Once all the children had introduced themselves, Colleen had gained some understanding of them.
Still, the child who left the deepest impression on her was Mia. Even at this age, she could already see hints of what the girl would look like in the future.
She beckoned Mia over to her side and looked her over carefully.
She even turned to Molly beside her and said outright, "This orphanage really does have some hidden talents. Look at this little girl. Doesn't she look a little like the lead in that play we saw before..."
Not only did Molly hear Colleen's words, but Mo Fei, who was bringing things out, heard them too.
Mo Fei thoughtfully paid a little more attention to Mia.
Molly, however, first took a look, then shook her head.
"Her looks aren't too different. Judging by the features taking shape now, that's certainly true, but... becoming a lead takes years of practice, and the orphanage certainly can't afford that in its current circumstances... unless you're willing to help, miss..."
Between the two of them playing off each other, they seemed to have said something, yet also nothing at all.
Still, this really had been a passing impulse on Colleen's part.
She also had some plans regarding the publicity for her reputation that her father had mentioned before.
She truly did not know much about the East End, but she was far more familiar with the theaters of the West End. No one knew better than she did how much attention a famous lead could attract.
And if there were such a female lead, once she became famous, people would dig into her past and discover that the person who had once funded her was-Colleen Winter.
Then perhaps this image of someone with an eye for hidden talent would be even more effective.
Even if the girl did not become famous, she could still gather plenty of information in a place as well-informed as a theater, which would be a great help to Colleen.
So, although it had only started as a passing impulse, the more she thought about it, the more interested she became.
With that thought, she looked straight at Mo Fei, who had just come out, as though casually.
"Director Mo, what do you think?"
However, Mo Fei did not make a decision straightaway. Instead, he deliberately brought up the purpose of today's visit. "Miss Colleen, please have some bread first. And this is milk tea I made. As for Mia, we can talk about that later. It doesn't seem like something we can settle quickly anyway, does it?"
Seeing his calm expression, Colleen suspected that he might not know how bright this child's prospects could be if she entered the theater.
But seeing how composed he was, she became a little uncertain again.
So she smiled as well. "That's true. There's no rush. We need to think everything through!"
With that, she picked up her teacup and took a sip of the warm milk tea.
It was not as though she had never had milk tea before, but when the maids at home made it, they would take some tea leaves and brew them directly in hot milk.
Milk tea made that way had a strong bitterness from the leaves, while their fragrance was never fully brought out, and it also had a heavy, raw milky smell.
Colleen could not have said she liked it before, but she did not dislike it either. After all, it was also an option for afternoon tea among the nobility.
But this milk tea was fragrant from the first sip. The sweet richness of the milk blended beautifully with the delicate fragrance of the tea, and she could even smell the distinctive scent of caramel. This milk tea was unexpectedly good.
Such a distinctive flavor also whetted Colleen's appetite.
She picked up a piece of white bread and took a small bite. It was the same bread as the one in the basket before, but perhaps because it was fresh from the oven, it actually had even more flavor.
The baked bread's aroma was also much richer, and the smooth cream sandwiched in the middle added another layer of flavor.
Not to mention, the bread itself seemed to hold plenty of flavor: slightly sour, yet with a hint of sunshine.
All in all, the bread paired with milk tea gave Colleen a rare sense of contentment.
It was only the sound of Mia swallowing that brought Colleen back to her senses.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and to change the subject, she invited the children to eat with her.
"Come and have some too. I can't finish all this bread by myself..."
Colleen's attitude made Molly, standing behind her, frown slightly.
Fortunately, the children were very well behaved, and none of them stepped forward. Even Mia, who was closest, was the same. She merely shook her head. "Miss Colleen, we've all eaten. The director made this especially for you, so please just enjoy it..."
In fact, Colleen had regretted it a little as soon as she said it. Sharing food with other people would make her very uncomfortable.
Fortunately, they had not come straight up to eat.
Because the children were so considerate, Colleen instead grew a little fonder of them.
Who could dislike children with such a sense of propriety?
However, Colleen did not keep eating. Instead, she began discussing the matter they had spoken of earlier.
"Someone gave us a bakery before. I think it's called the Bread Workshop. It happens to be a place for selling bread, so you shouldn't sell at the entrance anymore. That isn't good..."
"I'll send two people to manage the Bread Workshop. You can also send two children over to help, and I'll pay them five pounds a week. As for the bread, it can be made there too, but I think making it here seems a little better..."
"So I'll leave it to you to make two batches of bread every day and take them over to sell. We'll settle your production costs once a week... As for the bakery's business, we'll likewise go over it once a week, then make a single donation at the beginning of the month. That will also make it easier to manage..."
"If any problems come up, you can also contact Molly directly. She'll help resolve them..."
"Are there any other questions?"
After she finished, Colleen looked straight at Mo Fei, wanting to hear his opinion.
But this entire process was already thorough enough that even Mo Fei had nothing to be dissatisfied with.
So he nodded decisively.
Aiwen, however, hesitantly spoke up. "Then, Miss Colleen, can we still take a small amount of bread to the West End to sell?"
Colleen immediately realized what he meant. "Of course. Selling small amounts separately like that is no problem at all! But you won't need to bring any to my place!"
At first, Aiwen was very happy. After all, although they did not sell much bread in the West End, the profits were higher.
But when he heard the last part, he was a little taken aback. "Did I do something wrong?"
Seeing the nervous Aiwen, Colleen smiled. "No need. It's mainly because that bread was already a little cold, so from now on, I'll come here every week to eat fresh bread... What, am I not welcome?"
She deliberately teased him.
Aiwen breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly protested, "No, no, we all like you very much!"
"What do you like about me?" Colleen deliberately pressed.
Aiwen's face immediately turned bright red, and he did not know how to answer. Mia, who was nearby, timidly spoke up instead. "We like how pretty and kind you are!"
"Hahaha..." This innocent explanation made all the adults present laugh.
Carried along by the atmosphere, the children began laughing too.
The orphanage was filled with joy.