MPBAGS Chapter 57

The drawer that Lady Evangeline broke was where the director kept important things. Daisy knew well that the director always carried the key to that drawer with her.

'8 silver 30 copper, 12 silver 150 copper, 10 silver 200 copper, 7 silver, 13 silver 32 copper...'

Daisy read and reread the documents Troy had found. No matter how many times she repeated it, the contents didn't change. The documents contained records of the director selling children.

"I only found out about these papers recently too."

Troy continued his explanation in a completely hunched state. It was the first time Daisy had seen Troy so dejected.

"You're not trying to pin what you did on the director, are you?"

"Don't you see what year this started? Yeah, sure, a five-year-old could have pulled this off."

Daisy knew it well too. She just didn't want to acknowledge the fact that the director, who had been so kind and devoted, had sold children.

"Director, don't the children miss you? Why don't they ever come back to visit..."

"That means they're living happily, doesn't it."

She recalled the response that had come when young Daisy had once expressed her disappointment that the adopted children never came back to visit.

Happy? No, they simply couldn't return.

"Troy, did you know about this all along? Is that why you hurt Yulma?"

Troy nodded. Daisy remembered how Troy had been particularly cruel to children just before their adoption. Yulma's adoption had even been cancelled because of the ugly scar on her arm. So it wasn't just bullying?

"How long have you known?"

"I first found out when I was ten."

Troy was seventeen now, so it was only seven years ago.

"Why are you telling me this now? If I had known earlier..."

"I told you! I told you. I said our mother was selling the children. That you were all living off that money! What did you say then? You told me not to be jealous of the children going to rich families for no reason!"

Troy shouted, filled with resentment. Daisy closed her mouth, remembering how she had scolded him because she hated Troy.

Troy had done his best in his own way. He had tried to prevent the trafficking disguised as adoption and had confronted their mother several times.

When words didn't work, he had even reported his birth mother, but there was no evidence, and the guards said what difference would it make if one or two orphans disappeared each year, so they didn't conduct a proper investigation. They were indirectly expressing their intention not to get involved since the people who bought the children were obviously wealthy nobles.

"I know too! Our mother is crazy! That's why I tried to destroy this damn orphanage!"

So Troy had chosen an alternative.

"There are thirteen children left in the orphanage. I borrowed 15 gold using the building as collateral so that even if she sold all thirteen children, she couldn't repay it. I thought then she would stop selling children. But..."

The director had disappeared with the children.

Troy said he realized only after committing the act that the director might sell all the children. So he thought he had made the situation even worse, and unable to bear the guilt, he had drunk alcohol to try to evaporate his memories.

"It's because of me..."

Daisy hugged Troy, who was covered in tears.

The children probably weren't sold. As Troy said, it was such a large sum that even selling them all wouldn't be enough. Instead, just like Troy, the director must have found another way.

She had summoned a demon with that drawing on the floor to make a wish. Daisy realized and understood why the drawing was in the director's office.