The Royal Contract

Chapter 1204  A figment of her imagination

She walked into the kitchen, finding everyone busy preparing the next meal. She always felt like there was a feast at the volume of food cooked by these untiring people. But, of course, they were feeding not just a family in each meal.

"Is there something I can do to help?" She asked, knowing they could always need a hand.

Soon, she was either stirring a pot of stew or helping with cutting the vegetables. At first, she would be honest. She had no idea what she was doing. But slowly, she was getting the hang of it.

"You are a God-send." One of the sisters whispered to her as she passed her workstation. But she believed it was the other way around. She barely helped them. But she knew they had saved her from her doom.

"I can barely cut this into cubes." She countered, but the sister only laughed at her, leaving her to do her next task.

She continued helping with cleaning the kitchen after they finished cooking, knowing that in a few hours, the next batch would start cooking for the next meal again.

"Serena..." A familiar voice by the door caught her attention as she swept the floor. She immediately looked up to see a familiar face. "Hi." He greeted her as he walked into the room, greeting the other people with her.

"Hello, Sebastian. I was not aware that you were visiting here today." She told him, knowing that it was not his schedule to check on the kids or mention that he was coming in any of their conversations.

"It was an impulsive instinct to come here. The patient canceled my scheduled surgery. Therefore, I found myself with nothing to do." He said, explaining his sudden appearance. "I thought I could help around here."

He took the broom from her hand. "Allow me to finish this one." Then, he continued her task. "And I also thought you might want to check some sights. Maybe you will take pity on me and join me in my exploration."

She was surprised by his offer. Thinking about it, she did not see any harm in it. She could use some fresh air and a new ambiance. She loved the orphanage, but it would be nice to see other places too.

"So, what do you think? Do you want to be my buddy for the day?" He asked again when she did not answer right away. "Come on, Serena. Pretty please." He begged her.

She scrunched up her nose as if she was thinking deeply about it, but she already knew the answer. Then, she finally ended her friend's misery by agreeing. "Ok. But after we feed the kids." She told him.

She knew that would not be a problem. Sebastian loved to help out, just like her. It was the only reason he was here in the first place, volunteering his time and skills and aiding these kids with their medical problems.

Besides, she wanted to help first before leaving. She knew that the Sisters had too much on their plate. And they could use physical help, not just spiritual, even for a while.

She wished she could do more. But she could not stay here forever. Eventually, she would have to leave for good and face the life she had left behind. It could be tomorrow, a week from now, or a month. But sooner or later, she would have to pack her things and go home.

But where? That was her ultimate question.

"Ok. You have a deal." Sebastian accepted her condition as he helped with the rest of the tasks in the kitchen.

In return, Sister Nenita gave them a nice cold refreshing drink, rewarding them for their hard work. "Why don't you just rest and enjoy?" She said to them before leaving them.

"So, how are you today?" He asked. Although they barely talked about their personal lives, he still showed a slight concern for her.

He must have figured she was hiding here because of her scandalous life as an actress. It was no secret since it was all over the news when she left the city and her world.

"I am getting better." She finally confided with him, feeling more relaxed in his company. Although he showed interest in her in their first few meetings, he did not push it when she told him she was not ready.

He said he understood and accepted that they could only be friends. So far, she believed she could trust him. She had not seen any reason to doubt him. On the other hand, she saw that he was a genuinely good person based on what he had done so far for the kids.

"That is good to hear. Anyway, maybe you would like to go to the beach. I heard there is one just a few minutes from here." He suggested, which sounded nice. She could use a change of scene, even for a few hours.

"I would love to. It had been a while since I was out in the sun." She said, probably except when she was playing with the kids in the garden. Still, it would be different for her to be on the shore, frolicking in the sun.

"But I am thinking of bringing along a few kids with us. I am sure they would enjoy a day out of this joint." He added, which sounded much better.

"Are you serious?" She could not believe what she was hearing. It was a fantastic idea. Suddenly, she was more excited than ever. She should have thought of this, but she was glad he did.

She jumped out of her seat and hugged him. She was just ecstatic with the idea. She knew she should not be too attached to these kids. At some point, she would be leaving them behind.

But she could not stop herself from loving each one of them. They were just simply adorable. And all of them deserve more than what they got. But she would make it her life mission to help them in any way she could. That was the least she could do for them.

"It is nothing. You would have done the same thing for these kids." He said to her as he hugged her back before letting her go. "But I am glad I put a beautiful smile on your lips."

"You certainly made my day." She admitted as she finished her drink. "Do the kids already know?" She asked, excited to tell them.

"Sister Eloisa already agree to it. She said she would have them ready so we could leave after lunch." Sebastian informed her.

Some of the Sisters would also come with them to accompany the kids. Sebastian had rented a bus that would take them to their destination. Then, he had already arranged for everything they would need.

"But it would be good chaos and fun." He corrected her, and she agreed with him.

"Is there anything else I can do?" She felt she had to do something to help.

"Just have fun," Sebastian told her as he finished his drink and helped her clean the kitchen.

They were about to exit the kitchen when a burst of laughter and shrill coming from the outside reached her ears. She could only guess that the kids had finally heard the good news.

"This would be chaos," Serena told him, knowing it would be hard to control all those kids.

"But it would be good chaos and fun." He corrected her, and she agreed with him.

Then, he guided her toward her room, allowing her to prepare for their short trip. "I will wait for you outside." He told her, leaving her to finish packing for their mini adventure.

There was nothing much to pack since it was a trip to the beach. Therefore, Serena quickly followed her friend outside. She could not wait to see the smiles on the children's faces. She was sure they were as excited as she was or even more.

"Serena, we are going to the beach." One of the older kids rushed to her side to tell her. She was beaming as she had expected.

She could tell that this must be their first trip to the beach, at least for most of them. She wanted this outing to be a memorable experience for them.

"Yes, we are. Are you all ready?" She asked as more kids followed her and joined them, shouting at the top of their lungs as they all informed them of the exciting plans.

"Yes." Everyone shouted in unison before everyone again vied for her attention.

"Hey, guys. Sister Eloisa is asking everyone to the dining hall." Sebastian said.

She smiled and slightly laughed when the kids moved along. Everyone was excited to run to the dining hall and rushed to finish their meals. "You just said the magic words." She told Sebastian as they followed the kids.

But suddenly, something caught her attention. Her eyes followed a movement by the main gate. She was unsure, but the retreating back of a man looked familiar as it eventually disappeared behind the tall fences.

"Who was that?" She asked Sebastian, but she doubted he had seen the man she was pointing to.

But in her mind, that was not possible.

It could not be him.

Was that just a figment of her imagination?