Chapter 51: Mint Chocolate

After finishing the conversation with Liel in the sitting room, I stepped into the living room with Harp.

Liel looked around the room with a bright smile, but suddenly, her gaze fixed on something.

Following her line of sight, I saw Sua.

In one corner of the living room, Sua was busy crafting something.

She held a wooden slab in her hands, carving letters into it.

So that’s where she was—I hadn’t seen her for a while.

“Sua, what are you doing?”

As I approached and asked, Sua lifted her head and beamed at me.

“Oh, Teacher! This? It’s a welcome sign for our new friend!”

She proudly held up the wooden slab.

Carved onto it, in slightly clumsy handwriting, was the name “Liel.”

“Wow… you made this yourself?”

Liel’s eyes sparkled as she stepped closer to ask.

Sua nodded and handed over the sign.

“Yup! Welcome, Liel! Let’s all get along from now on!”

Hearing that, Liel’s face lit up with a bright smile as she took the wooden sign.

“Thank you! It’s really amazing!”

Liel gazed at the sign, happiness filling her face.

But at the same time, she tilted her head slightly, as if puzzled.

She ran her fingers over the sign and murmured in a small voice.

“Strange… this feels familiar.”

I looked at her curiously.

“Familiar? The sign does?”

“No… it’s just that the setup feels a little off. That person should definitely be an adult, but… um, never mind!”

Liel quickly cut herself off and smiled brightly again.

She seemed to be hiding something, but I decided not to press further.

And then—it happened.

Knock, knock.

The sound of someone knocking on the orphanage door echoed once again.

I sighed and tilted my head.

“So many visitors today.”

Harp was busy gathering the remaining dishes and washing them, while Sua was too caught up showing off her newly made welcome sign to Liel.

That meant I was the only one available to open the door.

Shaking my head, I quietly opened it.

Standing at the entrance was the middle-aged man I had met last night.

He was dressed neatly and greeted me with a warm smile.

“Hello. We meet again.”

“Oh, hello. You’re the one who came last night… You’re back again.”

At my words, he chuckled sheepishly.

“I’m here about the adoption we discussed yesterday. I thought spending more time with the children might help me find an answer.”

I nodded, and he carefully stepped inside, moving hesitantly.

As soon as he entered, his gaze shifted toward the orphanage children.

When he noticed Harp washing the dishes, he beamed and walked over to her.

“Hello! You must be Harp, right? Seeing you up close, you look really dependable.”
“…Yes. Hello.”

Harp politely bowed her head in greeting, but she didn’t show much interest beyond that.

The man seemed a little taken aback by her indifferent response, but he didn’t let it deter him.

“Harp, you’re even doing the dishes all by yourself. You seem like such a great kid—”

“I… prefer staying with Teacher.”

Harp’s reply was brief as she focused back on washing the dishes.

The man was momentarily at a loss for words.

After a pause, he finally gave a small, dejected nod.

Watching him from the side, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him, so I slowly stepped closer.

“…I’m sorry. Harp is naturally a very cautious child, so she doesn’t open up easily.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I think I might have been rushing things a little.”

“It takes time for children to trust someone. Don’t feel discouraged.”

“…Right.”

He sighed and nodded.

Just then, Liel entered the living room, absentmindedly fiddling with her wooden welcome sign.

“Teacher, sniff sniff. What’s this delicious bread smell? Gasp—don’t tell me today’s snack is bread?!”

“Oh, Liel!”

“Huh? And who’s that man over there…?”

“This gentleman visited the orphanage last night. Since this is an orphanage, people looking to adopt often come by, right? He’s here for that reason too.”

“Ah, I see.”

I naturally introduced Liel as I continued speaking.

“This is Liel. She just joined the orphanage today—she’s a good kid.”

“Oh, so you’re the new arrival. Nice to meet you, Liel. How are you finding it here?”

Liel beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! I really like it here. Teacher is super kind, too. But…”

She trailed off for a moment, glancing at the man.

“You’re not here to adopt me, are you?”

At her words, the man flinched and quickly shook his head.

“N-No, it’s nothing like that. Not yet… I’m just looking around for now.”

Even after hearing his answer, Liel didn’t show much of a reaction.

Instead, she gazed at him with a slight hint of wariness in her eyes.

Sensing the awkward tension, the man reached into his bag and pulled out some bread.

“…I bought some bread on my way here. I thought it would be nice to share with the children.”

He placed the bread on the table with a smile.

“That’s all for today. I’ll come back again another time. Hopefully, by then, the children will feel a little more comfortable with me.”

I nodded and expressed my gratitude for his kindness.

“Thank you so much for being so thoughtful… The children are still quite cautious…”

“It’s alright. Honestly, I think I’m still not fully ready to take in a child yet. I thought I was, but maybe I was mistaken.”

The man nodded to himself and walked toward the door.

“Then, I’ll see you next time, Head of the Orphanage.”

After he left, I closed the door and returned to the living room.

The children were all seated in their spots.

Liel was still fiddling with the welcome sign Sua had made, while Harp had finished washing the dishes and was now quietly resting.

Holding the bag of bread the man had left behind, I spoke up.

“Kids, gather around for a moment. The guest from earlier brought us this bread. Let’s all share it together.”

The moment Sua saw the bag, she jumped up with a cheer.

“Wow, bread! Ooooh, paaaan!”

“…Sua, what was that just now?”

“Bread and agriculture, united as one!”

“…”

Sua waved her arms in an exaggerated motion, and Liel burst into laughter at the sight.

“Gasp, is that a catchphrase? I have to try it too! Paaaan!”

Liel mimicked Sua’s ridiculous arm movements, and in an instant, the living room was filled with laughter.

“Haa… now we have two fools.”

Harp sighed as she watched the two of them, but a small smile crept onto her lips.

Smiling along with them, I placed the bread onto a plate.

“Alright, alright. Enough of that. Let’s eat.”

“Yes!”

“Teacher, since you’re the king… no, woooong, of this place, you should take the first bite!”

Harp handed me the biggest bread, but I shook my head.

“No, you guys eat first. The man brought it for you all.”

“Then, we won’t hold back!”

With that, the kids each grabbed a piece of bread and began eating happily.

Liel took a bite and let out a satisfied hum.

“Mmm… it’s really good! The cream is so rich. Must be expensive bread.”

“Yeah, seems like it.”

Watching the kids enjoy their bread, I quietly picked up a piece for myself.

It looked no different from the others—soft and filled with fluffy cream, making it look quite appetizing.

“Alright, let’s have a bite.”

I carefully took a bite of the bread.

But the moment it touched my tongue, something tasted… off.

Sweet, yet bitter, with a strangely refreshing aftertaste.

At first, I thought it was just my imagination.

“Huh? What is this taste…?”

I frowned as I chewed, when suddenly, Sua’s eyes sparkled as she shouted.

“Ah! Teacher, that one!”

I looked at her in surprise.

“Why? What’s wrong with it?”

“That’s… mint chocolate bread! It’s my favorite, and Teacher ate it first!”

My mind went blank.

“…What? Mint chocolate?”

“Yep! The bread is filled with mint chocolate cream! Isn’t it delicious?”

The moment I heard those words, I was stuck.

I couldn’t swallow it, but spitting it out felt just as awkward.

Mint chocolate.

A combination that absolutely didn’t work for me.

In the end, I grimaced and shouted.

“Bleh! Mint chocolate?! Why is that even inside bread?!”

The kids burst into laughter at my reaction.

Liel, watching my expression, chuckled with her bread still in her mouth.

“Teacher, do you hate mint chocolate? I actually like it!”

“Ugh… I really can’t eat mint chocolate. It tastes like toothpaste!”

Bleh.

Ughhh.

Triple bleh.

I gulped down water, desperately trying to wash away the lingering taste.

But adding water to the already cool mint chocolate flavor just made it feel more like toothpaste, making me feel even worse.

Next time, I must check what’s inside the bread before eating it.

Too little, too late.

Bleh.