The initial embarrassment from wearing a dress had long since faded.

In fact, seeing the children in front of me without any trace of hesitation or fear made me glad I had chosen this outfit. If they were intimidated, we wouldn’t be able to have a proper conversation.

The problem was… now that I had all these curious-eyed kids gathered around me, I was at a loss for what to say.

I couldn’t just outright say, *“I’m from the same orphanage as you. Do you recognize me?”* There were too many of them here for that. While I trusted Daniel not to reveal my identity, I wasn’t sure about the other nine.

"…"

And that’s when it hit me—I didn’t really know any of these kids.

It was a given, I suppose. Even with friends I’d known for years, there were always things I didn’t know about them. How could I expect to remember kids I’d only spent a few months with a decade ago? The fact that I even recalled some of their faces was a testament to my memory.

…Though it wasn’t particularly impressive.

“Look, sister.”

Claire, who had sidled up next to me, looped her arm through mine and tugged me closer.

I took a step forward toward the children.

“Sylvia, my sister,” Claire added, though her words were clearly directed more toward the children than me. She probably knew that outright revealing everything wasn’t wise, but she wanted to give them a hint.

And a hint was just that—a hint. If any of them grew certain enough to ask directly in the future, I could always deny it.

A few of the children blinked, their eyes widening as they processed Claire’s words. The glimmer of understanding appeared in their eyes, quickly giving way to a look of surprise.

That look of realization rippled through the group like a wave. Each child glanced at their neighbors, then back at my face, gradually connecting the dots. One by one, they all wore the same open-mouthed expression of astonishment.

It took less than a minute.

They all remembered me. It took them less than a minute to recognize who I was.

And I couldn’t even remember their names.

“This person,” Claire said, still clinging tightly to my arm, as if worried I might vanish at any moment.

…The last time we’d all been together, when Lucas had taken me away, and I’d become part of the royal family.

Claire might not have fully understood what happened back then, but she seemed to think that something similar could happen again, even now.

“This is Lady Sylvia Pangriffon, princess of the House of Pangriffon.”

A few of the children gasped, startled. Some hesitated, unsure whether to bow, but then looked around and hesitated when they saw no one else moving.

They were still young, despite the ten years that had passed.

Does that mean I, too, still appear young in the eyes of others?

My head was too muddled to think logically.

“I invited her after we became friends at the academy, and when she heard we were looking after you all, she expressed interest in meeting you, so I brought her along.”

Gone was the playful tone Claire had used with Leo; instead, she explained to the children in a soft, gentle voice, as if this were something she absolutely had to do.

I found myself thinking about Claire in my absence.

It wasn’t as if I hadn’t imagined it before. I’d thought about it many times since we’d been separated. I had pictured her living well in the Grace family, confident that she wouldn’t have grown up twisted or bitter. Those were the kinds of thoughts I held onto, until we’d reunited at the academy.

Once we met again, I didn’t need to imagine.

Hardworking and diligent, friendly and sociable… that’s how Claire had turned out in the end.

But was that Claire’s true self?

Had she, like in the original story where she had grown up fighting with Alice in the palace, developed that personality due to circumstances beyond her control?

What kind of words did she say to console the others right after I had disappeared?

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Claire said, hugging my arm with both hands, smiling proudly as if she were presenting a prized possession.

“Her Highness was curious about our lives. What do you all think?”

The children’s eyes lingered on Claire before shifting to me.

“Shall we tell her our stories?”

Under normal circumstances, that would be a ridiculous question.

Many nobles engaged in charitable work for various reasons—whether out of genuine compassion, religious duty, or a desire to showcase their generosity. Some sponsored activities in impoverished neighborhoods, ran orphanages, or even visited them from time to time.

But holding them up with long-winded tales would be considered rude. Most nobles had no interest in hearing the mundane lives of commoners, even those they were helping.

Yet, Claire spoke as if she thought I would want to hear their stories.

And—

Yes, honestly, I did want to hear them.

*

Emma had a talent for cleaning. And not just regular cleaning. She had an eye for estimating the size of items and figuring out how best to arrange them, organizing boxes to fit even more into storage. She was currently training as a maid, and in a few years, she would likely continue working in the main household until she found a good man to marry.

Oliver had a knack for swordsmanship. Although he wasn’t quite at Claire’s level, he was steadily improving, and it was clear he would one day become capable enough to protect his master. He was undergoing training now, and in time, he’d be one of those guarding the estate’s entrance.

Chloe had a gift for tending to plants…

One by one, as if presenting a report, they told me their stories.

Each one was different. Some worked in similar areas, but no two had the exact same talent.

And they were all the same children I had once lowered down by rope from that window.

"…"

As I listened to their stories, I remained silent.

The truth is, I remembered that day clearly.

Back then, I had only intended to escape with Claire. She was the one who urged me to save the others.

*There are still children inside…*

It was only after her words that I’d climbed back up and tried to save as many as I could.

If Claire hadn’t said anything—

But the children, the ones now beaming at me with proud smiles, introduced themselves as if determined to prove that they were living their lives to the fullest, as if to show that my actions hadn’t been in vain.

Beside me, Claire smiled warmly, listening to their stories with me.

I felt embarrassed.

Ashamed.

I wanted to crawl away and hide.

It felt like wearing an ill-fitting outfit.

I wasn’t… I wasn’t as good a person as they thought I was.

“Sylvia…”

While I was lost in thought, someone gently tapped my shoulder.

It was Alice.

Unlike Claire, Alice spoke to me from the other side, with a slightly worried expression.

"…"

She didn’t say, *Are you all right?* But I could tell that was what she wanted to ask. Alice, too, knew who these children were and had seen the pride in their expressions.

And Alice, too, probably thought I had saved these children, or at least that I had done something worthy of their gratitude.

“Do you want to take a break?”

At her question, I nodded slightly.

I moved to one of the chairs in the lobby and sat down.

Seeing me sit without a word, everyone else fell silent as well.

This wasn’t how I’d wanted it to go.

And yet… I had no idea what to say.

So I just sat there quietly, catching my breath.