CH 5

“Sigh…”

Izeline let out a perplexed sigh.

What on earth was going on?

The three of them were making their way toward Camry’s house.

It wasn’t a problem for Robert to reveal his face to other children since he had been hiding away due to him having Krug’s disease. Except for Monica, the maids who worked at the house paid little attention to him. After all, it was only the exclusive maid’s duty to serve the nobles up close.

Thus, showing Robert’s face to others for a day wouldn’t risk exposing his true identity.

However, the problem laid elsewhere.

…It was Camry who was holding Izeline tightly in his arms.

Robert, who was walking right beside them, glanced at Izeline with a pained expression, but quickly turned his head when their eyes met.

‘Why is he acting like that? Does he also want to be held? ’Izeline pondered, stumbling over her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Camry was fully aware of the situation. He glanced at Robert and then turned his attention to Izeline.

“Izeline, it’s been a while since we’ve hugged like this, right?”

“Camry, I can walk well on my own.”

“I know, I know. I’m just doing it to lighten the mood, we haven’t done it after a long time.”

After speaking, Camry discreetly observed Robert’s reaction. His expression seemed as if he wanted to have her all to himself but couldn’t, causing him distress.

Of course, Izeline seemed completely oblivious to it.

She tilted her head in confusion.

“Really?”

She had possessed Izeline a month ago and had no memories before that, so she simply accepted it without question.

“Did you say your name is ‘Lemo’?”

Camry glanced up and down at Robert and asked.

“I feel like I haven’t seen your face around this neighborhood.”

Those words made Robert uneasy. However, he quickly composed himself and nonchalantly opened his mouth, “I live in the Armanty Mansion*. My mom stays there.”

[ T/N: There was a mistake in Chapter 3 and I’ve just realized that. So in fact, Robert lied that he lived in Armanty Mansion with his mother because they didn’t have a home, not that he lived there sometimes because his mother worked there. Sorry for the mistake! ]

“Is that so?”

Camry found it peculiar. People who had homes usually commuted like Monica, and those who resided in the vicinity were usually people who came to Souvri alone to serve the nobles.

Well, everyone has their own circumstances.

In the end, he nodded in understanding, in his own way.

“So, you two met yesterday, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s right.”

Izeline and Robert answered simultaneously.

Then, the two of them stared at each other. Robert furrowed his brow as he looked down at Izeline, who gazed at him innocently. That girl was shamelessly clinging to Camry, who was twice her height.

He grumbled.

“…Unbelievable.”

“What?”

“You cwan’t walk on your own, cwan you?”

“I cwan. I cwan walk perfectly fine.”

“Then, pwove it.”

“I’ll show you. Camry, pwut me down.”

As Izeline squirmed, Camry’s face contorted into an awkward smile as if he had just been punched in the gut.

“We’re almost there anyway. My house is right around the corner…”

“Pwut me down! Put me down!”

However, as she continued to whine, Camry had no choice but to comply with her wishes.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Izeline energetically swung her arms and legs. Although they were already close to their destination as Camry had said, and they didn’t have to walk much longer, she confidently marched ahead to the fence, proudly turning around as if to show off.

“See? I cwan walk well, right?”

“Well…”

Robert’s voice trailed off as he looked at Izeline, who was beaming with excitement. Although he could have made a sarcastic remark, he seemed strangely pleased.

Observing his expression, Camry’s face became clouded with displeasure as if he didn’t like it.

* * *

As they passed through the low fence, the neighborhood kids, as usual, were buzzing around. Later, Izeline would come to know that the villager paid a certain fee to leave their children here during the day while they tended to their own work, such as farming or running a shop.

It was like a kind of daycare center.

“Izel, come quickly and have some mushroom soup and roasted potatoes…”

Julie, who was usually cheerful and greeted them warmly, suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Her gaze was fixed on Robert.

“Mom, this is Lemo, Izel’s friend.”

Thinking that Julie was taken aback by the new face, Camry quickly introduced Robert.

However, her surprise wasn’t because of that.

Julie was the one who discovered the two children sleeping under the oak tree last night. Although she didn’t know the face of the Young Master, who was hidden because of his disease, locked away in the Armaty mansion, Monica knew better than anyone.

“How did the young master end up here…?”

“The young master? Could it be the rumor about the young master in the mansion…?”

“Please keep this a secret, Julie.”

“But…”

“Please, I’m begging you.”

After that, Monica carried Robert, while Julie carried Izeline to the bed. Even though they didn’t know the exact situation, they instinctively understood that there was no need to make a fuss about this. It could only cause unnecessary trouble.

Julie managed to nod her head slightly and greeted Robert.

“Okay, so you’re a new friend. Um, welcome.”

“H, hello.”

As more and more people greeted him, Robert felt a bit exhilarated. When he kept away the fact that he had Krug disease, it felt like a whole new world was unfolding before him. Still, Camry, who was observing from a step behind, noticed something strange in his mother’s attitude.

It was as if she was apprehensive about the child.

“Camry, go get more potatoes from the storage.”

He didn’t say much and followed Julie’s request.

“Yes, mom.”

With a brief reply, he briskly walked away.

After watching Camry’s retreating figure, Izeline turned her head to Robert.

“Lemo, cwome here. Let’s eat.”

“Okay.”

As she confidently took the lead, Robert followed closely behind, with his cheeks turning slightly red. She had made many friends during her time here, so she introduced Robert to them.

“Hi, Lemo!”

“Nice to meet you!”

“Let’s play tag later, okay?”

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Robert was taken aback by the children’s friendly approach. It was the first time he had experienced such a warm welcome in his life.

At that moment, he yearned to live as Lemo forever.

If only he could stay at Monica’s house and never return to the mansion…

He decided that he would ask Monica about it when she returned as a sense of happiness swelled up within him. To adults, it might sound like an unrealistic idea, but for a young Robert, it was not an unusual age to have hope.

‘I just have to hide about the disease in my heart.’

He could interact with people, laugh and chat without being looked down upon. What seemed natural to others felt like a dream to him.

Excited, he opened his mouth.

“It’s my fiwst time playing tag.”

“Then, we’ll play practice round.”

“What if I get cwaught?”

“Even if you get caught, we will lwet you off the hook.”

Izeline’s words were met with agreement from the surrounding children.

“Let’s play a round with him and get familiar with the rules.”

“Shouldn’t we do three games?”

“Then let’s leave it up to Lemo’s choice!”

Since he had Krug disease, receiving such treatment was unimaginable. He keenly felt how much he had lived in a suffocating world until now. His heart swelled with many emotions at this moment.

Robert replied with excitement.

“Okay, one pwactice game.”

“Awright!”

Izeline shouted, scraping her bowl clean and getting up from her seat. Now, she was ready to play.

Mirroring Izeline’s action, Robert leaned over his soup bowl, his face disappearing into it as he eagerly devoured every last drop…

And at that moment, many of the children suddenly started running like crazy. They began sprinting in all directions. Even the ones who hadn’t finished their meals hastily abandoned their bowls to join the race.

Izeline had already left Robert far behind.

“The last one to arrive will be the seeker!”

Someone shouted, intensifying the excitement.

“What’s happening?”

Robert stood bewildered for a moment, then realized the situation and started running as well. Despite being clearly behind the others, a radiant smile lit up his face, brimming with sheer joy.

* * *

Izeline, who ended up being second to last, became the seeker instead of Robert, the newcomer. Being the youngest among the neighborhood kids was a disadvantage in this game. With her small body, she scurried through the forest like a squirrel and luckily discovered Camry crouching in a hollow tree trunk.

“Gwotcha!”

“Oh no! I’ve been caught!”

Camry pretended to cry and bent over, coming out of the hollow tree trunk.

With the arrival of the new seeker, the children began to tense up. Izeline may have been easygoing, but with Camry as the seeker, things changed. At nine years old, Camry was strong and agile, easily climbing trees and running swiftly.

“Camry is the seeker!”

“Everyone, be careful!”

“Let’s climb higher!”

Observing the children bustling around, Robert shouted.

“T-Twis is pwactice! You know the rules!”

“It’s over now.”

Camry chuckled.

Robert felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement at the realization that the practice round was over. He was slightly tense, but on the other hand, he was thrilled to finally play it properly.

“One, two, three, four…”

Camry closed his eyes, pressed his forehead against a tree trunk, and began counting.

The next moment, Izeline quickly gestured to Robert, urging him to hide. With a determined face, he vigorously nodded his head and, like the other children, dashed to hide behind a suitable rock.

How much time had passed?

Camry, having counted up to fifty, began to wander around like a hungry hyena searching for prey. He spotted a few kids who had climbed up trees but passed them by without doing anything. A sigh of relief could be heard from above.

Actually, he had someone specific in mind to catch.

Robert.

‘…He seemed suspicious.’

Even if they gathered all the children in the quiet Souvri village, they wouldn’t reach a hundred. It was strange for him to have never seen him before, even though he lived in the Armaty Mansion. Moreover, Julie’s reaction made him feel even more suspicious.

‘She must have had a hard time due to that little boy.’

It wasn’t that he intended to make that child the seeker and do something with him. He just felt bad and uneasy about him, so all he wanted was to catch him.

It could be called instinct.

Camry looked around, scanning his surroundings. Despite spotting quite a few other kids who had hidden well, he couldn’t see him anywhere. However, this was just a small wood.

“There you are!”

Camry spotted him as he peeked his head out from behind a rock and immediately started running. Their eyes locked, and he began zigzagging through the forest, making use of the terrain.

“Haha! What’s the use?”

Robert swiftly maneuvered around tree trunks and used the features of the forest to evade being captured. He didn’t want to be caught by Camry, no matter what.

However…

Swoosh!

Thud!

It was a mistake to ignore the tight grip on his clothing and stubbornly attempt to escape.

Sensing his shirt buttons being undone, Robert came to an abrupt stop. It felt as if his heart was dropping with a thud. The other children who had been watching the chase from their hiding spots also froze in their tracks.

Whoosh…

Could the summer breeze really be so chilling? A heavy silence fell upon them, freezing the atmosphere.

In the next moment…

“Ahh!”

“Krug, it’s contagious!”

“He’s cursed! The curse will spread!”

“Run away now!”

The children scattered in all directions, running away like a swarm of ants encountering a downpour.

The joyful moments of running and playing felt like a distant dream, overshadowed by an ominous atmosphere that gripped the place. Robert felt as if he were rooted to the ground, unable to move. He sensed Camry letting go of his clothes and slowly taking steps backward.

Step by step.

At that moment, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, treading on the earth mixed with soil and grass.

“It’s dangerous, Izel.”

Camry’s voice startled Lemo.

In just a single day, he had lost his new friend. The fear of facing Izeline’s gaze, filled with judgment and disdain, kept him from turning around. However, soon, he heard a voice that made his eyes shake intensely.

“Stwep aside, Camry.”