CH 34

[My arm got hurt. It hurts here.]

Sian, who had lost his consciousness, fell into a deep throes.

Something that has been floating unconscious for a long time.

The scene of his first injury during the training came into view.

Five-year-old Sian, who had snapped his arm and was bleeding, burst into tears and ran down the hallway to find his master.

“But why did you come to me?”

“…What?”

However, one word from her that day changed everything.

“You’ll need to go straight to the treatment room and disinfect it.”

He still remembered that face.

As if Sian who came to her was pitiful and stupid.

She glanced at the wound on his arm and pulled her body back.

“Go to the treatment room right away, in case something bad can be transmitted. You should always be clean when you come to me.”

With one heartless word, Sian’s world collapsed as it were.

So he trusted the hand that saved him from the kingdom.

Sian, blinking in despair, went to the treatment room and disinfected it.

“You’ve been treated, so it doesn’t hurt now, right?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded vigorously, she treated me like her son.

Come to think of it, it was like that.

Isilis showed a beautiful smile only when Sian was perfect.

Sian didn’t say that he was in pain after that.

Crying didn’t change anything.

He realized that when he was only five years old.

***

He slowly raised his eyelids.

His consciousness that had fallen into a swamp slowly began to return.

“…Gasp.”

It was an unpleasant nightmare.

Before he had time to immerse himself in complicated thoughts, an intense pain rushed from his ribs, as if his wound was being pricked on.

“…Ha.”

His heartbeat quickened.

He felt dizzy as he gasped for breath, up and down.

‘Is it the dark river?’

His vision was blurry, thus he couldn’t see his surroundings well.

The blurry vision cleared and soon changed into a human figure.

“…Billie?”

Looking closely, the dark river was Billishia’s hair.

On top of the blanket that covered Sian.

She seemed to have fallen asleep, lying uncomfortably on a couch.

“I must have collapsed near a tree…”

This was the treatment room.

He didn’t know the details, but it was clear that someone had found him.

He had to raise his upper body first.

“…Ugh.”

As soon as he exerted his strength, the clotted blood seemed to burst out.

Sian braced his molars hard to stop the screams that would spat out in seconds counting.

“…Sian?”

Billishia, who was lying on her stomach, rubbed her eyes.

She must have woken up when his body flinched in pain.

“Billie. Here, exactly,”

“What did you do to hurt yourself like this!”

He was going to ask where he was.

“I mean, I was very worried! What if a weak child leaves without a word!”

It was then.

Something suddenly came over him and hugged his back eagerly.

It was Billishia.

“…Bill,”

“Stay still!”

Sian, who was trying to avoid it, flinched again at her warning.

It was as if the wound where the bandage had been fixed was disorganized, and sharp needles pricked the skin.

‘Is Billie taking care of me, or is she messing up the wound more?’

Looking at her actions, it was closer to the latter.

However.

“…Speak straight. Did you fight the assassin?”

Her expression seemed to be closer to the former.

It was only then that Sian became aware of the whole situation.

Has she been trying to stop crying before?

A deep walnut mark under her lips.

Even the closed lips looked pitiful.

She was shedding tears like chicken poop.

(why the hell would you associate tears with chicken shit)

“…Did you even think? Why did a child with a weak body attack an assassin? How many knights are there in the Vallois Castle,”

Why are you crying?

“How many are there!”

Anyway, since you found me and treated me, isn’t it okay?

He was so bewildered that he couldn’t say anything, yet Billishia screamed again.

“Answer me!”

“I ran into him by chance.”

“You met in the bushes? Why did you go there?”

That’s because it’s the best place to infiltrate a castle as an assassin.

At the unspeakable answer, Sian fell silent again.

What answer should he give?

How should he respond to Billishia, who was patting her chest as if she was frustrated?

He’s the one who gets hurt, though.

Why is Billishia hurting more?

“I have something to ask you.”

“…What?”

As if that made no sense, Billishia clenched her fists.

“Why did you fight?”

“Because I can’t stay still.”

“If you just screamed, all the knights would have come.”

“A slave can’t use that kind of force.”

“Then you should have come to me.”

That moment.

[But why did you come to me?]

The master’s question overlapped like a thin veil.

Sian fiddled with his little fingers in the feeling of a dream coming up again.

“It doesn’t hurt me anymore. The treatment was perfect and I’m fine, so don’t worry.”

“I’m not okay with seeing you like this, yet how are you okay!”

“Billie.”

“I can’t do anything if you just say you’re okay!”

First, he had to calm down the angry Billie.

“I’m the one who gets hurt, why are you crying?”

His stuttering caused her to calmly continue.

“You said it didn’t hurt you.”

Billishia’s voice grew cold.

She slowly rose from the chair as if he had finally caught the bait.

Oops.

He shouldn’t have said it hurted.

“…Why do you keep lying to me?”

Gulp.

Sian felt fear for the first time since he came to the castle.

“You’re lying, saying that you know the ingredients for the desserts that only the members of the Imperial Family eat, and that you don’t know how to eat steak.”

He’s screwed.

“Bill,”

“I like you, but why do you keep lying? You’re really annoying!”

Rush.

At Billie’s loud voice, the servants’ footsteps could be heard from the hallway.

The servants who tried to enter the treatment room seemed to realize the situation and quietly guard the door.

And Sian.

His startled self, among the hundreds of words that Billishia poured out, could only hear the remark that she liked him.

“I’m asking you if it hurts!”

[You’ve been treated, so it doesn’t hurt now, right?]

It hurts.

It hurts a lot.

“…It hurts.”

He lowered his head and finally spoke out what he had been holding in his heart.

How difficult was this one word?

He frowned as he felt strange.

A worried voice came from the other side.

“Where exactly did it hurt?”

“My arm hurts here…”

“Where?”

“…Here.”

Let’s point to his bandaged right arm.

Billishia, who had come closer before he knew it, let out an air from her mouth and pursed it.

Sian looked at her blankly.

And he also pointed to the other place, the opposite shoulder.

“Maybe it was because I was hit earlier, it hurts here and there.”

“It must have hurt a lot.”

“…Yeah.”

It was quite awkward to play a childish act with courage.

I’m just telling the truth, though.

I’m just whining for my age, though.

He was just saying the same things his older brothers were crying when he was in the Law Kingdom.

Sad tears welled up.

Fearing that it would look strange again, Sian twisted his face as hard as he could.

“How much does it hurt?”

“It hurts a lot, Billie.”

Drop.

It was then.

Something fell on the blanket that was covering him, and he wiped his eyes with his hands hastily.

Billishia’s eyes, who had watched Sian like that, calmly sank.

She moved her chubby legs to open the chest of drawers.

“If it hurts a lot, would you like some painkillers? Uncle Doctor had prepared medicine in advance in case you’re in pain.”

“…”

“Eat this and you’ll be fine.”

“Billie.”

“Huh?”

“I like you too.”

Once he uttered it honestly, the next time it was easy.

However, it was strange.

Billishia’s face, who was handing him the medicine, was about to explode.

“…L-Liking me, as a friend? Or we haven’t started the second growth yet, so if…”

“We’re friends.”

Laughing bashfully, Billie nodded her head coldly.

…Why?

“I’m happy with my best friend. Drink this for now.”

“I can’t lift my arm because it hurts.”

“Wait. This brat’s hands are so thin that even if it’s three more years, it’ll only be as big as a fist.”

Sian watched with expectant eyes.

Billishia was clumsily holding the medicine and cup with her two hands, but she accurately fed the medicine to Sian.

As he gulped down the pills, he called Billie again.

“Billie.”

“Hm?”

“Is it true that you said you could take care of me?”

Come to think of it, Sian took a risk to get a definitive answer to this question.

It was an important word for him.

Could my life be changed by Billishia’s answer?

Sian’s eyes twinkled seriously.

“What, was that what you were curious about?”

For a moment, as she lost in thought at the sudden question, Billishia raised her eyebrows and was convinced.

“Of course! I’ll make you a servant of Vallois!”

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

“Then can I stay with you instead of going somewhere else?”

“Of course!”

“…Forever?”

Let’s indirectly ask Sian.

“You know that Vallois is one of the four largest families, so the welfare is very good, right? I will take responsibility even after you retire, you know?”

Billishia crossed her little finger.

“I will take responsibility. Promise.”

“…”

Sian, who had been staring at her little finger, hooked his.

“Promise.”

It was warm.

When he thought that he would like to hold her hand as well while holding her finger.

Oops! Billie hurriedly untied their hands and checked her watch.

He hid his regret and opened his rabbit eyes.

“By the way, I heard they were investigating who the assassin whom you fought was. Are they done now? According to people, it’s highly likely that he’s from the Law Kingdom.”

Flinch.

His heart, which had been beating fast because of the promise, crashed in an instant.

His family sold him, but his lineage was still from the royal family of the Law Kingdom.

‘And the Law Kingdom is hostile with Vallois.’

After the war, Vallois absorbed the territory of the Law Kingdom and tried to take responsibility for everything, yet the Law Kingdom didn’t acknowledge that fact.

“…Billie. You surely hate the people of the Law Kingdom.”

Sian’s eyes, which had been excited for a long time, sank again.

Come to think of it, he and Billishia had a relationship in which they couldn’t get close with each other since birth in the first place.

“Rather than hating it. I just want each of us to live happily. I wish I didn’t have to run into them.”

“…What about me?”

“You? You’re not from the Law Kingdom.”

“…Then, even if I’m from the Law Kingdom?”

After a moment of hesitation, Billishia let out a big smile.

“What is it! If you, such a kind person, are from the Law Kingdom, of course you’re welcome!”

“…Really?”

“Anyway, Sian! When you work as a servant, you have to work hard.”

“You too.”

“What?”

“Billie, you shouldn’t break your promise either.”

“Sian, do you think I look like a liar?”

“No.”

Sian smiled.

In fact, he didn’t mind if Billishia was hostile to him.

Even so, Sian had no intention of breaking his promise.