Mo Fei's original plan had been to use some of the merchant association's connections to reach key people in the city government, giving himself some room to maneuver.
But what little goodwill his father had left behind had long since been all but exhausted. Most of the arrangements needed money, and Mo Fei had intended to use his mother's jewelry for that.
After all, this was the sort of matter where either side could make a reasonable case.
The orphanage had no source of income. Were they not even allowed to find a way to earn money themselves?
But those officials would not think that much about it. All they knew was that someone had caused them trouble, so someone had to be punished. Whether that someone was the person who reported it or an innocent party depended on the contest between them-and their offerings.
Mo Fei understood these unwritten rules.
If all else failed, he could set aside a large portion of the profits every month to provide those people with some extra income.
But if he did that, living conditions at the orphanage would decline considerably again.
Of course, there was another option: find a powerful backer.
So, figuring there was no harm in trying his luck, he slipped a note asking for help into the basket of white bread sold to Miss Colleen. If they were willing to lend a hand for the sake of the children in the orphanage, nothing could be better.
Still, Mo Fei thought the chances were very slim.
That young lady was simply somewhat kindhearted. Actually stepping in to help would take far more kindness than that.
Yet the very next day, he received a pleasantly surprising reply.
Early that morning, a coachman delivered Miss Colleen's reply to the orphanage and placed it directly into his hands.
The letter made no explicit promises. It only mentioned that she would look into the situation and then decide what to do based on what she found.
That was already definite enough to count as good news, and only then did Mo Fei truly gain a little confidence.
Meanwhile, turning back to when Miss Colleen and her maid Molly received the request for help.
When she saw something other than bread in the basket, Molly's first reaction was to put it aside, feeling rather angry.
To her, their weekly bread purchases represented a rare unspoken understanding. But now, that fellow from the orphanage had actually broken it, leaving her with a very unpleasant feeling.
Colleen, however, was not nearly so angry.
"All right, little Molly, don't be angry. Perhaps Director Mo has run into something involving the children that he can't resolve and needs help with. Remember? That man didn't look like someone who would casually take a mile when given an inch..."
With that, she stepped forward and opened the letter herself.
The curious little maid also drew closer despite her words. "If he says anything improper, I'll report him to the Earl and have him punished. Hmph!"
The handwriting in the letter was neat and elegant, very much in keeping with their initial impression of Mo Fei.
"Dear Miss Winter,
Greetings.
It was my idea to take the liberty of troubling you like this. Aiwen himself knows nothing about it, so please do not blame him for being presumptuous. This was entirely my own idea...
There is something I need to tell you.
Our original intention in selling bread at the orphanage was to give the children better lives and brighter futures. However, this has ultimately attracted some covetous eyes...
Someone is now planning to act against the orphanage. I have made preparations for certain underhanded tricks they might use in private, but there is one matter in particular where we truly need support: whether the orphanage is allowed to sell bread at all...
I am not asking you to step forward and do anything yourself. If you could simply put in a word with some of the inspectors so that we can conduct our sales legitimately, we would be deeply grateful...
If it really is inconvenient for you to get involved, please consider this an overstep on my part and think nothing more of it...
Mo Orphanage-Director Mo Fei."
The letter clearly laid out every detail of their current predicament, without the slightest suggestion of using their acquaintance to force her hand.
That improved Molly's opinion of him somewhat.
But when she saw the young lady frown, her heart still skipped a beat.
"Doesn't the orphanage receive relief funds? And can selling bread really cause some sort of dispute?"
Colleen voiced her questions directly.
As it happened, Molly had seen information about this when investigating Mo Fei and the orphanage earlier. Miss Colleen simply had not learned about it.
"Yes, miss. Director Mo hasn't exaggerated. Their orphanage is privately run and located in a remote part of the East End. It wasn't allocated much in relief funds to begin with, and even that little bit caught the attention of the hyenas at city hall, who pocketed it for themselves..."
Colleen's expression turned unpleasant as she listened. She had never experienced anything like this.
Although she had learned a great deal, graduated from her girls' school with excellent grades, and gained admission to a very good university, nothing like this had ever appeared in her world.
"So Director Mo raised eight children under those circumstances?"
"Yes. If I'm not mistaken, it should be nine now. There's a newly adopted child as well..."
"What about the bread, then?"
"I don't know much about that... It may require some investigation, but... Director Mo probably wasn't lying..."
Their conversation ended there.
Later, while watching a play, Colleen remained somewhat distracted. Even the young son of another noble family noticed.
"Colleen, are you feeling unwell today? Would you like to go home and rest...?"
He voiced his concern directly.
Colleen paused too. She had intended to say she was fine, but somehow, she went along with his suggestion instead.
"I may have been feeling a little under the weather lately. I'll head home first, then. Keep watching, and tell me about the plot afterward..."
With that, she rose and took her leave.
After returning to the Earl's residence, she immediately sent her maid Molly to investigate what had happened, while she went to her father's study, found a book of imperial law, and began reading.
When the Earl returned home, he heard the butler's quiet report.
"The young lady came home early today, then went into the study and has been reading ever since. Might that be a little..."
Any unusual behavior from the family was a matter of enormous importance to the servants, but the butler did not dare make decisions on his own, so he reported it directly.
The Earl's expression merely shifted before he asked where Molly was.
"After Molly returned with the young lady, she went out again. The young lady must have given her some instructions... Shall I send her to see you when she returns?"
The butler caught on immediately.
The Earl nodded as well, then went to the dining room and began dinner without disturbing his daughter.