Vol. 3 Ch. 123

Carolyn sighed softly, her gaze dropping as her expression shifted from contentment to sadness.

"But I haven’t heard anything about him for a long time. They say he lost a major battle five years ago and was labeled a traitor by the Empire. At one point, his wanted posters were plastered all over the streets…"

Her sigh held a complex mix of emotions.

Did Carolyn still secretly believe in Leon, or had she begun to feel disappointment in the most promising student she had ever taught?

Leon couldn’t tell.

Realizing she might have said too much, Carolyn quickly changed the subject, replacing her solemnity with a warm smile.

"Judging by the looks of you two, I’d guess you haven’t been married for very long?"

Hmm... would five years count as recent?

Leon and Rosvisser exchanged a glance, silently agreeing to play along.

"Yes, not very long," Leon replied. "While walking around, we heard the children laughing here and thought we’d take a look."

"Are you both fond of children?"

"Yes, my wife and I do enjoy children quite a bit."

So much so that in just five years of marriage, they already had three.

Carolyn chuckled softly, turning to watch the children playing in the courtyard.

"If only every parent were like you. Then perhaps there would be fewer unfortunate little ones left behind."

After decades of working at the orphanage, Carolyn’s empathy was something Leon knew well.

She loved children, but had never married. Partly because of her role as a nun, but also because she knew that if she had a child of her own, she’d find it difficult to spread her love equally among all the orphaned children.

The orphanage was a sanctuary for these abandoned children, giving them a chance to face life with courage again.

And it was the love from nuns like Carolyn that filled the void in these children’s lives.

So, in a sense, every child at the orphanage was hers.

“Teacher! Teacher!”

As they chatted, a young nun hurried over.

Leon glanced her way and, seeing her, opened his mouth in surprise.

"Sharon..."

Rosvisser turned to him, picking up on his surprised whisper. Had he just said the young nun’s name?

From the look on Leon’s face, this Sharon seemed to be someone he knew.

Rosvisser wasn’t jealous; Leon’s tone and expression held only the surprise of an old friend meeting again, devoid of any “long-lost love” melodrama.

“What is it, Sharon?” Carolyn asked.

Sharon, the young nun, stopped in front of Carolyn, “Teacher, we still have so many paper lanterns left to make for the Lantern Festival. The headmistress says we need to hurry.”

“Alright, I’ll come help right away.”

“Mm-hmm. I’ll just—”

As she spoke, Sharon’s gaze drifted over Leon and Rosvisser.

She didn’t recognize the beautiful woman with black hair.

But the man…

Narrowing her eyes, Sharon said, “Wait, sir, have we met somewhere before?”

Before he could answer, Leon felt a sudden squeeze on his hand.

He looked over to find it was Rosvisser, who had activated their private conversation.

**"Yes, husband, have you two met before?"**

Not that she was jealous, but it was still good to clarify who this familiar face was.

**“Have I ever told you about the time I single-handedly took down a rabid dog at the age of five?”**

**“Yes, you did. To save a little girl, wasn’t it?”**

**“She’s that little girl.”**

**“...”**

Rosvisser rolled her eyes with exasperation.

The world really was small, and fate even stranger.

After his quick explanation, Leon shook his head at Sharon just as he had with Carolyn earlier.

“I don’t believe so. I probably just have one of those faces—Carolyn mistook me for someone else just now, too.”

Sharon nodded in understanding. “Ah, I see… I thought maybe Leon-brother had come back.”

At the words “Leon-brother,” Rosvisser’s grip tightened noticeably.

Leon kept a straight face, pretending not to notice.

Ah, he thought, maybe he should’ve left his good deeds anonymous back then.

“You thought he was Leon, too?” Carolyn smiled ruefully. “Who knows how that boy is doing now... I hope he hasn’t been caught by the Empire.”

“He wouldn’t be!” Sharon’s youthful spirit shone through as she blurted out, “Leon-brother would never be captured. And besides, I never believed he was a traitor to begin with.”

Carolyn cast a cautious glance toward Leon and Rosvisser, quickly pulling Sharon’s wrist and offering an apologetic smile to the couple.

“Forgive her; Sharon tends to speak without thinking.”

Given she couldn’t be sure of Leon and Rosvisser’s origins, discussing rebellion was best avoided altogether.

Despite Carolyn’s longing for the boy she’d once cared for, she was bound by the rules of the Empire in which she lived.

“It’s no problem.”

Leon said, “I heard Sharon mention you’re making paper lanterns for the Lantern Festival?”

“Yes.”

“Is the orphanage actually making them now?”

While the Lantern Festival was a significant holiday, Leon didn’t recall the orphanage ever having to make lanterns—they’d always bought them from outside vendors.

“It’s out of necessity, a way to bring in some extra funds.”

Leon’s brows furrowed slightly.

Since when had the orphanage in the middle district needed to make paper lanterns to “make ends meet”?

Looking at the worn-down state of the church and its entrance, Leon felt an uneasy pang in his heart.

“But the orphanage receives government funding, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, well—”

“A few years ago, sure, the royal family allocated funds,” Sharon cut in, her tone bitter. “But lately, they’ve added all kinds of ridiculous audits and approvals, so by the time it reaches us, we’re lucky to see even a third of it!”

Carolyn didn’t even stop Sharon this time.

Hearing her frustration, Leon’s heart grew heavier.

What had happened?

The once-prosperous Empire… how had it declined into this state in just a few short years?

From his master navigating the Empire’s gray areas, gambling and underground dealings to pressure the government…

To Leon being framed as a traitor, labeled a criminal…

To the Empire’s hidden agenda with the dragon clans—to exploit the people on an even larger scale…

And now… that corruption had even crept into the orphanage.

The Empire’s stench of power had become a plague, seeping into every corner.

“So, with little choice, we make paper lanterns to sell in the upper district,” Carolyn explained. “We can’t very well let the children eat stale bread during such a festive season.”

Leon forced down his anger and disappointment. “When did this all start?”

“Well… about five years—”

“Since Leon-brother left, everyone’s lives have just gone downhill,” Sharon interrupted.

Carolyn shook her head with a resigned smile. “Though she’s blunt, she’s not wrong. Five years ago, after Leon vanished… for whatever reason, life for everyone seemed to take a nosedive.”

“I think I know why, Teacher!”

Sharon continued, “Leon-brother was the leader of the Dragon Slayer Corps, with troops under his command. He was upright and hated evil—there’s no way he’d allow the royals to pull these tricks, so—”

“You’re saying too much, Sharon,” Carolyn warned gently.

“…Hmph.”

Sharon huffed, still muttering under her breath,

“I just think… if Leon-brother were here, we’d be living better than we are now.”

“But he isn’t here, Sharon.”

The sadness in Carolyn’s voice was unmistakable, as she softly repeated,

“He… isn’t here.”

The mood grew somber.

But Carolyn quickly adjusted, offering another apologetic smile.

“Sorry about that, just commoners sharing their worries.”

“Oh… no, it’s alright.”

If not for their mistaken identification of Leon, they wouldn’t have shared so much, so he wasn’t worried they’d be caught saying something dangerous.

Dong—dong—

The orphanage’s bell rang, signaling dinner time.

“Would you like to stay and share a simple meal with us?” Carolyn asked.

“Oh, no need.”

“Alright, then. Enjoy your stay in the Empire. We have work to get back to, so we’ll take our leave.”

Carolyn and Sharon nodded in farewell, turning to leave.

But Leon suddenly called out to them.

“Wait, Carolyn.”

“Yes, sir?”

Leon took out his wallet and handed over a small pouch of gold coins.

“For the lanterns. I’m ordering all of them. I’ll pick them up in two days.”

Carolyn looked at the coins, hesitating.

“That’s far too much, sir. We couldn’t possibly make so many lanterns.”

Leon’s mind raced, quickly responding, “Then the rest is a donation to the orphanage.”

“Well… alright. Thank you, sir. May I ask your name?”

“Constantine.”

“Ah… a name that promises a bright future, Mr. Constantine.”

Carolyn accepted the coins. “We’ll do our best to make as many lanterns as we can.”

“Thank you.”

With a nod, Carolyn turned and walked away.

Once they were out of earshot, Rosvisser crossed her arms, teasing,

“You really are a master of anonymous charity, aren’t you, Leon~brother~?”

Leon grinned, linking arms with her. “I did leave a name, didn’t I?”

Rosvisser laughed, “

And ‘Constantine’ is what you went with, huh, you fool?”

“Consider it laying the groundwork for support for the Red Flame Dragon King’s arrival in three days,” Leon replied with feigned seriousness.

She rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s head back.”

Then, after a beat, she looked back at him, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Need a ride back, Leon~brother~?”

“You’re no fun, dragon lady!”

…

Meanwhile, back at the orphanage, Carolyn and Sharon were handing out dinner to the children. Afterward, they sat together, speaking in hushed tones.

“Mr. Constantine really is a kind man,” Sharon murmured.

But Carolyn frowned slightly.

“Yet he really did look… a lot like Leon.”

Sharon scratched her head, sighing. “I thought so too, but Leon-brother’s been gone for so long now. Who knows where he is? I wish he’d come back and help us…”

*Come back and help us…*

Carolyn looked down at the coins in her hands, left by “Mr. Constantine.”

After a moment of contemplation, her eyes widened. “Sharon…”

“What is it, Teacher?”

“I never introduced myself to him. So why did he keep calling me ‘Carolyn’?”

It was as if a thunderbolt struck Sharon.

She paused for a moment, drawing a sharp breath, disbelief etched on her face.

“Leon—Leon-brother came ba—”

But Carolyn swiftly covered her mouth.

As Sharon tried to push her hand away, she realized her longtime mentor, the woman who’d served at the orphanage for decades, was softly crying on her shoulder.

“He came back… Sharon, he really came back.”