HTPTMOTMM Chapter 35

Raphael didn't know exactly when or how this Redford Manor was built. But it was about 150 years ago when they first began bringing pure children here to raise them according to the will of the great saints.

They grew up as the salvation and light of the world, receiving the attention of countless people.

But as in any world, heretics existed, and there were also forces that tried to harm the children who were lights in the darkness.

This was as annoying and irritating as a mosquito buzzing in your ear after entering a room. Moreover, in the past, such impure elements had even crawled into Redford Manor and harmed children.

Therefore, Stella, to which Raphael belonged, decided to conduct a major investigation by dispatching Lynne.

'This was a mission more suitable for me, Stella's ace, but the Archbishop is indeed too soft on Lynne.'

So Raphael planned to investigate this manor all night until tomorrow morning and obtain some necessary information before Lynne did.

Twenty minutes after leaving the guest room with such ambition.

When he first came out of his room, the people working at the manor had glanced at him curiously like they were watching an exotic animal. But at some point, Raphael found himself alone in the slightly dim hallway.

It seemed to be time for even the employees to retreat for rest. Although the employees' rest time was quite early compared to general mansions, Raphael thought it worked out well and quickened his pace.

Raphael's philosophy was that to uncover the secrets of any place, you had to start by examining the most deeply hidden places.

But not long after walking, he discovered something strange in the hallway.

Gold buttons were scattered here and there in each hallway as if marking territory. Some were shiny and new, while others were covered with gray dust.

Raphael's face wrinkled.

Don't the employees of this manor even clean properly? To not clean up items until dust accumulates like this.

Raphael shook his head and passed by them.

The problem occurred afterward.

For unknown reasons, his body became as heavy as cotton soaked in water. Moreover, he felt like cold hands were kneading his insides, making him nauseous and causing his heart to beat unpleasantly.

Eventually, not long after wandering around the manor, Raphael ended up running outside the building.

"Huff, gasp."

The pouring rainwater completely soaked Raphael's body, which had been damp with cold sweat. His suddenly chilled body trembled, but compared to that unpleasant feeling from before, it was much better.

From Redford Manor, he felt an indescribably eerie chill and ominous shadows.

But aside from the humans living here, even Lynne Dorchester didn't seem to notice the strange atmosphere filled in this place. Raphael cursed Lynne inwardly.

'As expected, like a worthless waste who rolled around in the lowest depths, she's dull and has no intuition worth using even as medicine.'

At first, he couldn't understand why such a useless woman was sent to this Redford Manor as a caregiver instead of him, but now he could somewhat understand the higher-ups' decision.

This place wasn't suitable for someone as delicate and refined as him.

Raphael clicked his tongue while recalling Lynne's clear face.

Although he had already thought about it dozens, hundreds of times, he couldn't understand why the Archbishop gave such a lowly thing the Dorchester surname. Since it was all the Archbishop's overflowing mercy and grace, Lynne should naturally serve with loyalty and dedication for her entire life.

Then Raphael recalled Lynne's face that he had seen today after ten days away from the Stella agency.

"Until you return, please feel free to speak comfortably in front of me anytime, Senior."

An uncomfortable emotion appeared on his face.

'This concept was really strange. She wasn't originally someone who smiled like that while saying senior, senior.'

Originally, even at the main agency, Lynne Dorchester would change her personality dramatically overnight as if she had become a different person. So he wasn't surprised to see Lynne changed this time either, but since it was the first time he saw her smile so cutely, he had been slightly flustered earlier.

"Senior, such words are quite rude to the Archbishop."

"What?"

"The person who enjoys collecting trash from lower worlds would be quite delighted to hear that."

But when he recalled the unpleasant incident of being mocked by Lynne, Raphael couldn't help but wrinkle his face again.

'Impudent thing. To think I found such a thing cute even for a moment—how shameful.'

"Oh my, why is such an honored guest out here alone getting rained on?"

It was then that a low man's voice that tickled his earlobes penetrated the rainy evening air.

Raphael turned his head. Then he saw a man standing in the darkness holding an umbrella.

Raphael's eyebrows twitched slightly for a moment.

'I didn't sense his presence at all?'

Of course, since they were special professionals who had to protect children from all kinds of dangers, the caregivers who entered Redford Manor were not ordinary humans either. But as a proud member of Stella, Raphael's pride was slightly hurt.

"Do you need help by any chance?"

The man asked while slightly moving the umbrella in his hand.

Only his lightly smiling lips were clearly visible on his face covered by thick glasses and slightly disheveled hair.

When Raphael gave a command, the guide embedded in his body activated.

[Outputting information entered in the global central information system.]

[Confirmed registration code of the Caregiver Support Association.]

Name: Cheswick Robanshtein, 24 years old

• 41st World origin, graduated from Lunox Preliminary Caregiver Training Institution
• Caregiver of Redford Manor's second candidate Minuel
• Final comprehensive evaluation from preliminary caregiver training institution: Cooperation 96, Diligence 97, Altruism 100, Problem-solving ability 92...

"Not necessary. Just thinking about sharing an umbrella with some lower world nanny makes me sick."

Raphael looked down at the male caregiver of Redford Manor with contemptuous eyes, then started walking.

The 41st World was an upper world that everyone would acknowledge, but compared to the 44th World where Raphael belonged, it was merely lower.

By such standards, there were no places or people that weren't lower to Raphael, but for Raphael Cardigo, a distinguished aristocrat from that upper world, it was perfectly natural.

The man who was rejected by Raphael tilted his head slightly.

"Still, if you get rained on, you might catch a cold."

"Can't you see I'm already completely soaked? And a cold, really."

Raphael snorted.

People from the 44th World simply didn't get sick. Disease had been wiped out as a cause of death five centuries ago, which meant humans from the 44th World had never even seen illness firsthand.

That's why he was a bit surprised earlier when Lynne Dorchester quite naturally nursed a child at Redford Manor.

Clatter!

But shortly after, the entrance to the building Raphael reached wouldn't open.

"It's late now, so all the doors on that side are locked."

The caregiver, who had somehow followed behind him, spoke annoyingly with a voice containing a strange laugh.

"You lowly thing, why couldn't you say that sooner?"

Raphael glared at him while grinding his teeth. The man cheekily gestured toward Raphael with his chin.

"The open door is over there, so follow me."

Then he began walking ahead with his back to Raphael.

Raphael reluctantly followed behind the man.

It had been quite a while since he was rained on outside like this, and the rain from the lower world felt particularly dirty and sticky. So he wanted to wash away this unpleasantness as quickly as possible.

'Damn, having to spend the night in such an unpleasant place.'

If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn't have come to such a place. He could only wait for dawn to come as soon as possible.

"I heard a guest came to see Ms. Lynne, but I didn't know who it was. When I passed through the hallway earlier and saw your face, I was quite surprised."

"Hmph, of course. You lower world people always bow down when you see priest robes."

Raphael wiped the rainwater flowing down his face while glancing dismissively at the man walking ahead.

"It certainly was quite a sight to see."

But during the mysteriously slow, low voice echoing from ahead, Raphael unconsciously fixed his eyes on the back figure in his view.

While looking at the man's back figure wavering in the rain, he gradually felt a strange sensation.

Somehow suddenly... he felt like this caregiver strangely resembled a man he knew.

But soon Raphael shook his head.

No, that person couldn't be in a place like this. Moreover, he had definitely confirmed the information just a moment ago.

Although each caregiver training institution had different scoring criteria, this "Lunox Preliminary Caregiver Training Institution" seemed to value sacrifice for children and diligent sincerity as important virtues.

Especially, this caregiver had an altruism score of 100. And this was not a characteristic that the person Raphael knew could have even if he died and was reborn.

"Who would've thought the Cardigo family's youngest son would look so terrible in fake priest robes."

"What did you say?"

But soon after, at the sound that penetrated his eardrums, Raphael doubted his ears.

Raphael's legs stiffened like rooted old trees. The man walking ahead of him also stopped.

"Ah... You really didn't recognize me."

The man holding the black umbrella muttered in a low voice with faint laughter, then slowly turned around.

"Of course, quite a bit of time has passed, but isn't your intuition too dead, Raphael?"

The moment he heard his name come from the man's mouth, goosebumps rose all over his body.

Now that he was certain, the face of the person he knew seemed visible in the person he was facing.

"Wh-why are you, no, why are you here...!"

When someone who shouldn't be here appeared before his eyes, his spine went completely cold.