At night, the lights in the corridor were dim because they only came on at intervals.
The sound of leather shoes striking the wooden stairs echoed up the stairwell... She had only made it halfway when she stopped. It was the orphanage director.
She seemed to be talking to someone.
On the phone.
Sister Celine had already held her breath. She and Medanzo were huddled together, carefully listening. She was so nervous she felt like she might die, yet she looked at Medanzo, who seemed rather excited.
"...All right, I understand. I'll find those two children as soon as possible. Rest assured, I won't delay the shipment... I know the consequences."
The director's voice was the typical sharp, shrill voice of an elderly shrew. Sister Celine had been working at this orphanage for several weeks and had seen the director several times, but she had never dared approach her.
The voice gradually faded, but the director did not continue down the stairs. Instead, she suddenly turned around and walked back up.
"She's gone." Only then did Medanzo release his hand from Sister Celine's mouth.
Sister Celine's chest rose and fell several times before she gradually let out a breath. Still shaken, she asked, "The director didn't notice us, did she?"
"Let's not stay here." Medanzo suddenly asked, "Do you know which floor the dormitory of those siblings is on?"
"F-Follow me," Sister Celine hurriedly said.
The orphanage dormitory building was tall and spacious. It took them some time to reach the back stairwell door on the floor they wanted.
"There are no guards patrolling outside, but there are four surveillance cameras in the corridor." Celine poked her head out to take a look, then turned back and said, "Are... are we really going over like this?"
"Let me think."