"I'm not even saying to be extraordinary like the Crown Prince, but just a simple decent demon."
The Matron said, "There is some misunderstanding here."
Vivia went on, her doll-like gaze as void as a blank canvas. "I know life is harsh for people like us. We're not as fortunate as the nobles who live lavish lives and have too much money to spare. But I think we can be good people who don't need to resort to getting ourselves filthy in lies and deceit."
"Listen here-"
"How much money do you receive from the Crown Prince to run this orphanage? How much are you filling up your pockets with it? I guess enough to buy some elegant shoes or specially tailored clothes. Or maybe you're using it to fund your own business. It's nothing new actually. The matron from my orphanage was running a debt business in secret. She'd loan the extra money and get richer with the interest. Are you doing something similar? Or is it a new venture altogether?"
Ruri said, "You're spouting jibberish! We're doing no such thing that you accuse us of!"
"Is that so? Then hand over the ledger to me. I'd be happy to give it to my lord."
The Matron's lips thinned into a hard line. "As you might see, we're still preparing the ledger. It'd take some time."
"Because you've to invent fake inventories and receipts? Yes, that will take a while to forge. I guess my lord's surprise visit didn't bode so well with you. This trip wasn't planned, or you'd have been prepared."
"Enough now! Just because I'm tolerating your nonsense doesn't mean that I can be patient all the time!"
After an uneasy moment of silence, Vivia walked soundlessly, which felt more eerie and terrifying than anything else. There wasn't any particular weight in her steps as she stood barely inches away from the Matron.
"You're not doing any favor by being patient, okay? Let's get that clear. Your job was to act as a responsible adult, but you turned out to be a greedy adult instead. You're eyeing the presents too, aren't you? Once my lord would leave, your plan was to snatch all the presents from the children."
She stiffened.
"I know. I had seen the look in your eyes. I really wanted to be wrong about it."
"You're crossing all kinds of limits here. I cannot believe your audacity. Even the Crown Prince isn't so disrespectful toward me!"
"He's the future King. He has a responsibility to be civil to his people. But mind you - people. Not criminals. And respect isn't going to get the money back or the happiness that the children deserved. They trusted you, but it's very easy to break trust now, isn't it?"
The Matron took a deep breath and said, "Look, how about we talk?"
"We're talking already."
"Things have been a little difficult here, so I was just saving up some money for emergency situations. I'm not hoarding or embezzling."
"Is that the reason you'll give to my lord?" Vivia glanced at Ruri, and she looked away, panicked.
"I mean…"
"You cannot because you also know that the money is more than enough. If you're a greedy person, then 'things being difficult' is always a convenient excuse for you because nothing is ever truly enough for you. You'll say the same thing even if you get a thousand, ten thousand or fifty thousand gold coins."
She was about to say more when a whimper sounded from close by.
"Ma-Madam Matron, can I come out now?"
Vivia turned her head to the right. There was another door within the office from where the voice had come.
"Who is that?" She began walking toward that room.
"Where do you think you're going!" The Matron quickly followed her. "There is nobody in there."
"So was it a ghost's voice?"
Vivia's strides became faster and she reached the locked door.
"It's just a storeroom, that's all!" She breathed out.
"Give me the key."
Ruri said, "The Matron already said-"
"Give me the key or I'll take it by force even if I've to break your arm. As you might've noticed, I'm not in the best of my moods today."
Ruri trembled and urgently looked at the Matron for help, who was shaking her head with all her might.
"Who is in there?" Vivia knocked on the door.
"Madam Matron, it's you? Please let me out. I-I won't cause any trouble again!" The little voice cried and quivered.
Vivia looked back. "It was supposed to be only a storeroom, wasn't it?"
The Matron tried to smile. "It's nothing so serious. She was just being mischievous. It's just a small lesson to make her reflect on her actions."
"But you said nobody was in there and now you're saying somebody is. So you lied to me before - like you're lying about the money."
"I-"
"Give me the key."
Ruri scrambled for the keys and handed it to Vivia. Her earlier threat of breaking her arm felt all too real as if her hand would indeed reach out for her elbow the next moment.
Vivia took the key and unlocked the door. As she opened it, a little demon girl was huddling in the distance, eyes red and tearful. Then they lit up with joy seeing the door wide open.
But Vivia's eyes held a starkly opposite light as to being joyous, clouded with extreme rage upon seeing red marks on the girl's arms and hands.
"Was part of teaching a lesson also beating up the child?" her voice lowered to a whisper.
"This isn't what it looks like," the Matron was losing her calm every passing moment. "I'm not so harsh usually, but she's a thief. She stole some fruits."
"I-I really didn't steal the fruits, Matron…" the little girl trembled.
Vivia stared at the sobbing girl.
"Quiet!" The Matron glared. "First, you steal and then you refuse to admit it?"
First you steal the money and then you're lying on top of it, Vivia?
"What would you have done if I hadn't taken you in?"
You filthy kid still would've been roaming in the streets like a beggar if not for me.
"You should feel fortunate that I'm still keeping you here under my roof!"
You should be grateful to me, yet you act so arrogant!
"If you're not willing to learn your lesson, then I'll be forced to throw you out-"
One moment the Matron was glaring at the girl and in the next moment, her head snapped to the side as an excruciating pain exploded across her cheek out of the blue - the same time when Zerath stood by the room's entrance, witnessing the Matron get slapped on her face.