However, none of that mattered to Law; he was only here to be a spy.
Smelling the rich aroma of food wafting through the air, Law realized he was hungry. He hadn't eaten anything all morning. There was no good reason to refuse a free meal. He didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to himself, so he deliberately went to the very back of the line.
From his spot, he watched the blond kid at the front, clumsily serving food onto the other children's plates. 'Looks like he's that woman's son,' Law thought.
After a quick glance, he paid the boy no more mind. As he waited, he began to think about how he should act to quickly attract the attention of the orphanage's higher-ups.
Time passed slowly, and finally, it was his turn. He held out his plate, and the blond kid gave him a friendly smile as he piled it high with food. Law was about to mutter a polite "thank you."
But just then—
"Kid! Get away!!!"
Colin, the guard standing behind Sanji, suddenly had a look of pure terror on his face. Without a second thought, he kicked Law hard, sending him flying as he screamed in horror. This sudden turn of events left everyone completely bewildered.
Sanji was stunned for a moment before asking in disbelief, "Uncle Colin! What are you doing?!"
"Your Highness Sanji! Please step back!" Colin immediately shielded Sanji behind him, drew his longsword, and stared intently at Law, who was now sprawled on the ground. "There's no mistake!" he explained, his voice shaking with terror. "That kid… he's a patient with Amber Lead Syndrome!"
Just moments before, while Law was being served, Colin had seen the unnatural, corpse-like paleness of the boy's wrist. His own country was located very close to Flevance, the kingdom known as the "White Town." He recognized the signs at once.
"Amber Lead Syndrome?" Sanji asked, confused. "What's that?"
"It's a terrifying, incurable disease from the Kingdom of Flevance!" Colin explained quickly. "The toxins build up in the patient's body until their skin and organs gradually turn white! And… and that disease is contagious! It's extremely dangerous!"
When Law was kicked, the furry hat he wore to hide his condition had fallen off. Now, everyone could clearly see the unnatural white patches on his face, like his skin was dusted with powder. It was exactly as the guard had described.
"Oh my god! It's a contagious disease!"
"This is too dangerous! How did a kid like this get in here?!"
"Quick! Get him out of here!!!"
The adults and children in the room erupted in panic. Their eyes, when they looked at Law, were filled with a mixture of fear and disgust. Listening to their harsh, needle-like words, Law gritted his teeth as an uncontrollable surge of immense anger welled up inside him. He wanted to kill them. He wanted to kill every single person in this room.
However, in the next moment, he saw the blond kid walking toward him.
"Your Highness Sanji! Be careful! That kid is very dangerous!" Colin warned urgently.
Sanji completely ignored him. He walked over to Law, picked up the dusty plate that had fallen to the ground, and placed it back in Law's hand.
"You can't eat food that's been on the ground," he said softly. "I… I'll get you another serving."
Law was momentarily stunned. The immense anger in his heart lessened, just a little.
"My name is Sanji," the boy continued, his blue eyes filled with pure kindness. "What's your name? I know being sick must be very painful. I hope… you get better soon."
Law just stared at him coldly. "Didn't you hear what that guard said?" he asked. "This disease… is contagious."
He thought to himself: 'This naive kid just doesn't realize how dangerous I am. Otherwise, he would be afraid of me, and disgusted by me, just like everyone else.'
But Sanji just looked at him seriously and said, "No matter what, a person always has to fill their stomach first, right?"
Law was speechless.
Just then, Sora pushed through the panicked crowd and walked over, asking hurriedly, "What happened?!"
Guard Colin quickly explained, "Your Highness! We've found a patient with Amber Lead Syndrome! It's that highly dangerous contagious disease from Flevance!"
Law looked at the noble, queen-like woman. 'Given her methods from before, she'll surely be the one to finally kick me out,' he thought. 'It's a bit of a shame, but it doesn't matter.' After all, he had lived like this for years, surrounded by people's fear and disgust.
But then, to his complete astonishment, he was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace that carried a faint scent of flowers. Sora had walked right up to him, knelt down, and wrapped her arms tightly around the cold, dusty little boy, holding him close.
Her tears, like broken pearls, streamed silently down her face.
"...You poor child…" Her voice trembled with heartache. "...You've truly suffered so much."
Held tightly in her arms, Law suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of panic. He shouldn't feel this way. He hadn't felt anything like this since his parents and his sister, Lamy, died in the fire and gunfire. He felt as if his heart, which had long been filled with nothing but hatred and coldness, as hard as iron, had just been… gently touched by something warm.
'What… what's happening… to me?' he thought, completely bewildered.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion