An unexpected invitation

[[Roll: 20]]

When Runa had a lot on her mind while planning a job, she had a habit of going back to Calmhall Orphanage, the place she'd grown up. While her recent job had been an exception, a lot of the loot she stole went towards the orphanage as anonymous donations. And even as simply Runa, a girl who'd aged out of the hall a few years ago, she was popular with the younger children.

And so, Runa arrived, young sets of eyes immediately spotting her. "Big Sis Runa!" one cried.

"Everyone, Big Sis Runa is here!" another cried.

All it took was Runa stepping through the front gates onto the lawn, and she was suddenly swarmed with children. "Alright, alright, no need to climb on me, I've got something for everyone." In Runa's arms was a bag filled with toys and treats. These she had purchased with her income from working as a waitress by day. After all, it seemed safer to only spend money as Runa with money she'd earned as Runa, to avoid uncomfortable questions about where the money had come from.

Runa spent the next hour or so giving out the gifts she'd brought and then playing with the children. She'd proven to be an absolute hide-and-seek champion, even when all of the children teamed up against her. Her ability to climb a tree or even hide up on the roof drew wild gasps from the children.

But eventually Runa decided to step inside and meet up with her oldest friend. Lily, a girl a couple years older than Runa who'd also grown up in the hall, had become the new hall matron when she came of age so that the previous one could retire. It had been around six years since then. But as Runa approached the matron's office, she received a warning that, "An important lady is here."

Runa wondered if she should interrupt. But upon a bit of consideration, she realized that Lily would simply say, "I'll tell you to leave if you can't be there," and decided to knock on the office door.

"Come in," came Lily's voice from inside.

Lily was sitting behind her desk, but there was a woman Runa didn't recognize sitting in front of her. With flowing blue hair and ornate clothes, it was clear she was a noblewoman. Runa noticed a reaction from Lily when she realized it was Runa who was here, but it was impossible to read her old friend's face. Was she hiding her reaction from Runa or this noble?

"Lady Calmwell, this is Runa, an alumni of our institution. Runa, this is Lady Patience Calmwell, daughter of Count Calmwell," Lily explained.

While Runa was not familiar with Lady Patience herself, she was aware of Count Calmwell. He sponsored a number of orphanages around the kingdom, and when Runa dug into him he seemed to have a genuine desire to help and support the kingdom's orphans. So she offered a bow and said, "It's an hour to meet you, Lady Calmwell."

"The pleasure is all mine. It is good to see that our lovely hall inspires its alumni to return and visit the younger children." She turned back to Lily. "If I may, Miss Lily, could I borrow your office to speak to Miss Runa in private? I would like to hear her honest opinions on how things are run."

Lily seemed a bit uneasy, but couldn't find a reason to protest. "I will be right outside. If you need anything, just call for me Lady Calmwell."

With that, Lily left, and Runa was invited to take a seat near Lady Calmwell. "You may not know," the noble began, "But I took over management of this orphanage, as well as several others my father sponsors, a couple years before Miss Lily became the matron. My father's policy is to offer funds as needed, covering what donations cannot. Calmwell Hall has been fortunate enough that the donations it receives are quite generous, and that has freed up funding for our other orphanages. That said, the amount of said donations was a bit staggering, and as the person overlooking the finances I couldn't help but to investigate.

"After going over the books, I made note of the fact that the donations this orphanage receives were comparable to the others. With the exception of the occasional, very large donation of gold and jewels. While they came anonymously, I did my own investigating and realized the infamous Silver Phantom Thief was the one behind it."

Runa's blood ran cold. Was this why Lady Calmwell had wanted to speak alone? Should Runa run? But if she did, what would become of the orphanage, which had now been implicated in her crimes?

Lady Calmwell saw the color leave Runa's face and raised a hand. "You needn't worry about me revealing your identity. Why would I speak with you like this, in private, when I could have revealed who you are to any of your enemies and allowed them to abduct you without any warning for you." The statement itself brought up some terrifying implications, but the logic was sound. "After reconstructing the timeline, I narrowed down the possible candidates to you, Runa Calmhall. Your reaction seems to confirm my suspicions. To be clear, I saw the merit in what you did. And my father, although having no idea as to your true identity, has spoken in support of your actions as the Phantom Thief."

"He did? Even though he's a noble himself?" Runa asked.

"Indeed. It's a long story, but let's just say that he's had some formative experiences that made him sympathetic to the plight of the poor, and that's why he sponsored these orphanages. But back to my main point. Given who you were targeting and who was benefiting from your actions, I decided to hide the evidence I'd gathered and let you act as you will. That was until just the other day.

"My father heard of the announcement of the new royal alchemist, as well as the pardon he received for his crimes. He issued a formal protest and was arrested for treason. He is currently being held in prison," Lady Calmwell stated with barely hidden anger.

"My condolences, especially given my role..."

"You need not apologize to him or to me. You revealed his crimes, and this kingdom chose to enable them in spite of that. No, the reason I came here today is because I will soon be taking up the mantle of Countess Calmwell. I came today to ask for a means to contact you, but you have saved me the trouble. So let me put it plainly: I wish to help you in your endeavors." She offered a hand to Runa. "Please, will you work with me?"

Runa thought back to her investigations on Count Calmwell. After all, she had worried if there might be some risk to Lily and the orphans due to their connections to him. It wasn't unheard of for a noble to sponsor such facilities only to take advantage of them in some way. But Count Calmwell and his daughter had both seemed sincere in their efforts, as Runa's investigations turned up no wrongdoing. And if this were a trap, it was a poorly constructed one that Runa could flee from at any time.

Given she was up against her toughest job yet and aimed to change the kingdom itself, Runa couldn't continue to work alone.

So she offered her own hand, and shook hands with Lady Patience Calmwell. "I would be happy to work alongside you."

While her expression was carefully controlled, Runa noted just a hint of relief on the other woman's face. "With that settled, I think we've taken up Miss Lily's office for long enough. Could you come with me to my mansion so that we can discuss our plans further?"

"Let's do just that."

After reassuring Lily that she had no reason to be concerned, and Patience saying she intended to hire Lily as a housekeeper, they hopped into Patience's stagecoach and went to her mansion.