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Leonia spends her days in-front of the orphanage, staring at the direction the carriage that took Lou and Yuben away went.

She hasn't been playing with the other kids lately, it just doesn't feel the same ...especially knowing their situation.

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"Sister Nia, why do you always stay out here?" Johan approaches the lonely Leonia one day. The little boy noticed the girl's absence and decided to reach out to her.

"I'm waiting for big brother Lou and big brother Yuben to come back," Leonia replies through her arms that are huddled around her legs.

Johan tilts his head, "They're coming back?"

Leonia's eyes longingly gaze at the road, imagining the scene where Lou and Yuben come back to greet her. I hope so... "I'm sure they will."

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"They're not coming back, Nia...," the woman behind this mess, Miss Connie, is the one that approached her this time.

Leonia doesn't pay her to mind though, in fact, she ignores her very being.

She doesn't want to hear it from someone that set up the reason why her big brother is gone. They will come back, they have to. Leonia will never forgive them if they don't.

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During the time Lou is gone Leonia has learned the Chief's true nature.

He's a dirty man, stricken with greed and booze. He's also violent and often causes pain for no reason at all—other than the fact that he can do it.

Leonia always fights back whenever the old bastard tries to do anything, just like with the other teachers.

She can't imagine what Lou has to endure whenever he used to be sent to this monster's office. She can't believe she actually bought Lou's story that he was helping the balding prick with paper work!

How does Lou walk around so carelessly? So casually like none of his body parts hurt?

Why did he never tell Leonia? She's not a child, she's mentioned that to him so many times. Doesn't Lou trust her?

( some nights Leonia cries thinking about what Lou has to endure, she can never forgive Lou for going through it on his own )

Nowadays all Leonia does is throw a tantrum and make the teacher's life a living hell whenever she's pissed at thinking about Lou again.

Making a mess here, picking fights there. She's been dubbed the demon child now ( as if none of them are demons themselves ) and often been locked away without food in the shed.

Leonia will always find a way to get out of the shed though and she always goes back to her usual place in front of the orphanage, waiting for Lou to come back safe...

Everyday was mundane until one morning, this morning, Leonia has been thrown and locked inside of the shed for no absolute reason!

She hasn't even caused any kind of trouble yet! She didn't break the plates, spill water on the teachers, or attack the teachers, or any of that ...but she is thrown into the shed anyways— what the heck?!

Leonia kicks the locked door before making some make-shift, very much not safe, ladder with the nick knacks she finds in the shed and takes a peak at the orphanage from the small window.

There, her eyes widened at the sight.

...She's not seeing things, right?

There, right in front of the orphanage was a carriage, but not the carriage she's been waiting for, no. It is a noble's carriage—but not just any noble's carriage—it is the Voreoti family's carriage.

That symbol...! That familiar symbol!

Leonia can't be wrong with this one. She thinks she knows which world she has been transferred to now.

The girl scrambles to get back down, careful to actually not fall down, as she hurries to the back of the shed. There is a loose plank on the back that she's been using to get out of the shed freely.

She quickly slips her way out and runs as fast as her tiny legs can take her over to the carriage.

She can't miss this now, this is one in a million chance. All of her luck definitely has disappeared to make this happen.

A male teacher who has been assigned to guard the shed just for this occasion notices the loud noises coming from the shed. He was about to come in and keep the noise down just in case the Duke finds it suspicious when the girl that is supposed to be locked inside whizzes past him.

"HEY!" Leonia hears the older man shouts but she doesn't pay it to mind as she keeps on running towards the carriage.

Of course, the teacher and that dastardly long legs of his catches her quickly and grabs her by her hand.

"LET GO OF ME!" Leonia screams as she puts her weight down and pulls against the teacher's force.

Leonia was about to be dragged away when suddenly Lou appears and punches the teacher in the guts, making him release Leonia from his hold.

"Go!" Lou urges her before pushing the teacher away from the black haired girl. Leonia doesn't know where Lou had come from but she's appreciative of her regardless.

Leonia quickly runs over to the front of the orphanage and stands in front of the Duke with a glare. She notices that there are the other teachers and also the Chief present aside from the Duke and his retainers.

The old Chief panics as he scrambles for his words, "I-I apologise, your Grace! Hurry and put her away...!!"

The Northern Duke holds his hand up to stop the old man from rambling on, his cold black eyes never left Leonia's.

"Rupert." The Duke calls on his assistant.

"That child was not on the list," the grey-haired man supplies.

Leonia flinches when she feels someone grabbing her hand and looks up to see Lou standing beside her with resolution.

"...nor is that one." Rupert supplies once more.

"T-that... That child is not supposed to be here!" The Chief tries to explain before pointing at Leonia, "and that other child is someone that has no manners and only causes accidents...!"

"So you dare disobey the Duke?" Rupert cuts the old man off his words ( ha! Sucks to be him! )

"I've surely made it clear that the Duke wished to meet every child here."

The Chief and the other teachers quickly kneel and bow their heads down.

'I... APOLOGISE! PLEASE FORGIVE US!" The Chief begs.

Leonia and Lou eye the adults on the ground with minor amusement before they hear the Duke's voice.

"So, what's your name?"

"Leonia and his name is Lou," Leonia answers with conviction.

"Leonia... What an extravagant and unique name." Duke Phileo sharpens his gaze at the little girl.

Leonia continues to glare at the older man. She doesn't care, she's betting everything on this right now—the Duke is their easiest  ticket out of here. With Lou beside her, there's no need to worry anymore. She trusts Lou, he can do anything.

The Duke's gaze darkens as he looks down on the two kids in front of him. Leonia's hold on Lou's hands tightens as she hears the Duke's next words.

"Does that name suit you, I wonder..."

Leonia stands her ground and stares at him in the eyes. The battle of the wits begins.