Today was bustling, welcoming yet another person who is here to adopt. This time however, it looks like someone more outstanding came to the orphanage. She has been here for approximately one year. Waiting for the day she can leave this god-forsaking place. Little she knew, because of her, many things will change; but that's a story for another time.
"Come back here, you brat!" The voice of the manager of the orphanage rang out.
"Today you will be disciplined, Tonrak take her to the side room for now, the duke is here."
"Yes, sir."
"I won't allow you to meddle in this opportunity, today I will sell a child to the duke. He will be a big source for my private income. Tonrak, make sure she doesn't leave, or else."
"No problem sir. I will take good care of her."
The two men smirked evilly at the young, frightened girl. Fighting against her handler was useless. How could a malnutritioned five year-old young girl fight her way against a muscular middle aged man.
The manager stepped forwards towards the entrance of the orphanage alongside his 'underlings' bowing their back before the great duke of the empire.
"Welcome, Duke Rosewood; it's a pleasure to have you here. I hope you are satisfied with one of the children here." The manager started, his head still bowed in the direction of the duke.
The duke's indifferent gaze meet those of the children aligned against the wall. The two retainers standing behind him send out cold glances to anyone daring to come close to their master.
The aura of the duke has already frightened everyone single of the young children-all less than ten years old- causing them to burst into tears just as the duke entered the vicinity.
"Are these the only children present here?" The oldest of the dukes' aids asked.
"Yes, for I don't have any child above the age of ten, and all the children are present here from babies to the oldest, whose nine." The manager answered.
"How disappointing." The voice of the duke rang out.
"Is this all there is to this place? Lets go back."
"Wait! Your grace!"
A sword grazed the neck of the manager, "how dare you order his grace, the duke? Have you got no respect?" The other aid questioned.
As the nervous looking manager began to explain himself, a resounding scream rang out, halting everyone in their place. It even made the crying children quiet down, sharing knowing glances towards each other; all knowing whose scream that was and what was going on at that moment.
"Didn't you say there was no other child left? Whose scream is that?" The second aid's murdering gaze fell on the manager.
"Taran, hold him down. Don't allow anyone to leave, if they dare, you know what to do." The duke spoke up again, calling his oldest aid.
"Lena, go check out the scream."
"Yes you grace." Both his aids followed orders
"I'd like to see what type of courage gave you the hint to lie to my face and cause this type of commotion. Lets see what you're hiding."
The duke felt a hint of mana coming from a direction , which caught his interest as it was the first time a wave of mana was seen in an orphanage. Looking at the direction it came from, it was the place Lena left so slowly he made his way towards it.
A small room that resembles a storage place was in his sight. As the door was open, he walked in and what he saw surprised him. Lena, his most serene guard and aid was beating the living daylight out of a middle aged man. Looking around, he found a small girl huddling in the corner of the room covered in what looks like her own blood.
"Lena, knock him out for now, we'll deal with him later."
His aid quickly listened, giving the man a punch to his head, knocking him out. She then turned and look at the young girl shivering in the corner. Approaching the child with the most gentle gaze the duke saw on her face, she helped calm the girl down.
"Your grace, you might want to take a look at this." Lena's shaken voice called out to the duke. Upon seeing what caused her disturbance, the duke's eyes widened in shock.
"Violet-colored eyes??" The young child muttered, seeing the reflection of the same eye color as the duke staring at her. The violet-colored iris, found only in the lineage of the family of Rosewood.