The child didn’t know anything about himself.

He had no parents, no name.

All he knows is his age and gender.

‘He said he was abandoned 14 years ago as a baby, so he must be 14 now.’

The child’s life was ironic.

The name of the orphanage he was living in was “Hope of the Poor” but there was no hope in the child’s life.

There were many children in the orphanage, but the child does not have any friends.

“Didn’t I tell you not to hang out with him?”

The other orphans openly rejected the child.

In addition, the head of the orphanage gathered the other orphans and spoke sternly.

“Anyone who hangs out with that unlucky child won’t be fed for the day.”

Those words had a great impact on the children who always lacked food.

Even the children who were talking to the child disappeared.

The child was lonely.

No, he was so lonely that he didn’t even know it.

The child did not even receive the meals that the other orphans get to eat.

But he did the work the most.

To the point where he has to wake up first and fall asleep last.

Today, the child was the first to wake up in the orphanage.

The child was the first to fetch water from the well.

His skinny wrists were shaking inside his loose and worn clothes.

‘It’s heavy…’

Even when the child stumbled, he continued to scoop water from the well and put it in a bucket.

He whimpered but repeatedly moved the bucket.

The next thing to do was to feed the wild beasts who guarded the area around the orphanage.

The beasts kept people away from the orphanage. At the same time, the beasts kept the people in the orphanage inside.

It was a natural scene for the child.

“Here you go, eat.”

When the child appeared, the beasts welcomed him with wagging tails.

The beasts chewed up the big pieces of meat and swallowed meat.

The child thought that meat was the exclusive food for beasts.

The child, who fed the beasts, busily headed into the mortuary.

‘Now I have to sweep the floor, mop and wipe the window frames.’

The whole thing had to be done before the others woke up.

If he catches people’s eyes, the child would be locked up in solitary confinement or beaten.

The child didn’t question all this.

“You were supposed to be dead now. But you’re alive, aren’t you? You should be thankful.”

It was what the head of the orphanage said to the child every day.

The child couldn’t eat and had to feel grateful while working.

But today there is a change in the child’s daily life.

“How have you been?”

A benefactor who sometimes visited the child visited.

“Lady Elizabeth!”

As soon as the child found Elizabeth, he ran with a happy smile.

“Lady Elizabeth, I missed you!”

“Get away from me.”

But Elizabeth pushed the child away coldly.

Nevertheless, the child smiled brightly.

For the child, Elizabeth was his everything in the world.

According to the director, it was Elizabeth who saved the child who almost died and brought him here.

‘The situation is difficult now, but she said she would take me outside if I endured it a little.’

The child has lived by believing only that word.

“Where is the head of the orphanage?”

“He’ll be in the office at this time.”

After hearing the child’s answer, Elizabeth went into the building without answering.

Of course, the child did not feel disappointed.

The child headed for his room.

There was a small attic inside the orphanage.

That was the child’s space.

It was too narrow, but the child was so thin that he didn’t feel uncomfortable staying there.

The child crouched down.

In fact, the child has a secret nowadays.

“Hi. Did you come again today?”

The child was greeted with a faint figure in the air.

Not long ago, he often sees it since he first discovered it.

The child did not know that the figure was a spirit.

It was also unknown to him that the Spirit was trying to help him as best as he could.

Nevertheless, it was good.

Because he was the only one who came to see him first.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

The child giggled as the spirit moved around.

Then soon the child opened his eyes wide.

It was because he saw something.

“Oh…”

The child looked bewitched at the video made by the spirit.

The place in the video was familiar to the child.

“It’s the director’s office, right? Wow, what’s this? You’re amazing!”

The child glanced at the video.

The director and Elizabeth were sitting facing each other.

Soon they started talking.

“It’s finally time.”

“Really?”

When Elizabeth brought it up, the director jumped up from his seat.

“Calm down. Sit down.”

“Oh, yes. I’m sorry.”

The director sat awkwardly at Elizabeth’s arrogant tone.

“Now there is not much time left to use the young boy as a sacrifice. I’m taking him today.”

“Finally, grace is coming to us……!”

“Wait. Who said ‘we’?”

Elizabeth drew a cold line on the director.

“Strictly speaking, your position is different from mine. I’m a noble in the first place, but you’re a commoner. There’s a wall that can’t be crossed. Don’t you think so?”

“Oh, yes… yes.”

The director’s face was stained with humiliation.

“Anyway, I’m glad I could finally kill him. Brighton disgusts me!”

“…….”

“We need to get rid of all Brighton’s seeds in the world.”

Whether the director replied or not, Elizabeth continued to complain.

“They are connected by blood, and how disgusting it was every time he talked about roses. I once slapped the cheek of that child when he gave me a rose.”

“Oh, was his sister’s nickname Roselina?”

“Yes, that despicable woman! What humiliation I had to suffer because of that damn girl……. If it wasn’t for him, I’d still be rotting in the dungeon.”

Soon, the spirit who had done his best disappeared.

The child tilted his head when he heard the story.

There were some things he didn’t understand.

‘I think it’s about me.’

It was because of the memory from a while ago that a child who was unsure was convinced.

The child liked roses.

It was so beautiful that he often looked at it mesmerizingly.

So he secretly prepared a rose.

‘I’ll give it to Lady Elizabeth when she comes.’

Then she might like me a little more.

In fact, the child knew that Elizabeth hated him.

Nevertheless, the only corner he could hang on to was Elizabeth.

“Lady Elizabeth, I prepared a present for you.”

“What’s this? What’s this disgusting thing that you’re giving me, you bastard?”

But that day he carefully held out the rose.

Elizabeth was flabbergasted and slapped the child on the cheek.

That wasn’t enough, so she grabbed the fallen child and hit him a few more times.

Since then, the child has never talked about roses in front of Elizabeth.

‘If they’re talking about me…… Am I going to die now?’

Because Elizabeth said she was going to kill me.

The child’s eyes were getting wet little by little.

In the end, he seemed to be unrelieved.

‘If I die……. it’s because I committed so many sins…….’

But the child didn’t blame anyone.

‘Please forgive me for this. I won’t make a mistake again.’

I’ll get up earlier, clean up, do the laundry, and stay out of sight.

The child prayed quietly.

Maybe his prayers won’t reach God.

Because Elizabeth always told him that he was born shallow and dirty.

‘But I’m sorry that I still prayed…….’

At that moment.

Boom!

A loud noise came from not so far away.

“Heuk!”

The child was horrified.

‘Finally… …I’m dying.’

The child closed his eyes tightly and made a last wish.

‘I learned that death is a very painful thing. Just a little bit. Just a little bit.’

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound got closer and closer, as if to announce that the child’s end was approaching.

The child put everything down and tried to accept death.

But at the last minute.

“Actually, I don’t want to die…….”

Eventually, tears flowed from the child’s eyes.

“I want to live, too. I want to live…….”

Bang!

This time, a sound came from a very close distance.

He could feel someone approaching the child.

“The reaper…”

The child couldn’t open his eyes.

Tears are flowing through his closed eyes.

♡ advanced chapters available here ♡