Please Save My Child - Chapter 20

“…Lightly…?”

What Reina held in her hand was a 100,000 Theon bill.

That wasn’t exactly what one would call “light spending” for snacks… She glanced toward the nearby street vendor.

The vendor was smiling, but his complexion had turned pale as if he was deeply concerned about what Reina might purchase with that money.

In the end, Reina slipped the 100,000 Theon bill into her wallet and took out her own money instead.

She pondered how she should address Estelle. Calling her “Young Lady” might attract too much attention, so today, she decided to forgo titles altogether.

I mean, I’m already calling the duke by his first name, Damian—so does it really matter at this point?

“Kids, let’s get something to eat here while we wait for Mr. Damian.”

“Okay!”

“Alright~!”

From the moment they had settled near the vendor, the children’s eyes had been glued to the various animal-shaped iced cookies on display.

“How much are these?”

“They’re 200 Theon each. But if you buy ten, I’ll give you one extra for free.”

“Oh, really?”

Still, Reina doubted they could eat eleven cookies, so she decided to buy just one for each of them.

Estelle chose a rabbit-shaped cookie, while Bonita picked a squirrel-shaped one.

Seeing their choices, Reina couldn’t help but think that the two had selected animals that looked just like themselves.

“Mom, aren’t you going to have one?”

“Yeah, aren’t you?”

The children, already nibbling on the ears of their cookies, gazed at her expectantly.

Reina was just about to take out 400 Theon when she caught sight of their sparkling eyes.

“Uh…”

“There’s one right here that looks just like you, madam.”

The vendor, seizing the perfect opportunity, beamed as he held up a pink flower-shaped cookie.

“…Oh, um…”

Reina wasn’t particularly drawn to it, but given the children’s eager expressions and the festive atmosphere, she decided not to refuse.

In the end, she bought the cookie meant for her as well and stood there, holding it somewhat awkwardly.

By the time the children had almost finished their cookies, a man dressed in a lavish uniform appeared in the distance.

He was urgently pushing his way through the crowd, scanning the area.

‘Does he have some urgent business?’

As Reina hesitated, still absentmindedly toying with her cookie, the man suddenly turned his head in her direction.

His eyes widened in shock, and he dashed toward her.

“…Madam! You are Madam, correct?!”

“…Pardon?”

It was one thing for the vendor to address her as “madam” as part of his sales pitch, but why was this man calling her that?

His expression was one of absolute desperation, as if he had just found his savior.

Before she could react, he grabbed her hands.

“Ah, please come quickly! And bring your daughters as well! The lord is waiting!”

“Excuse me…”

Reina desperately wished someone would explain what was happening.

The children, now frightened, clung to the hem of her dress and looked up at her nervously.

“I can’t just follow someone I don’t even know.”

“…Ah!”

Only then did the man realize his mistake and quickly let go of her hands.

“My apologies for my rudeness—I was in such a hurry. I am Shane, the owner of the Saint Bell Theater Troupe, responsible for spreading the divine tales across the land. I am the second Shane in my family line.”

“……”

“The lord has rented out the entire performance for this time slot. He said he wished to watch in comfort with his family.”

“…What?”

Reina, Estelle, and Bonita all gaped at the theater owner in disbelief.

What on earth is he talking about?

At that moment, Reina suddenly realized why Damian had disappeared earlier.

Before they could fully process the situation, a group of theater staff arrived and ushered them inside the tent.

The massive seating area was completely empty, except for one man sitting alone.

Even from a distance, his refined and dignified appearance was unmistakable.

With his legs crossed, Damian gazed at the vacant stage with an air of disinterest.

When he heard people approaching, he turned his head.

“…You’ve arrived.”

“Mr. Damian? What is all this?”

“I couldn’t possibly let my daughter shiver in the cold while waiting to watch a play.”

Damian furrowed his brows, as if the very thought was absurd.

She’s the daughter of a noble house—how could she be made to endure such inconvenience?

If that was the case, wouldn’t it have been easier to just invite the theater troupe to the mansion?

That thought crossed Reina’s mind, but she bit her tongue to hold back the remark.

Estelle, meanwhile, looked around at the completely empty seats.

Tugging at Damian’s sleeve, she hesitantly asked, “…Does this mean the people outside won’t be able to enter until we finish watching?”

“That’s correct. This way, you can watch comfortably.”

“……”

Damian spoke with pride, clearly thinking he had done something commendable.

But Estelle’s expression darkened instead.

Seeing this, Damian suddenly felt lost.

Feeling uncertain, he turned his gaze toward Reina.

Reina felt that she had been seeing Damian’s more human side quite often lately. But…

She approached him and whispered softly enough that the children wouldn’t hear.

“She feels bad for the people waiting outside.”

“…Why?”

“The people outside made time to come here and are waiting patiently, but since you rented the entire venue, they have to wait even longer.”

“……”

Damian seemed unable to understand Estelle’s way of thinking and fell into deep contemplation.

After a moment, he spoke to the theater owner, “Fill the seats primarily with those who brought young children.”

“…Pardon? Ah! Understood!”

“No… Wait.”

He touched his lips thoughtfully before changing his mind.

“Invite the children from the orphanage as well.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, immediately.”

“……”

“I’ll pay twice the amount I already gave you.”

“A-ah, I understand! I’ll bring the children right away!”

Reina didn’t know how much Damian had already paid, but she had no desire to find out. If she did, she felt as if she would cross a river she could never return from.

Unaware of her thoughts, Damian confidently led the invited children to the best seats.

“Is this satisfactory?” he asked Estelle.

After some hesitation, she nodded.

Her cheeks were flushed red, likely from the cold.

Reina hesitated for a moment before taking a seat beside Bonita.

“…Master.”

“I told you to call me by my name.”

“There’s no one listening here.”

“…Fine.”

Reina had been wanting to ask this question for a while, so she finally gathered the courage to speak.

“What exactly did you tell the theater owner about our relationship?”

“I didn’t say much.”

“Is that so?”

“I simply said that I came to watch a play with my daughter. Then, I handed over money and told them there would be a woman looking after two children at a nearby stall and to bring her here.”

“…I see.”

At least he hadn’t referred to her as his wife or implied that she was part of his family. The misunderstanding must have come from the theater owner interpreting Damian’s vague explanation in his own way.

Not long after, the theater troupe, having hurriedly invited the children from the orphanage, began preparing for the performance.

It seemed they had some extra time before the original scheduled start, so the play was able to begin as planned.

“…Wow.”

As the tent darkened, a magician from the troupe performed a beautiful display of magic.

The children’s eyes sparkled with amazement at the sight of the dazzling magic.

It wasn’t just Estelle and Bonita.

The orphanage children, wide-eyed, stared at the stage, completely captivated, their mouths slightly agape.

Reina found it amusing and endearing to see all the children wearing the same expression.

She smiled warmly.

“…What are you looking at?” Damian tilted his head and whispered to Reina.

Startled, she turned her head quickly to respond—only to find his face much closer than she had expected.

Her eyes widened in shock.

“…Uh, um… I just thought… the children are adorable.”

In the darkness, their voices were as soft as the wind brushing against the grass at midnight.

“……”

“You gave them a wonderful gift.”

“It wasn’t my intention.”

“Even so.”

Damian, feeling somewhat embarrassed, straightened his posture.

Reina watched him and softly whispered, smiling, “You’re like Santa Claus.”

“……?”

“Oh, right. Would you like this?”

Reina broke the flower-shaped cookie she had been holding and handed him the larger half.

Damian, now holding the small, dainty cookie in his hand, absentmindedly fiddled with it as he recalled what she had just said.

Santa Claus.

A figure that did not exist in the Aizen Empire—no, in this world at all.

Damian looked at Reina, who had casually compared him to something unknown.

She had already turned back toward the stage, watching the play with the children.

For some reason, she looked just as excited as the little ones.

And for some reason, Damian had the strange feeling that he would never forget this moment.

***

The play began with the words:

“Bendicion looked upon the first child born on earth and could not help but fall in love.”

The performance was a retelling of the story of the birth of the stars, perfectly suited for the Star’s Birth Festival.

Long ago, in an age when gods did not exist, a great drought befell the land.

Many people starved and perished.

Amidst the deep despair, a single child prayed.

“God, oh God, please hear my prayer. Please, take care of everyone.”

The god did not answer.

The child prayed again.

“God, oh God, please hear my prayer. Please, save everyone. I will give you anything you desire.”

At that moment, a being of sacred light appeared.

“Then, will you love me?”