CH 4

Ah, I told you I’m not ‘Peanut’… Why do you keep calling me ‘Peanut?

“It’s not ‘Peanut’.”

“Be honest.”

“Hm, Uncle.”

It’s natural to answer when asked.

I rubbed my butt and sat down right away.

Then, as a sign that I would listen to Uncle, I put my hands together and looked at him.

“How much did you get from the old man?”

Uncle always calls Grandpa an old man.

That’s why Grandpa keeps calling him a jerk!

“Huh?”

“How much did you agree with the old man for the conspiracy?”

Uncle’s face was quite serious.

Mom often made that face when she was at home looking at the papers late into the night.

Except for his short hair, they look exactly the same.

“Conspiracy? What is that?”

What are you talking about?

“Did the old man not feed you?”

“No. I ate five times a day, though? I also ate this much snack.”

I made the biggest circle I could with both arms.

“Does he nag a lot?”

“Mmmm, no. Grandpa said I was the prettiest.”

“Did the house servants ignore you?”

“No…”

The maids even called me a princess.

Of course, Uncle’s servants are all good to me.

I only wiggled my hands and answered calmly.

He let out a few deep sighs as if to cool down.

“Then what’s the problem? You can live in that nice fence and be treated like a princess, so why do you keep coming here and turning my insides upside down?”

Uncle growled, scaring me to the fullest.

It’s not like that. It’s really not like that.

It was unfair that I couldn’t say anything because I kept a secret promise I made with Mom.

“Uncle, am I in trouble?”

“What?”

“Does Uncle hate me so much?”

“Hey, who hates you?”

He got angry again.

No, it’s fine to just say it quietly, yet he always gets angry like this.

Mom said that people who are angry are more likely to go early, but I was really worried.

And he said it’s not like he hates me.

“Then you like me?”

When I asked with my eyes shining, his face wrinkled again.

“Are you crazy.”

“…I’m a little fine with Uncle, though.”

I dropped my head and murmured.

After a while, I heard a soft sigh from above my head.

“I’m not your mom. I’ve never had a child, so will I raise you well? That’s why, go back.”

He said he didn’t hate me, but his tone is the way he wishes I would disappear.

I raised my head again and murmured.

“Uncle.”

“Look, have you changed your mind? You want me to take you to Grandpa’s house? Go and say with your own mouth that you can’t live here.”

Uncle asked as if he had been waiting.

I firmly shook my head.

Uncle, how many times do I have to say this, I wonder. I told you I can’t.

“Uncle, I heard that humans are animals of adaptation. I heard that even if it’s difficult at first, if one tries it, people can do anything.”

My uncle looked puzzled.

“Did your mom say that?”

“Yeah. My mom is very smart.”

“Were you born to praise your mom.”

“It’s not a praise, it’s true, though…”

My uncle muttered, “Why did you give birth to something like this?” It was clear that it was probably a curse to Mom.

I scratched my head alone and sighed heavily.

I glanced at Uncle and secretly looked at the watch.

Anyway, Uncle looks tired, so he won’t go out today, right?

And it doesn’t seem like that will happen tomorrow.

“Uncle.”

“Why.”

“I want to see Mom.”

“…”

“I want to see Mom every day, but I can’t see Mom anymore. Grandpa said he couldn’t come. So I want to see Uncle all the time, but can I stay here? I will only interrupt you a little.”

“Shouldn’t you say that you won’t interrupt me, not only a little?”

“Then Uncle won’t even let me come next to you.”

Perhaps hitting the mark, he turned his eyes into a 10:10 (clock) shape, glared at me, and then bit his mouth shut.

The room was quiet enough to hear the birds chirping outside.

I kept silent and looked at him.

I didn’t relax my body to catch him quickly if he went out.

After a while, Uncle opened his mouth again.

“Do as you please.”

“Huh?”

Uncle ruffled his hair, which was already tangled from scratching earlier.

“Do whatever you want. Whether rolling around the house or running around. Instead, if you interfere with my work in every way, you’ll die.”

“Really?”

“Don’t you trust people?”

I believe in what people say, but not in what Uncle says…

Still, I’m really glad it came out like that.

I decided to put a wedge on it.

Mom taught me not to miss a chance if I get one.

“Then… Uncle.”

“What else.”

I took out the paper I had tucked inside my dress.

[Uncle Kassel never throws Aika out

Aika                                Uncle]

“Here.”

After that, I calmly unfolded it, put it down on the bed, and pushed it in all directions with the palm of my hand.

“…”

“Uncle, stick your finger here.”

“…”

“Quick. Hurry up and do it.”

Uncle’s eyes changed to a somewhat bewildered look.

Mom said that an appointment should be clear.

She said because the most obvious thing was a document.

Mom taught me that what one says can change at any time, so the more important it is, the more it should be recorded.

“Hurry!”

“…”

Actually, there wasn’t much.

I prepared it and wrote it clearly, but when I saw it again, it seemed a little crooked.

Although I thought I kept it well, it was crumpled from me being hung up by Uncle.

I should’ve put it in my pocket.

It’s really not a big deal, and since Uncle will change his words again in the future, I’m trying to make an appointment in advance.

They said a man shouldn’t change his words twice, but Uncle seems to change his words ten times.

Since I had already pressed my finger at Grandpa’s house, it was a promise that would be fulfilled as long as Uncle did it.

“Uncle, hurry up.”

I looked at him persistently.

“Ha… You’re really Seria’s daughter.”

Uncle, who had been staring at the paper, laughed as if it were absurd.

“Hm, I’m Mom’s daughter, though?”

Then Uncle pressed my head with his big hand.

It was so strong that I felt like I was about to hit my head on the bed.

“Ah, don’t do thaaat!”

“It’s the size of a rat’s poop.”

“It’s not rat poop. It’s Aika.”

“Yeah, you did good.”

I lifted my head with difficulty and looked at Uncle.

His hand was so heavy that if I relaxed even a little, my head would fall on the bed.

My head, held in his large hands, seemed like it was about to be crushed.

“Uncle, are you not going out today?”

I looked Uncle in the eyes as pitifully as possible.

Like when Mom tells me to only eat two snacks.

Because it works very well.

“…I’m not going out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

I’ll have to get confirmation again.

I briskly picked up the paper again and handed it to him.

“Then, Uncle, stick your finger here.”

***

[I want to see Mom.]

[…]

[I want to see Mom every day, but I can’t see Mom anymore. Grandpa said he couldn’t come. So I want to see Uncle all the time, but can I stay here? I will only interrupt you a little.]

[Shouldn’t you say that you won’t interrupt me, not only a little?]

[Then Uncle won’t even let me come next to you.]

This chestnut-sized thing is wickedly smart.

Kassel was stunned to see the poorly spelled and crumpled paper.

She was pushing this to him as a document.

And that’s just his seven-year-old niece.

The word was she was seven years old, but her body was small, so she looked five or six years old.

It’s not even funny to see her showing off her own fingerprint.

“Uncle, stick your finger here.”

“…”

“Quick. Hurry up and do it.”

To put his finger on it meant to stamp his thumb.

Her hair hasn’t even dried from blood, yet she’s already handing out a contract.

The seven-year-old, who had grown quite a lot of hair and could even be made into a flower headband, had plump cheeks and very thick eyelashes.

What a constant chatter of mouth.

Is this a bird or a human, he wonders.

How on earth did his older sister raise her child?

Not long after she was born, she started playing with gold coins, and she grew up very clever.