Evan’s footsteps softly tapped against the wooden floor of the orphanage. The old building that had once been on the verge of collapse and reeked of decay had now been completely transformed, filled with the fresh scent of fir wood and a warmth that had long been absent.
The moment the front door opened, the lively atmosphere and children’s laughter immediately greeted him. The brightly lit lobby of the orphanage erupted into joyful cheers when their little eyes caught sight of their new caretaker.
"Uncle Aiden is back!" a little girl with curly hair shouted.
The children rushed toward him, competing for Evan’s attention. Faces that had once been pale and hungry were now beginning to fill out, glowing with genuine happiness.
"Uncle Aiden, look at this!" a little boy exclaimed as he proudly showed off the writing paper in his hand. "Paul and I can write the entire alphabet now! Thank you for teaching us... The old caretaker never wanted to teach us any letters. We were only told to work."
"That’s right, Uncle! Thank you for taking such good care of us!" another child chimed in.
Although "Aiden Samuel" had only been among them for a few days, the handsome, gentle, and generous young man had already completely won the hearts of those unfortunate children.
Evan smiled warmly. He crouched down and patiently stroked their hair one by one.
"Uncle is very proud of all of you," Evan said in a gentle, soothing voice. "You’re learning very quickly. Uncle also wants to thank Paul, Arthur, Aurelia, and Anastasia... Thank you for being willing to look after and take care of your younger siblings whenever Uncle has to handle things outside."
Paul, a fourteen-year-old mixed-race boy with brown skin and clear eyes, looked up in surprise. His cheeks flushed red from the praise. For a child who had never experienced affection or felt valued his entire life, this small acknowledgment from Evan felt like the greatest gift imaginable.
Evan reached into his pocket and took out two gleaming gold coins, placing them in Arthur’s palm.
"Arthur, take your younger siblings to the bakery at the end of the street. Buy some sweet pastries, fresh fruit, or whatever you want. Uncle still has a little work to finish in his office," Evan said.
The children cheered excitedly. However, an eight-year-old girl named Anastasia lowered her head.
Her tiny lips pouted, and she clenched the hem of her new dress with a disappointed expression. She had hoped to spend more time with "Uncle Aiden."
Evan, who was highly sensitive to changes in the emotions of those around him, noticed it immediately. He moved closer to Anastasia and crouched directly in front of her.
"What’s wrong, sweet Anastasia? Why is that pretty little face looking so gloomy?" Evan asked gently.
"Uncle is always busy..." Anastasia squeaked softly, her eyes glistening with tears. "I thought... Uncle could play with us in the park today..."
Evan gave her a warm smile and raised his right hand.
"I’m sorry, Anastasia. Uncle’s work today is very important for the future of our orphanage. But Uncle promises that next time, I’ll set aside some special time to take you and everyone else to the city park."
Anastasia looked up, her eyes sparkling again. "Really? You’re not lying, Uncle?"
"Uncle never lies to you," Evan replied.
Anastasia eagerly raised her tiny pinky finger. "Pinky promise first!"
Evan chuckled softly, wrapping his long pinky around the child’s tiny finger. "Pinky promise."
After the children happily rushed out of the orphanage to spend their gold coins, the building suddenly became silent.
Evan headed toward his office on the ground floor, a sealed room with a thick iron latch specially installed by the construction workers he had hired. Only Evan had the key.
Inside the room were various basic chemicals, crucibles, oil burners, and homemade glass-processing tools.
On the hardwood table stood an almost-finished crystal-clear glass. The glass was incredibly transparent, far surpassing the quality of the cloudy, yellowish glass commonly produced by craftsmen in Velmora City. But the most extraordinary feature was the inside of its glass walls: beautifully engraved images of fruits such as red apples, purple grapes, and golden oranges that appeared three-dimensional, as though fresh fruits were floating eternally inside a block of diamond.
Evan examined his masterpiece beneath the light of the oil lamp.
"?????? ???????????????????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?? ????????????-?????????????? ?????????????????? ???????? ???????? ??????????’?? ?????????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ??????..." Evan thought with a sly smile. "?????? ?????????????? ???????????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???????????? ???????????? ?????? ????????????, ???????? ????????????????????, ?????? ?????? ???????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ??????. ?? ?????????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ??????????, ???????????????? ???????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ???? ????. ???????? ?????????????????? ???? ???????????? ?? ???????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ???????? ???? ???????????????? ????????????." Read this novel at novelping dot com for the best experience.
It had taken Evan several days, using the remnants of his craftsmanship knowledge and the precision of his hands, to complete this single rare glass. The fruit images inside the glass walls were so detailed that even the textures of their skins looked real.
"Perfect," Evan whispered as he ran his fingers over the smooth, cold surface of the glass. "The bait is ready. Now it’s time to cast the hook."
That afternoon, Evan gracefully made his way toward Velmora City’s central square, the bustling heart of the city where the public notice board stood and people from all walks of life gathered to shop or exchange gossip.
Evan wore a clean white shirt with a high collar and a warm brown knitted vest. His handsome, friendly face and scholarly aura immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding residents.
"Ah! Mr. Aiden!" called a woman who owned a vegetable stall, her face lighting up. "Good afternoon, sir! What brings our generous orphanage caretaker to the city square?"
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Rose," Evan greeted her with a polite smile and a slight nod.
The surrounding residents immediately gathered around him. In a short time, the image of "Aiden Samuel" as a man with a heart of gold had spread far and wide. To make matters even better, every morning, the orphanage children distributed leftover expensive whole-wheat bread to beggars and neighbors at Evan’s command.
A plump, middle-aged man chimed in. "Mr. Aiden, we heard from the orphanage children... before moving to Velmora, you lived in a remote border region of the Western Frontier, right? We’re very curious about what life is like in that wild land!"
Evan stopped near the notice board, putting on a somewhat awkward and humble expression.
"I’m just looking through the city’s notices," Evan replied amiably. "As for the Western Frontier... ah, if you gentlemen and ladies don’t mind listening to a boring story from a stranger like me, I’d be more than happy to share it."
"Of course we want to hear it! Tell us, Mr. Aiden!" the residents exclaimed enthusiastically. They moved closer, forming a small circle around Evan.
Although Evan himself had never actually set foot in the Western Frontier, the geographical knowledge he had gained from maps and old books he had read some time ago was more than enough for him to weave the perfect fabricated tale.
"I used to live in a quiet little village in the lowlands of the Western Frontier," Evan began in a captivating storyteller’s voice. "Life there was very peaceful. And it was in that village... that I was fortunate enough to meet a legendary master craftsman named Mr. Gareth Ironwood. Have any of you gentlemen or ladies ever heard of him?"
The residents exchanged glances, furrowing their brows and shaking their heads in confusion.
Right at that moment, from the edge of the crowd, the soft clang of footsteps approached. Silvy Velmora, the sturdy City Guard Captain clad in silver iron armor and a dark blue cloak, was on her afternoon patrol. Seeing such a large crowd gathered without any disturbance, her curiosity grew. Silvy stepped closer and leaned against a wooden post with her arms crossed over her chest, listening.
Evan noticed Silvy from the corner of his eye, but pretended not to see the Captain and continued his performance with increasingly profound emotion.
"Mr. Gareth Ironwood was a genius who isolated himself from the world," Evan continued with a tone full of respect and a hint of deliberately fabricated sorrow. "He created glassworks that were decades ahead of their time. His name isn’t well known outside the western border because he despised fame... But thanks to his kindness, he accepted me as his only student and passed down the secrets of his glassmaking art to me."
Evan lowered his head, clutching his chest with an extremely dramatic sorrowful expression.
"Before he breathed his last due to old age... I promised before his body that I would bring his beautiful works out into the world. I promised that I would sell these crafts, and every gold coin I earned... would be used to provide food and shelter for abandoned orphans."
The tragic yet noble story suddenly touched the hearts of the residents. Several housewives were even seen wiping away their tears.
"What a touching story..." one resident murmured emotionally. "Mr. Aiden, you are such a devoted student! Your teacher must be smiling proudly in heaven!"
"How can there be someone as hardworking and pure-hearted as you in this world?" another resident praised.
Evan smiled faintly and reached for the small, intricately carved wooden box he was carrying.
"Although my skills are still insignificant compared to my late Master..." Evan opened the box and raised the crystal glass high beneath the afternoon sunlight. "...this is one of the masterpieces I managed to complete. I call it: Fruit in Diamond Glass."
SRAAKK!
The afternoon sunlight pierced through the crystal-clear glass, reflecting dazzling crystalline brilliance in every direction. The fruit images inside the glass walls suddenly seemed to shimmer and come alive!
Collective gasps of astonishment escaped the residents’ mouths.
"My God... It’s beautiful!"
"Look! The fruit images look real, and they’re floating inside the glass!"
Silvy Velmora, who had been watching from behind the crowd, suddenly straightened. Her eyes widened. As the daughter of the ruling family, who was accustomed to seeing luxurious goods, Silvy knew very well that the technology required to create transparent, artistic glass of this quality had never existed before. This glass was completely flawless!
Curiosity overcame Silvy’s pride. She pushed through the crowd and stepped forward until she stood directly in front of Evan.
"Diamond Glass...?" Silvy murmured as she stared at the glass without blinking. "Is... is this thing really made of glass? The fruit images inside aren’t engraved from the outside at all!"
Evan pretended to be utterly shocked. He quickly bowed deeply with the utmost respect.
"My goodness! Miss Silvy Velmora!" Evan exclaimed with an expression of genuine admiration. "It is a tremendous honor to meet the highly respected City Guard Captain in person!"
Evan turned toward the surrounding residents and spoke in a loud voice:
"Citizens of Velmora... aren’t we incredibly fortunate to have a hero like Miss Silvy? Thanks to her firmness and courage, along with that of her soldiers, our orphanage and residential districts can stand safely without fear of criminals. Isn’t that right?!"
Provoked by Evan’s sweet words, the residents immediately cheered in agreement and applauded enthusiastically.
"Absolutely! Thank you, Miss Silvy!"
"Our city is safe because of you!"
"We owe the City Guard so much!"
Receiving sincere praise from dozens of residents led by a man as handsome as Aiden, Silvy’s defenses immediately crumbled. Her usually cool cheeks suddenly turned bright red. She coughed softly and looked away while adjusting her shoulder guard to hide her embarrassment.
"Ahem... Y-you don’t need to exaggerate. It’s simply my duty to maintain order in this city," Silvy said somewhat nervously.
Silvy looked back at the rare glass in Evan’s hand, trying to change the subject. "Mr. Aiden... this thing is truly extraordinary. Are... are you planning to sell it? I’d be willing to buy it if the price is right."
Evan smiled sweetly and slowly shook his head. He stepped closer and extended the crystal glass directly toward Silvy’s leather-gloved fingers.
"If you would be willing to accept it, Miss Silvy..." Evan said softly, "...please take this small gift as an introduction and my sincere personal gratitude for your service in protecting this city."
Silvy was startled, her hand tensing as she held the glass. "B-but... a crystal like this must be worth hundreds of gold coins! I can’t enrich myself by accepting such a luxurious item from a citizen!"
"This isn’t a bribe or payment, Miss Silvy," Evan interrupted, his deep brown eyes warm and sincere. "It’s simply a token of appreciation from an ordinary orphanage caretaker. I would be very saddened if you refused this small gesture of goodwill."
Silvy stood frozen. The man’s gaze before her was so sincere, polite, and free of ill intent. Until now, the noblemen who approached Silvy had only wanted her body, her wealth, or her family’s political influence. But this man named Aiden Samuel... was completely different.
Silvy’s chest fluttered strangely. With her cheeks growing even redder, she tightened her fingers around the glass.
"...All right. In that case... I will accept it with the utmost respect. Thank you very much, Mr. Aiden," she whispered, lowering her head slightly.
"It is my honor, Miss Silvy," Evan replied with a respectful bow. "In that case, please excuse me. I still have children at the orphanage waiting for me to have dinner."
"Ah... yes, of course, Mr. Aiden. I hope you have a pleasant day," Silvy said goodbye with a faint smile, one she rarely showed to strangers.
Evan turned around and walked away from the city square with relaxed, graceful steps.
As soon as he turned his back on the crowd and entered a relatively quiet alley, the polite smile of ’Aiden Samuel’ immediately faded, replaced by the sly grin of the con artist, Evan.
"????... ?????? ??????????’???? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ???????????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????? ???????????? ???? ?????????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ???? ?????????" Evan laughed inwardly. "?? ?????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????????? ??????????."
Evan brushed the corner of his lips. His plan had progressed ten times faster than he had expected.
Silvy Velmora would undoubtedly bring the crystal glass to her main residence and show it off to her upper-class noble acquaintances. In less than three days, the rumor about "Fruit in Diamond Glass," the work of Gareth Ironwood’s student, would shake the elite circles of Velmora City.
And when those greedy, wealthy nobles came swarming to his orphanage, pounding on his door with sacks full of gold coins... Evan would drain their wealth until not a single coin remained.