Jiang Mo followed Natasha inside. The building was old, but clean. The usual stench of the Underworld was replaced by the faint smell of disinfectant. Her office was at the end of the hall on the first floor—a small room with a worn wooden desk and a few chairs.
Natasha sat down and gestured for him to do the same. He remained standing, watching her silently.
She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I saw what happened… That boy provoked the situation first. He tried to steal Bronya's things and was about to get violent. You were right to stop him."
Jiang Mo said nothing, waiting for her to continue.
"However…" her tone hardened, "you were too harsh, Jiang Mo. He's just a child. And I've already educated him; he has reflected on his actions."
Jiang Mo's eyes went cold. Just a child? That "child" had been about to smash Bronya with a rock. If he hadn't reacted in time, she could have been seriously hurt. In this place, mercy was a luxury.
"He should be glad I only punched him twice," he said coldly.
Natasha was at a loss for words. She had seen too much violence in the Underworld, but hearing such words from a six-year-old was still shocking.
"He knows he was wrong now," she said. "I've already disciplined him."
"Good. If there's a next time, if he ever dares to bully Bronya again… it won't end well for him. I guarantee it." His eyes held a threat, as if he were stating an inevitable fact.
Natasha fell silent, a sense of helplessness washing over her as she looked at this thin but sharp-eyed child. The laws of the Underworld were already etched into his bones.
She changed the subject. "Jiang Mo, I know it's not easy for you out there. The orphanage isn't in the best condition, but at least you'll have a place to stay and food to eat. I'll say it again… are you willing to stay?" She genuinely wanted to take him in. "At least you'll be safer here."
But he refused without hesitation. "No, thank you. I won't be staying."
Seeing his firm gaze, she knew she had failed again. How can I get him to stay…
On impulse, Natasha grabbed his arm. Her hand was small and calloused from years of work, but her grip was strong. The distance between them closed, and the faint smell of medicine filled the air.
"Stay, Jiang Mo," she pleaded. "The orphanage may be poor, but at least you'll be fed and have a safe place to sleep." She squeezed his thin arm. "I promise, if you stay, you won't have to live that life anymore. The orphanage is going through a tough time, but I'm working on it. Things will get better soon. We'll even have meat to eat. I don't want to see a child like you lose your life out there for nothing…"
Her voice grew more emotional, her grip tightening, as if she wouldn't let him go unless he agreed.
Just then, a memory flashed in Jiang Mo's mind. Night, an alley beside the orphanage. Natasha, bundled in thick clothes, looking nervous. Across from her, a cloaked figure whose face was obscured. Natasha was holding something that glowed strangely. He was too far away to see clearly, but he could feel the danger emanating from it. The cloaked figure took out a cloth bag. It jingled with the sound of metal—coins, or maybe something else. They exchanged a few hushed words. At the time, he was just a starving vagrant and didn't pay much attention, but he instinctively knew it was something illicit.
Now, connecting Natasha's words about improving the food and the bag of what looked like money, he understood. She was trading for Fragmentum monster parts with a scavenger to get funds for the orphanage.
The flashback ended. Natasha was still gripping his arm tightly, but he didn't struggle. Seeing the change in his eyes, she thought he was finally wavering. But then, he asked in a deceptively innocent voice:
"Sister Natasha, I've always been curious… what are the consequences of privately trading Fragmentum monster parts?"
Natasha froze, her hand recoiling as if burned. A visible panic flashed in her eyes. "Wh-what are you talking about?"
Seeing her reaction, Jiang Mo was even more certain. "I hear that stuff is really dangerous. It's a serious crime if you get caught, right?" he asked, tilting his head.
She forced a smile that was uglier than a cry. "What are you saying, Jiang Mo? I don't understand." She avoided his gaze, her fingers twisting the corner of her clothes.
A faint smile touched his lips. He stepped closer, the pressure of his presence making her even more nervous. "Oh? Is that so? I thought Sister Natasha would know all about it. I saw you last time… you were holding a part and making some kind of trade with a strange person behind the orphanage…"
Her breathing grew ragged. "Jiang Mo, you… you must have seen wrong. There was no strange person, and I don't have any monster parts…"
He ignored her denial. "Sister Natasha, if the Silvermane Guards found out about this… what would they do?"
This struck at her deepest fear. Trading Fragmentum materials was absolutely forbidden. If she was exposed, not only would her reputation be ruined, but she would face a harsh trial, and the orphanage would be shut down. Everything she had worked so hard to build, all the children she had fought to protect, would be destroyed.
Jiang Mo watched her face turn pale, a smirk playing on his lips. He knew he had won.
He could feel her rapid breathing. He leaned in and whispered, his voice laced with cunning, "Sister Natasha, you don't want others to know about that trade, do you?"
The office was deathly silent. Natasha looked at the six-year-old child before her and saw a little fox in sheep's clothing.
My patreon.com/BOB_Davinchi
Honkai: Star Rail: I the Major Villain 65
Type-Moon Demon King, Wrecked Ereshkigal for Loot Right from the Start 85