The children exchanged panicked glances—and bolted.
"Run for it!!"
At Gal's shout, they scattered in every direction across the courtyard.
"If I catch you, you're all dead this time, you little brats!!"
Violet shook with rage.
Her hair, drenched and clinging to her forehead; the heavy drops falling one after another from the tip of her nose.
She took a step forward to chase them—but a firm, mature voice echoed through the courtyard, freezing her in place.
"Violet!"
She turned toward the building's entrance and saw a woman staring at her with a stern expression.
"…Célene."
Célene was the mother.
She ran the orphanage entirely on her own, caring for every child who passed through its doors.
Standing in the doorway, she continued to watch Violet with a look of reprimand.
"Are you picking on the children again?"
Violet's anger evaporated instantly.
"Fine… but this is the last time!"
She said it loudly—making sure the fleeing children could hear her.
Mother Célene looked at Violet closely, noticing the exhausted expression on her face.
"Come inside, Violet. I'll help you dry off."
Violet cast one last glare toward the courtyard, then walked toward the door, joining the mother and following her inside.
There was something in that woman's calm voice that could dispel any worry and soothe Violet instantly.
Célene had a gentle nature, always kind and understanding. Her voice was quiet and steady—tired, yes—but somehow always able to calm you and make you feel safe.
They walked through the corridors until they reached a small room lit by a large window. Inside were several old wooden tubs, worn and aged.
"Come on, take your clothes off and get in."
Without embarrassment, Violet undressed, revealing a young, smooth body, droplets of water sliding down her skin.
Once she stepped into the tub, Célene patiently began pouring fresh water over her and handed her a bar of harsh, rough lye soap.
Violet started scrubbing herself, watching as Célene—her back turned—prepared more water for rinsing, transferring it from a large bucket to a smaller one.
Violet had always found her beautiful. Tall, with long chestnut hair, she was a woman with a young, pleasant face. Yet her features were lean, and her strong body carried the signs of a life filled with hard work.
Everyone called her Mother, and as far as Violet was concerned, no other word suited her better.
Day after day, that young woman poured every bit of energy into others, with little left for herself.
Once she finished rinsing Violet's naked body, Célene handed her dry cloths, which the girl used to scrub herself and finally wrap up in.
"…Thank you, Célene."
The woman didn't reply.
She simply took Violet's clothes, submerged them in the water, and began scrubbing them with the same bar of soap Violet had used.
When Violet finished drying off, she put on some of Célene's old clothes and followed her into an adjoining room.
Inside were a worn table, wooden chairs, and a fireplace where Célene neatly placed Violet's clean clothes to dry.
"Sit down, I'll dry your hair."
Célene stepped behind Violet, wrapping her head in a cloth and gently rubbing it.
"How did it go today… at the guild?"
With her face hidden under the cloth, Violet managed to conceal her embarrassed expression.
"Good… well, um… I signed up…"
Célene was silent for a few seconds.
"And nothing else?"
The question didn't surprise her.
There was no point trying to hide anything from Célene.
"Well… um… things got… pretty bad for me…"
Again, a long silence.
"I understand. What matters is that you're safe. But Violet… you should really find some companions."
Célene knew her girl well, and as always, she could predict Violet's thoughts and worries.
The day—many years ago—when Violet had confessed she wanted to become an adventurer, Célene had reacted with her usual calm, without the slightest sign of agitation.
She had simply smiled and asked if Violet was truly sure about the path she wished to take.
But never—not even once—had she tried to dissuade her, nor had she ever judged her for it.
"I plan to go back tomorrow and maybe accept a simpler mission. You know… I think, with time, I'll manage to find a group to join…"
When she finished drying her head, Célene lifted the cloth and folded it neatly.
"It would be nice if you made some friends. You're always alone, surrounded only by children…"
Still hidden behind the cloth, Violet took a moment.
Aside from Nilly, she had never managed to form bonds with the other children at the orphanage.
"Don't worry, Célene. I know what I want to do now. I still have a lot to learn, sure… but I promise I'll be careful."
Violet turned to look at her.
Célene met her gaze with her usual serious, faintly sad expression, and gently stroked her cheek.
Without saying anything more, the woman moved behind her again, adjusting her clothes and beginning to brush her hair.
"Célene?" Violet murmured, staring into the fire, lost in thought.
"Yes, Violet…?"
"Do you think… that I'll ever find a place that's really mine?"
Célene remained silent, continuing to run the brush through her hair.
"You know, Violet… I've seen many children come through this place. But you… you've always had something different."
She hit a knot in Violet's hair and tugged, making the girl wince.
"Just look at your hair, your eyes. I've never met anyone with such a strange, unique, and interesting color as yours…"
Violet felt her cheeks burn.
"…Ever since you were a little girl, you were curious, stubborn, and you cried all the time…"
Violet listened, embarrassed, without turning around.
"…And you always talked about other places, other worlds. Like a home you were supposed to return to someday."
The brush grew gentle again.
"I always thought the place you talked about was just something imaginary… or maybe the result of some strange dream…"
Violet listened to Célene's words, puzzled.
Really? I don't remember any of that…
"Yet you kept going. You cried, you complained… I think that's when you started thinking about leaving one day, about becoming an adventurer…"
Violet watched the fire crackle.
"…And from then on, you never gave up. You rolled up your sleeves, tried to figure out how to make it happen, and when you grew older you took action. You started working, you saved money, and you bought everything you thought you'd need to chase your dream."
Yes, it had been hard.
Violet had bent over backward to scrape together the money she needed.
And Célene had watched in silence the whole time, never once interfering.
"What I mean, Violet, is that I can't tell you whether you'll ever find a place that truly belongs to you. But I'm certain you'll do everything in your power to reach it."
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by soft whispers coming from the hallway.
Two little reddish ears peeked around the doorway, twitching as they tried to catch the conversation inside.
The children had gathered in the corridor, debating whether Violet was still angry at them and whether it was safe to show themselves.
"They care about you a lot, you know?"
Célene's words reached Violet, who was glaring toward the door with irritation.
"Yes, I know…"
Violet forced herself to look away from the doorway, letting her anger fade.
Célene broke the silence.
"Well, we're done here," she said, folding the cloth she had used to dry Violet's hair and placing it near the fire to dry.
"It's almost dinner time. How about giving me a hand?"
Violet turned toward her, nodded, and stood up.
"Thanks…"
Célène grabbed a large ladle and began tapping the boiling pot over the fire.
"Dinner time! Come on, everyone!"
At her call, the children burst into the room at full speed, shouting and filling the place with noise.
Lili, the last to appear, timidly walked up to Violet.
"Big sis… are you still mad?"
Violet looked into her big round eyes and gently patted her head.
"No… I'm not mad."
"Then you forgive us?" Negis hurried over, grabbing her hands.
Violet raised an eyebrow with an exaggeratedly regal air.
"Yes, I forgive you. But only this time. Make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Yay, big sis forgave us!!!"
At her words, the children rushed noisily to the table, settling in for the meal.
Once everyone was seated, Violet helped Célene serve dinner to the kids, then finally sat down herself, looking into her own bowl.
Inside was a vegetable soup with tiny bits of meat floating on the surface, accompanied by stale bread.
They ate while chatting about this and that, until the youngest ones' eyes grew shiny and heavy with sleep.
After clearing the table, Célene stayed in the kitchen to tidy up, while Violet took the children to their room, helping them get ready for the night and tucking them into their beds.
Once she had wished them goodnight and blown out the candle, she walked back down the corridor to her own room.
The interior was simple and bare.
There was a low, plain bed and a shelf cluttered with disorganized trinkets.
A small table sat beside it, with a short candle on top, which Violet lit before sitting down.
On the table lay a thick, worn-out book with a barely readable title:
"Beginner's Magic Manual"
A battered volume Violet had bought years ago in a magic-goods shop in the lower district.
Over time, the children had filled it with doodles and silly drawings of animals, making several pages nearly unreadable.
She read through it, reviewing spell names and imagining all the situations where they might come in handy, picturing herself in those scenarios.
Once satisfied, Violet set the now nearly melted candle near her bed.
After slipping under the covers, her gaze lingered for a moment on the staff resting on the table, its surface sparkling faintly in the candlelight.
Losing herself in her fantasies, she finally closed her eyes.