Chapter 38: A letter from Ariana

“Charlotte, give me your hand…”

“Charlotte… If you keep this up, you might not be able to use your hand anymore… If it starts to rot…”

Charlotte slapped away the nun’s hand as if to say, “Don’t come near me.”

“Charlotte… Please… I just want to help you heal…”

Seeing Charlotte shrink away even more as if she didn’t want to hear another word, the nun let out a small sigh.

“I’ll leave the medicine here. Make sure you apply it, okay? Promise me you will.”

The nun left the ointment and the soup she had brought for Charlotte and quietly stepped out of the room.

She hadn’t touched the food from yesterday either. The nun lowered her head, hoping at least today Charlotte would take a single bite.

She wondered how she was supposed to approach a child like this.

The nun had never treated a child who had broken down this badly before. She kept worrying.

It was dangerous to get too close, but leaving Charlotte alone was just as bad. All the nun could do was sigh out of pity.

“…Come to think of it, I heard she has a younger sibling.”

She recalled the information Theodore had shared for treatment purposes.

Thinking about the child still at Theodore’s orphanage, the nun began to wonder—maybe that child could help heal Charlotte’s heart.

She set off to find Theodore, holding on to a small hope.

“…So you want to bring the child here just to show them Charlotte’s condition?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

The moment the nun mentioned the other child, Theodore’s expression hardened.

“I just thought… maybe if she got a letter, it might help Charlotte feel a little better…”

“A letter…”

At the word “letter,” Theodore’s expression changed. His brows, which had been furrowed, relaxed as if he thought it was a good idea. The nun let out a breath of relief.

“A letter can’t cure her grief… but…”

“I’ll go myself.”

“Pardon?!”

The nun was shocked to see Theodore rising from his chair. Where would a cardinal go in the middle of this scandal involving abuse of a Saint?

“There’s still follow-up work left with the Saint abuse case—shouldn’t you send another priest instead?”

“I’ll be quick. Oh, bring me a teleport scroll. One day should be enough.”

“Those are so expensive…”

The nun sighed as she watched Theodore walk out without hesitation. She had more work to do than just caring for Charlotte. There were other children who had been dragged in as offerings—she had to help them recover mentally too.

But no matter how busy she was, she couldn’t neglect any of the children.

She cursed Cardinal Demian in her heart for causing all this and headed back toward Charlotte’s room.

Two days passed since Theodore had left to get a letter from Ariana. He had said one day would be enough, but he had been delayed by another.

“She didn’t eat again today…”

The sight of the untouched soup and ointment on the floor gave the nun a headache.

Today, she had to get Charlotte to eat—no matter what. Otherwise, she really might die.

She looked closely at Charlotte’s wounded hand. The healing skin had torn again, and blood was seeping out.

Leaving the wound untreated was one thing, but Charlotte was reopening it herself, and that made the nun feel angry for the first time.

Watching a child fall apart wasn’t something she could just tolerate anymore. The nun made up her mind—she’d treat her by force if she had to.

“Charlotte, give me your hand.”

Charlotte stayed silent, and the nun felt like she was going crazy from frustration.

Just a little more. She decided to wait just a little longer. She believed that once Cardinal Theodore returned with Ariana’s letter, something in Charlotte would change.

The door suddenly burst open. Cardinal Theodore stood there, panting.

“Cardinal!”

“Sorry. I came as fast as I could… but I’m late.”

Theodore sat down in front of Charlotte, holding two letters in his hand.

“Charlotte… Ariana sent you a letter.”

At the sound of “Ariana,” Charlotte slowly lifted her head—something she hadn’t done for a long time. She had always sat curled up, hiding her face.

Theodore was speechless for a moment when he saw how skinny and hollow her face had become.

“…Ariana sent a letter. Will you read it?”

Charlotte reached for the letter but hesitated just before touching it.

Maybe she didn’t want to get blood or pus on the white envelope.

“Let’s treat your hand first and wrap it. Then you’ll be able to read the letter, okay?”

Charlotte nodded slightly.

The nun smiled brightly and finally began the treatment.

Charlotte’s hand was in terrible shape. Her nails had been torn off again. Even if healing magic was used, it would stick to the nails, so she had to apply the magic slowly, layer by layer.

As she softly used healing magic and applied ointment, Charlotte didn’t make a sound—not even a groan.

The nun bit her lip.

Even grown adults would cry out in pain, but this child looked at her own hand like it wasn’t even hers. The nun’s heart ached deeply.

Finally, after applying medicine and wrapping the bandages, both the nun and Theodore let out a sigh of relief.

Before the nun could finish, Charlotte carefully took the letter and began reading it.

Inside the heavy envelope was a small cross.

She unfolded the letter first.

Written in large, clumsy handwriting were their names: “To Charlotte Unnie” and “To Ray Unnie.” There were two letters.

Charlotte gave a soft laugh when she saw her name misspelled.

The child who had barely learned to write had tried her best to write her and Ray’s names. That alone felt precious and touching.

“The head nun helped Ariana write the letters,” Theodore said. “I watched the whole time. Every word is Ariana’s.”

Charlotte quickly unfolded the one addressed to her:

To the bad Charlotte unnie who left me behind.

Unnie, you were bad. I thought you left me. I thought you and Ray unnie left together.

The nun said that’s not true, but she also said she didn’t know when you’d be back.

When Grandpa came, I thought you’d come too. But you didn’t. I was mad.

I have a lot I want to say when we meet.

Yesterday, I made a snowman with the nun. You said we’d make one together, but I made it by myself. I’m sorry.

Charlotte gave a soft laugh at Ariana’s messy letter.

She could picture it.

Snow pouring down, white hair fluttering—whether it was snow or Ariana, she couldn’t tell. Ariana running around, rolling up snow with her little hands.

It was so easy to imagine.

Ray unnie said you both would come back, right?

I really want to see you and Ray unnie too.

I still remember we promised to make a snowman. Come back before the snow melts.

Grandma told me maybe I should write what’s been happening. So I will.

I cried a lot while you were gone. A lot. So much.

The nun told me to stop crying and gave me cocoa, but I didn’t drink it. I wanted to drink it with you.

When the mean kids bothered me, I got really mad and hit them.

I pulled their hair and made their noses bleed. I won! I did good, right?

The nun who gives us snacks still gives me yours and Ray unnie’s too.

Today I got three cookies. I’m saving yours, so come back soon. I lost count of how many nights have passed.

I miss you, Charlotte unnie. I really miss you. Sometimes I think…

Maybe you and Ray unnie went back there without me, like last time.

But Ray unnie said you’d come back. She really said so.

Please come back soon.

Waiting for you,
Ariana

P.S. Ariana cried, so the head nun finished this part. Come back soon. Waiting for you, the Head Nun.

Charlotte’s tears fell onto the final line—“waiting for you”—and smudged the ink.

She lifted the letter away from her lap so her tears wouldn’t fall on it again. But even as she tilted her head back, the tears rolled down her cheeks.

She swallowed hard to stop her throat from tightening. She bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry again.

But even biting her lip and looking up wasn’t enough—the tears wouldn’t stop.

She wiped her eyes and looked at the other letter with Ray’s name on it.

Would it be okay for her to read a letter that would never be read by Ray?

But she was curious—she wanted to know what kind of letter Ariana wrote to Ray.

Charlotte opened the letter addressed to Ray.

To my beloved Ray unnie.

You’re with Charlotte unnie, right?

It’s been so long since you left me because you said you couldn’t leave her alone.

But you never lie, so I’ll wait for you.

I fought the bad kid just like you taught me and I won this time.

I grabbed his hair and—bam! Right in the jaw! Just like you said, right? I did really well.

The nun was so surprised at how good I was.

So it was Ray who taught Ariana how to fight.

Charlotte remembered how the two of them would sneak off together at the orphanage. She had no idea Ray had been teaching her that.

It’s snowing here, but they said it doesn’t snow where you are.

Bring Charlotte unnie back quickly, or we won’t get to make a snowman.

I learned how to make a face using sticks and stones. I got praised for being good at it.

Grandma said I should send a gift, so I picked out a small cross.

I’ll give it to Charlotte unnie when she comes back. Don’t tell her! It’s a secret!

I saved more snacks for you than Charlotte unnie! The secret snack jar is full!

I haven’t eaten any—I’m waiting. But if you don’t come soon, I might eat the cookies myself.

Charlotte unnie’s a little unreliable, so you have to keep an eye on her. You know she’s kind of a dummy.

So please come back soon, Ray unnie. Hurry and play with me. I’m bored.

The others are no fun. Playing with you is always the most fun.

Waiting for you,
Ariana

P.S. It took another day because Ariana cried again. Don’t worry—the cross was picked by Ariana herself. Please come back. Waiting for you, the Head Nun.

Charlotte couldn’t hold it in anymore.

She collapsed and sobbed uncontrollably.

She lifted her head and cried out loud.

She didn’t know how she was going to tell Ariana that Ray was dead.

They had all been abandoned once already.

There are children who can’t even survive that one abandonment.

For a child that small…

Wasn’t two times far too many?