“I think I’ve had my fill of the market,” she said. “Ready to move on?”
“Sure. Where to next?”
It was time for the next scene transition. Onward to the final date spot.
“It’s… Oh, before we go, would you mind if we circled back to the food vendors? I’d like to do a little shopping.”
“I don’t mind, but what are you looking for exactly?”
“Hmm, good question. What would be best for a bunch of little mouths?”
“A bunch? Are these acquaintances of yours?”
“Something like that. You’ll understand when we get to where we’re going.”
“I see, and where is that?”
Grocery shopping was certainly an unorthodox choice for a date. Anna quickly elucidated, “The outer quarter. An orphanage.”
They hurried on their way toward the Debonair Day of Roguish Romance’s climax.
“I thought we weren’t buying the rattan bag,” Melody said.
“It’s a donation. I’m sure the orphanage can use it.”
It wasn’t just a rattan bag. It was two. Melody’s held the two dolls, while Anna’s held a variety of fruits she planned to donate.
“Are you sure you don’t want to share some of those with me?” Melody said. “That bag looks awfully heavy.”
There were many little mouths at the orphanage, and consequently many fruits.
Anna shook her head. “It was my idea, so it’s my responsibility. I don’t want our dolls getting smelly. Also, my work keeps me plenty fit, I’ll have you know.” She hefted up the bag like a dumbbell, and her arm visibly trembled.
Melody didn’t bother pointing that out. “If you insist. Tell me if you need a break, though. We can trade.”
“Will do. You’re such a softy, Melody.”
Prince Christopher did, indeed, choose an orphanage in the city’s outer quarter as his final stop on the date. Not a very debonair location, nor was it romantic, but the prince wanted to familiarize himself with his subjects. Ultimately, the “date” was but a pretense, as he explained to the heroine. He had to see with his own eyes the truth of his city in all its ugliness.
Anna was not the prince and had no such objective, but she did have another aim. “I’m sorry for springing this on you so suddenly, by the way.”
“I don’t mind at all. You say you have acquaintances here?”
“The sister and I have a bit of history. It’s been too long since I paid her a visit.”
Lies, of course. Anna spoke as if this were a spur-of-the-moment decision on her part, but in truth, she’d been searching for an excuse to steer them in this direction the entire day. It helped that her excuse was not entirely a lie. She had visited the orphanage as Anna in the past. It was an important location for other plot reasons, so she’d staked it out long ago. That was when she’d met the caretaker.
So Anna had nothing to see or check on, really. She’d done all that already. Rather, she hoped to ensure she and Melody stayed in line with the event. Plus, she really hadn’t visited in a long time, what with the upcoming term at the academy and the Spring Ball’s aftermath eating up months of her life. It would be nice to see everyone again.
Exiting the inner quarter, they entered the eastern side of the outer quarter. Every building they passed was more architecturally avant-garde than the last, like something out of an abstract painting. Everything had a very cobbled-together feel about it, similar to the lower city of old Tokyo.
“I heard the outer quarter was home to a slum, but that isn’t quite how this feels,” Melody said, her head on a swivel.
“Because we aren’t in the slum. Most of the quarter is fairly quiet, especially the east side.”
“Why specifically the east?”
“That’s the side the Great Vanargand Wood is on. Patrols are heavier here so they can keep a closer eye on it. That’s why most orphanages are on this side. It’s safer. And why the worst slums are to the west.”
“That makes sense.” Melody nodded.
But something stuck out to her. The east… A wood to the east?
“Here we are!”
Anna cheered before Melody could arrive at the obvious conclusion.
The thought Melody had so nearly grasped vanished, and she made no attempt to call it back. “So this is it?” she said.
It looked like an old school building—a very old one, made entirely of wood. An antiquated metal fence defined the lot’s perimeter, which included a modest courtyard. Behind the orphanage itself stood what looked to be a church.
“It’s a subsidiary of the church, I take it,” Melody said.
“That’s right, though the Crown does subsidize them as well.”
“I wasn’t aware of that actually. Do you know much about orphanages?”
“J-just what the caretaker’s told me!” Anna laughed awkwardly. Thankfully, Melody was too busy being impressed to notice the bullets of sweat dripping down her face.
The orphanage’s front door opened, and a gorgeous woman carrying a broom emerged. She wore the robes of a nun, very indulgent robes, very form-fitting, flattering robes of the sort found only in anime and fiction. A nun on Earth would risk excommunication for wearing such robes. Melody had thoughts about that, but who was she to judge? It was a different world.
“Sister!” Anna called.
“Oh, my, is that you, Anna? It’s been so long. It’s a blessing to see you again. Who’s this? A friend of yours?” A luscious lock of flaxen hair slipped off the nun’s shoulder as she cocked her head.
“Let me introduce you. This is Melody.”
“Melody Wave, Sister,” she said. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Goodness, you’re a polite one. The pleasure is mine,” the nun replied. “I am the caretaker of this orphanage, Annabelle.” Sister Annabelle graced them with an ecclesiastical grin, then put her hand to her cheek. “And you are…her wife?”
The girls nearly collapsed on the spot.
“How in the world did you leap to that conclusion?!” Anna sputtered.