Chapter 11: Chapter 5 Awakening_1
Translator: 549690339
The afternoon sunlight was warm and fierce; many pedestrians had shed their coats, mingling among the carriages bustling back and forth.
On the stone steps in front of the orphanage, a little girl in a white dress sat obediently, the sun shining into her deep blue eyes, reflecting the busy scene of the street.
"Nia, won't you eat?"
Gulihana walked up to her and stroked her head: "Have something to eat first, Mother Tyson cooked oatmeal porridge with sugar in it."
Yuniya didn't say a word, just shook her head, her gaze fixed in the direction Marvin had left, unwilling to look away.
"Sigh…"
Seeing this, Gulihana let out a soft sigh; she didn't have a good solution. She had seen too many similar cases—the majority of the children who came to the orphanage had to undergo the moment of separation from their parents.
The transition from hope to despair was a lengthy process.
Time passed very slowly, the sun shifted westward, no longer as glaring as at noon, but Yuniya gradually lowered her head, her small hands clutching the hem of her dress, no longer looking towards the street, sitting there all alone, the orphanage's noisy clamor echoing in her ears.
"Nia..."
As Gulihana witnessed this scene, she also didn't know how to comfort her.
In the end, Yuniya hugged her knees and curled up in the corner, her silhouette appearing so lonely.
However, she didn't know that not far away in an alley, a pair of eyes had been watching her for a long time.
The sunlight couldn't penetrate the muddy, damp alley; Marvin stood in the shadows, several fat rats scurrying by his feet — he remained unmoved, silently observing Yuniya, who was sitting at the orphanage entrance, taking in her every move.
As time went on, the gradually fading light in Yuniya's eyes stabbed at Marvin like piercing needles.
Abandoning a child with one's own hands and watching them slowly fall into despair was excruciating.
It was a completely different feeling from seeing orphans on the street.
Marvin was torn, the always rational man questioned his own choices for the first time; he didn't know if what he did was right, with two voices in his head constantly arguing.
Abandoning Yuniya was a choice to protect himself, but on the other hand, such an act could also be seen as casting Yuniya into the abyss.
Initially, Marvin had hoped that Yuniya would assimilate into the orphanage, since, in his eyes, there were many children of Yuniya's age there. But contrary to his wishes, Yuniya not only failed to fit in, she even seemed to have developed an aversion.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Marvin muttered: "I didn't do anything wrong... right, this is better for everyone... She won't worry about food and warmth, and I can also... also..."
Is this what I've always believed to be the truth?
Suddenly, the question sprang to Marvin's mind.
What is truth?
He suddenly felt a sense of panic because he doubted his own convictions, those philosophical phrases he often recited echoing in his head. He realized there was a fear inside of him, derived from the unknown, was he afraid of Yuniya, fearful of some inexplicable power?
No...
Marvin suddenly understood.
What truly instilled fear in him was not Yuniya, nor the power of a deity, but himself.
In abandoning Yuniya, he had also abandoned the part of himself that sought after truth.
"A cold, lonely life is not as good as a glorious death; I chase that light, from beginning to end."
"What to do is important, but what I want to do is just as important."
Marvin touched his hat, his lips curling into a smile as he stepped out of the alley from the other side.
The sunset, teetering on the brink, hung on the edge of the sky, and a cold breath began to spread through the air, incessantly devouring the remaining warmth.
Passersby started to dwindle, and as nightfall descended, the streets would become a haven for thieves, drunkards, and rats.
"Nia...."
For the third time, Gulihana approached Yuniya from behind, night was about to arrive, danger could descend at any moment, and she could no longer stand idly by.
Yuniya hugged her knees, burying her head deeply into her arms, having maintained the same posture for quite a while now, but to Gulihana's surprise, she wasn't crying, unlike the other children who threw tantrums after being abandoned.
"Everyone is waiting for you."
"Finish your dinner, get a good night's sleep, and all this will be behind you.... To welcome you, Mrs. Cecil specially prepared a wool blanket, so you won't feel cold when you sleep at night," Gulihana said softly.
"Maiti and the others even used their own pocket money to buy you a honey candy, look...."
The amber-colored translucent candy lay quietly in the handkerchief, emitting a faintly sweet fragrance, making every child who saw it swallow their saliva, but they knew it was a privilege exclusively for the newcomer, and only during festivals could they receive one.
Yet Yuniya remained unmoved, she glanced at the candy, then at the sunset that was close to its finale, seemingly confirming that her father would not return, and then she reached out her hand to the hopeful Gulihana, allowing herself to be led toward the orphanage's gate.
Just at that moment...
Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed a long shadow cast by the setting sun appearing behind her, the person seemed to be running, with heavy breaths.
Yuniya turned around, staring blankly at the figure, her eyes slowly lighting up.
"How wonderful, Nia, your father has come to take you home," Gulihana said with a smile.
"Daddy!!!"
Yuniya threw herself into his arms and burst into tears, "Yu... Yuniya won't be picky with food anymore... Yuniya knows she was wrong.... Don't leave me...."
"I'm sorry, I'm late."
Marvin wrapped his arms tightly around her, "Let's go home."
After taking just a few steps, Marvin suddenly remembered something, quickly stopped, and handed the paper bag he was holding to Gulihana, saying, "This is the honey candy I bought for the kids, you've really helped me out today."
Gulihana took the paper bag and smiled, "It looks like you've made your decision, Priest."
"Yes."
Marvin nodded, "It's what I want to do, and what I should do."
"Looking forward to seeing you next Friday."
"Goodbye."
"Daddy, I want honey candy too!"
"Shh... I kept some for you, and this too."
Marvin searched in his coat pocket and pulled out a teddy bear the size of two palms, "When I passed by the general store just now, I saw a little bear inside. Although it's sewn from scraps and filled with some hard cotton, I thought you would like it."
"Thank you, Daddy!" Yuniya grabbed the teddy bear's arm and waved it vigorously, saying with great joy, "Hitting people with this must really hurt!"
"What... what did you say?" Marvin was taken aback.
"Nothing, Daddy, what are we eating tonight, I'm so hungry...."
"Mrs. Cecil must have prepared dinner for us."
As a group of children watched in envy, Marvin carried Yuniya further and further away.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone