Chapter 32

“You idiot, why kick the ball over there!”

“I’m not an idiot!”

Fortunately, it wasn’t a big deal. The ball flew far away and was caught in a tree.

Of course, from the point of view of the children, it was a very serious matter.

Leander approached and stopped the children.

“Don’t fight, I’ll take the ball.”

“……”

When the Duke came out in person, the children quickly became quiet.

“If you guys stay calm, I’ll take the ball.”

He gave a slight warning and moved towards the tree. The ball stuck in the branch fell after he shook the tree a few times.

As he bent over to pick up the dropped ball, he heard a shout from behind.

“Charlotte! Where are you? Come right now!”

This time it was not the children’s voices.

Leander, sensing a strange feeling, hurriedly turned his body.

He bites his lip at the sight in front of him, he blames himself.

‘……Damn it.’

A drunken man grabbed Eddie and held a dagger around his neck.

***

An unfamiliar man grabbed Eddie and screamed terribly.

“Where are you? I’m going to die with Eddie!”

“Mom!”

“Ugh ahh ahh……”

The children around ran away crying, and Leah watched the scene with her bunny eyes.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t run away because of fear.

If she goes away now, Eddie would have to be held alone by that scary man.

So she can’t run away.

Fortunately, the scary man was not interested in her.

Leah hurriedly looked around, looking for an adult who could help.

She made eye contact with Leander, who was standing a little further away.

“……”

Leander winked as if telling her to stay still because it was dangerous. She couldn’t come near Eddie.

Leah quickly noticed the reason.

‘Eddie might get hurt.’

The blade is attached to Eddie’s neck. If the man twisted his hand a little, it seemed that the blade would dig into his neck at any moment.

No matter how fast she moves, if she makes a mistake, Eddie may be seriously injured.

‘Would it be okay if the dagger was kept away from Eddie?’

Like a clever child, Leah quickly figured out the problem.

‘What should I do……?’

In fact, she was still very scared. She wants to quickly turn around and run away like the rest of her friends.

‘But Eddie……being alone would be scary.’

Knowing that feeling, Leah gave strength to her feet.

“What? You! What the hell is this!”

Then, people came out of the medical center. Charlotte and Noel were there too.

The moment that man saw Charlotte, he shouted, “How dare you ignore me!?”

The man groaned.

Then Leah realized that he was Eddie’s father, who sometimes turns into a monster.

‘A person can be a monster too.’

Although it was not as big as a Gargoyle or had no sharp teeth, it seemed that way to the eyes of a child.

Leah looked at her mother.

Her mother did not panic and had a calm expression on her face.

Then, when their eyes met, she slowly shook her head.

Are you telling me not to do anything dangerous?

But Leah knows.

She is the only one who can do something in this situation.

‘I have to be brave.’

My mom said I am a courageous girl.

‘So, I can save my friend!’

“……”

Be brave!

Leah spoke to the scary man as innocently as possible.

“Who are you?”

The man tilted his head.

A young girl is blinking her eyes as if she doesn’t know anything about the situation.

“What? Get the fu*k off here, kid!”

Leah was not discouraged by the harsh words. As much as she could, she had to turn the man’s attention towards her. So that adults can come close safely.

“My name is Leah, five years old, Eddie’s friend.”

“You’re noisy–”

The man’s gaze was focused on Leah. Meanwhile, Leander approached him slowly.

“Today I played football with Eddie. It was really fun, can’t you play with me too?”

“You brat! Get out of here!”

The man was about to kick Leah, but he paused for a moment.

He remembered the circumstances around him that he had forgotten.

Then he found Leander nearby and was bewildered.

“Don’t come–”

In an instant, the dagger he was holding on Eddie’s neck gained strength, and drops of blood formed on his neck.

“Don’t do it, you monster!”

At the same time, Leah clung to his other arm that wasn’t holding the dagger.

“Ah ah ah ah! Let go of my hand! You punk!”

The man waved his arm outwardly to free it from Leah’s clinging.

Leah, who was pushed back by a strong force, bounced and rolled on the floor.

“No!”

At that moment, Leander suddenly broke the arm of the man who was holding the dagger tightly.

“Ugh ah ah ah!”

The man lost the dagger and his arm was broken.

“Leah!”

Noel was surprised and ran to Leah hurriedly.

‘My heart is pounding, I feel like I will die.’

“My baby, are you okay? Please……”

Leah was not crying even though she rolled on the floor and was covered with dirt.

She raised her head and answered, “I’m fine, Mom.”

Noel carefully swept over her daughter’s dusty blonde hair.

“Is there anywhere that hurts or is unable to move? Is it difficult to breathe……”

“Hmm, everything is fine except for the tingling in my knees and elbows.”

When Noel checked it, Leah’s knees and elbows were bleeding.

Leah stood up bravely and asked, “Is Eddie okay?”

Leah didn’t want her mother to worry.

At that time, there was another loud scream from behind Noel.

“Ah ah ah ah ah!”

It was the voice of the man. Leah, who was hidden by her mother and couldn’t see the situation, asked, “What happened?”

“It’s nothing, you don’t have to worry about it, sweetheart,” Noel answered, stroking Leah’s cheek.

Noel was roughly convinced that Leander had broken the man’s leg bone.

“Mom, I want to see Eddie.”

Leander, who stunned the man by breaking both his arm and leg, is also slowly examining Eddie’s wounds.

Leander approaches Leah and Noel after handing Eddie over to his mother.

“Is Eddie okay?”

He nodded at Leah’s question as he approached.

“Don’t worry. Your friend will get well soon. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine too! Thank you for saving Eddie.”

Leander stroked Leah’s head gently. She was a brave child.

“I didn’t do anything. It’s all thanks to you. You are amazing.”

Leah’s cheeks flushed brightly at the frank praise.

“……”

While the adults were watching the situation meticulously, the man half fainted on the floor flinched.

Noel slowly approached him.

The man writhes to pick up the dagger that fell to the floor with his broken leg and arm.

“…..”

Noel looked at him pathetic for a moment, then picked up the dagger.

She stopped walking and put the toe of her shoes in front of his nose.

The man was lying on his stomach, raising his head and looking up at her.

Noel looked down at him coldly.

“Don’t you regret your actions until now?”

The man shouted, “Mind your own damn business, why are you meddling! What the hell did I do wrong? What’s wrong with disciplining a wife who doesn’t listen to me!”

Noel looked towards Charlotte.

“Charlotte, this may be your last chance to hit this bastard.”

Charlotte, who was hugging Eddie, shook her head slowly. She looks terrified.

“That kid is mine too, so what’s the problem!?”

Noel’s insides were boiling hot.

I tried to be an exemplary adult for my daughter, but this time I couldn’t stand it.

She said in a cold voice, “Duke, please cover Leah’s eyes.”

Only then did Leander notice Noel had cold killing intent while holding a dagger.

Anger seemed to have reached the top of her head.

She seemed to be the type of person who got angry like ice-cold rather than raging fire.

Leander blinked, covering Leah’s eyes.

“Noel, I understand you’re angry, but it’s not good to kill a person……”

‘No, what do you think I am?’

Shocked, Noel glanced at him for a moment and then turned her gaze back to the man in front of her.

Then she lifted one corner of her lips with cold eyes.

It was an expression that suited her perfectly with her aristocratic appearance.

Noel lifted one of her shoes.

“In the next life……”

Then she shouted as if she was exploding the anger she had been holding back.

“Live a good life, bastard!”

She hit the man’s nose with the heel of her shoe.

Blood was dripping from both of her nostrils before he collapsed with his eyes turned white.

The man’s head fell to the floor without a hitch.

“……”

The playground fell into a moment of silence at Noel’s bloody behavior.

In fact, she fixed the hem of her skirt with a relaxed expression as if it was nothing.

‘I’m glad I didn’t use a dagger.’

Leander vowed to forget what he had just seen.

And he decided that he had to avoid bumping into Noel at all costs.

***

A few days have passed since Eddie was taken hostage.

Noel had considered whether to scold Leah or not.

Of course, her daughter’s wounds healed.

“What if there’s a scar?”

“It’s okay!”

I glanced at my daughter’s brave figure.

When Leah ran into that man a few days ago, my heart still pounded when I remembered it.

At that time, I was furious.

When I asked Leah why she did such a reckless thing, she just laughed and answered, “I mustered up my courage”.