A month spent by me in this world flew by almost unnoticed.
Life in the orphanage was the same every day, so I don't even have much to tell.
Every day I studied diligently, spent time with Amalia and Erica, and also ate and slept. To my surprise, I managed to adapt to such a life quite easily, as if I had lived exactly like that my whole life.
Meanwhile, I did not forget that there was less and less time left until the ill-fated day of my death. The Summer Flower Festival was supposed to take place in just two months. It was on that day that Hazel was supposed to get lost, and then meet her terrible death.
Nevertheless, even despite how terribly the death of my character was described in the novel, I wasn't particularly worried.
All because I thought that such a tragic outcome was actually easy to avoid.
It was enough if I simply didn't go to the festival that day, and everything would be fine, right? If I simply stayed in the orphanage instead of going to the festival, I wouldn't meet the maniac and wouldn't die.
If you follow such logic, then I really would easily manage to change my tragic fate.
Well, of course, unless this world finds some other way to finish me off... But I still hoped that this wouldn't happen. After all, I was merely an insignificant side character. Why would this world put in so much effort to kill me? Right, for no reason!
So, inspired by these thoughts, I decided that everything was fine.
Despite the fact that every day in the orphanage passed like Groundhog Day, something interesting still happened at least sometimes. And such an "interesting" event in our measured life this time was the arrival at the orphanage of the count's younger daughter.
This incident was also mentioned in the original plot of the novel. Latina Mayer, the younger daughter of Count Mayer, visited the orphanage where the female lead lived, for charitable purposes.
During the visit to the orphanage, Latina had a conflict with the heroine, caused by the fact that Amalia refused to grovel before her, even despite her noble origin. Then, subsequently, when Amalia had already returned to the Sirinix family, she met Latina again at a social event.
At that time, stunned by what this orphan from the orphanage actually was, Latina was completely humiliated by the heroine. Count Mayer's family was also ruined and destroyed because they dared to insult the ducal house of Sirinix.
So... Latina was something like a single use villainess.
Just expendable material, added only to demonstrate the superiority of the female lead. Honestly, I even barely remembered her existence.
Meanwhile, following the original plot, today Latina Mayer really did visit our orphanage. As already mentioned, this was done for charitable purposes. Not long ago Count Mayer had been caught attempting to launder money from the empire's budget. So now this was an attempt to improve his reputation, supposedly Count Mayer cares about poor orphans.
But, of course, in reality it was just a show. Together with the count's daughter, a bunch of reporters from various newspapers also visited the orphanage.
"Lady Mayer, you are so beautiful! Why is your skin so snow white?"
"Don't talk nonsense! You are as beautiful as I am."
"Lady, tell us, do you live in a huge house? How many rooms do you have? Is it true that your house looks like a palace?!"
"A palace? Well, my house is quite big... But I wouldn't say it's a palace."
"Why not? Your house is so big!"
"Ah, don't you know? Only the emperor can live in a palace!"
At this moment Latina Mayer was peacefully conversing with the orphans of the orphanage.
It was like two completely different worlds colliding.
Latina Mayer had red curly hair and large violet eyes. Nevertheless, despite the fact that she was pretty, there was something repulsive in her features. I don't even know how to explain it... Maybe an innate spirit of a minor villainess?
Even now, when she warmly smiled at the orphanage children, in reality there was not a drop of warmth in her eyes, and contempt slipped through her smile.
While Latina talked with the children, reporters stood nearby and filmed and recorded her every step.
I had come here only because I wanted to catch a glimpse of what was happening. But, of course, I wasn't going to talk with her. I knew perfectly well that this was a girl with a rotten nature, who was doomed to be defeated by the heroine at the beginning of the novel. So I had nothing to do with such a person, even if she was the count's daughter.
Right now I was alone, because Amalia again had some business, and Erica had simply disappeared somewhere... Well, there was nothing to be done.
After watching the count's daughter and her fake performance for a little while, I sighed and left, since I had nothing more to do here. Right now I was going to head to the library to continue studying. Well, that was because I had no other special business here.
After returning to the library, I continued reading from where I had stopped. Nevertheless, soon I was unexpectedly interrupted.
"...Lady Mayer, allow me to show you our library!"
A tour of our orphanage was being conducted for the count's daughter, and, as ill luck would have it, right now they decided to come to this very place.
The caretaker who was conducting the tour for Lady Mayer was a little surprised to see me here, since she hadn't expected anyone to be here. Nevertheless, she quickly smiled and said:
"Lady Mayer, I will show you what books we have..."
The orphanage caretaker was going to simply ignore my presence in the library, but Latina herself, to my surprise, did not do so. Instead, noticing me sitting alone at the table, she smiled brightly and came up to me.
"Hello! What are you reading?"
I hesitated a little.
What does she want from me?
"Please, take a look."
Instead of answering, I showed her the cover of the book, where it was stated that this book was dedicated to the foundations of the legal economy of the empire.
When the count's daughter saw the title of the book I was reading, obvious amazement was written on her face.
"Wow! Are you really reading such a book? Can you read?"
I frowned slightly at her feigned surprised tone.
Did she think that all commoners were idiots by definition and couldn't read?
But that was long in the past!
Now even the common population was far more literate than before.
"Yes, I can read."
"Amazing..." she muttered. "It turns out that for an orphan you are very smart!"
Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?
"But why are you reading this particular book?" Lady Mayer inquired. "Why do you need this?"
I hesitated.
"Well, since I live in the empire, I need to know how it is structured... For general development."
It seems to me that this was quite obvious.
But, as it turned out, for Lady Mayer it was not so.
"Ha ha, you're quite funny," the girl smiled. "But, honestly, I don't think that with your origin you will ever need this knowledge... Instead, why don't you read fairy tales? I brought several books to your orphanage today as a gift!"
Judging by her tone, she was very proud that she had shown such a noble gesture toward our dump.
But for me it sounded more like an insult.
The fact that I am a commoner does not mean that I am going to live like a dumpster rat my whole life!
If she wants fairy tales, then let her read them herself!
Nevertheless, although I wanted to say exactly that to her, I still held my tongue. First of all, let's not forget that right now we are dealing with the count's daughter.
"...Lady, I am grateful to you for your generosity."
"There's no need," Latina smiled. "As an aristocrat of this empire, I, of course, care about the well-being of its inhabitants. Just like my father too!" she deliberately said these words loudly so that the reporters would hear her.
I didn't know how much longer this farce would continue, but I endured.
And what else could I do?
"Well, lady, if you have already looked at everything here, then let me now show you our hall..."
The orphanage caretaker was also about to lead her away from here.
"Wait," but Latina unexpectedly stopped her. "Let's take a photo first."
"What? You want to take a photo?"
"Yes, a photo in the library will look good, won't it? And bring here the books I brought!"
From the moment Latina Mayer arrived at our orphanage, she constantly took photos here in different locations. And, of course, she couldn't skip a place like the library.
"Yes, lady."
The people around her reacted and bustled very quickly. Soon my table, at which I was actually studying, was now littered with the stupid gifts of the count's daughter. They really were several books of children's fairy tales.
"And now let's take a photo!"
All the trash, that is, my things, was removed from the table, and now Latina's books were beautifully laid out on it. The girl, showing indescribable magnanimity, sat with me at the same table.
"Lady, you are sitting too far away. Maybe you could move a little closer?"
The reporter who was taking the photo pointed out that the count's daughter was sitting too far from me. In that case, the resulting photograph could turn out too unnatural.
Latina was not very pleased with this remark, and it was clearly readable on her face, but still, for the sake of the photo, she agreed and moved closer to me.
Now Latina sat right next to me, smiling amiably at the camera. In order to further improve the effect for the photo, she was going to take me by the arm. With disgust, which she tried to hide, the girl barely took me by the arm.
As if I were some vile insect...
"But, you know, I am also not thrilled that you are touching me!"
Fortunately, this torment would soon end. I gritted my teeth and was simply going to endure to the end until this photo session ended.
"Lady, look here! A birdie is flying out!"
However, at the very moment when the photographer was about to take the photo, something completely unforeseen happened.
I suddenly, for no reason at all, felt moisture and suddenly realized that water was flowing from the count's daughter. Unexpectedly her head was now completely wet, and her beautiful hair and clothes were soiled.
"Aaaah! What the hell!"
A piercing scream filled the library.
Nevertheless, in the next moment I was stunned even more. Hearing the sound of an object falling nearby, I turned around and saw Erica. With her red eyes she was looking at the count's daughter with an unusually cold gaze.
And only then did everyone finally understand what had happened. Nearby lay a bucket thrown by Erica. It was a bucket filled with dirty water after the cleaning lady had washed the floors. And Erica had poured this dirty water over the aristocrat to the last drop.