𝙵𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙼𝚈 𝙻𝙰𝚆𝚈𝙴𝚁

Chapter 23

"Mr. L/n, Ms. Magnolia from the CPA is here."

M/n reached up toward the phone and pressed the button on the side. "Send someone down to accompany her."

"Right away."

He got up off his chair, too restless and anxious to sit still. After his phone call with Erwin, he got in contact with Isabel. He wanted to meet face-to-face and discuss Eren's housing arrangements while everything was being processed.

Eren was sleeping peacefully on the sofa, head resting against one of the cushions and kept warm by a soft and fuzzy blanket. After his meal and a while longer of watching cartoons, he'd grown tired. M/n gladly let him sleep, knowing he needed it.

Before long, there was a light knock at his door. He walked over and opened it, greeted by Fujiwara and Isabel. Fujiwara excused himself, allowing them to converse amongst themselves.

Isabel bowed her head. "My name is Isabel Magnolia. As you know, I'm from the Child Protection Agency. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," the (h/c)-ette replied. "I'm M/n L/n. If you would follow me, please. My office isn't the best place to talk right now."

She nodded and followed M/n toward one of the empty meeting rooms. The (h/c)-ette closed the door behind them, not wanting anyone in the hallway to listen in on their conversation. They both took a seat across from each other, Isabel placing her bag down beside her.

"I received word from the main office and the court that you wanted to discuss details about a boy."

"That's right," he said. "His name is Eren Yeager. He comes from that orphanage you had been to earlier today."

"Is that so?" Isabel replied, surprised. "Seems that orphanage had more kids than we had accounted for."

At that, M/n raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"After I had left the scene, the main office got calls from two other people housing children that were stray-aways from the same orphanage."

"So the situation there had escalated to the point that the children were seeking shelter with other people?"

"That's right."

"And these were people the children knew?"

"Yes," she said. "One was a friend of their parents and the other was a distant relative."

It seemed the children were allowed to stay with those that were considered close to them. Still, it was only an assumption. So, M/n decided to ask.

"If I may ask, considering it's a private matter, were the children allowed to stay in the care of those people, or were they set to relocate with the others?"

"Considering the situation that occurred in the orphanage and how that affected the children, the family court is setting restrictions on who can take them in. In the case of the two kids, they were not allowed to be taken in until home inspections took place and all paperwork was finalized."

"So Eren would not be able to stay under my care..." he muttered, not feeling so good about that idea.

"Could you tell me what you know about the boy?"

"From the little information he's given me, his parents both passed away in a house fire," he said, recalling the moment Eren had told him.

"Are there any relatives he's mentioned?"

M/n shook his head. "No. I doubt there's much of anyone else. At least, not close to him."

Isabel grew curious about his response. "Why do you say that?"