Chapter 158

Strangely, not being able to see Yurina until the moment he closed his eyes for the last time was more sorrowful and resentful than dying shivering in the cold.

He didn’t realize it when he was dreaming, but perhaps the existence that the small and young Tom had been vaguely waiting for in his dream was Yurina, a savior who would truly share warmth with him while looking him straight in the eyes.

Reynard opened his eyes and stared at Yurina’s blue eyes.

Her eyes, always twinkling like stars, had a strange charm. When he made eye contact with Yurina like this, he felt as if he was in the most comfortable sanctuary.

It was the same when he first saw her.

“Yurina.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for coming to see me that day.”

Yurina, who had been gently patting his back, smiled faintly and pressed her lips tightly against his.

“Thank you for being there.”

Reynard laughed with his lips still entwined with hers.

“I think I might have been waiting for you then.”

* * *

Tom sat down in the shade of a beautiful tree behind the orphanage building, away from the children. It was now approaching summer. Despite only being in the shade for a brief moment, sweat was already dripping from his forehead.

‘I’m hungry.’

Growl. A loud noise erupted from his stomach. All Tom could do was swallow his saliva and gently rub his starving stomach.

Although supplies were provided from the temple, there wasn’t enough for all the children to eat their fill. Even worse, for the past week, there had been no proper supplies from the temple, and they couldn’t even have a proper meal.

All he ate yesterday was a meager soup and bread so hard it could hurt one’s teeth. Today, he had to eat bread without even soup.

‘Well, feed me this much and put me to sleep. It’s also something I’m thankful for.’

His father always emphasized that they couldn’t eat unless they worked. ‘Right now, since you’re young, you’re not allowed to work, but when you start to be the same height as your father, you’ll have to do farm work all day long.’

The same was true here. Now he’s still young and doing what he wants, eating and playing, but as he gets older and gains strength in his arms and legs, he had to work. It’s a matter of earning your own keep.

But he was able to live comfortably in mind, if a little hungry, thanks to the temple’s protection. If it were run by nobles or tycoons, he wouldn’t have been able to accept their kindness so purely.

He was newly grateful for Aunt Marie’s decision.

‘Can I go back?’

Thinking of Aunt Marie’s face, the nostalgic scenery of his hometown came to mind again. The wide fields and the streams that trickled between them. In the summers like now, he used to play and swim there.

At first, he thought he could obviously go back. But now, after several seasons have changed, he had long given up such hopes.

Tom could feel it instinctively. He probably won’t be able to go back there again.

The small but substantial vegetable garden that his father had cultivated, the peaceful house where the smell of his stepmother baking bread wafted, now only existed in his imagination.

His father was scary when he screamed every time he drank, but it was the only place where Tom felt safe, and it no longer existed.

Can he enjoy peaceful days without worries again?

‘More than that, I’m so hungry.’

Rather than lamenting how his life had come to this, he was just too hungry. What Tom desperately needed now wasn’t peaceful days, but bread and soup to fill the stomach.

Growl, growl. His thoughtless stomach continued to croak like a frog.

Tom absentmindedly patted his flat stomach, pulled his knees close, and buried his face in them. He hoped to fall into a deep sleep right now, so he wouldn’t feel hungry.

If he woke up from sleep, it would be morning and he could eat that tasteless, dry soup…

Just before he fell asleep as he wished, Tom heard soft and light footsteps nearby. When he lifted my head with effort, he saw a girl coming towards him, against the bright sunlight.

‘Who is it?’

Unlike the overall ragged orphans including him, the girl looked posh even to his naive eyes.

Pale skin, neatly brushed hair, a ridiculously expensive-looking dress, and pink shoes that stood out even in the dust.

‘She’s a noble.’

Knowing that the girl seemed younger than him, Tom shrunk himself with tension. He had never had a good experience with nobles.

The carriage accident that took his parents’ lives, the destruction of his father’s cherished vegetable garden, and eventually driving him to this orphanage, it was all those so-called nobles.

If he gets involved with her, he probably won’t be in a good position. So, let’s just pretend I don’t know and stay still.

She seems to have lost her way, so if Tom stayed still as a dead mouse, he thought she would go back, but somehow, the girl walked towards him.

‘What? Why are you coming?’

He wondered if he was mistaken, but she stood right in front of him, giving off a guarded look. Then, she stared into his eyes with an emotionless face. It was like a searching gaze.

Tom instinctively covered his eyes with his hand. He wanted to snap at her as if she were gawking at the orphans, but he couldn’t open his mouth.

It’s not because he’s scared that she might beat him up for saying such a thing to a noble lady. Rather, the girl looked so frail and innocent that he thought she would instantly shed tears at a sharp word.

What if this tiny and pretty kid cries? Tom had no confidence to comfort her if she cried. So even though her gaze was uncomfortable, he just kept silent and threw a sharp gaze at her.

After scrutinizing Tom from head to toe for a while, the girl suddenly lifted the corners of her mouth and smiled.

‘Why are you smiling?’

He wanted to say it gruffly, but this time again, he couldn’t say a word. She was pretty already, and she became even prettier when she smiled, so he was lost for words.

The girl reached out her hand towards him who was making a flustered face. It was a clean and glossy white hand that showed no signs of hardship.

“Come with me.”

“Miss, that can’t be.”

A middle-aged woman, whom he didn’t even know was there, spoke sharply, but the girl bravely looked at him and smiled.

“I’ll protect you. If you go with me, you won’t have to starve anymore and you won’t have to worry about shivering and dying in the cold.”

She spoke calmly but confidently, with the dazzling sunlight pouring behind her. Tom, as if being captivated by her, stared blankly at her without even blinking and then belatedly licked his lips.

“Why? I don’t believe in pure kindness. What do you want to do with me? Use me as a toy?”

“What?”

“Nobles like you love kids like me. I’ve seen a lot of nobles like you.”

He didn’t think she would harbor such malicious intentions. But he couldn’t just grab that hand, because he had been hurt before.

What if he follows her and ends up being sold in a strange place? What would he do then?

“Who are you talking to like that right now! Miss, don’t worry about it and just go!”

At the sharp words shouted by the middle-aged woman earlier, Tom belatedly realized his mistake and shut his mouth.

‘Would I get beaten up for saying weird things?’

He belatedly saw the robust knights watching this way from afar. Tom felt as if his neck stiffened under their oppressive atmosphere. If they were as ruthless as he thought, breaking a rib wouldn’t be out of question.

He belatedly bowed flatly, wondering whether he should apologize for his mistake, but the girl spoke in the same expression and tone as before.

“You’re right. There’s no pure goodwill in the world. I don’t pretend to be showing you such goodwill purely out of sympathy. But I’ll definitely tell you that it’s not the impure intention you’re thinking of. Even if you’re naive, how could I be after a lad like you? Do you even know what ‘toy’ means?”

Contrary to her words, she didn’t look particularly upset.

“If you keep messing with your tongue like that, you could die without anyone knowing. You should speak considerately depending on the person. Do you know who I am?”

It sounded as if she was scolding him, but it also sounded like she was worried about him. What a strange thing. What’s happened to his mind?

“So why?”

“I’m going to invest in you.”

“Invest?”

“Yes, invest. If you stay here, you won’t survive this winter and you’ll die. This year’s winter will be particularly cold.”

The girl spoke plainly. However, Tom couldn’t simply take her words in a plain way.

‘Die?’

At that single word, Tom’s face turned pale. He didn’t particularly have a strong will to live, but he was scared to hear he would die.

Tom raised his head and looked directly into the girl’s face. The first thing he noticed were the girl’s blue eyes.

Eyes that shone brightly in the summer sun, like beautiful jewels. Even knowing that he had red eyes, she looked straight into his eyes without showing surprise or avoiding his gaze.

It was strange. He was more interested in the girl’s eyes he was facing than her words about dying.

The trigger was so trivial. Simply due to her looking him straight in the eyes, Tom felt hope that he could trust this girl and follow her.

“Okay.”

Tom took the girl’s hand and stood up from his seat. Her hand, unlike his rough one, was very soft and warm. His face heated up. To hide his blushing face, he quickly bowed his head.

Just then, a warm summer breeze blew. Her hair fluttered in the wind and a pleasant scent came from her.

It smelled like the flowers from the field where he used to run around in the spring. Tom took a deep breath through his nose. At that moment, he thought, maybe this is the scent of hope.