the prayer.
"Good, I will now begin the prayer," Maria said, her voice soft and soothing.
During the prayer, Michalis had quietly informed Lyra of the children responsible for the theft.
When the prayer ended, the kids eagerly dove into their meals, the sound of chewing and the occasional murmur filling the air.
While the children were eating, Maria was pulled away to another room, where she was informed about the incident.
Michalis and Vasiliki remained with the kids, watching them thoughtfully.
"Today has been a crazy day, huh?" Michalis said, breaking the silence.
"Hmm, I wonder if everyone is worried about us," Vasiliki replied, her gaze fixed on the children.
"Ugh, I can already imagine Draco nii's rage-filled face," Michalis said with a chuckle, picturing his older brother's reaction.
"Hmm," Vasiliki hummed in response, the silence settling between them once more.
After a moment, Michalis spoke again, his voice soft and contemplative.
“We are truly fortunate in life, huh?"
"Hmm, that indeed we are," Vasiliki replied, understanding Michalis without the need for further elaboration.
The children in the orphanage may not have experienced the things that they did when they lost their family but in essence their situations were similar.
This was why it was easy for them to empathize with the kids in the orphanage despite being kids themselves.