I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 68

Chapter 68

I once read about a tragic incident where African refugees died after consuming food provided by aid organizations.

When people have gone too long without eating, their weakened stomachs can’t properly digest food, causing serious complications. It’s inevitable that problems arise when the body is abruptly overwhelmed with food after prolonged starvation.

Freesia gently patted the suffering child’s back and wiped the mess from their mouth with her sleeve. 

“Are you okay?”  

“I… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…”  

The child, visibly terrified, began sobbing and pleading for forgiveness.  

Any ordinary noblewoman would likely have reacted differently—standing at a distance, shaking her head in pity at the sight of starving children. But because of the modern-day memories lodged within her, Freesia acted with practical compassion instead.  

She couldn’t understand why this small child was acting like this. A sudden suspicion made her pull the child’s clothes aside, revealing numerous scars of various sizes across their body.  

“Did the headmaster hit you?”  

The child shook their head desperately, but the fear in their eyes was undeniable.  

What on earth had been done to these children?

Ignoring the dirt that stained her dress, Freesia knelt down and wrapped the child in a tight embrace.  

“I’m sorry.”  

If only she had come sooner—would things have turned out differently?

The child burst into tears, unable to hold back any longer, and Freesia swallowed the rising anger building inside her.  

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the headmaster quickly reached for the child.  

“We’ll take care of it. Please hand the child over to us.”  

“How dare you!”  

But Fieldram was faster, intervening before the headmaster could act.  

As the child trembled uncontrollably, young Luca supported Freesia, his gaze filled with concern.  

“Lady Freesia…”  

“I’m fine,” she reassured him.  

Once the child’s breathing calmed a bit, Freesia asked softly, “When was the last time you ate?”  

“Since yesterday… I haven’t eaten…”  

“The headmaster didn’t give you anything?”  

“I had porridge yesterday morning. But… there was garbage in it, and the older girls told me not to eat it…”  

“Garbage?”  

“If we leave food behind, we get punished. I made sure to finish every drop… so please, don’t hit me…”  

Hearing the child’s plea made a chill run down Freesia’s spine.  

A flood of thoughts raced through her mind, but one thing was certain: that headmaster was a bastard.  

“Y-you’ve got it all wrong, milady! It’s a misunderstanding!” the headmaster stammered in panic.

“I’ll confirm that with my own eyes.”  

Freesia strode toward the children’s quarters, where a foul stench lingered. The headmaster followed, visibly sweating, unsure of what to do.  

“This isn’t a place fit for someone of your standing, milady…”  

“Fieldram.”  

Sometimes, the best way to deal with trash is with more trash.  

At Freesia’s call, Fieldram, who had been quietly standing with his arms crossed, finally spoke.  

“I’ve seen my fair share of things, but this… This is my first.”  

“It’s a misunderstanding! I swear!”  

“How about we start with a beating?”  

“Please! Spare me!”  

The headmaster let out a desperate scream as Fieldram dragged him away. Only then did the children’s faces begin to show a flicker of relief.  

“Milady, your dress…”  

“It’s fine.”  

Without concern for her ruined dress, Freesia carefully checked on the children. She felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that needed to be done, but she knew she couldn’t leave things as they were.  

“We have a lot to do, don’t we?”  

“Leave it to us,” responded Crowford’s capable maids, their eyes gleaming as they assessed the malnourished children.  

The orphanage’s condition was just as terrible as Freesia had expected—perhaps even worse. The word “atrocious” wasn’t enough to describe it.  

“That’s too heavy—let me handle it,” Luca offered.  

“Thank you,” Freesia replied with a small smile.  

Despite his young age, Luca’s strength was more than enough to carry the rotting bed sheets away. Meanwhile, soldiers summoned from the main household rolled up their sleeves and began clearing out the orphanage’s belongings.  

“But this is our home!” protested one child.  

“We’re just taking things out to clean up,” Freesia explained gently. “Luckily, the building is still sturdy, so we’re going to make it spotless. That way, no one will get sick anymore.”  

“Really? We won’t get sick?”  

The number of children coughing made it clear how neglected hygiene had been. It was no wonder so many of them were unwell in such unsanitary conditions.  

“I told you we shouldn’t have come here,” someone muttered behind her.  

“What about the headmaster?” Freesia asked.  

“He’s passed out. It’ll take a while for him to wake up.”  

It was probably better not to ask for details about what had happened.

As Freesia tended to the downcast children, she noticed one child sitting apart from the others, drawing her attention.  

“What about that one? Why is he alone?”  

“The teachers told us not to go near him.”  

The child’s appearance was unsettling—his hair was wild, and he exuded a sharp, wary energy. His isolation seemed deliberate, almost as if the teachers had wanted him to be an outcast.  

“That boy is a troublemaker,” a maid explained. “He’s been under our care because he kept causing problems. They say he was abandoned and left to wander with no parents.”  

“Is that so?”  

Looking at the frightened child, who resembled a forsaken animal, Freesia couldn’t help but feel drawn to him.  

‘Could he be… the protagonist?’  

Freesia cautiously approached the child curled up in the corner and extended her hand gently.  

“Come here.”  

The child, brimming with hostility, bared his teeth at the unfamiliar woman, his distrust plain to see.  

Luca grabbed Freesia’s hand firmly, shaking his head.  

“Please don’t.”  

“But…”  

“I know what you’re trying to do. But… I don’t want you to get hurt, Lady Freesia.”  

“This is the one causing all the trouble?”  

As Luca pulled Freesia back, Fieldram stepped forward and lunged toward the child.  

The child struggled frantically, but there was no escaping Fieldram’s grip.  

“Should we just toss him out with the rest?”  

“How can you say such awful things? Bring him here immediately!”  

While soldiers worked on repairing the building, the maids busily scrubbed the children clean. Fresh from their baths, the children sniffed their new clothes, savoring the unfamiliar scent of cleanliness.  

“This one’s a boy, so Fieldram can bathe him.”  

“Wait, what? You want me to do it?”  

“Don’t let him get a scratch and make sure he’s spotless.”  

“You’ve got to be kidding me! If it weren’t for you—!”  

Ignoring Fieldram’s grumbling, Freesia calmly folded the children’s clothes.  

Watching her work, Luca awkwardly sat beside her, trying to fold clothes as well, though his movements were clumsy.  

“Lady Freesia…”  

“Yes?”  

“Why do you care so much about this place?”  

The unexpected question left Freesia momentarily speechless. Then again, it made sense—someone like Luca, raised in the prestigious Bailey family, wouldn’t understand the plight of children like these.  

“Truth is, my parents were pretty irresponsible. There was even talk of sending me and Lily to an orphanage.”  

“Your parents?”  

The rise of new nobility had come at the expense of many old noble families. The previous emperor had sold noble titles to fund the war effort, and although the war ended successfully, the aftermath was harsh. Some prospered, but others were ruined—especially those who mismanaged their estates or incurred heavy debts. Many had to sell their titles and live as commoners.  

The Devlanc family had nearly met the same fate.  

“At the time, Lily and I were still young. Debt collectors came knocking, and my parents tried to escape in the middle of the night. Since I was a minor, there wasn’t much I could do.”  

Of course, that wasn’t the whole story.  

In her previous life, after her parents divorced and abandoned her, she had spent some time in an orphanage before being taken in by her grandfather. Thanks to the inheritance he left her, she had managed to graduate college and secure a job.  

Perhaps her empathy for the protagonist—the orphan in her new life—stemmed from her own experiences. It was hard not to feel a connection.  

“That’s why I want to help. Luca, you have a loving family, but these children… there’s no one else for them except me.”  

“I see…”  

Just then, one of the maids approached.  

“Milady, the teachers you requested have arrived.”  

“Good. Please bring them here.”  

Luca remained still, his head lowered as he contemplated her words.  

“Milady, look at this boy.”  

“Let go of me!”  

The boy, who had been captured by Fieldram earlier, now stood before them—his hair trimmed neatly and dressed in clean, proper clothes.  

“What’s your name?” Freesia asked.  

“Ash…”  

“Your ash-gray hair is beautiful.”  

The only clue to the protagonist’s identity was a tragic past. The story said he had forged strong ties with the Crowford family, only for everything to fall apart after a terrible tragedy. His hair had turned white, and he abandoned both his name and his past to start anew.  

Though he later dyed his hair, much of his backstory remained a mystery, with only scattered hints left behind. To confirm his identity, she needed to find the orphan connected to the Crowford family—an almost impossible task.  

“Lady Freesia, I feel sick…”  

“Luca?”  

“We’ll take the boy from here,” the maid offered, but Luca clung tightly to Freesia’s arm.  

“Lady Freesia, my stomach hurts so much…”  

“Your stomach?”  

He’d seemed perfectly fine earlier, but now Luca was drenched in sweat, collapsing to the ground.  

“Does it hurt a lot? Should I call for Fieldram to help?”  

“No! I don’t want that.”  

“Fair enough. I understand.”  

Luca pulled Freesia away from Ash, preventing her from even approaching the boy. Meanwhile, Fieldram, for some reason, insisted on watching over Ash himself and waved Freesia off.  

“The kid’s sick—go take care of him.”  

“Can I count on you to look after the children?”  

“What do you take me for?” Fieldram scoffed.  

While Fieldram’s presence reassured her, Luca’s sudden illness concerned Freesia more.  

“Did you eat something bad?”  

“I don’t know…”  

Strangely, Luca’s clingy behavior didn’t stop after that day.  

“Lady Freesia.”  

“Lady Freesia!”  

“Lady Freesia!!!”  

It was as if Luca had become a baby chick, following her everywhere.  

From that point on, he refused to leave her side, desperate to stay close no matter what.