I wasn't about to back down.
“The forest on the left!” I shouted.
“...Ha!”
Anna let out a disbelieving laugh.
Behind me, Bill was trembling like a leaf, hiding behind my back.
“Bill, go.”
I tried pushing the frightened boy forward, but for some reason, he refused to move.
Why is he like this?
Eventually giving up on separating him from me, I continued.
“Wouldn't it be better to check, just in case? It could be dangerous.”
“Do you really think there would be a stray dog wandering around a place that's only a short walk from town?”
“But there really is—”
“Lopez, don't tell me you're making this up because you don't want to participate in the treasure hunt?”
“Huh?”
“If there's a dangerous dog around, then I suppose we'll have to cancel today's treasure hunt!”
Anna deliberately raised her voice.
The children who had been listening immediately turned resentful gazes toward me.
“What's wrong with Lopez?”
“We only get to do treasure hunts twice a year!”
“Why are you ruining it? Lopez is so weird!”
“Teacher! Can't we just do it without Lopez? We're fine!”
“Did you hear a dog?”
“Nope! Lopez is just causing trouble again!”
Accusations flew from every direction.
But instead of getting upset, I felt a little hopeful.
“Will you really cancel the treasure hunt if there's a dog?”
“If it's dangerous, of course.”
Anna smiled.
At that moment, a boy named Champ stomped over and shoved me.
I stumbled.
Fortunately, Bill was standing behind me, so I clenched my teeth and forced myself to stay upright.
“Hey! Why should all of us suffer because of you?!”
“Bill, are you okay?”
“Mhm...”
“You shouldn't push your friends.”
I scolded Champ sharply.
He glanced up at Anna.
She had stepped back and was simply watching.
Realizing what she wanted, Champ folded his arms and shot back,
“Since when were you my friend?”
“Well... to be fair, I'm not exactly fond of you either.”
I get it.
If two people don't get along, they don't become friends.
Champ stared at me in disbelief.
“The treasure hunt is what we've all been looking forward to the most! If you don't want to do it, then you should leave!”
“Yeah!”
“What dog?!”
The children raised their voices in agreement.
But I couldn't help it.
I desperately wanted today's treasure hunt to be canceled.
At least today.
Because during this treasure hunt, both Medina and Klein were supposed to be seriously injured.
Klein had a severe fear of dogs.
A crippling one.
It was something only Klein himself knew.
And because the author needed a crisis to move the story forward, they had chosen to release a rabid dog into the orphanage grounds.
A very large dog.
The moment Klein encountered it, he froze in terror.
Medina tried to save him.
In the end, both of them were badly hurt.
The wounds later scarred over, leaving permanent marks that remained even into adulthood.
For noblewomen, scars were considered shameful.
Medina suffered greatly because of them.
Klein blamed himself too.
I don't necessarily need to get involved...
But knowing what would happen and simply watching children get hurt wasn't something I could do.
Maybe this plot point was necessary for the story, but it'd be better if nobody got injured.
Even if it meant changing the original storyline, I didn't want children getting hurt right in front of me.
At least until I escape from this orphanage.
Since this was still early in the story, preventing a few incidents shouldn't be difficult.
Of course, I'd love to return to my original world as soon as possible.
But it wasn't as though I was racing against the clock.
My inheritance and my mother's will aren't going anywhere just because I'm absent for a while.
It's not like I'd been hit by a reincarnation truck and died.
I'd simply gone to sleep and woken up in another world.
And according to the lawyer, I was my mother's only child.
No one could steal my inheritance.
Though there's always the possibility my original body died...
If that was the case, I'd deal with it after doing everything I could here.
That possibility wasn't useful to me right now.
I glanced at Klein.
He stood behind Medina, biting his lip.
His eyes darted around nervously.
Even hearing the word "dog" was enough to unsettle him because of his trauma.
Still, now that I'd warned everyone about the left forest, he probably wouldn't go there himself.
A shame.
Judging by the atmosphere, the treasure hunt was definitely happening.
Anna watched me get verbally attacked for a while before finally stepping in.
“Alright, alright. That's enough. You shouldn't gang up on your friend like that.”
You're the one who encouraged it.
I clicked my tongue.
And she called herself a teacher of etiquette.
This orphanage was doomed.
Though, to be fair, it was doomed in the original novel too.
Anna looked down at me and smiled.
“This is one of the children's favorite events, Lopez. Please try to understand. I'll personally check for the dog.”
I hated the way she suddenly acted like a caring teacher.
My patience only extended to children.
“Yes, Teacher. Of course. The left forest, right?”
I emphasized the location one more time.
Surely Klein had gotten the message by now.
“Now then! Remember not to wander into town while searching for clues. Ready... begin!”
“WAAAAAH!”
The moment she finished speaking, the children scattered in every direction.
Klein hesitated before heading right.
Only after confirming that did I start moving myself.
“Bill, you should go look too.”
“H-Hic...”
Why does this kid cry every time I say anything?
“Alright then. Tell me what you want.”
“Help me find clues!”
“...Fine.”
Lopez was an idiot.
A complete idiot.
And yet—
She's adorable!
Bill's eyes sparkled.
At some point, she'd stopped noticing that he called her "big sister."
Even that was cute.
I've never seen anyone this cute before.
Bill smiled brighter than ever.
I got separated from Bill.
Not because I wanted to.
The other children had seen us together and swooped in like heroes rescuing a princess from a villain.
Well.
Being with them was probably better than being stuck with me.
Nodding to myself, I glanced toward Anna.
The treasure hunt had started quite a while ago.
Yet she hadn't moved an inch.
So much for checking the forest.
Honestly, if the Class One students get hurt, it won't be good for Anna either.
The children of Class One were the orphanage director's prized assets.
The very children who elevated the orphanage's reputation.
Which meant they weren't supposed to get damaged.
When Anna disciplined them, she always made sure not to leave visible marks.
That's why the director tolerated it.
But serious injuries resulting in permanent scars?
That was another matter entirely.
In the novel, Anna got scolded harshly, but she wasn't fired.
Instead, Medina and Klein suffered.
Because of their scars, they were demoted to Class Two.
Chester followed them voluntarily.
The orphanage director nearly lost his mind after his three most valuable children were suddenly downgraded.
Eventually, all three returned to Class One.
But still.
Anna will continue being a problem. The fact that she's in charge of discipline irritates me.
Maybe this incident could be used to get rid of her entirely.
A certain teacher suddenly came to mind.
I'll use that person.
I couldn't keep watching children get beaten.
Whatever happened, it was better than letting them get hurt.
Just in case, I secretly stopped by the cafeteria before heading into the left forest.
Fortunately, thanks to my loud warning about the rabid dog, not a single child had entered.
“Medina will probably win first place again today.”
Klein smiled as he admired the pile of clues he'd gathered.
He was just about to secretly leave them somewhere Medina would find them.
Then—
Grrrrr...
A low growl echoed nearby.
Klein's body instantly stiffened.
Rustle.
A large, emaciated dog emerged from the bushes.
Its ribs protruded sharply.
Its teeth looked viciously sharp.
Drool dripped endlessly from its mouth as it stared at Klein.
“Ah... ah...”
Terror consumed him instantly.
“I-It found... me...”
His body shook violently.
Then hallucinations appeared.
Countless dogs.
All charging toward him.
All drooling.
All hunting him.
“Why... why...”
I-I hid so well...
Staggering backward, Klein's legs gave out.
He collapsed onto the ground.
The clues he'd painstakingly collected fluttered from his hands and scattered through the air.
The dog immediately began barking furiously.
Klein's face turned deathly pale.
“T-There really is... a d-dog...!”
Tears welled in his eyes.
Klein was terrified of dogs.
Long ago, people who coveted his special ability had released tracking dogs to hunt him down.
He had spent years running.
Being chased.
Living in fear.
Now, the mere sight of a dog was enough to paralyze him.
“S-Someone... help...”
His breathing became ragged.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
And then—
A familiar voice spoke.
Flat.
Calm.
Almost bored.
“Why are you even in Class One if you can't tell left from right?”
“L-Lopez...?”
Standing there with leaves tangled throughout her hair—
Lopez appeared.
And she was holding something in her hands.
