????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? | IBTMLAD

Lou quietly sits on the carriage with an angry...? Or at least miffed Leonia in his arms as the Duke explains his situation to them.

"...So that's why you're adopting us?" Leonia asks, sounding more annoyed than anything.

"Yeah," the Duke merely replies.

"I MEAN—!" Leonia starts her rant, "PEOPLE USUALLY ADOPT BECAUSE THEY'RE UNABLE TO CONCEIVE A CHILD! OR BECAUSE THEY LIKE CHILDREN SO MUCH, OR THE MANY OTHER REASONS THAT LEADS BACK TO THEM BEING FOND OF CHILDREN!"

"BUT YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU'RE ADOPTING BECAUSE YOUR FRIEND BRAGGED ABOUT HIS KID? REALLY?!"

Lou pats Leonia's back to calm her down, a fond look on his face as he watches the two banter.

"You look unsatisfied." Phileo points out.

Leonia slacks down as she gives up on the argument. "Mister, are you stupid?" She asks, sounding tired.

"My youngest child seems to have quite the vocabulary." The Duke comments.

"Didn't you want this too? Isn't that why you blocked my path?" The Duke eyes Lou, "or at least he does, telling you to go to me while he distracts the man that was holding you down."

Lou stiffens at the mention. Although he seems calm on the outside, his heart is beating loudly in his chest. He feels anxious, will the Duke think there's some other party at play? Will he be more cautious around Leonia and not take her in? Will this jeopardise her life and happiness?

"Yeah," Lou answers the Duke's question, "I wanted you to take Leonia in."

Leonia looks up as Lou says his next words with a small chuckle, "I didn't expect you'd adopt me too."

The Duke watches the boy with interest as Leonia frowns at what Lou has said. Did he expect her to leave him behind? That she'll take this escape without him?

Then anger replaces the sadness that is within her. The Chief did this to him, the teachers too. They probably said a lot of nasty things to Lou behind Leonia's back and Lou has kept it hidden from her.

She knows how hurtful those wretched people can be, she's seen their full colour, especially after Lou left.

Lou has probably been the one keeping everyone secretly safe, away from the teacher's horrid hands and warm and cared for in Lou's. Is that why he sometimes disappears on Leonia?

Leonia looks outside from the window and glares at the Chief. That bastard. The one that hurt Lou the most. Anger fills her mind as she thinks he'll be getting away scot-free.

"Hey mister," Leonia turns to the Duke, "...I have a request."

Phileo listens with keen interest and Leonia doesn't wait for his reply, "The teachers and the head of that orphanage, they've been embezzling the funds."

The Duke moves his gaze onto the adults outside, "I figured."

"They abused us and they've been talking to pimps now too."

Phileo is shocked to hear that word coming out of a child's mouth. "Do you know what a pimp is..." He asks, concerned.

"I KNOW! THEY'RE PEOPLE THAT SELL OTHERS TO BROTHELS AND STUFF!" Leonia holds Lou close, which surprises the older boy, and hugs him tightly, "LOU WAS SET TO BE SOLD TO ONE!"

Phileo watches in shock as he digests the information that was just given to him. Lou was about to be sold to one? Is that why the Chief said that he wasn't supposed to be here?

"So!" Leonia looks up at Phileo with conviction, "Can you punish them?"

"...."

Phileo crosses his arms and asks, "all of them?"