Big things and small things

‘Think of how to explain it.’

Luke actually really wanted to help the orphanage, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to use illusions to trick everyone into eating these obviously problematic items.

The best solution now was undoubtedly to expose the culprit, the chef… You ask why he would do that?

Everyone in the orphanage actually knew that Jorrit was a truly kind person.

He not only adopted numerous orphans, but also provided relief and aid to paupers who came seeking help.

Yet, such a person, doing so many things that benefited the common people, was constantly being harassed by those abominable officials and nobles.

Transporting grain out of the city required paying higher exit fees than ordinary merchants.

The rare aid issued by the kingdom, handled by corrupt officials, was pocketed layer by layer, with less than one in ten reaching its destination.

The fields they wanted to cultivate to be self-sufficient were ruined by people sent by the other party because Jorrit refused to collude…

The people sent to inspect and assess them were also arrogant, one after another.

Despite knowing they had no funds, despite knowing they were struggling to make ends meet every other day, they still found fault with the food they had painstakingly prepared with great expense…

Jorrit endured, the dorm mother who served as both caretaker and doctor endured, and the children could only endure.

But the chef couldn’t endure.

Yet, his inability to endure was useless; he could do nothing, change nothing. He was so insignificant.

Therefore, he could only hate—hate the kingdom, hate society, hate those beasts in human skin who appeared outwardly respectable.

But what was both laughable and pathetic was that, despite such hatred, he could only resort to such a petty form of revenge as disgusting the other party.

Because he ultimately didn’t want to drag the orphanage and Jorrit down, he didn’t resort to secretly poisoning the food.

Instead, he vented his anger at society in this helpless and resigned manner.

It could be said that he had long prepared himself mentally to be exposed.

However—

‘I’m very sorry!’

With Luke’s help, Jorrit quickly regained his composure and instantly understood the chef’s mindset in doing such a thing.

So he abandoned the option of exposing the chef, intending to shoulder everything himself.

‘Honestly…’

Luke sighed inwardly, stood up, and said, ‘Everyone, please bear with me. I’m sure you’ve all realized that this orphanage has limited funds and genuinely struggles to provide food that meets our satisfaction. But we are not here to taste delicacies, are we?’

Luke’s intention to calm the situation was very obvious.

However, he was an outsider Hero, without office or power. Saying this actually made him seem a bit confused about his position, but he bit the bullet, relying on the righteous persona he had always cultivated.

Fortunately, everyone still remembered the Saintess’s previous attitude. Hearing Luke’s words, although dissatisfied, they still motioned for the orphanage children to replace the cloches, pretending they had never seen the food.

Just as the situation improved, and Jorrit cast a grateful look at Luke, Luke heard a rather ominous inner voice.

‘Why is this child staring at me? He’s not expecting me to eat it, is he?’

Turning his head, he saw that scummy pinkette was making eye contact with a little boy hiding in the corridor, peeking out.

This time, her guess was correct.

That child was the chef’s apprentice, the most talented cook among the orphans.

He also dreamed of becoming a chef when he grew up.

One of the snacks served today was his proud creation.

The problem was that the child didn’t know his master had not only ruined the appearance of the snacks he made but also mixed sand into them… He only knew that the esteemed officials present looked down on their cooking and had angrily reprimanded his beloved director.

Was what he made really that bad?

He began to doubt his craft, and began to question life itself.

Each cloche being put back, every clang it made upon colliding with the plate, sounded to him like a death knell in the middle of the night.

In an instant, only the cloche held by Jorrit, who was continually apologizing, remained.

He couldn’t help but turn his gaze to the table of high-ranking nobles, to the Saintess who had just comforted his friend, who was as gentle and beautiful as an angel.

If it were her… she would eat it, wouldn’t she?

An expression of despair soon filled his face.

‘No, no, no, even if you look at me like that, I will absolutely not eat this!’

Elia waved her hands repeatedly in her mind.

She could endure being scalded by tea without even a frown, but this time it was feces-like food, and she had to swallow it. Who would eat that?!

But as soon as Elia turned her head away from the little boy, a new thought surged into her mind.

‘Others might be fine, but if I don’t eat it, won’t that little brat run outside and spread rumors about the Saintess despising paupers and not even touching their food?’

The more Elia thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and she immediately became flustered.

Bad taste was a small matter, but a ruined reputation was a big deal.

Her ability to safely reside in the Messiah Kingdom and enjoy luxury depended on her flawless persona.

She had worked so hard for that persona for so many years, finally reaching the stage where she could lie flat and reap the rewards. How could she let it all crash down because of a small inspection?!

Besides, perhaps the food only looked bad, but actually tasted very good… Thinking this, Elia chose a dessert that looked somewhat edible, despite its poor appearance, and placed it in front of her.

‘Your Highness Elia?’

Iris, at her side, looked at her master’s actions in surprise. The others also looked over, and after realizing what the Saintess intended to do, they all gasped and voiced their objections.

But Elia ignored all sounds, calm and composed, slowly forked a piece of dessert, and calmly put it into her mouth.

‘Holy crap, sand? Damn it, why didn’t you put razor blades in it!’

The moment her tongue touched it, she tasted the trap, and immediately cursed inwardly.

But cursing inwardly was one thing; outwardly, she still had to eat it… Yes, you read that right, she still had to eat it.

Spitting it out halfway would severely damage her lady-like image. And if that little brat saw it, he might burst into tears, and her reputation would be ruined…

Moreover, she not only had to eat it but also had to eat it leisurely as usual, absolutely not crunching on the sand, nor making obvious swallowing motions…

‘Could it be… that the taste isn’t as bad as its appearance?’

Seeing Elia swiftly finish an entire plate of dessert without even a frown, even seeming to enjoy it, many people had such thoughts and even wanted to genuinely try it.

But under the interference of a certain mind-reader, they quickly dismissed such notions and instead shifted towards admiring the Saintess.

‘No, it must still be terrible, after all, it’s something from the common folk… Her Highness Elia is truly amazing!’

‘Indeed amazing.’

Luke watched the scummy pinkette, who, after finishing the meal, endured the nausea and churning stomach, yet still maintained a composed expression and even remembered to smile at the little boy.

In his heart, he affirmed this evaluation.