18 [18]

"That night, I saw you say my name. It was far, but I made my name clear."

“…….”

Oh. As expected.

Karen couldn't stand disappointment. Still, I expected it. Just in case he remembers the life ahead of him. He doesn't live a life of his own. I was looking forward to it for a moment. What did he expect? I've already done that long time ago.

"Oh... yeah, I've got it. Miss Isela brags so much about you as a marksman that you are so famous....”

Twist your body out. It's disappointing. Yes, I should play the innocent girl who secretly liked you, the shy tomboy.

"When I heard rumors that he was here... It's famous up to here, just in case....”

with a blush on one's face

"That's all."

It was quite a while before he came running anyway. Then it would have been quite far, and since it was night, Raymond couldn't have clearly read his mouth. That's because it seems like he's pointing at his name. Karen felt a brief chill of heat and expectations. The night air was cool.

"Well, that's great."

The distance has gone. But Raymond held his hand again.

"You really don't surprise me."

"What?"

"That night, you said you read your mouth... Why aren't you surprised?"

"What? He, you have good eyes....”

Is it true that the author has always loved him? The gentle light disappeared from Raymond's face and strange doubts arose. My lips are twisted.

"Usually, they'll just admire your shooting skills."

Put the hand back after getting a little bit of the hand.

"I'm not admiring, I'm not suspicious, I'm feeling like you already know me so well."

“…….”

"Looking at his face, he looks far from the pond."

"What... Mr. Raymond, you're driving me too far. Yes, I thought it would be convenient if you fell in love with me for the sake of my family. Don't make any more guesses."

"Did you try to seduce me? With this expression?"

Karen tried to pull back, feeling a little embarrassment and awkwardness from Raymond, who looked clearly the same. But there was no more space. Karen continued to avoid the burdensome eyes of him.

"I've been saying that since earlier. Now that I've been caught, I'm ashamed. Are you done?"

Raymond's body was pushed away. However, rather than moving, the disciplined body was rather attached to her as if to pressure her. I still have a smile on my lips.

"Lord Raymond, please refrain from paying too much attention to my fiancee."

Before we knew it, Duran grabbed Raymond's arm.

"Excuse me."

Take your hands off.

"...people, let's go.“

Karen rubbed her caught wrist. Duran didn't come at this time, but it's a good sign that Duran approaches this often. It's easier to kill. On the other hand, it seems quite difficult to kill Raymond.

But it is worth it. I'll kill him. You. Definitely. As soon as you beg me for love, I'll give you a cup of poison. Raymond, my article. I can't believe you're protesting like this. I can't believe you're pointing your sword at me like this. It's getting harder and harder to kill you. Karen remembered her pledge.

Karen wanted to kill Raymond. Because he was the male lead. Isn't it unfair that only you keep dying? If the story changes while killing people, it was chilling just to think about what ending would come out if Raymond was killed. It must be fun.

Karen will continue to kill. He is Karen's own dinner. Cook it and chew it whole. Even at that moment, Karen wondered. He was always like that way. At any end. Should we do that again? She wondered about it.

Will you love me again this time?

***

"Now, it's time for the experiment.”

In a little while, we'll know if he can lie. I put up my watch looking at the dismembered body. This way, I'm sure. Let's see if the body disappears in a day.

"Are you looking at me clearly, not somewhere else?”

The boy shook his head with tearful eyes as if he didn't want to do it. Karen didn't like it. I grabbed her by the shoulder and smiled her face close.

"Okay? Just look at it."

Karen looked down at the boy she had kidnapped.

4. Funeral where no one cries

"…and finally, I thank you not as a judge or lord, but as the father of a woman who almost got a dirty job."

The judge took off his coffin and the lord bowed his head.

Tom saw an ant crawling on the floor and found that the boring time was finally over. A thunderous applause covered the courtroom. Tom clapped his hands casually and quit when he realized it wasn't time for him.

That atmosphere is not permissible for him. Although it was a small judge, there were still about 30 people present. The atmosphere of the judge was like a festival. Everyone was laughing with excitement.

The ruling was clear. Two burglars were judged by an aristocratic young man who was passing by trying to kill the daughter of a lost lord and steal wealth. The judge was a lord and the accused was a noble youth.

The verdict on the burglaries of the dead Hans and Thomas came to an end in less than ten minutes, followed by the judge's bow to him. Observers were delighted that justice had been realized and talked about the young man's beautiful appearance. Since it's over before lunchtime, we'll discuss what we saw here and have lunch.

"Look at that, his father is dead and he doesn't shed a tear."

Only one, except Tom.

Thomas, the man who was killed by a knight trying to rape the lord's daughter, is Tom's father.

"It's a problem if you cry. How could you... Whew."

"You died very well."

Tom, who is nicknamed for his father's name, bowed his head at such a murmur. He is the child of a very well-dead man. The words sounded like 'You should have died sooner.' Perhaps their innermost thoughts are not so different.

"Good thing you didn't tell me until the end. You're brave."

Are you brave not to say anything? Tom was curious about it, but it was more important that a gentleman gave it to him than that. I received too little before the trial. A candy at most. He acted as if he were very precious, but it wasn't much for the bakery owner Dale and his weekly business Tom.

And I'm confident that I'm quite old to enjoy just one candy. Tom had three hammers and put candy into his mouth when people left the courtroom. It was quite sweet. It tasted different from the hard sugar that Dale, the owner of the bakery, sometimes put in his mouth.

Gentleman said that we should stay put during the trial. He told me to eat candy when I'm bored, and he gave me a reward if I'm nice and well. So Tom was kind. Now you'll be rewarded.

Tom was confident in holding back a price.

"Is it over now?"

"Yes, here it is."

A shiny gold coin fell to Tom's palm. Tom fiddled with a coin he had never seen before. The gentleman clasped Tom's fingers with his gloves on.

"Don't show it to others."

He held it with his other hand with a strong force once.

"Now you have to live alone."

***

"Tom, Tom, are you there?”

It was a familiar voice. Tom finished his work in a hurry and looked up. The fluffy bakery owner pushed Tom roughly away and hurriedly dressed him.

"What's going on?"

It was Lona, Hans's wife. Having always had bruises on her face, she would sometimes call Tom to complain or distribute soup that was far away. Tom looked at her and thought she might be like his mother who ran away. Lona was practically the same as Thomas's wife, so she wasn't so wrong.

"Are you out of bread?”

I didn't want to share it because it's small today. Tom slipped the bread into the table. The baker suddenly disappeared through the back door. But it was fortunate that I paid the price.

"No, Tom. We're in trouble."

My father is dead.

Lona did not attend the trial. Thomas and Hans, who were supposed to stand at the trial, couldn't stand because they had holes in their heads side by side, and a gentleman in a fedora came to pick up Tom, saying that someone should stand.

"Is that your father?”

Tom left the bench. The sky was clear and blue. Nine is not a bad age to work. Everyone works in the city. Everyone works not only in the city but also in the village. Larry from the lower house and Kerry, the son of the blacksmith, all worked. Only Tom didn't work.

'But I'm too weak.’

No one paid Tom to get him to work because his father Thomas didn't do anything right. Because if Tom makes a mistake, it's hard to get money from Thomas. But I couldn't just play. Play in the back alleys or children under five. Nine was too old to play. So what Tom started was what Lona was doing after all about.

After her father's death, she thought Lona might take responsibility for her, but she told Tom with an excited face that she would live with her husband and old blacksmith.

"Don't pretend to know."

"Yes, congratulations, Lona."

I congratulated Lona. What Lona learned was what Tom, who was weak, could do, and was quick to grasp the reality. There wasn't much that a little boy with thin arms and a bad father could do.

It was thanks to his young age that he could work now, and it was clear that he would not be sold when his voice became thicker and his beard began to grow. Lona, who worked at a bar, said no less than five silver coins, but no one gave the money to a young boy.

People paid Tom for bread, some salt, or Thomas and Hans' bar bills instead of money.

Tom first touched the right money today, not bread, salt, or alcohol. The heavy weight made me feel good. I could be as quiet as I want for a while.

But how many of these opportunities will there be in the future?

Thomas is dead now.

"Hey, mister."

"Huh?"

"What do I do now?"

Tom took the gentleman by the hand. My father is dead. And he tried to rape the lord's daughter. Tom had to find a way to live like a child from the street.