“What is it, you? You think you’re going to go along with her?” the old woman scoffed.

I remained silent, simply looking up at her, and she clicked her tongue in irritation.

“Well, since you’re here anyway, take this lamp.” She shoved the oil lamp she had been carrying into my hands. The lamp, filled with oil, was heavier than I expected. There were lighter gas lamps, but oil lamps lasted longer, and in this orphanage, everything was cheap.

The clothes we wore had been passed down through several orphans, stretched at the neck, frayed at the hems, and full of holes. Even our undergarments were so oversized that we had to pin them to our waists to keep them from falling down.

Who knew when the building had last been repaired? The broken windows had fabric stuffed into the cracks, allowing cold drafts to seep in, and the creaky floor felt like it could collapse any minute.

The porridge we got each day barely kept us from starving, made from the cheapest ingredients imaginable.

In this orphanage, the most valuable assets were probably the orphans themselves.

“Always so gloomy. No matter how pretty that face of yours is, if you keep acting like that, no one will want to take you in,” she sneered.

I kept quiet.

Could a five-year-old child like me stand up to this old woman?

No, even though she hobbled around with a cane, she was stronger than I was. The last time she grabbed me by the arm, I was stunned at how easily she overpowered me.

If I said anything back, I’d probably just get beaten, or worse, she might not even let me walk alongside Claire.

I was trying to think of a way to save Claire, even in that moment. I didn’t have any grand plan, but I couldn’t just let her go.

When Claire first appeared in the game, her character was anything but likeable.

She was bratty, full of complexes, and constantly antagonized the princess, one of the main heroines. But as her backstory unfolded, and she eventually reconciled with the princess, Claire’s image improved. She went on to stand by the emperor, who sought to conquer the world, and in the end, she disobeyed his final orders to sacrifice herself for the princess.

I... liked Claire’s character.

Actually, I liked almost every main character in the game series.

Each installment took anywhere from 70 to 150 hours to complete, and I’d played through multiple times to finish all the routes. Over the years, I’d grown attached to the characters.

Seven years. For seven years, I eagerly awaited each new release, preordering and tearing open the delivery boxes with excitement. I even bought the downloadable version once because I couldn’t wait for the physical copy to arrive.

Claire was one of those characters I had grown to care about. I wanted to save her because I knew what the future held for her.

But... I didn’t have the power to do anything.

Even though I knew what would happen, I was just a five-year-old.

In some stories where people are transported to other worlds, especially game worlds, they gain special abilities or status windows. But I had none of that. Even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to use it.

Why did I end up here of all places?

What was the reason for me, powerless as I was, to be near this heroine?

“Say your goodbyes,” the old woman’s voice came from behind me.

The door was open. Was it because it was summer? The night sky was black. A middle-aged couple, clearly from a wealthy family, had come to the orphanage in the dead of night.

“...Hello.”

Not wanting to get hit again, I bowed politely and greeted them. Claire, standing beside me, awkwardly bowed as well.

“Oh?”

The man, with a neatly trimmed beard and wearing a cylindrical silk hat, bent down to peer at my face.

It was early winter, judging by the cold wind brushing against my skin.

But the chill that made me shiver wasn’t just from the breeze.

The man had high cheekbones and a monocle that made his one visible eye appear grotesquely large.

“This child?” he asked.

“No, no, it’s this one...” The old woman, who usually spoke with irritation, was suddenly polite to the man. “But, of course, this one is also for sale.”

“I see.”

The man took the oil lamp from my hands and brought it close to my face. The distinct smell of burning oil filled my nose, and the heat from the flame was almost unbearable. The flame inside the thick glass glowed with a red, almost bluish hue, like the gas flames you’d see on a stove.

The man examined my face closely in the flickering light, then slowly lowered the lamp, scrutinizing my body.

Then, he moved to Claire and did the same.

“I only brought enough money for one today. But this one seems to be just at the right age. The client will be pleased. Are they the same price?”

The man, having thoroughly inspected Claire, asked the old woman.

The plump middle-aged woman accompanying him stood a few steps away, uninterested in the proceedings.

“Well, this one has been kept hidden because she’s premium stock... We were preparing her for a client who prefers slightly older children...” the old woman replied nervously.

“Hm.”

The man turned back to me and grabbed a handful of my hair. Goosebumps spread down my spine. Even if I were in my original body, I doubt I could overpower him.

Underneath his finely tailored suit, I could see the outlines of his muscular frame. If he wanted to, he could probably crush my skull with his bare hands.

Ignoring my frozen posture, he held my hair up to the lamp, as if checking the color.

“This one is more to the client’s taste. Is she experienced?”

The man asked, letting my hair drop.

“Oh no, sir. We always provide only new stock. That’s our policy,” the old woman assured him.

“I see. Then we’ll handle the preparation on our end,” the man said, straightening up and handing the lamp back to the old woman.

Now that I could see more clearly, I noticed he held a sturdy cane in his right hand. Unlike the old woman’s roughly carved wooden stick, his cane was sleek, polished, with an eagle’s head for a handle. It might have been made of silver.

“So, what’s the price again?” he asked, his gaze cold as he looked down at the old woman.

She seemed to have forgotten all the exaggerated praise she’d heaped on me earlier.

“Oh, it’s nothing. After all, they’re both orphans. We’ll stick to the price we discussed before.”

“Very well.”

The man pulled a heavy pouch from his coat pocket and tossed it to the old woman, who barely managed to catch it. She peeked inside and smiled broadly, her face creasing with wrinkles and revealing her nearly toothless mouth. With the lamp casting shadows from below, her grin looked like something out of a horror movie.

“Thank you, sir! Please continue to do business with us,” she said, bowing deeply.

“Of course. Keep the other one safe until next time,” he said, gesturing toward Claire.

“Certainly, sir. You can count on me.”

“Let’s go.” The man looked at me and spoke.

“Sister?”

Claire, not fully understanding what was happening, looked at me nervously.

“...Claire.”

I hadn’t expected things to turn out like this...

But maybe, at least for now, I had succeeded?

I couldn’t predict what would happen to Claire in the future, but for the moment, had I averted disaster?

“...Stay healthy,” I said.

“Sister, where are you going?” Claire asked anxiously, her gaze flickering between me and the man.

Before I could nod in reassurance, the man spoke.

This time, his voice was no longer cold and formal—it was disturbingly warm and soothing.

He walked over to Claire, bent down, and placed a hand on her shoulder, like a gentle adult.

“Your ‘sister’ is going to a wonderful place. It’s warm there, and she’ll never go hungry. So, be good and wait here. Soon, someone will come for you, and you’ll be able to live happily with her in the same place.”

“...”

Even at her young age, Claire didn’t seem to believe his words.

Her eyes darted between the man and me, full of unease.

The man smiled at her, then gently patted her head.

He stood up, turned away, and walked toward the carriage without saying another word.

“......”

I waved to Claire.

It wasn’t exactly a moment for smiling, but I forced one anyway.

Seeing my smile seemed to calm her, and she waved back.

With nothing more I could do, I turned toward the carriage.

•  

Thud!

A loud noise echoed around me as soon as I climbed into the carriage.

I thought it was the sound of the door closing, but then I felt a sharp pain in my forehead and realized that my head had been slammed into the floor.

My vision blurred, and my ears rang. The dizziness was worse than the pain. A burly man had just grabbed the head of a five-year-old and smashed it into the floor. It was a miracle I was even conscious.

“Ah...?”

But that didn’t mean I was unharmed.

Blood was streaming down my face. Had I broken my nose?

I felt something rolling around inside my mouth.

I tried to raise my hand to touch my face—

Smack!

My head snapped to the side with a sharp slap.

“H-hiee...”

Only then did the pain truly register.

It hurt.

It was probably the worst pain I’d ever felt, in this world or the last.

Tears blurred my vision, and my ears rang so loudly I couldn’t hear anything. Maybe that last slap had ruptured my eardrum.

“Sorry.”

A voice, emotionless and unfeeling, cut through the ringing in my ears.

“I have nothing against you personally. The client just prefers them a little... damaged.”

A thick hand wrapped tightly around my neck.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you.”

“Gugh...”

I wanted to say something, but no words came out.

I could vaguely see the man’s hand rising above me through my still-swollen eye.

No... Please...

•  

Then, all of a sudden, the pain in my body vanished.

I remained curled up, waiting for another blow, but it never came.

In fact, the warmth of the carriage had disappeared entirely.

Was I... dead?

Trembling, I slowly opened my eyes.

Standing in front of me, looking confused, was Claire.

“Sister?”

Claire asked, staring at me as I sat on the bed, huddled and terrified.

“...Huh?”

I lowered my arms and looked around.

I was back in the orphanage. It was exactly as it had been before I’d left.

I touched my face.

No wounds. No bruises. Nothing hurt. My teeth were intact, and my tongue wasn’t rolling over anything broken.

What... was this...?

Before I could even begin to process what had happened—

“Claire!”

The old woman’s voice called out.

“Someone’s here to take you! Come on, be happy about it!”

I had heard this before.