In the dim light of dawn, Megan stood with a travel bag in hand, gazing at Sunflower Orphanage while the children were still asleep.
"Please leave before the children wake up. You and this orphanage simply don't belong together."
Watson's words from yesterday still rang vividly in her ears.
Biting her lip, Megan struggled against the helplessness welling inside her.
She had also heard that beginning today, Anna would be returning to work to fill the vacancy she left behind.
That meant the Discipline Room would reopen.
And the children would suffer again.
Most of all, she worried about Lopez.
The girl was still young, yet she had bravely stepped forward to do things that should have been the responsibility of adults.
Because of her, Medina hadn't been kidnapped.
Because of her, Chester and Klein hadn't been seriously hurt.
Would such a righteous child quietly obey Anna once the Discipline Room reopened?
Absolutely not.
Should I have at least told her to keep her head down?
Knowing she was leaving the children behind in a place that felt like hell, Megan found it impossible to take another step.
But she had to leave.
There was nothing she could do here.
She was powerless.
If only I'd found some evidence...
But Carrington had interfered at every turn, preventing her from uncovering anything.
Knowing crimes are being committed and being forced to watch because there's no proof...
After staring at the orphanage in silence, Megan let out one final heavy sigh and turned away.
Then—
Rustle.
Someone burst out from the bushes.
It was Lopez.
A huge bandage covered half her face, and her right hand was wrapped thickly in gauze.
"Lopez?"
"Teasher. No, Teacher."
Because one side of her cheek was swollen, Lopez's pronunciation came out slightly slurred.
It was adorable.
But Megan couldn't laugh.
The thought of leaving a child like this behind hurt too much.
"Why are you out here instead of sleeping?"
"Teacher likes children, right?"
The sudden question made Megan blink slowly.
She looked down at Lopez.
A gentle smile soon spread across her face.
"...Very much."
There wasn't some grand reason behind it.
Children simply deserved to be loved.
Megan herself had grown up in an orphanage.
She had been loved by the director there.
Thanks to that affection, her childhood hadn't been miserable.
And because of that, she had always wanted to become that kind of adult for other children.
But...
Remembering her current situation, bitterness welled in her eyes.
Lopez quietly studied her.
Megan had experienced a childhood both similar to and different from her own.
Yet they shared the same dream.
Her love for children was genuine.
And after seeing that sincerity for herself, Lopez finally made up her mind.
This really is the best option.
She strode toward Megan, pulled a thick bundle of documents from her bag, and held it out.
Then she spoke earnestly.
"Teasher... please protect the children."
...Of all moments, her pronunciation had to fail her now.
A week had passed since Megan left.
She should be arriving soon.
Anna had resumed working at the orphanage.
Because Megan had disappeared without even saying goodbye, the atmosphere among the children had become noticeably gloomy.
The three boys from Class 3 were no exception.
The only adult who had ever looked after them was gone.
Of course they were upset.
I continued staring out the window.
The moment Anna returned, Class 3 went right back to being ignored by everyone.
The fact that Classes 1 and 2 were busy with lessons while we sat around doing nothing was proof enough.
"Even if you keep looking, Teacher isn't coming."
"Just speak casually."
"I'm not comfortable doing that."
I see.
Here I thought we'd become closer because he'd been looking after me.
Apparently there was still a line between us.
I'm not comfortable with you.
Should I be grateful he at least omitted the subject?
While I was trying to decide how to respond, the twins suddenly jumped to their feet.
"You're embarrassing Lopez!"
"Why would you say it like that?!"
Thank you, twins.
You managed to make something that could've passed naturally become awkward.
Still, their hearts were in the right place.
I smiled at them before turning back toward the window.
Miles and Rodney wandered over and stood beside me.
"If you keep looking like that, will Teacher Megan come back?"
"We got abandoned, right? Teacher Anna said Class 3 kids get sold to bad people."
I wondered what to do about Anna, who had started throwing verbal garbage around the moment she returned.
Then I answered.
"You weren't abandoned. Teacher Megan left because she wants us to be together in a better place. That's why she'll come back soon."
I paused.
"And don't believe anything Teacher Anna says. She's a liar and a mean person."
Was it okay to tell children that?
Probably not.
But this wasn't me trying to turn them against someone.
Anna genuinely was awful.
"Really?"
"I don't lie."
"You lied when you said you were a demon witch."
Bill, you little traitor...
Just then, a faint sound reached my ears.
Horse hooves.
I immediately threw the window open.
The sound grew louder and louder.
Soon a carriage emerged through a cloud of dust.
It was painted entirely white so children wouldn't be frightened by it.
A large star emblem was displayed on its side.
And there were far more knights escorting it than there had been in the original novel.
The carriage came to a stop in front of the orphanage.
The person who stepped out wasn't anyone else.
It was Megan.
She's here!
Rodney and Miles spotted her too and immediately began waving.
"Huh?! It's Teacher Megan!"
"Kids!"
I hurriedly called the three boys over and lined them up in front of me.
Then I took out pieces of charcoal I had prepared in advance and started smearing them across their faces.
"Waugh! What are you doing?!"
One fortunate thing about this world was that child welfare was surprisingly advanced.
There was even an entire government department dedicated to protecting children.
Children must be protected, no matter what.
The Temple and the Imperial Family fought constantly.
But on that point, they completely agreed.
Which meant the director's crimes would never be forgiven.
She had literally been trafficking children.
As I remembered the countless jewels hidden inside Watson's secret safe, a secret smile crept onto my face.
"Listen carefully. If those people ask what life at the orphanage is like, tell them the truth. Got it?"
"Like what?"
"Hmm. Have you been receiving lessons lately?"
"No!"
"Do you get enough food?"
"They feed us, but we don't get the snacks the other classes get!"
"Why are you in Class 3?"
"Because I'm bad at studying and not valuable!"
Miles and Rodney answered diligently.
I nodded in satisfaction.
"Just answer like that. Easy, right?"
"Yeah, but the Director..."
"You can ignore anything she says. Seriously. You don't need to be afraid."
Seeing their hesitation, I spoke confidently.
"I'm the Demon Witch, remember? That means I'm stronger!"
Only then did all three children visibly relax.
The news that inspectors had arrived at the orphanage sent Watson and Carrington rushing downstairs.
"Teacher Megan came with them?"
"Yes. And there are more knights accompanying them than usual. I have a bad feeling about this."
When they hurried into the entrance hall, the inspectors had already entered the building.
And not just any inspector.
Leading them was Jack, the Head Inspector himself.
He wore immaculate clothes, and his neatly combed-back hair only emphasized his cold, professional appearance.
Why is he here...?
Watson forced her expression to remain composed.
"Chief Inspector."
She approached him with a friendly smile.
Jack ignored her completely.
Instead, his sharp gaze swept across the building.
"I've heard there was an unfortunate incident here recently."
Watson clasped her sweat-soaked hands together and feigned ignorance.
"What? That's impossible. As you know, we manage this orphanage very carefully. Just look at our adoption rate—"
Jack cut her off mercilessly.
"Must I list every charge one by one?"
"..."
Watson's heart nearly stopped.
How much does he know?
Her carefully maintained smile threatened to crack.
She desperately tried to gauge his intentions, but Jack gave her no time.
Instead, he called out calmly:
"Teacher Megan."
At the name, Watson's shoulders jerked.
Megan stepped forward from among the gathered knights.
The moment Watson saw her cold expression, she licked her dry lips.
"W-Why are you..."
"You thought it would stay hidden?"
Watson couldn't tell what she was referring to.
And because she didn't know, she dared not answer.
The director's ledger was hidden perfectly. Then what is she relying on?
The kidnapping incident?
That had already been recorded as nothing more than a failed abduction attempt.
There was no evidence tying it back to her.
That's right.
They have no proof.
Watson decided to brazen it out.
