1. You are to work actively to receive sponsorship, make sure to specify the amount of state and individual sponsorship and submit it to me, and pay me the full amount of the sponsorship.
2. The flour provided for the children’s meals is to be mixed with sawdust and water to increase the quantity, and the remaining flour is to be sold in the market and the proceeds generated are to be paid to me.
3. All the clothes that come under my patronage in the winter are to be sold in the market and the proceeds are to be paid to me.
4.….
Raina, who was listening to the detailed guidelines on firewood, salt, and even fixtures, gasped in surprise when Sera was reading them out loud.
“Miss, no, Director…?”
“Huh? Ah, it’s nothing.”
Her heart skipped a beat. When Raina came home that day, she immediately went to her brother.
“Brother, this is not possible.”
Raina unfolded the paper.
“The kids don’t even have food to eat for a month now. But you expect them to starve more from here?”
“Raina.”
“They are sick and pretty much dead. If you starve them, they really might die.”
Craig looked at Raina pitifully, as if watching a child of diminished intelligence, and gestured Raina to come closer. Raina became stiff and hesitated before approaching the desk in the office. Craig unexpectedly patted her on the head.
“Raina, this is not a guideline to starve the children. I think you misunderstood something.”
“Brother….”
“Look closely, I only told you to reduce the flour a little, but I didn’t tell you not to give it to them.”
“People eat sawdust?”
“Raina, do you know how much growing children eat? You can’t even imagine.”
Then, Craig sighed as if he was concerned.
“No matter how many rations come in, the children of that age will devour them all. I offered them a way to fill their bellies and solve their problems efficiently. If they did it my way, they could eat that food for a month and a half instead of a month. And, would I really be able to spend all the money that came into my pocket on my own? After all, it goes to those kids.”
“But…”
“It’s the same with clothes. Children grow up so fast that it’s useless to get them new clothes every time. The children in the orphanage can give their clothes to each other. Isn’t that right?”
Her brother’s voice was gentler and sweeter than ever, as if he wanted to teach Raina, who didn’t know anything, how to do something the right way.
“So do as you’re told. That way you won’t harm anyone.”
Raina came out of her brother’s office with nothing to show for it, she couldn’t sleep a wink that night.
‘Brother is not going to take care of the orphanage.’
Not only that, but he thought of the orphanage as a way to pocket money. Even though Raina was only fourteen years old, she could tell. She has learned to recognize a guideline when she sees one that ends with ‘Pay me the proceeds’. It was a blatant lie that no amount of flattery could fool anyone, even little Raina.
How could her brother do something so cruel to father and motherless children? Who will take care of them?
Both Raina and the children at the orphanage knew the feeling of despair. However, Raina had a home.
She had food to eat to her heart’s content. In the winter, she had warm clothes to wear. What about the children? They didn’t even have a director anymore. Then Raina suddenly realized something.
“I’m….”
She herself was the Director. She got out of bed and looked around. On the table, Raina’s hobby embroidery set was still neatly placed. If only Raina would turn her attention to the children who had nothing to do with her, it would be a warm and protective reality for her from now on. It was not any different from the one she has been living with. Just as Craig had raised her. Raina made up her mind. As soon as dawn broke, Raina loaded her things into the carriage and headed for the orphanage.
“Here you are again, Miss. No one…”
“I’m going to live here from now on.”
“…..What?”
Sera, who was greeting Raina, widened her eyes in surprise.
“Why, I thought the Director would stay at the orphanage?”
“That’s… that’s true, but Miss…”
“Please call me Director.”
Raina walked into the orphanage with a completely different attitude than yesterday. The Director’s quarters was a small room, not even half the size of the room Raina used in her mansion. As the servant unloaded her luggage, Raina ordered him to return to the mansion.The closet was still full of clothing that Director Jeong had used. Director Jeong was kicked out without being able to pack.
‘It might happen to me too…’ Raina bit her lip and took down the Director’s clothes from the hanger and put them in an extra bag and began to hang up her clothes. After Raina finished unpacking, she opened the door to the Director’s office, the children who were gathered in front of the door, gasping for air, fled as quickly as spiderlings popping out of spider eggs. Raina laughed when she saw that Sera was not running away.
“Oh, I was just going to look for you, thank goodness.”
“What? You’re looking for me? Miss…..Director. “
“Yes. Teach me about the orphanage work. “
“…… me?”
Sera’s eyes widened.
“Yes. Can you help me?”
“It’s… but what can I help you with…?”
“How to read the ledgers, how to weigh food, the daily routine of an orphanage…” Raina counted her fingers one by one.
“I don’t know much either.”
“But you know more than I do. Or you can introduce me to someone who does know better.”
Sera kept her mouth shut. By the troubled look on her face, it seemed that she was the one who had been doing the former Director’s work.
“Please. I’ll give you a salary.”
“What do you mean by salary? I’m…”
“If you work, you get paid.”
Raina’s parents had taught her that thoroughly. People work for a price.
“No way, Miss. I…”
Raina said with a stern face, “Stop saying that. Anyway, you’re going to teach me to work, yes?”
“Yes…yes.”
“Thank you.”
Sera hesitated.
“The thing is…”
“So, where do I start?”
“….. yes?”
The expression on Sera’s face momentarily brought Raina back to reality.
“I’m sorry, I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Raina felt discouraged and said it as an excuse. Sera nodded as if she understood.
“Well, then… don’t you think we should greet the children of the orphanage first?”
“Greetings? Meet them one by one…?”
“I’ll call them all into the dining hall. You can greet them there for the inauguration.”
Sera then left the Director’s office. Raina followed behind Sera and soon got lost. When she finally found her way and went to the cafeteria, everyone was gathered in the room. There were around 20 people.
“Director, come here,” Sera gestured to Raina to come forward.
Raina went over and stood in front of everyone. For a moment, she was speechless, not knowing what to say, she swallowed her saliva.
“Director, are you going to say anything?”
Sera urged her. Raina stared at the twenty children standing in front of her, looking unenthusiastic and resigned.
“I…I’m Raina Cranchet. Since yesterday, I’ve been the director of this orphanage. You can call me Ms. Director.”
Raina’s voice trembled slightly.
“If there is any inconvenience, you can always tell me. I’m going to live here… You know the Director’s office, right? I’ll be there. And…. Let’s see. My brother has a plan for running the orphanage, but I’ll be doing it in a different way. I look forward to working with you from now on.”
An awkward silence sank in for a while. Sera fidgeted and looked at Raina, and Raina finally realized that the children were waiting for her next words.
“Oh, that’s it. Go and play, we’ll have dinner later.”
Then all the children left the cafeteria without saying a word. None of them looked back at her, Raina sighed, feeling somewhat hurt.
“Well done.”
Sera comforted Raina. Raina clenched her fist tightly.
‘I wouldn’t trust a child like me to be the Director either…’
“Sera, do you have to prepare for the meal now?”
“Yes..?”
“I’ll help you.”
“What? That’s impossible!”
Sera was astonished.
“You’ve never done anything like that in your life, so… I’ll do it.”
“I’ve helped my mother cook a few simple meals. It’s not like I don’t know anything at all.”
“I see…”
“Since it’s been a while, let’s cook something delicious. Huh?”
In front of those sparkling eyes, Sera sighed in a dazed way. Raina had tried cooking with her mother’s help before, but all of her experience was peeling oranges for pies and making cookies by pressing the dough with a rolling pin and pressing it with a pastry mold. Receiving a large potato with dirt on it in her tiny hands, Raina whispered.
“ …What should I do with it?”
“Wash them in water, and take out the sprouts with a knife. Then you can peel the skin off. I’ll do the peeling. Director, just wash the potatoes.”
“Why do you have to take out the sprouts?”
“Because that part is poisonous and if you eat it you will get sick to your stomach.”
Raina took the potatoes and went to the tub of water and roughly washed them. It was her first time, so she quickly splashed the muddy water on her clothes. As she washed off the dirt that had accumulated in each of the potato hollows, handed them to Sera, and looked to the side to see a bag of potatoes waiting for her.
“Do I have to wash all of these?”
“Yes.”
Raina sucked in a breath. Meanwhile, Sera was quickly and expertly gouging and peeling the potato sprouts.
Raina washed the potatoes as hard as she could. After a while, when all the potatoes were washed, Raina’s hands were wrinkled and her clothes were covered with splatter marks of muddy water.